Pro surfing is coming back to the Pacific side of the peninsula. The Pacífico Surf Open Cerritos, a World Surf League contest, runs from Thursday, November 19 to Sunday, November 22, 2026 at Playa Cerritos, near El Pescadero and Todos Santos. More than 120 surfers are expected, and the four days on the beach come with a festival that’s free and open to everyone.

A World Surf League stop at Cerritos

This is the third edition of the contest, which started in 2024. It’s part of the WSL Qualifying Series at the QS 2,000 level, where surfers earn points toward the Challenger Series and, down the road, the Championship Tour. The World Surf League says it brings back North America’s top men to face Mexico’s proven surfers and rising local talent, on a beach break with lefts and rights that can really show off powerful surfing when there’s enough swell.

According to the organizers, surfers from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Israel, Italy, Germany, Finland, Chile, Sweden, Puerto Rico and Barbados, among other countries, are signed up. There’s also a national women’s category, a nice chance to see some of Mexico’s best women surfers.

A free beach festival

You don’t have to be a surfer to enjoy it. Alongside the contest, the organizers have planned four days of free activities: surf short film screenings, beach cleanups, a local market, live music and a free concert to close the event. It’s put on by the World Surf League, Surf Open League and Cerveza Pacífico with the Baja California Sur tourism board, and the state government says it should bring a good boost to local businesses.

Getting there

Playa Cerritos is on the Pacific coast in the municipality of La Paz, just south of the village of El Pescadero, which is about an hour’s drive north of Cabo San Lucas on Highway 19. It makes an easy day trip, and you can pair it with lunch or a stroll in Todos Santos. If the contest gets you in the mood to paddle out yourself, our guide to surfing in Los Cabos has more, and you’ll find more dates on our Los Cabos events page.

Sources: World Surf League (October 29, 2026), Surf Open League and Gobierno de Baja California Sur. Photo courtesy of the World Surf League.