The Los Cabos coast and surf.
Costa Azul and Cerritos are useful places to discuss with a surf school, but the better lesson location depends on the season, the day’s surf and the group’s ability. Decide which lesson is suitable first. Then compare the journey from your accommodation.
Two locations with different journeys
Costa Azul is by San José del Cabo. Los Cerritos is on the Pacific side near the Todos Santos area. They are separate destinations, so check the exact beach and pickup rather than booking a generic Cabo lesson and assuming it happens near your hotel.
For first-time participants, our beginner surf lesson guide explains instructor ratios and ability questions. A convenient beach should not outweigh the instructor’s assessment of conditions.
What schools say about the seasons
High Tide advertises its Costa Azul lessons for the warmer part of the year and moves its winter teaching to Cerritos. Its published Costa Azul page points winter visitors toward Cerritos from mid-November to mid-March. These are the operator’s operating patterns, not a guarantee of waves or suitable beginner conditions on every date.
Ask the school which location it currently proposes and whether a change remains possible. If two operators suggest different beaches, compare their actual lesson plans, teaching areas and cancellation terms. A calendar alone cannot settle the choice.
Compare travel and lesson time separately
Request four times: hotel pickup, arrival at the beach, the instruction period and return to the hotel. A longer excursion can include more driving without adding more coached water time. Use those details to decide whether the day suits children or companions who are not surfing.
For an independent drive, obtain the meeting pin and any final approach instructions directly from the school. Confirm parking arrangements without assuming access or charges. A shop address, pickup address and beach meeting point may be different.
Choose the group that fits you
Compare maximum students, students per instructor, language and the experience level expected. Ask whether a family can be taught together and whether anyone below the stated minimum age is accepted. Private tuition does not remove age or ability requirements.
Nonparticipants should ask about where they can wait, shade, seating, toilets and whether transport can accommodate them. Establish the return plan if someone wants to leave early. Avoid committing the whole group to a long beach wait based only on a tour’s total duration.
Make a flexible choice
If Costa Azul is proposed, compare its timing with other San José plans. If Cerritos is proposed, treat it as a Pacific-coast outing. Adding Todos Santos may work only if the lesson schedule and transport provider allow it. A hotel transfer is not automatically an open-ended sightseeing service.
Our surf lesson packing guide covers clothing and supplied equipment. Return to the Cabo travel guide for other activities if conditions lead the school to cancel or move the lesson.
Find more places and activities in the At Los Cabos app.
Sources
Seasonal operation and change policies checked in November 2026 on High Tide’s Costa Azul lesson and Cerritos lesson pages.