Overview
Rosarito Beach is a long ribbon of sand fronting the hotels of a town that spent generations as Northern Baja's party capital. The whistles and dance floors went quiet when the cartel wars arrived in 2007, and tourism is only slowly returning. The waves never stopped, but honestly, Rosarito was never much of a surfing hotspot given how many high-grade options Northern Baja has. The beach here is flat and faces directly west, so it's a town break worth a paddle if you're already around, not a destination. Head out of town for the pumping points and beachbreaks nearby.
Sandbars do most of the work. A couple of rivers spill into the surf and throw up good, if fleeting, banks, and the pier in front of the Rosarito Beach Hotel builds decent sand of its own. Both rights and lefts turn up depending on the bank.
When It Works
Swell arrives from south through west-southwest to northwest, and the beach is usable from 1.5 m / 5 ft to 2.4 m / 8 ft. Facing straight west over flat sand, it does its best work on short-period windswell, and can do really well on combo swells that stack northwest with southwest. Surf shows up all year, though this isn't a spot that lights up often. Set your expectations at something worth surfing rather than something great.
Wind and Tide
Look for east-northeast offshore wind, with a workable wind window running from north-northeast to east-southeast. Mid tide is best, and a rising tide is generally the better call.
Local Tips
Just about anything works here: shortboard, funboard, longboard, fish, bodyboard, skimboard, bodysurfing, even a kite. Beginners through experts all find something, with the paddle ranging from light to heavy depending on size. The lineup stays fairly quiet and somewhat reserved, and what crowd there is spreads out along the beach. Water quality is fair but can get quite dirty after rain, with raw sewage a recurring problem from several sources.
Access
Numerous parking areas sit right on the sand. Lock your car and hide anything valuable, since petty theft is a common occurrence, and be aware that corrupt police officers are part of the picture too.
