Andrea Zelinski
You're wandering on a path through a lush rainforest with a surfboard in hand, walking to a little-known beach in Bahia de Banderas on the Pacific Coast.
Or you're on a board catching waves by day, and maybe again at night under the radiance of the full moon on the desert coast in Baja California Sur.
If you haven't daydreamed this, your clients who surf may have.
Mexico is home to spectacular waves along its 4,500-mile Pacific coast. Now, the country wants to draw attention to riding them by creating the Mexico Surf City Network, connecting established towns known for their strong waves, surf culture and tourism potential.
More than that, the network offers Mexico an opportunity to grow surfing as an economic sector that balances the sport, infrastructure and conservation, said Jesus de los Santos, tourism director of Bahia de Banderas, a municipality at the center of the network.
"Compared to others like in Europe, we're not that developed and organized in an economic sector way," Santos said about surf tourism.
The aim is to build up the country's surf sector while keeping some destinations feeling like hidden gems, he said.
Mexico's first surf city
The country plans to designate Sayulita as its first "Surf City." Once a fishing town travelers would stop at on their way to Puerto Vallarta, Sayulita in the state of Nayarit has evolved into an established surfing city with stellar waves and a relaxed cultural identity.
Sayulita is expected to accept that designation on Nov. 2, overlapping with the city's Day of the Dead celebrations, when it's not uncommon to see people painted to look like the iconic skeletal Catrinas catching waves, said Santos, who is also vice president of the Surfing State Association of Nayarit.
A surfer himself, he is excited about the designation. Sayulita sits in the municipality of Bahia de Banderas in the state of Nayarit, as do several nearby surf towns.
Bahia de Banderas has also earned the status of "vice president" of the World Surf Cities Network, a global organization that represents and offers opportunities to learn from surfing destinations worldwide.
Mexico's newest network
Mexico's proposed Surf City Network will be bigger than Bahia de Banderas alone. The network will likely resemble Mexico's designation of Pueblos Magicos (Magical Towns): more than 100 smaller destinations recognized and promoted for their rich history, culture and natural beauty. Last year, the Ministry of Tourism unveiled a digital tool to make those lesser-known towns easier to sell.
Doing the same for the Mexico Surf City Network is expected to draw attention to the country's array of surf destinations, finding a niche that adds dimension to the appeal of Mexico's beachside resorts and helps fuel Mexico's economic engine.
While in its infancy, the Mexico Surf City Network is expected to expand with Bahia de Banderas as the epicenter, joined by the established surfing destinations of Ensenada in Baja California, Los Cabos in Baja California Sur and Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca. Each has established infrastructure, offering a range of accommodations from small casitas to big resorts.
Future phases would welcome other surfing towns that want to make the sport and the lifestyle a stronger part of their identity, such as Rosarito, 90 minutes north of Ensenada.
Santos couldn't say exactly how much investment will flow into the surf cities, although upgrades are planned for Sayulita like transportation improvements, waste management systems, public space enhancements and beach conservation programs, according to a report from Travel and Tour World.
Within a year, he expects the network to evolve into a formal federal strategy for support and investment as well as a framework for eligible cities.
There's a delicate balance in some of these surfing communities. While increased visitation means more economic opportunities, like more surfing lessons, restaurants and hotels, Mexico wants to be careful to preserve the identities of these surfing towns, especially the little-known gems that want to remain small and intimate.
"When you make something so touristic, it loses its identity because a lot of people come to the site, and then more people start living there and they start to make businesses," he said.