Surfing La Saladita: Mexico’s Longest Left Wave
- Apr 7
- 8 min read
Updated: Aug 8
If you’ve been researching surfing La Saladita, Mexico, chances are you’ve heard about its famously long left-hand point break.
On the right day, a good wave here can seem to keep going forever.
But what makes La Saladita special isn’t only the length of the rides. It’s the combination of a relatively forgiving wave, warm water, a relaxed atmosphere and the opportunity to spend a lot of time actually surfing instead of constantly fighting for short rides.
La Saladita has become especially popular with longboarders, intermediate surfers and people looking to improve their surfing on a wave that gives you time to think.
That doesn’t mean it’s always small or easy.
On a solid south swell, La Saladita can have much more speed and power than people expect. The wave changes quite a bit depending on the swell, tide and conditions.
We’re based nearby in Troncones and surf this stretch of Guerrero regularly. La Saladita is one of the waves we use, but it’s also just one part of a coastline with many different surf options.
Here’s what you should know before planning a surf trip to La Saladita.
La Saladita Surf at a Glance
Wave type: Left-hand point break
Best for: Longboarders, intermediates, progressing beginners and surfers who enjoy long open faces
Boards: Longboards, mid-lengths and higher-volume boards work especially well
Main surf season: Generally spring through fall for stronger south swell
Winter: Usually smaller and often more approachable
Water: Warm most of the year
Crowds: Can get busy, especially when conditions are good
Nearest airport: Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa International Airport (ZIH)
Nearby surf base: Troncones
What Makes La Saladita So Special?
The thing you notice immediately about La Saladita is how much time a good wave gives you.
At many beach breaks, you take off, make a couple of turns and the wave disappears.
At La Saladita, a good set wave can give you enough time to settle into the ride, move around your board, work on positioning and connect several sections.
That makes it a particularly good wave for surfers who want to improve.
Instead of simply surviving a fast section, you can actually think about what you’re doing.
Where should I position myself?
When should I move forward?
Can I make another section?
Should I cut back here?
Those extra seconds on the wave make a big difference.
And of course, for experienced longboarders, La Saladita can be incredibly fun because there is plenty of room to work with the wave rather than simply race down the line.
What Is the Wave Actually Like?
La Saladita is a long left-hand point break that generally offers a much more predictable ride than many of the beach breaks along this coastline.
On smaller days, the wave can be relatively soft and forgiving.
That’s when you’ll see plenty of longboards and surfers working on their technique.
When a stronger south swell arrives, however, the personality of the wave changes.
The takeoff can have more push, the sections become faster and the wave gives experienced surfers much more to work with.
This is important because La Saladita sometimes gets described online as if it is always a gentle beginner wave.
It isn’t.
Conditions matter.
A waist-high morning and an overhead south swell are two completely different experiences.
That’s true for almost every surf break, but it’s especially worth remembering when planning a trip around La Saladita.
Is La Saladita Good for Beginner Surfers?
It can be.
But there’s an important difference between a true first-time beginner and a surfer who has already taken lessons and is learning to catch waves independently.
For someone who has never surfed before, getting into the main lineup on a busy day isn’t necessarily the best way to learn.
There are boards moving around, surfers paddling for waves and basic lineup rules that need to be understood.
For progressing beginners, however, La Saladita can be excellent under the right conditions.
The longer rides give you more time to practice:
positioning
paddling
standing consistently
trimming
turning
reading the wave
learning where to sit in the lineup
The key is choosing the right day.
When it’s smaller and cleaner, the wave can be extremely approachable.
When a bigger swell arrives, beginners are usually better off surfing somewhere more suitable.
That’s one of the reasons we don’t believe in deciding where to surf weeks in advance.
Conditions decide.
Intermediate Surfing at La Saladita
For intermediate surfers, La Saladita is probably at its most useful.
You’re no longer just trying to stand up.
You’re trying to surf the wave properly.
That means generating speed, making sections, improving turns, controlling your line and becoming more comfortable reading what the wave is about to do.
A long point break gives you time to experiment.
You can try something, feel what happened and make an adjustment before the ride is over.
That is difficult to do on a short beach-break wave.
For intermediate surfers who want to improve consistency, La Saladita can be a very productive place to spend time.
Can Advanced Surfers Enjoy La Saladita?
Definitely, particularly when there is enough swell.
La Saladita has a mellow reputation because of the longboarding scene, but that doesn’t mean good surfers are going to be bored.
On stronger days, there are sections where you can generate plenty of speed and put more pressure into turns.
Experienced surfers also tend to read the wave differently.
Instead of simply enjoying the length of the ride, they look for the faster sections and use the slower parts to position themselves for what is coming next.
That said, if you’re an advanced surfer looking specifically for powerful, hollow or very technical surfing, La Saladita probably shouldn’t be the only wave you surf during a trip.
There are other breaks around this coastline that can offer a completely different experience.
Longboard vs Mid-Length vs Shortboard at La Saladita
If there is one wave in this part of Mexico where bringing a longboard makes sense, it’s La Saladita.
The long, relatively open face suits the glide and flow of a longboard extremely well.
You’ll see plenty of surfers cross-stepping, trimming and spending a lot of time near the nose when conditions allow.
Mid-lengths are also a great choice.
For many visiting surfers, a mid-length gives you a good balance between easy paddling and maneuverability.
