
10 Best Surfing Spots in El Salvador
Surfing in El Salvador is a breathtaking experience—riding waves in beaches with volcanic black sand, sun rays beating down even if it’s December, and feeling the salty smell of the ocean breeze hit your face.
Surfing isn’t the only thing you can do in El Salvador, though. You can stop by and try some delicious pupusas—fried tortillas filled with cheese, beans or pork rinds—and taste a refreshing Kolashampan while you spend your day at marvelous beaches.
La playa El Tunco (El Tunco Beach), la playa La Libertad (literally Freedom beach), or Punta Mango (literally Mango Tip) are three of the coolest surfing beaches in El Salvador.
Some of these beaches are safe if you are a beginner and want to start surfing, while some others have hosted surfing competitions for professionals over the years.
Surfing beaches in El Salvador tend to be rocky and covered in black sand thanks to the presence of several volcanoes in the country. This gives Salvadoran beaches a nice look (the downside is that black sand gets way hotter than white sand, so be careful walking barefoot).
Let’s explore what surfing in El Salvador is like!
El Salvador Data
Just before we dive in, it is important to know that Salvadorians divide their country in 14 departments and 262 municipalities. Eight of these departments have access to the Pacific Ocean, where you are going to surf.
These departments are:
- Ahuachapán
- Sonsonate
- La Libertad
- La Paz
- San Vicente
- Usulután
- San Miguel
- La Unión.
The department with the most beaches to surf in is La Libertad, close to the department of San Salvador.
When Is the Best Time to Surf in El Salvador?
All in all, El Salvador has amazing weather thanks to its location and geography, close to the Equator.
There are no harsh winters, and the weather is warm all year long. You can define it as hot summers and warm “winters.” Temperatures vary from 63°F (17°C) to 87°F (30°C) and they rarely go below or above these numbers.
While you can do some surfing in El Salvador at any given point in the year, the best time is between May and October, in the wet season or “winter,” but March and April also offer great waves with less rain.

1. El Tunco Beach
- Location: La Libertad
- Difficulty: All levels
Hands down, La playa el Tunco (El Tunco beach) is the most popular surfing spot in El Salvador. El Tunco Beach is in La Libertad department, and when you arrive in San Salvador, (El Salvador’s Capital) you take a 45 minute drive or 25 mi (40 km) to El Tunco Beach. There, a black-sanded beach will be waiting for you.
If you want to experience surfing in El Salvador for beginners, you can get surfing lessons at El Tunco beach for 15 USD an hour. The best part is that you do not even have to bring your surfboard with you because there are several rental spots to get one from.
If you are a pro, the waves in El Tunco are also made for you. You can find several surf tournaments and the best time to surf in El Tunco is between April and August, where the waves can become authentic bombs and reach up to 20 ft (6 m).

PRO TIP: You can take a bus from San Salvador to El Tunco taking a bus from Parque Bolívar to El Tunco for 1.50 USD from the 102, 107 or 177 routes. It is much more advisable, however, to rent a car by yourself and drive there.
2. Punta Roca, San Blas Beach
- Location: La Libertad
- Difficulty: Medium and Expert
If you want to know one of the best surfing spots in El Salvador, Punta Roca in Playa San Blas (San Blas beach) is one of the surfing meccas in El Salvador. To get there from San Salvador you will need to take a 40 minute drive over 20 miles (35 km).
This beautiful beach is perfect for surfing in El Salvador. Surfers all over the Americas know this beach for its amazing waves, which are high and hollow enough to handle big swells.
The best time to ride these waves is in the morning, thanks to the morning glass. In the afternoon and evening the breeze can interfere a little bit with the waves.

3. El Sunzal Beach
- Location: La Libertad
- Difficulty: All levels
La Playa El Sunzal (El Sunzal beach) is another amazing place for surfing in El Salvador. It has witnessed the best surfing in El Salvador as it hosted the 2021 International Surfing Association (ISA) World Surfing Games from May 29th to June 6th.
To get to El Sunzal you are going to need to take a similar route from San Salvador. Drive for 45 minutes from El Salvador’s capital to arrive in the municipality of Tamanique. There, you will find one of the best beaches to surf in the whole world.
In El Sunzal you’ll find El Salvador’s most consistent waves—especially long and stretched ones.
If by any chance you are travelling with some non-surfer friends, you can encourage them to scuba dive in these beaches, since the sea hosts a lot of marine life to check out!

4. La Bocana Beach
- Location: La Libertad
- Difficulty: Medium
Another beach that has hosted surfing competitions in El Salvador is Playa La Bocana (La Bocana beach.) This beach also hosted the 2021 ISA World Surfing Games.
La Bocana is one of the few beaches that offers point breaks from left to right. If this isn’t your spot, it is always close to El Sunzal and Punta Roca.
To get to La Bocana you are going to need to drive 45 minutes, southbound and after 24 miles (40 km) you will find La Bocana beach. La Bocana is a touristic place which is going to welcome you with arms wide open.

