Barra de Navidad surf forecast
Barra de Navidad is a south-west-facing jetty break that takes swell from the south round to the west. It sits in a small fishing and farming town on the Bahía de Navidad in Jalisco, and the water stays warm all year.
Hour by hour at Barra de Navidad Jetty
This table is the forecast for Barra de Navidad Jetty, a spot that faces south-west and picks up swell from the south to the west. Each hour shows swell, wind and tide, so you can line up the size, the wind and the tide in one look.
Updated 01:58next run 06:40Open-Meteo wave and wind models
Today 3 Nov
Skip: wrong tide, overhead, glassy.
Tide and daylight
- High
- 06:20
- Low
- 12:17
- High
- 17:50
- Sunrise
- 07:00
- Sunset
- 18:24
Every hour, 05–21
Tomorrow 4 Nov
Skip: average, overhead, offshore E.
Tide and daylight
- Low
- 00:04
- High
- 06:30
- Low
- 12:30
- High
- 18:37
- Sunrise
- 07:00
- Sunset
- 18:23
Every hour, 05–21
Thursday 5 Nov
Skip: average, overhead, cross-offshore E.
Tide and daylight
- Low
- 00:30
- High
- 06:36
- Low
- 13:07
- High
- 19:14
- Sunrise
- 07:01
- Sunset
- 18:23
Every 3 hours
Friday 6 Nov
Skip: average, overhead, glassy.
Tide and daylight
- Low
- 00:52
- High
- 06:48
- Low
- 13:30
- High
- 19:50
- Sunrise
- 07:01
- Sunset
- 18:23
Every 3 hours
Forecast point: Barra de Navidad (19.190, -104.691). Waves = estimated breaking height at the beach. Data: Open-Meteo wave and weather models (CC BY 4.0). Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information. Surf at your own risk.
Watch the wind column first. Wind from the north-east blows offshore here, and that is what grooms the jetty waves. Pair it with mid tide and swell between 1 and 2 metres for the best hours.
Breaks in and around Barra de Navidad
The main wave breaks by the jetty, close to the Malecón in town. One guide describes a quick left and a longer, faster right over a rocky bottom. Another lists beach, reef and rivermouth set-ups, with lefts and rights on offer.
Barra de Navidad Jetty
Jetty breakIntermediate+This is the spot our forecast covers, set against the jetty rocks with currents running through the channel. The bottom is rocky, and the waves stay short, under about 50 metres.
There is a quick left that suits newer surfers and a longer, faster right for stronger riders. When it is big, paddle out through the deeper water next to the breakwall. Sources: mondo.surf
Ranchito
Coral reefAny tideRanchito is listed as a nearby spot with a coral reef bottom. It is said to work on all stages of the tide. Sources: mondo.surf
Boca de Apisa
Sand bottomLow to mid tideBoca de Apisa is another nearby option, breaking over sand. It is rated best from low to mid tide. Sources: mondo.surf
Paraiso
Sand bottomAny tideParaiso breaks over sand and is listed as good on any tide. That makes it a handy backup when the tide is wrong at the jetty. Sources: mondo.surf
Arroyo Seco
Sand bottomLow tideArroyo Seco is a sandy-bottom spot in the same area. It is listed as working at low tide. Sources: mondo.surf
What Barra de Navidad needs to fire
These are the exact rules behind Kiwi's rating for this spot. Every hour of the forecast is scored on all four, then turned into a rating of 1 to 5 stars.
Swell
South to west swell
The jetty faces south-west and opens to swell from the south round to the west. Swell from outside that window will mostly miss it.
Wind
North-east wind is offshore
Wind from the north-east blows offshore at the jetty and keeps the faces clean.
Tide
Mid tide works best
Our setting for this break is mid tide. Check the tide column and aim your session around the middle of the cycle.
Size
One to two metres
The ideal range is 1 to 2 metres, and below about 0.6 metres it is too small to bother. From around 3 metres it gets too big for this spot.
Shortcut: south-west swell of 1–2 m, a north-east breeze and mid tide is the day to go.
The best months to surf Barra de Navidad
We replayed Kiwi's rating on every day of the last year and counted how often Barra de Navidad's best window reached 4 or 5 stars.
