La Saladita is a left point break many have claimed to be one of the best for long boarding in the world! Set along a gorgeous, rustic coastline in the state of Guerrero, it has the perfect shape, is beginner friendly, and works consistently year round. Instead of resorts and luxury hotels, the beach is lined with small bungalows and bed and breakfasts. La Saladita is one of the few places in Mexico where you can literally stay steps away from the wave.
The 4 nights I spent in La Saladita, Mexico were so magical-- though I definitely was a bit over my head on my budget. As a solo traveler, I found the prices a bit costly (but of course it would have come out to half the cost if I teamed up with another traveler to share a room!) I wrote this guide to share what I learned to make my visit more affordable next time...
JUMP TO
First a little overview on the spot... With many lefthand rides lasting a minute and upward, a long and spread out lineup that is friendly to all levels, and relatively empty waves (given the quality!) the wave is just phenomenal.
I don’t typically longboard as I am a fan of fast and short boards, but La Saladita is the first time I’ve seen more women than guys in the water! That makes the vibe super friendly because women are awesome, and I felt so welcome in and out of the water.
*The state of Guerrero, Mexico, has had lots of crime and instability for quite a while, being classified as Level 4: Do Not Travel by the US State Department. It is very unlikely anything will happen to you as travelers and tourists are generally protected from local conflicts, but do your research, use your discretion, and ask for local advice when possible.*
GETTING THERE
If coming to Saladita from abroad, you are most likely flying into the Ixtapa Zihuatanejo airport. Driving direct to Saladita (in a rental car or taxi) would only take an hour, but I believe the cost starts at $40-50 USD. If you’re traveling in a group, this might be a good option!
Budget solo travelers, you’re lucky because it is very affordable to get to Saladita on public transit. If you’re at the airport, take a 19 peso colectivo to the centro of Zihuatanejo. Once in Zihuatanejo proper, it’s not a huge city so you can probably ask a local if you need to be pointed in the right direction, but any colectivo to “La Union” will work. They are going all the time!
If arriving on the colectivo, you will take about 45 minutes to an hour until the pueblo of Los Llanos, the only entrance to La Saladita. Make sure you have a map on your phone to remind the driver to stop. If you’re arriving before dark, there should be taxis parked right there and ready to take you the last 5 km to La Saladita. They charged me 80 pesos.
If busing from Mexico City/ Guadalajara/ another destination more inland, it’s very likely that your bus will first make a stop in the city of Lazaro Cardenas, Michoacán. If you ask nicely, the bus driver might be willing to drop you off directly in Los Llanos to avoid going all the way to Zihuatanejo and backtracking. I wasn’t so lucky, my driver decided not to stop at my request
SURFING
I happened to show up while a large tropical storm was passing off the Pacific coast, which brought swells 5-7 feet! So despite being known as a soft and slow wave, anybody on any board can ride it on big days, from shortboards, midlength, fish, and foamies!
Be ready to feel the burn! Between having a two year break from surfing and the long distance from the beach to the break, I absolutely killed my back and arms from all the paddling to the point that I had to take a rest day. (If you know me, it’s very hard to get me outta the water!) If you are planning a trip to La Saladita in the near future, do yourself a favor by building up your paddling endurance so you can spend allll day in the water.
The left wave itself has a beautiful wall, but it is very slow, so it will likely take a couple sessions to figure out the take off. You gotta sit even more in the pocket than you think, and paddle sooner than you’d expect!
The extreme heat means that surfing at sunrise and sunset is the only time it's comfortable and you can avoid getting a nasty sunburn. From first light to 11 AM is when most surfers paddle out, then again from 4 PM to sunset. And oh, as a small community with very little sand beach, the only people that come here are surfers, so you will be in good company at all times. Did I mention the local talent is just incredible? Imagine growing up with a world class wave in your front yard.
FOOD AND DRINK
Saladita is tiny, though there are probably around ten restaurants over all, the majority of them on the beach overlooking the water! The price ranges from 120 pesos for a fat veggie burrito at Ilianet’s, to 400 pesos for a big fish meal at Lourdes, with the different beach front locales selling beers anything between 35-60 pesos. If you know standard 2024 Mexico prices, that’s not bad!
After living in rural Mexico for two years and kinda getting the general sense of smaller Mexican communities, I was very surprised by the lack of tiendas. While the population probably doubles with the travelers, there is only one tiny store and then a very pricey store for everyone, which often have limited produce and run out. Even when I was camping and preparing food in the Airbnb, I was spending 250 pesos a day on basic food and water.
If there for longer, it definitely makes sense to do a grocery run in nearby Los Llanos or try to coincide with their Sunday market.
The one WiFi cafe in town called “La Hacienda” has a pricey store, a whole organic section, a wine bar, and really tasty brunch and lunch options. If you go to La Saladita, you will quickly understand why La Hacienda is such an important place there!
Don’t miss any big events in town! Being such a small place, you might as well go where the party is… I got to see the amazing live music on Thursday nights at Lourdes, over the water, and it was my most memorable moment in Saladita as a bunch of the new friends I met gathered together.
WHERE TO STAY
If you’re coming from the US or abroad, Saladita prices will probably feel comfortable for you, but the atmosphere is definitely a bit more of nice cabañas and beach front bungalows.
From cheapest to most expensive options, I recommend 1. camping with your own tent
2. trying to get a dorm 3. getting a budget room at Chuchos, and 4. getting an Airbnb or a bungalow.
Camping:
I knew it was pricey going in so I brought my tent and camped for two nights with Ilianet / Pacos for 200 pesos a night. This gave me access to bathrooms and showers, but unfortunately not a kitchen so I just made myself meals from what I could muster up cold.
After two hot and humid nights, I moved to an Airbnb for two nights— at 900 per night, the cost wasn’t horrible for everything it included, but it was obviously well out of my price range. Did I mention my computer crashed cause of the humidity? This combination of things wasn’t so ideal, and I would’ve liked to stay longer and figure out how to stay for cheaper, but I was stressed not being able to work online or even apply for jobs :(
Even for a lot of people I met that we’re staying longer term, I found the costs very high - starting at 13,000 pesos (700 USD) a month for an apartment. The nice thing is this will definitely have cool AC and WiFi, which is hard to come by in Saladita.
THINGS TO DO NEARBY
Surf The Ranch: while I didn’t get the opportunity to surf it this time around (the swell was pretty big from a storm), this is a great option for the short boarders that get bored with the longboard scene. About 20 minutes up the road, you will need your own vehicle to get here.
Explore Troncones: as the next pueblo over, Troncones couldn’t be more different! With a huge scene for retired expats and “snowbirds” Troncones is not ideal for a budget backpacker. The pueblo of Troncones itself is very long but the center has plenty of shops, a handful of restaurants, and a beach break right in front. The community of Mahajua is about 4km north and has another beautiful point break, Manzanillo Bay. Troncones is a great day trip from Saladita if you wanna try a different wave or new restaurant! Blog is coming up next...
IN SUM
All in all, I was surprised by how friendly the vibes were in the water and how many digital nomads were attracted to this spot. If you are not a surfer, you probably won't get up to much here, but if you are a surfer-- especially a longboarder-- welcome to paradise!
If you have any comments or questions, feel free to message me, and happy surfing!