5. Las Flores Beach
- Location: San Miguel
- Difficulty: Medium
La playa las Flores (literally Flowers beach) is an awesome spot for surfing in El Salvador. Las Flores is a bit further away than our other beaches. To get there from San Salvador you will need to drive for 2 and a half hours and travel 106 mi (172 km).
Once you get there,you are going to find a less crowded beach, a hidden gem you could say. You are going to need a certain level to ride the waves in this beach and be able to handle yourself well in Spanish since the place is not so touristy. It is in “El salvaje este” (The Wild East) of El Salvador, a bit further than other beaches.
This beach offers world class waves and between May and August you’ll be able to ride some awesome tubular waves in crystal-clear water. One of the best surfing spots in Central America.

PRO TIP: You might find other beaches called Las Flores in El Salvador, make sure to find the one that is in San Miguel.
6. Punta Mango
- Location: Usulután
- Difficulty: Medium
Punta Mango (which is literally Tip Mango) is another great experience to feel what surfing in El Salvador is like. Punta Mango is in the Usulután department in the Jucuarán municipality. To get there from San Salvador, drive Eastbound for 3 hours over 113 mi (183 km.)
Punta Mango is one of the best Central American beaches and is another hidden gem, without many houses or urban planning close to it—a natural and relaxing experience at its best.
This beach has one of the best right to left waves in El Salvador and Central America, the waves also have a medium length here.

PRO TIP: Make sure to rent a 4×4 vehicle to access this beach, since it can get a bit rough and a standard car may not make it.
7. El Zonte Beach
- Location: La Libertad
- Difficulty: All Levels
Another great spot to experience surfing in El Salvador is La playa El Zonte (El Zonte beach.) in the municipality of Chiltiupán El Zonte, in La Libertad department. A one-hour drive is enough to travel the 30 mi (49 km) that separate San Salvador from El Zonte.
If you want to find some tourists and some fellow surfers you ought to visit El Zonte, because it is one of the most popular surfing spots in El Salvador.
This place is best known for the different kinds of waves that strike the beach, so surfers with different levels can try to ride them. It has a great wave consistency. In this beach there is a river with hollow waves that come from the left you can ride as you cross.

8. Mizata Beach
- Location: La Libertad
- Difficulty: All levels
La Playa Mizata (Mizata Beach) is in Western El Salvador. This beach (with a Japanese sounding name) is one of the prettiest places to practice surfing in El Salvador. To get there you are going to need to travel 60 mi (100 km), which will take you around one and a half hours.
This pacific beach can welcome many kinds of surfers because of its many kinds of waves. You can ride waves here practically all year long. There are short slabs and higher waves for beginner surfers.
One important thing to know is that this is a private beach, so in order to surf here you’ll need to consume something or sleep in a hotel that has access to the beach.

9. K59
- Location: La Libertad
- Difficulty: Medium
K59 is a place in the 59th kilometer of the highway in El Salvador. To get here you’ll need to drive for a bit more than one hour southbound and travel a bit less than 59 kilometers, around 34 mi (55 km.)
Between May and October you can find very consistent waves to ride around and dominate. Waves here come from the right and they usually break well and break centered too.
The place around the beach is also amazing. If by any reason you cannot surf in this beach, you have K61 quite close, although this beach does not offer as consistent waves.

10. La Paz Beach
- Location: La Libertad
- Difficulty: All levels
La Playa La Paz (literally Peace Beach) is a beach just 19 mi (31 km) from San Salvador. You’ll need 40 minutes to get there from the country’s capital.
La Paz beach is one of the best known surf spots in El Salvador because it is quite close to the country’s capital. This means the place knows how to handle different tourists.
If you are looking for a nice surfing experience in El Salvador without leaving the country’s capital too much this might be your place. Waves here are varied and many different surfers can ride them.

Learn Spanish to Surf in Paradise
Surfing in El Salvador is going to be a thrill with all these beaches waiting for you! El Salvador and other Latin American countries—such as Mexico, Costa Rica, and Colombia, to mention just a few—are paradise for travelers who decide to visit them and surf there and are sure to get them amped up!
Warm weathers all year long, beautiful beaches, affordable prices and a land that promises a different kind of adventure.
Before jumping on a plane to El Salvador check this guide to surfing in Spanish and sign up for a free Spanish class today to broaden your Spanish knowledge! Speaking Spanish won’t open the door to El Salvador only, but to 20 other countries in three different continents to explore and surf in all their beaches.
It will open more doors in the U.S. as well, since more than 53,000,000 people speak Spanish there already. To put a cherry on top, it might even land you a better paycheck at the end of each month so you can start saving up to go surfing in El Salvador!
More than 24,000 active students monthly reflect the quality of Homeschool Spanish Academy to teach Spanish. Our thousands of clients prefer us because we offer earned highschool credit, flexible scheduling and different payment options! Start learning Spanish today!
FUN FACT: The official currency of El Salvador is the USD.

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