El Eslabon
Surf spot · Mexico
Is it worth the trip?
66Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: 4 ft swell at 11 s
Mon 2 · 60 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft12 s
- Energy
- 681kJ
- Wind
- NNW 2 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Tue 3 · 67 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft11 s
- Energy
- 506kJ
- Wind
- WSW 5 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Wed 4 · 75 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft11 s
- Energy
- 436kJ
- Wind
- ESE 3 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Thu 5 · 81 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 s
- Energy
- 354kJ
- Wind
- ENE 2 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Fri 6 · 62 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 s
- Energy
- 295kJ
- Wind
- NNW 2 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Sat 7 · 53 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 s
- Energy
- 222kJ
- Wind
- S 2 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Sun 8 · 30 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft14 s
- Energy
- 107kJ
- Wind
- S 1 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 162, good
- Mon 260, good
- Tue 367, good
- Wed 475, good
- Thu 581, good
- Fri 662, good
- Sat 753, fair
- Sun 830, too small
- Mon 920, too small
- Tue 1029, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–13 ftof swell
- Water 30 °Cno wetsuit
- Best Mar–Apr, Oct–Nov6 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 62, good | 6 ft12 s8 ft at break (est.) | 804kJ | wind from the north-west, 4 knots | 30°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 60, good | 5 ft12 s8 ft at break (est.) | 681kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 2 knots | 29°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 67, good | 5 ft11 s7 ft at break (est.) | 506kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 5 knots | 29°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 75, good | 5 ft11 s6 ft at break (est.) | 436kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 3 knots | 29°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 81, good | 4 ft11 s6 ft at break (est.) | 354kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 2 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 62, good | 4 ft11 s6 ft at break (est.) | 295kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 2 knots | 29°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 53, fair | 3 ft11 s5 ft at break (est.) | 222kJ | wind from the south, 2 knots | 29°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 30, too small | 2 ft14 s3 ft at break (est.) | 107kJ | wind from the south, 1 knot | 29°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 20, too small | 2 ft13 s3 ft at break (est.) | 72kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 2 knots | 29°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 29, too small | 2 ft13 s4 ft at break (est.) | 102kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 5 knots | 29°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Sun 1 NovHigh 07:14 +0.4 mLow 13:27 −0.1 mHigh 18:27 +0.1 m
- Mon 2 NovLow 00:35 −0.3 mHigh 07:34 +0.4 mLow 13:41 −0.1 mHigh 19:07 +0.2 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 01:16 −0.3 mHigh 07:51 +0.3 mLow 14:01 −0.2 mHigh 19:49 +0.2 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best Mar–Apr, Oct–Nov
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb4of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr6of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May5of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun5of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul5of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug5of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep5of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov6of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec3of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
El Eslabon on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for intermediates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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Photos of El Eslabon
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More surf near here
3 places
- Las Gatas 1.1 km away
- Escolleras 7.7 km away
- Playa Linda 11.3 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About El Eslabon
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (229°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (49°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–13 ft of swell. The sea is about 28°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 31°C in August, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually March, April, October and November, with about 6 good days in 7; in December, about 3. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Zihuatanejo, 1.5 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot and 1 wind sports spot.
Water about 30°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$750–US$1,390 each
about US$750–US$1,390 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to ZIH, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$261–US$543 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$20–US$40 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$181–US$295 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$201–US$375 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$87–US$141 |
| Total | about US$750–US$1,390 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
3 min by car · 248 places to stay
about US$67/nightcountry average
About Zihuatanejo its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Ixtapa on Booking.com
13 min by car · 84 places to stay
- Beds in San Jose Ixtapa on Booking.com
19 min by car · 8 places to stay
About US$67 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 8h 45m
About 8h 45m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → ZIH, direct, then 30 min by road
Flights ORD → ZIH on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.