Punta China, Mexico
Also within 20 km of San Miguel (Cíbolas de Mar)
- 3 emes Surf spot · 1.5 km from San Miguel (Cíbolas de Mar)
- San Miguel Ensenada Surf spot · 1.9 km from San Miguel (Cíbolas de Mar)
- stack's Surf spot · 3.1 km from San Miguel (Cíbolas de Mar)
- staks Surf spot · 3.1 km from San Miguel (Cíbolas de Mar)
- Salsipuedes Surf spot · 12.2 km from San Miguel (Cíbolas de Mar)
- Harry's Surf spot · 14.7 km from San Miguel (Cíbolas de Mar)
Watch this spot We email you when Punta China is worth the trip.
About Punta China
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces SW (228°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (48°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 200 m out (1 in 18). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 15°C in March, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 20°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually February, October, November and December, with about 3 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is San Miguel (Cíbolas de Mar).
Water about 19°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
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Book the trip
From Chicago: about 8 h 50 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to San Diego International Airport (SAN), direct.
See flights MDW → SAN · Skyscanner from about £215 returnAdGetting there. 2 h 50 from the airport to Punta China.
Accommodation.
Nearest beds: San Miguel (Cíbolas de Mar), 44 km (about 1h 20 by car)Ad
No town with beds to book is nearer Punta China: plan on the drive each day you surf.
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.
Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).
See all places to stay in San Miguel (Cíbolas de Mar), 44 km away (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
San Miguel (Cíbolas de Mar) 77 min by car · rooms from £60 a night · 9 places to stay · where Punta China stays
Places to stay in San Miguel (Cíbolas de Mar) · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in San Miguel (Cíbolas de Mar) · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in San Miguel (Cíbolas de Mar) · GetYourGuideAd
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Luxury Where it is
Punta China on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 31, too small | 4 ft13 shollow | 451kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 3 knots | 24°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 33, too small | 4 ft13 shollow | 455kJ | wind from the west, 1 knot | 23°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 22, too small | 4 ft9 shollow | 204kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 1 knot | 22°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 21, too small | 4 ft10 shollow | 257kJ | wind from the east, 3 knots | 22°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 21, too small | 3 ft12 shollow | 251kJ | wind from the north-west, 7 knots | 21°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 22, too small | 4 ft6 smushy | 85kJ | offshorewind from the north, 9 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 18, too small | 4 ft6 smushy | 81kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 1 knot, offshore | 22°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 14, too small | 3 ft7 shollow | 74kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 1 knot | 24°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 10, too small | 2 ft7 shollow | 37kJ | wind from the north-west, 2 knots | 26°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 14, too small | 3 ft5 smushy | 34kJ | wind from the north-west, 3 knots | 26°C |
Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.
Your trip, day by day
6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for expert surfers. Change dates
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Direct flight MDW to SAN, then 2h 50 by road. About 8h 50 door to door
- Tue 20 OctRest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
- Wed 21 OctRest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
- Thu 22 OctRest day
Too small: 3 ft at best.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
- Sat 24 OctRest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Direct flight MDW to SAN, then 2h 50 by road. About 8h 50 door to door
The trip from San Miguel (Cíbolas de Mar), with every spot near it
Rough cost
About £695–£1,275 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to SAN, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | £215–£445 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | £70–£115 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £160–£265 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £150–£280 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £65–£105 |
| Total | £695–£1,275 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Places to eat near San Miguel (Cíbolas de Mar)
- Tapanco Steak HouseSteakhouse · 0.4 km from the centre
- San Miguel RestauranteBreakfast and brunch · 0.5 km from the centre
- Birrieria Doña YessiMexican · 0.9 km from the centre
- Pesquera MéxicoSeafood · 1.7 km from the centre
Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits
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