Can’t decide where to book your next family surf trip? Have you considered Central America’s smallest, safest country – El Salvador? If you’re looking for a beach holiday and tag team surfs with young kids in tow, or are a family of frothing surfers looking for righthand point breaks galore and a friendly Latin American culture, El Salvador is our new favourite destination for family surfing holidays.
Splitting our time between El Zonte in the east and Las Flores in the west, we explored this wave-lashed paradise that’s building a bright future on surfing, and discovered a combination of incredible waves, vibrant beach life, friendly locals and fresh, delicious food. And with the creation of Surf City set to skyrocket surf tourism, the time to go is now.
Why El Salvador for a family surfing holiday?
The smallest country in Central America has long been on our radar for a surf trip, with its palm-fringed coastline punctuated by a series of cobblestone points. Not only the ‘land of volcanoes’, El Salvador is also the land of righthand point breaks – that travelling surfers began to document in the early ’70s, before civil war ground tourism to a halt. Now under President Bukele’s iron-fisted approach to crime, the country is safe to visit, serving up lashings of the real-deal Latin American holiday experience with little to do except surf, visit Mayan ruins, explore waterfalls and gorge on pupusas stuffed with seafood.
With the government ploughing millions of dollars into the creation of El Salvador’s ‘Surf City’ project, and a leg of the WSL World Tour now being held at La Libertad’s Punta Roca, development is on the rise. From Punta Roca to El Tunco, modern hotels and apartments are taking over the shoreline, but further on the likes of El Sunzal, El Zonte and K59 resume a more rustic and laidback vibe. But things are changing fast.
When to Go?
One of the best things about El Salvador is that it isn’t just a seasonal surfing destination. There are waves almost every day of the year. “I grew up surfing here, and there are waves all year round,” the owner of Zonte Surf School told me. And sure enough, no matter what the forecast predicted, there was surf every single morning of our trip during December and January.
For surfing families, Christmas and Easter are the ideal times to hit El Salvador for a surfing holiday, when its dry season and the waves are smaller. From April to October it’s wet season and the big swells kick in, but don’t let this deter you if you’re serious about surfing and looking for a more challenging trip.
The best way to approach each day is to get up and surf at sunrise, before the onshore breeze kicks in, like clockwork, between eight and nine in the morning, beckoning you back to shore for breakfast – huevos rancheros, pancakes, and piles of fresh fruit. Then you can spend the rest of the day visiting volcanoes, lakes and Mayan sites, or simply choose to spend lazy days swinging in the hammock, exploring sea caves, body surfing and cooling off with ice shavings laced with sweet toppings from beach vendors.
Where to go in El Salvador…
El Zonte
In our (humble) opinion, El Zonte is possibly one of the the coolest spots for family surfing life in Central America. This bohemian little beach town is home to a righthand point break, a cobblestone reef with peeling a-frames and a series of peaks along two beautiful beaches. And that’s just its surfing credentials. Just on the periphery of the Surf City developments, it still retains the air of a laidback El Salvadorian beach paradise, and there are plenty of cool places to stay by the waves. As a surfing destination it’s more suited to intermediate and advanced surfers, but there are surf schools if you need them, yoga classes to stretch into the day and plenty of pupuserias and local foodie spots.
El Sunzal
If you want to be closer to the heart of Surf City, but not too close, we’d suggest El Sunzal. Marking the start of the surf-led developments that stretch all the way to Punta Roca and La Libertad, El Sunzal is home to a classic point break with waves for all levels. One of the best, and most consistent waves in the region for progressors and longboarders, it delivers freight-train rides from outback to its cobblestone shore. Plus there are plenty of surf-side camps, hotels and kit hire where families can enjoy surfside facilities.
K59 & K61
If you’re looking for the simple life that’s all about surfing, coconuts and pupusas, head to these remote and legendary point breaks. You’ll often be joined by turtles in the line-up and there really is very little to do except up your wave count and quench your thirst with ice-cold coconuts between sessions.
El Cuco
El Cuco is a vibrant beach town where the El Salvadorian’s come to holiday. The beach is abuzz with Mariachi-style music, kiosks selling sombreros, ice shavings and inflatables, and boats blasting offshore for full-throttle fun rides beyond the waves. It’s worth staying a few nights here to lap up authentic El Salvadorian beach life, and there are plenty of peaks along the long stretch of sand where you can practise your skills in the whitewater or you might be lucky to find a decent bank along the the ever-shifting sand. However, it’s only a mile’s walk along the shore to Las Flores – where the the point break delivers much more consistent and peeling waves.
Las Flores
Home of El Salvador’s longboarding champ, Sindy Portillo, Las Flores marks the start of a second multi-million dollar Surf City, planned to transform the coastline all the way to Punta Mango, the area’s most famous wave. The scene is laid-back and more remote down in the south of the country, with other breaks to be discovered alongside this consistent right-hand point with an inside section that beckons beginners. There’s a handful of accommodation beside the waves, including the Surf Paradise Hotel.
Until recently, the more remote Punta Mango was only accessible by boat, and now a bumpy 10km drive takes you to this punchy, hollow right. A few surf lodges already grace its once-remote shores, and if plans go ahead, it won’t be long until a smooth tarmac road provides easy access to a series of cobblestone points along this stretch of coast. Controversially cutting through nature reserves and mangroves, and evicting local farmers and fishing communities in its path.
La Libertad and Punta Roca
La Libertad is the heart of Surf City, home to the famous Punta Roca surf break – now a stop on the WSL Championship Tour. The waves can be crowded and challenging along this section of the coast between Punta Roca and El Tunco, but there are a few easier spots for families and beginners including La Paz. There is plenty of surf-side accommodation for all budgets, although it’s got a much busier and more built-up vibe than some of the other areas nearby.
Family Surf Co tips on travelling to El Salvador
Personally, we can’t recommend El Salvador enough for a family surfing holiday. We absolutely loved it. However, it’s better for intermediate surfers, or couples with babies and toddlers who want to tag team surfs and enjoy family beach life. Most of the breaks are cobblestone points, and there are fewer options for absolute beginners looking for sandy beaches.
Our final piece of advice? Go soon, because change is afoot. This is the time to visit El Salvador. Check out our El Salvador Family Surfing Guide for more information and book your trip now.
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