A more hidden gem, Puerto Escondido was selected as 14th World Surfing Reserve – a prestigious title that recognizes the world’s world class waves and ecological meaning.
Located in the southern part of the state of Oaxaca, Puerto Escondido has a coast which includes eight unique waves and Some of the best beach breaks in the world, Including Playa Zicatela and Punta Colorada.
The break in Zicatela, often called “Mexican pipeline”, includes powerful and coherent waves which are considered a treasure in the world of surfing.
The 10 -kilometer (6.2 mile) sectional section for honor was selected by the Save The Waves Coalition, an international non -profit organization of 24 years dedicated to the protection of surfing ecosystems around the world. The new status should be officially granted in early 2026.
“Puerto Escondido reflects the surf ecosystem par excellence, the incredible world class waves, an environment of biodiversity with important ecosystems for coastal resilience and a voluntary united community capable of defending the place they love”, Save the Waves PDG Nik Strong-Cvetich said in a press release.
Beyond the very popular waves of Puerto Escondido, the coastal ecosystems of Zicatela and Colorada have a very important terrestrial and marine biodiversity that they host. For example, each serves as a nesting habitat for three species of sea turtles: Ridley olive, black and leather in critical danger.
The mangroves forests near Punta Colorada and Laguna de Chacahua National Park provide habitats for iguanas, crocodiles and other wild animals, playing a crucial role in water filtration, flood prevention and carbon storage.
The list of world surf reserves includes Isla Todos Santos, a large wave break on an island at 12 miles off the coast of Ensenada in Baja California.
Not to be confused with the charming coastal city of All the Santos in Baja California on, The world class surf point (sometimes called Bahía de Todos Santos) is known for its legendary waves and A large wave surfing competition (which is called only if the waves are quite large).
It has become a global surf reserve in 2014, five years after the launch of the program. Many locations on the list host events on the high -level championship tour of the World Surf League, which in 2025 has a Mexican competition for the first time: 22 years old, Alan Cleland, Quiñonez de Colima.
The other places are California; Ericeira is formed; Gold Coast, Manly and Noosa are Australia; Punta of Lobos in Chile, Playa Hermosa is Costa Rica; Huanchaco is Peru; Keep Embaú is Brazil; In the United Kingdom; Oriental Salvaje is El Salvador.
The designation does not provide immediate legal protection, but encourages the training of a local council to manage long -term conservation strategies, often leading to legal guarantees.
Save the Waves has already been working for several years with members of the community Puerto Escondido, which has a population of around 30,000 inhabitants. The coalition proposed a protection strategy for the mangroves ecosystem of Punta Colorada, addressed problems of quality of water and wastewater in progress and looked for solutions to the problems of sand flows and erosion in Zicatela.
They also envisage how to protect nests from turtles, slow down the overdevelopment and raise awareness. The objective is to balance tourism growth with environmental management, Make sure that the waves and ecosystems of Puerto Escondido thrive for future generations.
“Zicatela is not only a beach. This is our identity, our history, our life, “said” Beto “Beto” Beto “, the leader of the local community and the community leader, said in the online platform. “Being recognized as a global surf reserve is an honor, but also a responsibility. The celebration is not enough – we must preserve our waves and all that they represent. »»
Coco Nogales, 48, a professional surfer who was born in Aguascalientes and raised in Mexico City before moving to Puerto Escondido, added: “Saving the Zicatela wave would not only benefit Puerto Escondido, but would also bring Playa Zicatela back to life.
“It is heartbreaking to see the deterioration of the wave and the beach in the last decade. Obtaining the global designation of the Surf Reserve (EST) a major step towards the restoration of its prestige and recovery of its place among the 10 best waves in the world. »»
With reports from Surfer today,, Infobae,, Diario like And Duke Surf
