Mexico - Punta Mita

jts80

Legend (inyourownmind)
May 17, 2007
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NJ
I'm headed there this coming Saturday for a week with my family. I'm staying at the St. Regis and we have friends that will also be in the area staying in a house. It looks like from a quick search there a bunch of spots around and we will have a car. Since I've never been there before and am not taking a board, are there any good shops to rent from? Also, my buddy is a snowboarder who can surf, but a mellow spot would work best for him because he doesn't get in the water much. Are there any low key spots that aren't super crowded that have a nice break? Any other advice or recommendations (surfing/non surfing) are appreciated. Thanks
 

dl4060

OTF status
Jun 4, 2009
190
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18
I just got back from the St. Regis, was there from Aug 25 to Aug 31.

It was fun, but there was not a whole lot of swell in the water. We got in a couple of sessions at La Lancha, which is fun and mellow, where my wife got lessons. There are a bunch of fun spots in the area that are not too hectic. La Lancha is about 15 minutes from the St. Regis property, with most of that drive being to the Punta Mita property gate. There are a few spots on the Punta Mita property, behind the gates. I surfed one of them, a right point that we could see from our hotel room. I only got to surf it at waist high, I rented a longboard from the people at the resort, but it was fun at that size. I REALLY wish I had gotten to surf it with some swell in the water. I believe that spot is called El Skupa, but I'm not positive. There is also Bahia, and El Faro, both of which are behind the property gates but south of the St. Regis, they are basically in front of some of the condos and houses. I did not surf either, but there was not really swell in the water. I will say that the right I surfed, El Skupa, is quite rocky. The night I arrived it was about head high and peeling off this little island right off shore, with no one out. Unfortunately we did not arrive until the sun was going down. I was REALLY wishing we had arrived an hour earlier. Unfortunately that spot never got that good again. From what I gather the Punta Mita spots rarely get a crowd, although sometimes people will boat in from the outside. As there was not much swell in the water I can't confirm this. For the people that are less experienced La Lancha is probably a better bet, as the waves on the Punta Mita property are pretty rocky.

Check out a company called WildMex. They have a location in Punta Mita, by the gas station. You can park there and walk to La Lancha. They offer lessons, and you can rent boards. I brought my own board, but from what I saw in there shop they had a good selection of rentals. Just google 'WildMex Punta Mita' and they will pop up. They also have a location in Sayulita. Their instructors were great, and we were able to store our stuff at their shop. I would contact them and ask some questions. We did not have a car, so we took cabs from the St. Regis, which is easy.

Here is a map from the WildMex website:


If you zoom way in on the Punta Mita zone you will see where the St. Regis is. Where it says 'St. Regis Resort Remede Spa' you will see a little island, the right point I surfed on property is off that island. You can actually walk out to that island, though it is quite rocky. I would definitely consider bringing reef booties. You can also see the other breaks behind the gates, Bahia and El Faro, the right point is not marked on the map. The map also shows some other breaks in the area, La Lancha, Punta Burros and some others. You will be able to drive to them easily if you have a car. We surfed La Lancha at stomach high, but did not hit any other spots. The WildMex website has lots of good info.

Aside from surfing, the resort was a blast. There are tennis courts you can bike to, the food was good, and there is a 2 for 1 happy hour on drinks from 3 to 4 in the afternoon. The days we did not surf we would work out in the morning, the gym is okay, eat brunch, relax, and play tennis in the early afternoon. It is INSANELY humid, so the tennis was interesting. Overall it was a great trip, I just wish we had gotten more surf. Looking at Punta Mita it is pretty obvious that the potential is insane if there is some swell in the water. I would definitely go back as an all-around trip, but if it was a surf only trip I would want a place with a bigger swell window.

Behind the Punta Mita gates, but not on the St. Regis property, there is a restaurant called Sufi which we really enjoyed. You can get the St. Regis to make reservations for you. Or, you can borrow bikes from the St. Regis and bike over there, the bikes are free for the first hour, and make reservations yourself. It is a cool way to check out the property. It is pricey, but the food and drinks are great and the view is insane. I highly recommend it.

Have fun. For the most part the waves there are pretty mellow.
 

dl4060

OTF status
Jun 4, 2009
190
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18
Thanks for the intel!

Of course.

I REALLY hope you get some swell there. Like I said, we had a great trip, but if that right point in front of the St. Regis had been head high for, say, half the trip.....
 

Autoprax

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Jan 24, 2011
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Vagina Point
That place needs swell to be good.

I got it good and then I got skunked twice and quit going.

I don't go anywhere to surf now. But if there is swell I surf.

That is more better
 
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ElOgro

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Dec 3, 2010
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When you get to Destiladeros get out of your car (or off the back of a Corona truck). Imagine that you have a backpack full of everything you own and 2 surfboards. And you’re gonna start walking out to the end of the road. At 2 in the afternoon. In September. There was nothing out there except some palapas for the fishing coop guys. No trees. No shade. Mud holes and scrub. 46 years ago. Then get back in the car and crank up that AC!
 

Oakleys_N_Zinka

Miki Dora status
Oct 7, 2005
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There's a fun wave near Palladium resort called Burros that has a public access trail. There were lots of attractive & wealthy gringas to talk to in the water.
 
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Autoprax

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Jan 24, 2011
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Vagina Point
Won't that be too close and you are just being ionic?

I got my best surf there from a hurricane but I think it was a little further away.

That zone lites up on a good swell.
 

ElOgro

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Dec 3, 2010
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Won't that be too close and you are just being ionic?

I got my best surf there from a hurricane but I think it was a little further away.

That zone lites up on a good swell.
Perfect timing for the weather. The surf not so much.
 

Waterlogged05

Michael Peterson status
May 14, 2005
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pay the local boat guy and he will take you spearfishing by those islands. It wasn't until an hour in he told me to keep my hawaiin sling down because it was illegal. we all hopped in boat and buddy had head down as 2 big fookin sharks were very close.
 

jts80

Legend (inyourownmind)
May 17, 2007
359
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NJ
Just got back on Sunday. Had a good time with the family and the resort is really nice. The tropical storm rolled through Sunday night, but it wasn't bad. Monday the weather wasn't great so we decided to drive to Sayulita to meet friends for lunch. The road there was a mess after the storm - flooded out and bulldozers working to clear the road of mud/rock slides. In Sayulita there were a bunch of people surfing. It was clean and looked fun, but super crowded. Tuesday my buddy checked La Lancha, but surfed Veneros instead. I only surfed once and it was at Veneros on Wednesday. I caught a few nice waves and the crowd was light. During the week a few waves rolled through at the right at the resort, but it wasn't consistent enough for me to have a go. My buddy was staying right in front of Anclote but he never saw it bigger than knee high. Overall it seems like the area has good potential and maybe I'll get back when I have more time to surf.