Surfing is what Santa Teresa is most known for and it is deeply rooted in the daily life here. Even if you don’t surf you end up living your life following the waves and the current. The best thing about surfing in Santa Teresa is that there are always waves, no flat days. A couple of other perks are the nice, warm water and that the beaches are so long, with several surfable peaks, making it possible to surf without a huge crowd. This is our guide to the different surf beaches, when to surf there and who they are most suited for.
Where to surf?
There are three main beaches of Santa Teresa - Playa Carmen, Playa Santa Teresa and Playa Hermosa (check out our guide The beaches of Santa Teresa for more non-surf-related information). The waves behave a little bit differently in each one of them and they are therefore suited for different surfers and different times of the year. If the swell is big there are also some point breaks a little drive away - Mar Azul, Lajas and Los Cedros.
Playa Carmen is the beach located right in front of Mint. The waves here are pretty soft and mellow, but there are some rock formations to know about and look out for. For beginners, the southern part of Playa Carmen - in front of restaurant El Carmen is a good spot because there are no rocks and it’s a bit more shallow. For more experienced surfers, we like to surf in front of Banana Beach in between the two rock formations - there are a couple of nice peaks and the crowd is friendly.
The waves in Playa Santa Teresa are faster and more hollow. This is a better spot for intermediate or advanced surfers. The most popular part of the beach to surf is La Lora (in front of the parking area by Hotel Fermata). This is where you will see a lot of advanced surfers and there are always a few surf photographers hanging out on the beach. If you want to surf the waves of Santa Teresa but with fewer crowds, just head a couple of hundred meters north and you will have a lot less surfers in the water and almost equally good waves.
Playa Hermosa is our top pick for beginners. The waves are more gentle and it’s more shallow, making it a perfect beach for learning how to surf. This beach is great for intermediate and advanced surfers as well if you prefer a softer wave or if the swell is very big. The beach here is not as long as Carmen or Santa Teresa so it can get a bit crowded but it’s a very friendly vibe.
When to surf?
As I mentioned before there are waves year-round here and the swells come and go. In general we have more days of small and clean waves in December-April and bigger swells May-November. The season and the swell also affect the bottom of the ocean, December-April all beaches are surfable but May-November a lot of the sand bottom in Playa Carmen gets moved around and more rocks will come out. During this time of the year we prefer surfing Santa Teresa or Hermosa.
Talking about tides - there are waves on all tides here and for experienced surfers you can go out whenever. Personally we like to go out early morning no matter the tide - before wind and crowds arrive. For beginners surfing around mid- to low tide will be easier than surfing high tide. We like to check the tide schedule and surf conditions on Surfline.
What about gear?
Surfers here use a wide range of boards. On a small day or in Playa Carmen and Hermosa you can get some nice long waves with a longboard and in Santa Teresa or on a bigger swell you can have some fun faces to ride on a shortboard. It depends more on your personal preference. For board rentals we recommend Denga or Somos, they both have a nice selection of boards. For beginners we always recommend taking at least one lesson to learn the basics on safety, how to paddle out and pop up and how to act around other surfers and swimmers in the water. If you are staying with us at Mint we will happily set you up with our favorite instructor Mauricio.
And what to wear? Sunscreen - the sun here is very strong! Other than that, just boardshorts or a swimsuit, the water is about 28° C year round.
