A long, exposed beach immediately south of San José del Cabo, Costa Azul is one of Los Cabos' premier surf beaches, home to the famous Zippers wave — a fast, powerful right-hander that attracts experienced surfers. The beach itself is beautiful with dramatic desert mountains as a backdrop. Not safe for casual swimming due to powerful shore break and rip currents. The Cabo Surf Hotel sits directly on this beach.
Playa Costa Azul runs along kilometre 28 of the Carretera Transpeninsular immediately south-west of San Jose del Cabo in Baja California Sur, a long, open beach of coarse golden sand with the Sierra de la Laguna foothills rising behind it. Unlike the sheltered coves further along the Corridor, Costa Azul faces straight into open water at the junction of the Pacific and the Sea of Cortez, and it takes the full force of southern-hemisphere summer swell. That exposure is precisely what made it the best-known surf beach in Los Cabos. Three breaks work along this stretch: Zippers, the fast, hollow right-hand point that gives the beach its reputation, plus The Rock and Old Man's, the last of which is the gentlest and the usual venue for lessons. The water is clear blue and the beach is genuinely beautiful, but a steep, heavy shore break and rip currents make casual swimming a poor idea, and there is no lifeguard cover.
Facilities cluster at the point. The Cabo Surf Hotel sits directly above the break with a bar and restaurant open to non-guests, and board rental and instruction operate from the beach, with lessons typically starting around USD 60 for a group session and rental boards in the region of USD 20 to 30 a day. Parking is free in a dirt lot beside the highway, from which a short path drops to the sand. There are no loungers, no umbrella concession and only limited restrooms tied to the hotel and restaurant. Shade is close to non-existent.
The atmosphere is unmistakably a surf beach: early starts, board racks on pickup trucks, and a rock platform at the point where non-surfers sit and watch the sets. Summer, from roughly May to October, delivers the biggest and most consistent swell; winter is quieter and often flat, which is when families walk the sand and paddle at the shoreline instead. San Jose del Cabo is five minutes away by car, and Corridor buses stop on the highway above the beach.
Good to know
- Best for
- surfers, surf watchers, photography
- Facilities
- Cabo Surf Hotel bar and restaurant, surf board rental, surf lessons available, parking
Location
Km 28 Carretera Transpeninsular, San José del Cabo, BCS 23400
23.0028, -109.7556 View on map
Highlights
- Watch surfers work Zippers, the fast right-hand point break that made Costa Azul famous.
- Take a beginner lesson at the gentler Old Man's break, the softest of the three peaks on this stretch.
- Sit on the rock platform at the point, the best free vantage in Los Cabos for watching a swell arrive.
- Eat and drink at the Cabo Surf Hotel restaurant with the break directly below the terrace.
- Walk the long open sand towards San Jose with the Sierra de la Laguna as a backdrop.
Tips for visiting
- Zippers breaks best in winter and spring swells
- Surf lessons available at Cabo Surf Hotel from $60
- Watch surfing from the rock point — great viewing spot
When to visit
Early morning offers the cleanest surf before the wind turns onshore, and May to October brings the most consistent swell. Winter months are calmer and better for beach walks and watching rather than surfing.
Accessibility
A free dirt parking area sits beside the highway, but reaching the sand involves a short slope and then loose sand, and the beach drops steeply at the waterline. There is no ramp, matting or beach wheelchair provision; the Cabo Surf Hotel terrace offers a step-free view of the break for those unable to cross the sand.
Frequently asked questions
Can visitors swim at Playa Costa Azul?
Swimming is not recommended. The beach is exposed, the shore break is steep and heavy, and rip currents run offshore. There is no lifeguard, so most visitors limit themselves to the shoreline and treat it as a surf and walking beach.
When is the surf best?
The southern-hemisphere swell season from roughly May to October delivers the most consistent and largest waves at Zippers, with tropical storm swells adding size late in that window. Winter is often small or flat.
Are surf lessons and board rental available on the beach?
Yes. Operators based at and around the Cabo Surf Hotel run lessons, usually from about USD 60 for a group session, and rent boards for roughly USD 20 to 30 a day. Beginners are normally taken to the Old Man's peak rather than Zippers.
How do visitors reach Costa Azul without a car?
Corridor buses running between San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas stop on the Transpeninsular highway above the beach, leaving a short walk down to the sand. Taxis from San Jose del Cabo take about five minutes.