Barra de la Cruz – Time to relax some more for once

We travelled to Barra de la Cruz from Zipolite on 4 January 2011 via:

• a taxi to Pochutla;
• a bus from Pochutla to Bahias de Huatulco; and
• another taxi from Bahias de Huatulco to Barra De La Cruz.

Suffice to say it took a while.

We arrived around mid afternoon with just enough time to find accommodation out the back of a shop and rent a board. I (Grey) could only get a 7” pin tailed board, a bit bigger than my board at home, but it did the trick.

Grey climbing up to the cubby where boards are stored to pick one

On the road to the beach, break on the right

Barra is a small village a half-hour walk to a huge beach of the same name with a right hand point break. The break was made famous in 2006 when the Rip Curl Search event was held there. Apart from the break, the beach had one Palappa (thatched roof structure) restaurant and a toilet block.

The beach (empty) looking towards the right break

The wave breaks right on to rocks at the very end of the point. The take off is hectic and the wave was working amazingly at about 4-5 foot so only the best surfers could handle the initial take off.  There were about 15 people out, with about 5 out at the initial take off spot getting first dibs at the wave, while the schleppers (me included) waited maybe 50 metres down hoping that one of the better surfers: 

• missed a wave; or
• fell off, 

or for a wave to break a bit further in from the point.

From the point, the wave breaks perfectly right, all the way to the beach, probably 200 metres. If you learnt how to surf here, you could become pretty good in a week, as you get so much time to make turns and get minute long rides all the way to the beach.

The first afternoon I struggled with the new board and the speed of the wave and was getting pretty disheartened, especially after spending close to a week getting pummeled in P.E. By the end of the session I think I caught a decent wave.

The next morning was a different story with the waves a little smaller and me now being more used to the board. I surfed from about 10am to 12. Caught about 10 amazing waves, with turns etc … my best surf ever by a mile. By the afternoon, the high tide and dropping swell meant I was the only person out in the water, but couldn’t really catch anything worthwhile. WE called it a day – the end of a great surf spot to which one day I shall return.

There is very little else to say about Barra. Very quite and very small town. The only place to eat is the beach palappa - it serves a great ceviche for breakfast or lunch, but it's not open at night. 

Great place to surf though. Wow.

In our room at the back of a shop ... rustic