If you were going to buy a bit of land and build a surf shack in Mexico...

Senor Sopa

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I didn't actually realize this thread was blowing up, I wasn't getting email notifications.

Anyways. Thanks for all the information everyone. I'm 300% more informed than before and feel pretty confident that Mexico isn't quite what I thought it was.
A lot of this depends on budget.
This is a great thread. I've liked Sam_K's other posts!!!
Surprised no one has mentioned local baja, Rosarito/Ensenada zone. Ton's of wave variety, plenty civilized. Lol, higher level cartel guys?
 
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paunch23

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Hey. We drove from LA to Panama back in, fck 2009!! The Mex part was the best. Basically all of Central America is fcked especially the borders! Salvador , Nicaragua, costa rica, panama etc. People trying to take advantage of you, making it seem like they’re doing you favors. They’re all in it. All of them. But still mex is the sh!t. I love it. Yeah theres sketchy places. All of baja felt pretty “safe.” Vallarta felt sketchy as did Acapulco area yet we still went out for more than a few drinks. Pascuales was fun. We avoided being out at night. Near I believe south of Mazatlan somewhere, we were basically told to better keep on driving and avoid spending the night there. So we followed that advice. We had a great time. No bad memories at all. True Mexican food is the sht and people are genuinely nice. And i dont think we looked worth it getting robbed.
So i guess you just have to follow common sense and be nice. If you talk spanish is a big plus…
 
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ElOgro

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Hey. We drove from LA to Panama back in, fck 2009!! The Mex part was the best. Basically all of Central America is fcked especially the borders! Salvador , Nicaragua, costa rica, panama etc. People trying to take advantage of you, making it seem like they’re doing you favors. They’re all in it. All of them. But still mex is the sh!t. I love it. Yeah theres sketchy places. All of baja felt pretty “safe.” Vallarta felt sketchy as did Acapulco area yet we still went out for more than a few drinks. Pascuales was fun. We avoided being out at night. Near I believe south of Mazatlan somewhere, we were basically told to better keep on driving and avoid spending the night there. So we followed that advice. We had a great time. No bad memories at all. True Mexican food is the sht and people are genuinely nice. And i dont think we looked worth it getting robbed.
So i guess you just have to follow common sense and be nice. If you talk spanish is a big plus…
Things change. I lived here for a while in 1979
There was lots of weed grown in the mountains that went through town but the overall vibe was very slow and mellow. Mexicans have been shooting each other for ever and there was the occasional dispute but you’d have never seen this.
 
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Sharkbiscuit

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The San Blas area is an incredible part of Mexico. 74 is a pretty mental road for a good car/motorcyle.

Uncle Ogro, where would you stay for surfing those rights without a car? Walk up the point from Matanchen, or walk down the beach and across the river from San Blas? Croc factor on that crossing?
 

ElOgro

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The San Blas area is an incredible part of Mexico. 74 is a pretty mental road for a good car/motorcyle.

Uncle Ogro, where would you stay for surfing those rights without a car? Walk up the point from Matanchen, or walk down the beach and across the river from San Blas? Croc factor on that crossing?
I had a Carabella 125 POS that I rode back and forth from town, left my boards at Facundo’s place.

Both of those options would would be miserable for a bunch of reasons. I never stayed out at Las Islitas, the bug factor was bad enough in town. Out there was beyond fucking miserable.

I made the mistake of staying out for one more good wave at sunset once. And only once. I kicked out past the og banana bread place (hi Juan!) and had to hoof back up the beach to drop off my board and get the bike. Great jumping Jesus was that fucked up.
 
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Sharkbiscuit

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I had a Carabella 125 POS that I rode back and forth from town, left my boards at Facundo’s place.

Both of those options would would be miserable for a bunch of reasons. I never stayed out at Las Islitas, the bug factor was bad enough in town. Out there was beyond fucking miserable.

