BARRA DE NEXPA, MICHOACAN
Nexpa, as it is referred to, is another little surfer's paradise in Michoacan. It's similar to Ticla to the North but different in almost every way. This is only a left. Nexpa itself is awesome. It's another small little village that is more developed than Ticla I would say. It has a slightly larger western influence, not really to say that there is one. But here there is less camping and you are looking more at staying in actual accommodation. That's not to say that there aren't camping options everywhere in Nexpa, I just would say that it is less of the norm. Here there are also some options to rent like surf villas and the like, which you don't have in Ticla. But it's still rural as can be. With an amazing vibe and scene going on. There's not much going on here either. Your accommodation for the most part is basic beach shacks, a modest hotel, the aforementioned villa, and camping. There are a few restaurants as well. It's just another surfer's paradise type destination with not much to do outside of surf, eat, drink and sleep. That's pretty much what people do here. The wave at Nexpa is incredible. It's is only a left, and peels off from the southern side of town. It can go for up to 300 yards, and when it gets big the inside section can get punchy and fast. It's a stunning wave in an amazing place and certainly worth going. But as is the case with La Ticla, you are pretty deep into Mexico now. To get to Nexpa from Ticla it's about a 2-and-a-half-hour drive. That drive is not necessarily safe either. Michoacan has a troubled past, and the road from Ticla to Nexpa was especially dangerous during the time I was here. Make sure you talk to other travelers and know what's going on at the time you are there. You should be generally fine, just make sure you know what's going on. So if you made it this far, good for you. Bus transportation will be hard if not impossible to get yourself here. Nexpa itself is slightly more accessible than Ticla because you are only 3 hours north of Zihuantenejo, which is a pretty popular tourist destination in Mexico.
Nexpa is deep into Mexico and the transportation options to get there are difficult to say the least. The easiest way to get there is obvioulsy by car and if you are doing that, you just keep following the main highway 200 down from La Ticla for about 2 hours. Rio Nexpa is located directly off of the highway, so you really shouldn't have all that hard of a time finding your way there. That is if you have a car. If you don't, the bussing option is pretty tedious and difficult. Hitchhiking could be done, but that just has to do with your own personal level of comfort with the idea.
Nexpa is a little different from Ticla though in that it is more accessible technically. You are only about 3 hours from Zihuantenejo. So you can fly internationally in there, rent a car and be at Nexpa with relative ease. I wouldn't say you can say the same thing about La Ticla.
Barra De Nexpa is located along a river which is actually what 'barra' means. When you pull into town you will drive through it, and then eventually when you pull up to the river you have reached the end of town, and with it, the wave.
HOSTELS, CAMPING, AND HOTELS (IF ANY)
This is a popular spot to stay. It's really well located and you're going to have nice accommodation. If you are not camping you could think about this. It's like $75 a night, which to me is expensive and I probably wouldn't do, but if you have it in your budget it's right on the water.
There are a few options for accommodation here. I didn't really do much research since I was just camping in my car, but there are some options for little beach shacks. There's even an expensive surf villa now, which I will highlight below. Could be a good option if you are just coming down with a group of friends for a week or something and just want to have the weekend fully taken care of.
This is the all-inclusive surf destination here in Nexpa. A week is going to run you well north of $1,000, but they will do everything for you and even throw in a fishing trip for the price. Given how hard Nexpa is to get to, if you are only coming for a week this could be the best option if you just want to be put on waves and not have to think about anything.
There is really beautiful camping in Nexpa, and that's what I really would say is the preferred method of living here if you ask me. There is a safe and beautiful campsite right near the wave at the southern end of town. The owner will charge about 50 pesos to be there for the night. You will wake up on the water, with a beautiful sunrise and all that. You'll also be closer to the waves than anyone else in town.
EATS
The food options in Nexpa were very limited when I was there. I didn't stay long enough to really even explore it. If you are there, the best way to figure out what to eat there is to just walk around. I would recommend bringing supplies in with you if you can, because there is only one little supermarket in town that is pretty limited on what it has.
NIGHTLIFE
Nothing really. You're just going to be sitting around and drinking beer with all the other people surfing. That's the lifestyle in these towns here. No real nightlife unless you make it yourself.
Nothin'. The wave.
SIGHTS
SURFING
The surfing here is the only reason why anyone is here again. It's a stunning left-hand wave, and it will stack up to some of the world greats. Waves when it's really really working can be as long as 300 yards. If it's big enough too, it can get punchy on the inside. The wave breaks over cobblestone and ends up on rocky beach, so keep that in mind if you want to keep your fins.
But the wave comes off a river-mouth so it can be fast and wall-y and super fun all at the same time. There isn't much of a crowd factor here. I found it to be significantly less than La Ticla, actually. But it certainly isn't secret by any means. It's on surfline and almost anyone who is surfing in the area will have Nexpa on their list of places to go. But for some reason — maybe the town, the crowds stay lighter than Ticla. The fact that it is only a left may have something to do with that as well.
