The Top Surfing Beaches in El Salvador
Surfing is the gateway to the tourist offer of El Salvador. In the Pacific, Surf City is a Central American destination where visitors enjoy recreational surfing, international championships, regional circuits, surf lifestyle, surf summer camps, and much more of this water sport.
“The main product that we are now promoting from the southern entrance to the Mayan World, is the tourist destination Surf City,” says Boris Iraeta, Marketing Director of the Salvadoran Tourism Corporation.
However, the experiences for tourists in El Salvador are vast and include archeological sites, volcanoes for climbing, tours of coffee plantations, waterfalls, lakes, colonial cities, and gastronomy, among others. Meanwhile, Morena Valdez, El Salvador’s Minister of Tourism, says that “now, after the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the experiences that international tourists want most is the contact with our culture and identity.”
Surfing is a great way to experience the local culture and these beaches are the best place to do it.
Las Flores
This beach, located in the east of the country, will host the 6-star Latin American Surfing Championship with the best surfers from the region. This fabulous beach has three surf spots, world-class waves, and attractive mountains for those looking for adventure tourism. In December and January, it offers friendly waves for beginners and intermediate surfers, but between March and October, it produces waves up to 12 feet high, with long and steep lines, moving quickly on a semi-rocky background, to the shore of volcanic gray sand.
El Tunco
Considered the surfing capital of El Salvador, this beach is a favorite place for expert surfers from all over the world and those visitors who seek to experience the surf culture. There are many food establishments (with seafood specialty), accommodation, and bars with lively music all day.
El Zonte
It is one of the most emblematic beaches to enjoy surfing in El Salvador. It is a very traditional and bohemian style place that had increased its offer of services to the national and international tourists who visit it, which includes board rental and surfing classes. It has many hotels and rental houses, as well as restaurants with regional menus. Fast, long-line, occasionally tubular waves can reach up to 10 feet in height in one area of this beach. There is another area of beach break whose typical characteristics are its speed and inclination, a short line, and tubular segments.
Punta Roca
This beach, known by local surfers as La Punta, is located just outside Puerto de La Libertad. Expert surfers consider it one of the top 10 spots to enjoy this water sport in the world. Between March and August, the waves reach a height of up to 12 feet, although their best time is when they reach 8 feet, and the direction of the waves is from the southwest. Surfers should take into account that the bottom is rocky and can be dangerous.
This beach has hosted international events, such as a world master, as well as several competitions of the Latin American circuit ALAS, and qualifiers for the World Tour.
The Zunzal
This is an iconic beach for U.S. surfers who made it famous in the 1960s when they sought the perfect waves. Since then, El Zunzal has been a favorite with local and foreign tourists because it offers great waves all year round. It has two sections, including the outside, on the farthest part of the coast, where powerful waves are born that run along about 220 yards offering a wide wall for experts to perform their maneuvers. On the inside, which throws its waves or continuation of those on the outside, has a course of up to about 330 yards, with 40 seconds of fun.
Punta Mango
Before, Punta Mango could only be reached by boat. However, now there is a road that can be traveled from the town of El Cuco and passes through Las Flores. In addition to this place, you can explore points like El Toro and Bongo which feature world-class waves.
The waves of Punta Mango are the ones that test the experts the most because they are mighty, fast, and long-line tubular. These beautiful waves of dark green water can be up to 12 feet high and break all year round. In addition to surfing, visitors have the opportunity to walk along its long, deserted beach to find ideal fishing spots.