Cerritos Beach is a rapidly growing surf oasis that is less touristy than Cabo and still a hidden gem. Only an hour away Cabo San Lucas, and 15 minutes from Todos Santos, Playa de Cerritos has great waves for surfing as well as safe surf for swimming. The laidback, low-key vibe draws surfers, ex-pats, and travelers from all over the world. While the increase in tourism and development of condominiums in Cerritos Beach has exploded over the last five years, the areas culture has remained.
So, why should you visit Cerritos Beach in Baja Mexico? Visiting Cerritos Beach is like stepping back in time to a pre-developed Baja, Mexico without losing out on the amenities and conveniences of the modern world like toilets, restaurants, and clean water. The roads are dirt, the surfing is great, and the community is focused on living a healthy and sustainable life. Bare-feet and beach attire is the vibe, meanwhile you can dress up and hit the town dressed up if you want to have a night of dancing and drinks.
Read on to discover what to do in Cerritos Beach, how to get to Cerritos, where to surf, and so much more!
Surfer soaking in the last light of a sunset at Cerritos Beach in Baja. Photograph by Dalton Johnson
Cerritos Beach Overview:
Where is Cerritos Beach?
Play de Cerritos is an hours drive north of Cabo San Lucas and a 15 minute drive south from Todos Santos. Once you turn off the highway to Cerritos Beach, the road is dirt.
How far is Cerritos Beach from the Cabo airport?
If you are staying at one of the many AirBnB’s or VRBO’s in Cerritos Beach, getting there from the Cabo airport will take about an hour and half if you take the toll road. However, since Cerritos Beach has fewer amenities than Cabo San Lucas or San Jose del Cabo, many visitors stop to grocery shop along the way, making the trip about a 2.5 hour journey.
Drive time Cabo airport to Cerritos Beach via toll road, without stops, is about an hour and 30 minutes
Drive time Cabo airport to Cerritos Beach via toll road, with stops, is about two hours and 30 minutes
How far is Cerritos from Cabo San Lucas?
Cerritos Beach is an hours drive north from Cabo San Lucas. Taking the toll road from Cabo San Lucas does not get you to the warm water and excellent waves of Cerritos Beach any faster, however, if you are coming from San Jose del Cabo I suggest taking the toll road to cut your travel time in half.
Drive time Cabo San Lucas to Cerritos Beach is about one hour
Drive time San Jose del Cabo to Cerritos Beach via toll road is about an hour and 15 minutes
Drive time San Jose del Cabo to Cerritos Beach not taking the toll road can take about 2 hours
The Hacienda used to be a luxury hotel, now it is an abandoned building. Photograph by Dalton Johnson
What to do at Cerritos Beach?
Is Cerritos Beach swimmable?
Cerritos Beach is known for its swimmable beach. Known locally as one of the best beaches in the area, Playa de Cerritos is a great place to relax, soak up the sun, and swim in the water. When you walk onto the beach, you will notice most of the people stay towards the right side, or towards the big yellow hotel on the hill, this the safest place to swim. Be aware, there is a rip tide, an area where water goes out to the ocean, down the left side of the beach.
Want to learn more about swimming at Cerritos Beach? I wrote a full article on the safety and areas to swim at Cerritos Beach, click here to read.
Best Restaurants to eat at in Cerritos beach area?
As Playa del Cerritos grows in popularity, the options for food increase, and boy oh boy is it good! Cerritos Beach has quickly made a name for itself as a hot spot for some of the best food in all of Baja.
Barracuda Tacos (awarded the best taco in all of Mexico)
Shaka’s
Hierbabuena
Art and Beer
Cerritos Beach Club
Where can I surf in Cerritos Beach?
Cerritos Beach is one of the premier surf spots in Baja Sur. This surf break has three distinct waves for surfing; the point, the inside, and beach break. If you are new, or learning, to surfing, the inside is the perfect spot for you. If you are searching to ride big waves, or favor long board surfing, the right off of the point will be your favorite spot. For short boarders and experienced surfers, the left at the beach break barrels consistently.
The inside is the area closest to the big yell hotel on the hill. The inside is for beginners.
The point is the area beyond the inside break where larger waves break for a long right hand ride. The point is for long boards and those seeking to ride big waves, I’ve seen and ridden double overhead waves off the point.
The beach break is located in the the middle Cerritos beach and has both a left and right barrel, the left is better. The beach break is for experienced surfers and short boarders alike.
NOTE: If you want to learn how to surf, I suggest going to CRT and ask for Juan or Carlos. They are great instructors, offer fair prices, and have been around the longest. Additionally, if you tell them “DALTON sent me” they will most likely give you a discount on lessons or board rentals.
My Connection with Cerritos Beach
When I was 8 years old and Cerritos Beach was nothing but a single road without a building in site I was brought here by my Dad and our local friend to learn how to surf. There wasn’t a single person in the line-up and we parked a red rental car, with five surf boards towering on the roof, just before the sand got soft.
Getting out of the car, I saw the barrels and the point. I was nervous and excited. These waves were the biggest I had ever seen, but I knew that I had to try. My Dad wasn’t a good surfer, but our local friend—his name is Richar and he is more like a brother to me—took me out on a long board to the reform area just inside the main point.
“Watch out for the rocks okay.” Richar said as he pointed out the rocks which are exposed during low tide, “They will ding the board.”
I nodded yes and paddled for a wave. Which I caught, thanks to a solid push from Richar.
Now, I don’t remember much more than that for he day, as 20 years have passed, but I can honestly say that my memories in the water at Cerritos Beach have been nothing but positive. Yes, the crowds have increased and building now line the beach, but the vibe and community is still strong at Cerritos Beach. Over the years I have returned to Cerritos Beach every winter for the last 20 years, sometimes several times throughout the year. I love it down here.
My parents have decided to spend half of their year down in Cerritos, residing as ex-pats, and escaping the cold winters of the United States.
In many ways, Cerritos Beach is a second home for me, yet I don’t own any land. The boom has made land too expensive for me to buy, but I can still park my van near the beach and enjoy the waves.
A sunrise barrel on the Pacific Ocean while on a surf trip to Cerritos Beach. Photograph by Dalton Johnson
Now that you have discovered what to do in Cerritos Beach, how to get to Cerritos, and where to surf it is your turn to sink your feet into the sand. If this blog was helpful, or you have additional information that could/would be helpful to others, please leave a comment below for other members of this community.
