Back to results

The Estuary, Mexico

Stay in San José del Cabo: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of San José del Cabo

All 12 on San José del Cabo's map

Watch this spot We email you when The Estuary is worth the trip.

PlazaPrincipalCabos2
San José del Cabo, the nearest town, 2 km away. Photo: Danielllerandi, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About The Estuary

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces SE (144°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (324°). 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 gently: 10 m deep about 600 m out (1 in 58). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 22°C in February, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 29°C in August, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually May, June, September and October, with about 5 good days in 7; in January, February and December, about 1. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is San José del Cabo, 2.4 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 5 surf spots and 1 wind sports spot.

Water about 29°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

Saved: this link opens the same trip

Email itRemind me to book

The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.

Book the trip

From Chicago: about 8 h 30 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to SJD, direct.

    See flights MDW → SJD · Skyscanner from about £220 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 30 min from the airport to The Estuary.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in San José del CaboAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in San José del Cabo · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in San José del Cabo · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

The Estuary on Google Maps · Directions

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct06 ft10 ssoft642kJ32°C
Mon 19Oct235 ft10 ssoft459kJ32°C
Tue 20Oct504 ft12 ssoft470kJ31°C
Wed 21Oct634 ft12 ssoft442kJ32°C
Thu 22Oct634 ft12 ssoft476kJ31°C
Fri 23Oct593 ft12 ssoft307kJ30°C
Sat 24Oct383 ft12 scrumbling199kJ30°C
Sun 25Oct444 ft9 ssoft229kJ32°C
Mon 26Oct010 ft11 ssoft1,914kJ32°C
Tue 27Oct08 ft10 ssoft1,107kJ32°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 intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight MDW to SJD, then 30 min by road. About 8h 30 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf The Estuary

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, offshore wind.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf The Estuary

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, offshore wind.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf The Estuary

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, offshore wind.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf The Estuary

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 12 s, offshore wind.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Punta Palmilla

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 12 s, wind 3 kn (6 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight MDW to SJD, then 30 min by road. About 8h 30 door to door

The plan picks the best of 7 spots near San José del Cabo each day: Costa Azul, La Bocana, Old Man's, Punta Palmilla, The Estuary, The rock, Zippers.

The trip from San José del Cabo, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £650–£1,210 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to SJD, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag£220–£460
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£20–£35
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£160–£265
Food7 days eating out£150–£280
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£65–£105
Total£650–£1,210

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near San José del Cabo

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

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.