I made the mistake of staying out for one more good wave at sunset once. And only once. I kicked out past the og banana bread place (hi Juan!) and had to hoof back up the beach to drop off my board and get the bike. Great jumping Jesus was that fucked up.
Should I put that down for stay in San Blas and tip a taxi driver well for transport?
 

ElOgro

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Should I put that down for stay in San Blas and tip a taxi driver well for transport?
That’s one way.

I got a ride on the Corona delivery truck one time, no ride back so I walked a little past the Hotel Colon and got picked up by a couple in an old station wagon. A minute into the ride the guy fired up a giant stinky spliff and passed it over the seat. Got absolutely baked. So we pull up to the Pemex and before I get out the guy whips out a wallet with DEA credentials, hands me another joint, and tells me to be careful, the USA government now has me on their radar.
 

ElOgro

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Any remarks on damming the river and effect on sediment/setup?
I wasn’t aware of that but as rivers go there isn’t much to dam up. The north of there is the Rio Tecpan and that’s decent size. Loads of Ag around there. There’s a brackish water slough north side, the river that runs on the south side of Playa Borrego at the very top of the bay up from Stoners. I think that’s it until Atacama. The bay (sand) will change from time to time mostly from storms.

I’ve surely forgotten more than I remember.

Edumacate me?
 

Sharkbiscuit

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I wasn’t aware of that but as rivers go there isn’t much to dam up. The north of there is the Rio Tecpan and that’s decent size. Loads of Ag around there. There’s a brackish water slough north side, the river that runs on the south side of Playa Borrego at the very top of the bay up from Stoners. I think that’s it until Atacama. The bay (sand) will change from time to time mostly from storms.

I’ve surely forgotten more than I remember.

Edumacate me?
I think it was a reference to the river on the South side of Playa Borrego? There is a spot or two from "the old days" of Mainland Mexico that I read stories about not being as good as they used to be - or gone completely. I couldn't really figure out why basically only one or two old-timer guys among the Gringo visitors had even heard of Stoner's or that zone down in the Central Mainland area.

Anywho, I did a shitload of reading about San Blas/Stoners/Islitas and read somewhere that construction or a dam had altered sand flow feeding the banks at the right, and the wave quality suffered.

Sounds like some bullshit and I probably read it on WannaSurf comments. But I had a fabulous day in Nayarit last trip and endless rights cranking all day long sounds like fun, especially if other places in that zone get maxxed out and become currenty wash-throughs.
 

ElOgro

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I think it was a reference to the river on the South side of Playa Borrego? There is a spot or two from "the old days" of Mainland Mexico that I read stories about not being as good as they used to be - or gone completely. I couldn't really figure out why basically only one or two old-timer guys among the Gringo visitors had even heard of Stoner's or that zone down in the Central Mainland area.

Anywho, I did a shitload of reading about San Blas/Stoners/Islitas and read somewhere that construction or a dam had altered sand flow feeding the banks at the right, and the wave quality suffered.

Sounds like some bullshit and I probably read it on WannaSurf comments. But I had a fabulous day in Nayarit last trip and endless rights cranking all day long sounds like fun, especially if other places in that zone get maxxed out and become currenty wash-throughs.
There’s not much close in the zone. Have @MANdingo tell you about the famous left at Santa Cruz. The bottom line is that Las Islitas is very good just a hair more often than the Rincon, and a pain to get too. Day trips from Punta Mita are doable but a haul.

As far as buying land and building a hacienda very hard pass at any cost.

If you ever get a good day there you’re more lucky than good. But if you do you’ll never forget it.

I didn’t die, although that’s where I got my first dose of dysentery and there were a few days that I wished I would have.
 
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Sharkbiscuit

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There’s not much close in the zone. Have @MANdingo tell you about the famous left at Santa Cruz. The bottom line is that Las Islitas is very good just a hair more often than the Rincon, and a pain to get too. Day trips from Punta Mita are doable but a haul.

As far as buying land and building a hacienda very hard pass at any cost.

