Puerto Escondido, home to world-class surf breaks Zicatela and Punta Colorada, has officially been dedicated as the 14th World Surfing Reserve.
The designation of Puerto Escondido as a World Surfing Reserve (WSR) is the result of years of community effort to protect its waves, ecosystems, and ocean culture.
Save The Waves Coalition and local partners in Oaxaca gathered on Saturday, March 21st and held the dedication ceremony with 350+ community members, surfers, and devotees to the “Mexican Pipeline”.
The event began with a special ceremony honoring the surf ecosystem of Zicatela with the entire community making a circle in the sand, holding reverence for the surf. Speeches followed with important remarks from government officials representing the state of Oaxaca, the municipalities of San Pedro Mixtepec and Santa María Colotepec, the Surf Association of Oaxaca, the Mexican Association of Surf Instructors, and the World Surfing Reserve’s Local Stewardship Council.
The speeches concluded with powerful and emotional speeches from local photographer Edwin Morales, and community leader Humberto “Beto” Olivera, and the unveiling of the Puerto Escondido WSR plaque.
“Playa Zicatela is much more than a famous wave. It is a community united by respect for the ocean, by shared early mornings, and by the passion of those of us who feel that the sea is part of our lives. For many of us, Zicatela is not just a place where we surf - it is a place where we belong,” said Edwin Morales, surf photographer and local community leader.
While renowned worldwide for the famous big wave beach break Zicatela, the new Puerto Escondido World Surfing Reserve hosts a variety of waves and surf ecosystems. Encompassing 10 kilometers and 8 unique waves, the WSR includes Punta Colorada, La Punta de Zicatela, Playa Marinero, Playa Carrizalillo, and more.
The World Surfing Reserves program is managed by Save The Waves Coalition, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting surf ecosystems across the globe.
The program was launched in 2009 and now includes 14 World Surfing Reserves spanning around the world, including Malibu and Santa Cruz in California; Ericeira in Portugal; the Gold Coast, Manly and Noosa in Australia; Punta de Lobos in Chile, Playa Hermosa in Costa Rica; Huanchaco in Peru; Guarda do Embaú in Brazil; North Devon in the United Kingdom; Bahía de Todos Santos in Baja California, Mexico; and Oriente Salvaje in El Salvador.
“The dedication of the Puerto Escondido World Surfing Reserve not only recognizes the exceptional quality of its waves but also the community’s commitment to their protection,” said Trent Hodges, Senior Conservation Manager at Save The Waves. “This is a moment to celebrate the amazing surf and to acknowledge the incredible stewardship work and passion of the people of Puerto.”
For more than a decade, surfers, scientists, civil organizations, and local residents have worked together to defend iconic places such as Punta Colorada and promote a vision of coastal development that respects the natural balance of the region.
“In Puerto Escondido, surfing is not just a sport: it is identity, community, and a deep respect for the ocean,” says local leader Humberto “Beto” Olivera.
A campaign to defend Puerto Escondido’s waves was launched and led locally by Salvemos Colorada, COSTA UNIDA, Salvemos La Ola, and Fondo Oaxaqueño. In September 2023, Save The Waves Coalition joined the campaign efforts to advocate for the health and preservation of the area’s surf ecosystems.
Today, this collective effort laid the foundation for the Puerto Escondido World Surfing Reserve.
Puerto Escondido’s coastline is part of one of the most diverse ecosystems along Mexico’s Pacific coast. Mangroves, rivers, estuaries, wetlands and beaches form an interconnected natural system that supports remarkable biodiversity.
Under Save The Waves’ global conservation program, every World Surfing Reserve adopts a “Local Stewardship Plan” to tackle and solve key conservation goals in the area. For Puerto Escondido, they have identified three goals: 1) improve water quality and prevent land-based pollution 2) restore the wave of Zicatela and 3) protect critical ecosystems.
“This recognition allows us not only to organize better, but to generate the scientific studies needed to prevent poorly planned projects from happening again,” said Almendra Gomezleyva, local leader and President of the Local Stewardship Council.
“Right now, we are fundraising for bathymetric studies of Zicatela, to understand marine dynamics and ensure that future construction does not damage the wave. With the designation of the World Surfing Reserve, we are more united than ever.”
At Save The Waves Coalition, the dedication of the Puerto Escondido World Surfing Reserve is a milestone for surf ecosystem conservation in Mexico.
“Protecting these surf ecosystems is absolutely essential to further preserve biodiversity, strengthen coastal resilience and safeguard the future of the waves that have made Puerto Escondido a world-renowned surf destination,” says Nik Strong-Cvetich, CEO at Save The Waves Coalition.
“We’re so honored to work with our local partners in Puerto Escondido, and believe that this is a step forward and another powerful indicator for further protection of Mexico’s surf breaks. We’re moving in the right direction, together.”