Shortboards work too, especially when the swell has more push.
But on smaller days, you may find yourself wishing you had a little more volume.
That’s why having access to different boards can make a surf trip much more enjoyable.
The best board on Monday may not be the best board on Thursday.
Best Time to Surf La Saladita
La Saladita can be surfed throughout the year, but the conditions change with the seasons.
Spring and Summer
This is when southern hemisphere swells become more active.
You generally have a better chance of seeing consistent surf and more size.
For intermediate and advanced surfers, this can be an excellent time to visit.
You can get long, playful days, but stronger swells can also turn La Saladita into a much more serious wave than its reputation suggests.
Fall
Fall can still produce good south swell while sometimes offering a nice balance between size and cleaner conditions.
It’s one of my favorite periods because you can get a variety of conditions along the coast.
Winter
Winter is generally smaller in this part of Guerrero.
For some surfers that sounds like a negative.
For longboarders and progressing surfers, it can actually be a positive.
Smaller surf can make La Saladita much more approachable and give you plenty of opportunity to work on technique.
So there really isn’t one universal “best month.”
The best time depends on the kind of surfing you want.
What Time of Day Is Best?
Early mornings are usually your best bet.
The wind is often lighter, conditions are cleaner and the temperature is comfortable.
Like most places on this coast, afternoons can become windier.
But we’ve also had plenty of afternoons where everything settles down again before sunset.
That’s why we check conditions rather than blindly following a fixed schedule.
Sometimes the best surf of the day happens when everyone else has already gone back for lunch.
Crowds at La Saladita
La Saladita is no longer a secret.
You should know that before arriving.
On good days, particularly during popular travel periods, there can be plenty of surfers in the water.
That doesn’t automatically mean you won’t get waves.
The wave is long and there are different places to sit, but understanding the lineup helps enormously.
Watch for a few minutes before paddling straight to the peak.
See where people are taking off.
Notice which surfers are consistently catching waves.
And remember basic surf etiquette.
Don’t drop in.
Don’t paddle directly inside someone who has been waiting.
If someone is already riding toward you, give them space.
A little awareness goes a long way.
La Saladita Is Not the Only Wave Around Here
This is probably the most important thing visitors miss.
A lot of surfers fly to Mexico saying:
“I’m going to surf La Saladita.”
But La Saladita is just one wave.
Within this section of the Guerrero coast, there are beach breaks, reefs, points and other setups that respond differently depending on swell direction, tide and wind.
Some days La Saladita is clearly the best option.
Other days it isn’t.
That’s one of the biggest advantages of staying mobile.
Instead of forcing yourself to surf the same wave because that’s where you booked accommodation, you can go where the conditions make the most sense.
For us, that is what a surf trip should be about.
La Saladita vs Troncones
La Saladita and Troncones are close to each other, but the surfing experience is quite different.
La Saladita is famous for one very long, consistent left-hand point break.
Troncones gives you access to a wider variety of waves.
That can include point-style waves, reefs and beach breaks depending on the conditions and where you go.
If your dream trip is waking up every morning and surfing a long left on a longboard, staying directly in La Saladita makes a lot of sense.
If you want more variety and the ability to move between different waves, Troncones can make a better base.
Neither is automatically better.
It depends on what you want from the trip.
You can also read our full comparison: La Saladita vs Troncones: Which Wave Is Right for You?
Getting to La Saladita
The closest airport is Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa International Airport (ZIH).
From the airport, La Saladita is roughly an hour away by road depending on traffic and your exact route.
If you plan to stay in one place and surf only La Saladita, you may not need a rental car.
If you want to explore the coast and surf different waves, having transportation becomes much more useful.
That’s one of the big differences between a fixed surf vacation and a more flexible surf trip.
Should You Stay in La Saladita or Troncones?
If La Saladita itself is the main reason for your trip, staying there is obviously convenient.
You can walk to the wave, surf whenever you want and build your entire day around the point.
Troncones is different.
It has a little more variety in restaurants and accommodation, its own surf, and works well as a base for exploring different breaks in the area.
From Troncones, La Saladita is still close enough to surf whenever conditions are good.
For our Surfari trips, we base ourselves in Troncones because we don’t want to be committed to one wave.
One morning might be La Saladita.
Another morning might be somewhere completely different.
That flexibility is a big part of the experience.
What Should You Bring?
You don’t need much beyond the normal tropical surf-trip essentials.
Bring:
reef-safe sunscreen
surf hat if you use one
rash guard
reusable water bottle
a good pair of sandals
basic first-aid supplies
board shorts or swimwear
plenty of sun protection
You won’t need a wetsuit.
If you’re unsure about bringing your own surfboard, read our guide:
For many travelers, renting locally is easier than dragging a board bag through airports.
Is La Saladita Worth Visiting?
Yes.
There is a reason surfers keep coming back.
It’s not because it has the biggest waves in Mexico.
It’s not because it has the craziest nightlife.
And it’s definitely not because nobody knows about it anymore.
People return because the wave gives you something that can be surprisingly difficult to find:
time on your feet.
Long rides.
Warm water.
A wave that allows you to work on your surfing.
And when you combine La Saladita with the other waves around this coastline, you have the ingredients for a very good surf trip.
La Saladita is worth surfing.
Just don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s the only wave worth surfing here.
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