La Bocana

La Bocana, or "The Estuary," is a shifting-sandbar beach break at the river mouth in San José del Cabo that produces both left and right peaks. The sandbars migrate frequently, changing the shape and character of the waves. Best conditions arrive when south-southwest swells combine with northeast offshore wind, particularly during the winter months around November. The wave works at nearly any tide stage, though can be inconsistent and fickle outside peak season. Most notably, only once every few years after major storms wash away the beach berm does it transform into a perfect tubing A-frame in both directions.

The break has been surfed since at least 1985. It occupies an unusual place in the Cabo tourism ecosystem as a city wave that is rarely crowded yet has become popular enough to support a surf school offering lessons to tourists. The proximity to urban development has made pollution a recurring concern.

Access is straightforward as the wave sits on the east side of San José del Cabo's main beach, making it convenient for visiting surfers but also exposing it to runoff and urban impacts. Hazards beyond pollution include rips and sharks rather than stingrays.