Dawn patrol surfing in Rosarito

Las Gaviotas is a right-hand reef inside a gated community south of Rosarito. It is gentler than K-38 and suits longboards and improving surfers on smaller days. The catch is access: you generally need to be staying in the community or arrive with someone who is. The reef is flat and rocky, with urchins, and water quality can drop after rain.

Marisol is a rocky point at the north end of Rosarito, just below the San Antonio area. It is a less-visited alternative to the town beach and needs the swell to line up along the rocks to produce a proper wall. The bottom is rock, so entry and exit take some care, especially at lower tides.

Marisol North Point is the northern of the two rocky setups at Marisol, at the top end of Rosarito. It is a rock-bottom wave for surfers who are comfortable reading a shallow lineup and timing their entry. Currents can run along the point when the swell is up.

Raul's is a reef in the Rosarito area that sees far fewer surfers than the well-known breaks nearby. You park on the bluff and walk down a dirt path to the water. Expect rocks and urchins on the reef.

Rosarito's town beach runs for several kilometers in front of the hotels, and the sandbars around the pier are where most people surf. It is an easy, walk-up beach break that handles small to medium swell well and closes out when it gets big. Beginners can find softer reform waves on the inside. The downside is water quality: the town beach is known for poor water after rain, and petty theft from cars is common.

Teresa's is a lesser-known break in the Rosarito area, on the same stretch of coast as K-38 and Popotla. It gets overlooked because of its better-known neighbors, but it can be a good wave on the right tide. It suits experienced surfers.