El Salvador is one of most amazing and “must-visit” surfing destinations in Central America. It offers various surf breaks with clean and consistent waves all-year round. This article will list down the top five surf spots in El Salvador.
El Tunco
El Tunco is El Salvador’s most popular surf spot and a true year-round paradise for surfers. Its black sand beach is only a 45-minute drive from the country’s capital, San Salvador, making it quite accessible to tourists. If you’re lucky, you may also witness surfing competitions since El Tunco hosts several surf events throughout the year.
There are many surf schools in El Tunco that offer training and board rentals, making it ideal for first-time wave riders. El Tunco’s waves can be challenging for advanced and pro surfers, especially during April to August, when swells can reach double overhead to 20 feet high!
Punta Roca
Punta Roca offers one of the best right-hand point breaks in the world. So if you’re a regular-footer, this might be the best spot for you. It is located on San Blas beach and is only about a 35-minute drive from San Salvador, making it quite accessible yet it still remains uncrowded. Small swells can be enjoyed in Punta Roca year-round, but the best time to surf is around November, when waves can be clean and consistent.
El Sunzal
El Sunzal is one of El Salvador’s finest surfing spots, and since hosting the 2021 ISA World Surfing Games, it has become extremely popular among international surfers. It is only about a 45-minute drive from San Salvador, making it easily accessible to travelers. El Sunzal has the most consistent long-stretched waves, reaching up to 200 meters in length, making it perfect for surfers of all skill levels, particularly longboarders.
La Bocana
La Bocana is one of the few surf spots in El Salvador known for consistently providing left hand breaking waves. It is located around 25 miles from San Salvador and is well-known as a tourist destination in La Libertad, so it can be pretty convenient and welcoming in the area. However, La Bocana is no place for beginner surfers, its big waves break heavily over a bed of cobblestone bottom, making it only suitable for intermediate to pro surfers.
Las Flores
Las Flores is El Salvador’s hidden gem and one of the top surfing spots in Central America. This uncrowded beach is located in San Miguel City, around 100 miles from San Salvador. Although Las Flores is a little farther away than other well-known surf spots in La Libertad like El Tunco and El Sunzal, it may give you some world-class waves breaking on a sandy bottom. The swells in Las Flores can be quite big, producing gnarly waves, especially from May to August.