Mar–MayThe most reliable stretch
March is the strongest month in our model, with 35% of days scoring 3 or better and 13% scoring 4 or better. April and May stay decent at 20% and 23% of days scoring 3 or better.
Jun–OctBigger, but rarely clean
Modelled average wave size climbs to about 2.0–2.6 metres, at or above the top of the ideal range. Good days are scarce outside August, where 23% of days score 3 or better, and none score 3 or better in June or October. Surf-Forecast says summer offers the best conditions.
Nov–DecNovember shines
November gives the most 4-or-better days of the year at 17%, with 27% of days scoring 3 or better. December is smaller, averaging about 1.4 metres, with 23% of days scoring 3 or better.
Jan–FebQuiet months
Only 6% of January days and 4% of February days score 3 or better in our model. Modelled average size is about 1.6–1.7 metres, so check the nearby spots as alternatives.
Before you go
Hazards
The jetty rocks and the currents in the channel are the main dangers here. One guide also warns about rocks and sharks.
The shorebreak hits hard, so take care getting in and out. On big days, use the deeper water by the breakwall to paddle out. Sources: es.surf-forecast.com · mondo.surf
Getting there
Barra de Navidad sits about 60 km north of Manzanillo, at the east end of the Bahía de Navidad. The closest passenger airport is Playa de Oro International near Manzanillo, about 24 km away. Sources: en.wikipedia.org · mondo.surf
Parking and access
Park close to the Malecón, where the break sits right by the breakwall. You can walk straight onto the beach from there. Sources: mondo.surf
Crowds and etiquette
Only a handful of surfers tend to be out, even on good days. The locals are friendly and surf well, and that includes school kids on old boards.
Let the locals have the wave first as a sign of respect. Sources: mondo.surf · es.surf-forecast.com
Water temperature and wetsuit
The sea ranges from about 26.6 °C in March to 31.8 °C in August, and sits near 28.5 °C in December. Boardshorts or a swimsuit are enough all year, and a rash vest helps against sun and rash.
Around town
Beachfront bars let you sit on the sand and watch the shorebreak between sessions. Panga taxis cross the lagoon to Isla Navidad and to Colimilla, where restaurants line the shore.
A monument at the end of the jetty marks the Spanish voyages that set out from here to the Philippines in the 1500s. Sources: mondo.surf · en.wikipedia.org
Where the numbers come from
The method
Kiwi takes Open-Meteo's wave and wind models (ECMWF WAM, Météo-France, NOAA GFS and Open-Meteo's best-match blend) at a point about 5 km off Barra de Navidad. There is no buoy correction here yet: these are the models as they come.
Each hour is scored on the four rules above (swell, wind, tide, size). The stars are calibrated on a full year of data for Mexico, so 4 stars at Barra de Navidad is a genuinely good day by that country's standard.
What we can say
The season chart and the stars use the same rules, replayed on the archive: a month marked good was good by these rules, not by a surf report.
Without a buoy nearby, the size at the beach is our model's estimate, not a measurement.
Barra de Navidad surf questions
Is Barra de Navidad good for beginners?
We rate the jetty for intermediate surfers and up, and we flag jetty rocks and channel currents as hazards. One guide says the quick left can suit beginners, but another lists intermediate as the minimum level.
When is the best time to surf Barra de Navidad?
March and November are the standout months in our model, with 35% and 27% of days scoring 3 or better. Another guide also picks November as the top month.
How cold is the water in Barra de Navidad in December?
It is not cold at all, at about 28.5 °C in December. Boardshorts or a swimsuit with a rash vest will do.
What wind and tide work best at Barra de Navidad?
A north-east wind blows offshore at the jetty. Mid tide is our pick, and other guides say low to mid tide works too.
Is Barra de Navidad crowded?
No, you will usually share it with only a few surfers, even on good days. The locals are friendly, so give them priority.
What are the dangers at Barra de Navidad?
Watch for the jetty rocks, the channel currents and a heavy shorebreak. Sharks are also mentioned as a hazard.
Check Barra de Navidad before you paddle out
Open the hourly table to find the next window of south-west swell, a north-east breeze and mid tide at the jetty.