↑ ↓ to move ↵ to open esc to close
    Satellite view of Barra de la Cruz, Oaxaca

    Photo by EOX IT Services, Copernicus Sentinel data 2016, CC BY 4.0, via EOxCloudless

    Barra de la Cruz

    Beach Santiago Astata, Oaxaca Oaxaca Coast Isthmus of Tehuantepec

    A Chontal village beach east of Huatulco with a long, fast right-hand point break that hosted a world tour surf contest in 2006.

    From Salina Cruz: 1 h 35 min by car (119 km by road) How to get there ↓

    Near here

    See everything nearby ↓

    Plan your visit to Barra de la Cruz

    Where to stay near Barra de la Cruz

    Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Barra de la Cruz.

    Hotels in Barra de la Cruz Houses on Vrbo

    Tours to Barra de la Cruz

    Day trips and guided outings from Mazunte often include Barra de la Cruz; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Tours from Huatulco Tour to Copalitilla Magical Waterfalls from Huatulco with admission included ★ 4.9 (414) · From US$55
    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide

    How to get to Barra de la Cruz

    • From Salina Cruz: about 1 h 35 min by road (~119 km)
    • Nearest airport: Huatulco (HUX), 44 min by car to Mazunte
    Rent a car at HUX Flights to HUX

    Route, map and directions ↓

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    Tours from Huatulco, near Barra de la Cruz

    Tour to Copalitilla Magical Waterfalls from Huatulco with admission included ★ 4.9 (414) 8 h From US$55
    Full Day Tour of the Bays of Huatulco ★ 4.3 (251) 7–8 h From US$40
    Huatulco Ocean Eco Adventures ★ 4.9 (182) 4 h 30 min From US$77
    Cascadas: Puente Colgante + Zona de Clavados ★ 4.9 (173) 7 h From US$53
    Huatulco Walking Food Tour ★ 4.8 (127) 3 h From US$75

    Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.

    About Barra de la Cruz

    Barra de la Cruz is a small Chontal community and beach about 25 km east of Bahías de Huatulco, in the municipality of Santiago Astata. The village, of roughly 750 people, was formally recognised as a settlement by the Oaxaca government in June 1965 and has its own municipal agency. Around it are mangroves, small lagoons and plantain and coconut groves, and the beach lies a short way below the houses at the mouth of the river that gives the place its "barra".

    For years the beach was a surfers' secret. Its wave is a right-hand point break off a rocky headland about 1.5 km from the village: long, fast and hollow, and on big days reaching double overhead. That changed in 2006, when the world championship tour held a Rip Curl Search event here, and the conditions during that contest are still remembered as some of the best waves ever surfed at a tour event. Experienced surfers come mainly between March and early October, with the strongest south swells in June and July; from November to February the waves are smaller and friendlier for learners.

    The community looks after the beach itself and charges a small entry fee, which pays for showers, toilets, parking, a palapa restaurant serving cheap local food and seafood, and a lookout tower over the break. Sea turtles, mostly leatherbacks and olive ridleys, nest on this stretch of coast, and a community-run camp protects the nests during the main season from July to March. There are simple rooms and casitas for rent in the village, and it remains much quieter than the Huatulco bays.

    How to get to Barra de la Cruz

    Drive from Salina Cruz: 1 h 35 min, 119 km

    From La Crucecita in Huatulco, drive east on Highway 200 for about 25 km (around 30 to 35 minutes); the turn-off to Barra de la Cruz is signposted on the highway, about 7 km past Playa El Mojón. A concrete road leads into the village, then a graded dirt road continues down to the beach.

    Directions to Barra de la Cruz on Google Maps

    Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.

    Where to stay Hotels in Barra de la Cruz Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Barra de la Cruz. See prices →

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    From the nearest cities to Barra de la Cruz

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Before you go to Barra de la Cruz: hours, prices and tips

    Entry
    The community charges a beach entry fee; it was 20 pesos per person in 2012 and may be higher now. The Eye Huatulco (May 2012) · checked Oct 2026
    Best season
    Big swells for experienced surfers from March to early October, best in June and July; smaller, easier waves November to February. Lonely Planet · checked Oct 2026
    Rules
    Sea turtles nest here; a community camp protects nests from July to March, so keep clear of marked nests. Santiago Astata, Plan Municipal de Desarrollo 2008-2010 · checked Oct 2026

    Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.

    Visiting Barra de la Cruz: what to see and do

    Surf the long right-hand point break, or watch it from the lookout tower.
    Learn on the smaller waves between November and February.
    Eat seafood at the community palapa restaurant.
    Ask about the community turtle camp during the July to March nesting season.
    Stay a night in one of the village's simple rooms.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Barra de la Cruz

    Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Barra de la Cruz.

    See them all on Expedia Booking.com
    Vacation rentals on Vrbo Airbnb

    Tours & activities

    Day trips and guided outings from Mazunte often include Barra de la Cruz; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at HUX (Huatulco): about 44 min by road to Mazunte, then 66 km more to Barra de la Cruz, on your own schedule.

    EconomyBookings Discover Cars

    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Huatulco (HUX), about 44 min by road from Mazunte, the base for Barra de la Cruz.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

    If you plan on swimming or surfing at Barra de la Cruz, check that your policy covers it: some plans leave adventure activities out.

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Mazunte: download a map of the way to Barra de la Cruz before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

    Airalo

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    When to go to Barra de la Cruz warm

    Barra de la Cruz shares the climate of Mazunte, 66 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, November, and December.

    Barra de la Cruz is best for swimming and time on the water in the warmest months (March, April, and May); in the rainiest ones (June, August, and September) expect storms in the afternoon.

    See the month-by-month climate of Mazunte

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: Mazunte

    Sunset over the bay and headland at Mazunte, Oaxaca warm
    Oaxaca Mazunte

    Mazunte is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Barra de la Cruz, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

    Closest to Barra de la Cruz

    Near Barra de la Cruz

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Lists with Barra de la Cruz

    Beaches in Oaxaca · 19

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.