Beach break barrels are at the top of any surfer’s list and you’ve been to Mexico, you’ve likely sampled the sand bottom tubes of Puerto Escondido. At 3 or 30ft, the wave is world class.

A new film takes a deep dive into the social and geographical forces at work in Puerto Escondido, and the major threat the wave currently faces. The movie, available on YouTube, is brought to you by the Now Now Media team.

Place of Thorns tells the story of one of the world’s most incredible waves, from its discovery by early pioneers when it was just a small fishing village, to the bustling tourist mecca it has become today.

However, the iconic wave is under dire threat, galvanizing the local community as they take a united stand to save the wave and their home.

Told through first-hand accounts from local surfers and lifelong Puerto devotees, the film started production in early 2023 and lucked into a run of incredible waves which local cinematographer and producer, Edwin Morales, says is becoming increasingly rare. “It used to be an incredible beach break that used to break far out, but now it has become a shorebreak pretty much,” says Morales. 

Morales and other locals attribute this change to the rampant development Puerto Escondido has experienced in recent years, which has  altered the sand flow along the beach and offshore canyon.

“The wave is dying”, says Roxel Perez, a representative of Costa Unida and the Save The Waves Coalition, who are fighting to save the iconic surf spot.

The coalition recently scored a significant victory, halting a massive development along one of the town’s beaches, but the fight has just begun.

“The plan now is to (try regulate development) using the law,” says Perez. “But we need everyone’s help to save Puerto Escondido.”

Click the link above to watch.