TSUNAMI SURF
Playa Troncones, Mexico
Playa Troncones, Mexico
Nestled between the Sierra Madre mountains and the Mexican Riviera lies Troncones, a seaside village where visitors find the easy pace and welcoming spirit of a classic Mexican hideaway. With a population hovering around a mere 500 permanent residents, the town has magically maintained a pleasant sense of isolation. Intrepid travelers are drawn to Troncones, seeking the unspoiled and barefoot beach vibe that has diminished elsewhere along Mexico's coast as towns here grow increasingly popular. While removed from the busy resort scene, it still has enough unassuming hotels, tasty local restaurants and interesting activities to keep visitors comfortable.
Troncones is about 20 miles north of the Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo (ZIH) International airport. The airport is served by a number of major carriers including US Airways, Delta Airlines, Aeroméxico and Continental Airlines amongst others.
The Troncones area offers the traveling surfer a diverse selection of year round warm water surf. Yep, all year round. This is rare for surf destinations but Troncones sits in special place on the planet. We like to refer to its location as a kind of “Miracle Mile”.
Located in the tropics the water is warm every day so you never need more than your trunks and a rashguard. The Sierra Madre Del Sur is the backdrop so we have lots of rivers and off shore winds almost every morning. Troncones sits toward the middle of an open ocean bay, Petacalco Bay, and receives swell energy from both the northern and southern hemispheres. That’s why we have swell year round. The mountains, rivers, and past volcanic activity have worked to create a great variety of set ups. Quality beach breaks and river mouths are common along with some quality reef breaks and world class point breaks thrown in for good measure.
Troncones is the most logical home base for the avid surfer as it hosts the greatest variety of waves and truly does offer ridable surf every day. Plus on the off chance that the ocean does go flat, Troncones offers alternative activities that other locations have yet to develop.
On the north end of the Troncones development on Playa Manzanillo is some of the heaviest surf in the area when the conditions are right. A left hand rock/reef that empties into deep water so it almost never closes out. The drop is steep and exciting but the face really lies down once you leave the reef and hit deeper water. Take off as deep as you can to get a good ride over the reef and kick out once it lays down for you. Stay out of the way of other riders because you can’t straighten out over the reef.
Ability:
Intermediate to Advanced
Hazards:
Rock/coral reef is full of urchins. Try not to wipe out on the drop and watch out for “wide swingers” that like to shove you into the rocks.
Long left hand rivermouth point break known to the surf industry as “Ubilam” (Malibu written backward), La Saladita is a longboard paradise. Rides of over a minute are common with the best surfers able to pull off 30 second nose rides when conditions are right, which is often. Works best at low tide with a good south ground swell. The paddle is very long and currents can be strong so hopefully you are in decent paddling shape. This wave attracts crowds so you should have a good sense of how to surf around other people in order to avoid collisions.
Ability:
Beginners on the inside. Intermediate and up on the outside.
Hazards:
Clueless beginner surfers on longboards.
One of the best point set ups in the area suited for both longboarding and shortboarding. Holds up to double overhead surf before closing out. The shape of this wave draws comparisons to “Trestles” in San Diego, CA. Best on low tide with southern hemisphere ground swell. The beach restaurant “Los Amigos” has excellent food. Try the huevos rancheros.
Ability:
Intermediate to Advanced
Hazards:
Remote location
All up and down the beach in Troncones, surfers will find fun sandbars nestled up against various rock clusters. Great back up plan when the swell is small. Takes swell year round from all directions. Go on a long beach walk to find the best spots. The best sand bars have waves that break top to bottom and offer a chance for a cover up or two.
Ability:
Intermediate to advanced.
Good whitewater/foam for beginners at certain locations.
Hazards:
Rocks and a shallow bottom. Large surf can create dangerous rip currents.
Many visitors to the Troncones don’t really know where to go for the best waves on any given day. The daily changes swell size and direction cause some surf spots to light up while others go dormant. Sometimes people get in the rental car, drive to the Ranch only to discover small crowded surf or even giant close outs depending on the swell. Sometimes they spend 2 hours in the car driving around only to surf in front of the hotel or rental house in Troncones where they started. All that time wasted when they could have been surfing.
We have nearly 2 decades of local knowledge to share with our clients. We know where, when, and why the surf is good and can guide you to the type waves you were hoping to find when you got off the airplane. So if your time is precious and you don’t want to drive around aimlessly, contact us about our guided surf trips.
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Prices vary with distance traveled. Some waves are lurking right under your nose the whole time. Avoid being a lemming. We’ll get you where you need to be, especially if you prefer to avoid the crowds at the better known locations. We can outfit you with the right boards and provide you with local knowledge that only comes with years of living in the area. Sort of like a “surf caddy” service.
Guide service $50 usd plus distance traveled.
The best way to surf more than one spot in a day or to simply get to the best spot quickly is to hire a panga. Hiring a boat with experienced local watermen will get you on the waves every time. Driving a car to surf spots is relatively slow and tedious compared to flying around on the panga from spot to spot. One wave might be working while another isn’t. One spot has 20 people on while another might be empty with perfect surf going unridden. The boat trip is always productive when it comes to hunting down waves.
About $150 usd/boat (4 surfers)
With Guide on board add $50 usd
Trips depart daily at 7am weather permitting.
Combining surfing with fishing is always a good idea. Get on the boat early and go surfing till your arms fall off. Fish on the way back home and eat your catch at a beach front restaurant. How can you live life any other way?
In shore fishing trips targeting Spanish Mackeral, Jack Craval, skip jack and the many other species are even more productive.
$150 usd (4 people)
With Guide on board add $50 usd
Trips depart daily at 7am weather permitting.
Off shore fishing trips out of La Majahua (located just 2 miles up the beach road from Troncones) consistently produce sailfish, dorado, and marlin. In shore fishing trips targeting Spanish Mackeral, Jack Craval, skip jack and the many other species are even more productive. Fishing at night for barracuda is available during and around the full moon. Tsunami Surf can help you get “hooked up” with the fishing that is right for you.
Large gamefish off shore/ $200 usd
Small gamefish in-shore/$150 usd
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