MND Local BCS: Surf’s up in Baja California Sur as the WSL Pacífico Surf Open Cerritos returns

Although Acapulco and Puerto Escondido hosted World Surf League (WSL) competitions in recent years, only one WSL event is scheduled in Mexico in 2026: the Pacífico Surf Open Cerritos, returning November 19–22 at Playa Los Cerritos in the municipality of La Paz, Baja California Sur. 

This will be the third edition of the Pacífico Surf Open Cerritos, which brings 120 surfers from around the globe to El Pescadero to compete in the QS 2,000-level men’s qualifying series event (the 2,000 refers to the number of ranking points available to the winner).

It’s also the third major surf competition to have taken place in Baja California Sur.

The history of surf contests in Baja California Sur

Long before Los Cabos became a notable international golf destination, the southern rim of Baja California Sur was already reputed for its great surfing. 

In fact, one of the first regional sporting competitions of note — after Bisbee’s Black and Blue fishing tournament, which premiered in 1982 — was the Fletcher Los Cabos Classic, a 1991 contest organized by entrepreneur, filmmaker and surfer Herbie Fletcher that brought many of the world’s best surfers to Los Cabos to compete at the famed Zippers surf break at Playa Costa Azul in San José del Cabo. Won by a 19-year-old Kelly Slater, by then already launched on what would become a legendary career, the event also led to two iconic surf films: “Herbie Fletcher’s Los Cabos Classic” (1991) and “Blistering Hot — Fletcher’s Los Cabos Classic” (1992).

Surfing in Los Cabos: A guide to cabo surfing and the best times to visit

Although surfers were still regularly flocking to Baja California Sur, it would be more than 20 years before another major surfing competition would be held in the state. The return was heralded by the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) sponsored Los Cabos Open of Surf, a 6-star men’s qualifying event, which debuted in June 2013. 

Also based at Zippers in San José del Cabo, this event would continue for six years, but ultimately ended following the 2018 edition due to a lack of consistency. The ASP was rebranded as the World Surf League (WSL) in 2015, and at various times in the short history of the Los Cabos Open of Surf, it was promoted as a showcase for men, women or pro juniors. The event never failed to attract top talent, but it also never established a clear identity.

What’s new for the Pacífico Surf Open Cerritos this year?

“This event represents an opportunity to continue showcasing the state as a premier destination for sports tourism and to share its natural beauty with the world,” noted Fernando Ojeda Aguilar, a subsecretary of tourism for Mexico’s Secretariat of Tourism and Economy (SETUE), regarding the 2026 Pacífico Surf Open Cerritos and the spotlight it shines on Baja California Sur.

The Pacífico Surf Open Cerritos should provide a spur to tourism, drawing not only surf fans, but those interested in regional beach culture, to be highlighted in a four-day festival featuring live music and community events.

The surfing, however, will remain front and center, with a special emphasis on the development of young Mexican surf stars. Already confirmed for this year’s event are Alan Cleland Jr., the 24-year-old Colima native who became an International Surfing Association (ISA) world champion when he took the gold medal at the 2023 ISA World Surfing Games in Surf City, El Salvador. Jhony Corzo of Puerto Escondido holds the same title thanks to his gold medal in the 2017 ISA World Surfing Games, and he too will be competing at Playa Los Cerritos. 

Sebastian Williams, also from Puerto Escondido, and Lucas Cassity of La Paz will likewise wave the flag for Mexico. Cassity should draw particularly strong backing from locals … as he did in 2024, when he rode a wave of regional support to a third-place podium finish with Williams.

Los Cabos rides the crest with the first-of-its-kind endless surf basin

Cabo Real Surf Club reaches important milestone

In December 2024, the Cabo Real Surf Club, part of the larger 3,000-acre master-planned Cabo Real development in the corridor between Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo, announced it was partnering with Endless Surf, a surf park technology company, to develop the first private Endless Wave surf basin in North America.

As the project parameters indicate, it’s an enormous undertaking. The 4-acre surf basin — a centerpiece amenity for 200 surrounding new homes — will, when complete, be capable of accommodating up to 40 surfers riding 480 customizable ocean-quality waves (up to seven feet in height) per hour, thanks to a pneumatic air system powered by 250-horsepower motors. Due to its customizable features, the basin promises an excellent training tool for beginners and valuable experience for more advanced surfers.

“When complete” are the operative words, although the Gringo Gazette recently reported that Cabo Real Surf Club had begun work on filling the 16,000-square-meter surf basin — a task that could take up to 40 days given the enormous quantity of water needed — with an end of 2026 operational date targeted.

Notably, in an area with profound water scarcity issues, the seven million gallons needed to fill the basin are being sourced from a purpose-built desalination plant, not from municipal supplies. 

Additional amenities at Cabo Real Surf Club will include restaurants, a fitness center, trampoline and skateboard facilities, a racquetball court and a beach club.

Chris Sands is a writer and editor for Mexico News Daily, and the former Cabo San Lucas local expert for the USA Today travel website 10 Best and writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook. He has also contributed to numerous other websites and publications, including The San Diego Union-Tribune, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise and Travel, and Cabo Living.