If you ever get a good day there you’re more lucky than good. But if you do you’ll never forget it.

I didn’t die, although that’s where I got my first dose of dysentery and there were a few days that I wished I would have.
I was asking Jorge about lots of places - he told me about it. I gambled on Nexpa being cleaned up several weeks after you said it was trashed. I rolled shitty dice and almost all I had to show for it was a bus ride from Guad to Morelia, a bus ride from Morelia to Lazaro, and a bus ride from Lazaro to Caleta. Then back, and then some.

Anywho, Jorge recommended gatas but I told him I'd get no waves at a point in a city. He was of the opinion enough waves come in on a legit hurricane swell. I started grilling him about spots North. That was one I asked him about. Most of the spots I asked him about he wasn't that into. This one, he was, and I listened. He was right! Very right. Or very left maybe I should say. Total high note trip ender.
 

ElOgro

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I was asking Jorge about lots of places - he told me about it. I gambled on Nexpa being cleaned up several weeks after you said it was trashed. I rolled shitty dice and almost all I had to show for it was a bus ride from Guad to Morelia, a bus ride from Morelia to Lazaro, and a bus ride from Lazaro to Caleta. Then back, and then some.

Anywho, Jorge recommended gatas but I told him I'd get no waves at a point in a city. He was of the opinion enough waves come in on a legit hurricane swell. I started grilling him about spots North. That was one I asked him about. Most of the spots I asked him about he wasn't that into. This one, he was, and I listened. He was right! Very right. Or very left maybe I should say. Total high note trip ender.
It was good here during that time, lots of visitors from Nexpa. Nobody listens to ElOgro.

An 8 wave set at other close by spots yields a 3 wave set at Las Gatas. It’s an absolute zoo with a very reduced takeoff area and hoards of “local rippers” that have no problem torching each other all the way down the line. They can see it from town. They respect no one. Besides getting faded until you give up, anything you brought to the beach is gone in 60 seconds. Guttersnipe.

One of my favorite places in the whole world. Eat at Chez Arnold. I have a bro that has a house overlooking Las Gatas, 4 bedroom bitchen place with a pool and a 15 minute walk. He surfs here.
 
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SteveT

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I had a Carabella 125 POS that I rode back and forth from town, left my boards at Facundo’s place.

Both of those options would would be miserable for a bunch of reasons. I never stayed out at Las Islitas, the bug factor was bad enough in town. Out there was beyond fucking miserable.

I made the mistake of staying out for one more good wave at sunset once. And only once. I kicked out past the og banana bread place (hi Juan!) and had to hoof back up the beach to drop off my board and get the bike. Great jumping Jesus was that fucked up.
Holy crap, you got that right!
We pulled off the road at San Blas one time on our way home from S. Mainland to fix some dinner and get some rest right around sunset.
There was a canal next to the hwy.
We got out of the van and opened the slider to put the Coleman out.
I turned on the ceiling light.
Then we heard it.
This insanely loud screeching sound. There was still a little light on the horizon and we could see this black cloud coming.
It was mozzies. billions of 'em, it was right of of a horror movie.
We tossed everything back in the van and beat it fast, took 1/2 hour to get them all out.
Gnarly sh!t!
 

Mr Doof

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I didn't actually realize this thread was blowing up, I wasn't getting email notifications.
This place does email notifications?

......being the murder capital of Mexico and it's like, Christ. That's depressing.
Pretty sure if you go to Mexico you will die. Or is that just Baja? I forget what I am told all the time.

I've heard this one many, many times.
"Don't buy or build ANYTHING in Mexico that you can't afford to walk away from."
I think I read a story about someone buying some land, leveling some of it for a foundation, putting up what is more or less a sunshield supported by some steel girders, then every year, parking their RV under it and hooking it into an onsite septic system and buried powerlines. They have an agreement with a local family to live there (if they want) when they are not there. This sort of makes sense to me if you are in a transient mindset who is chasing waves more than becoming part of the community.
 
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