Esencia Nativa
Family friendly surf hotel with surf coaching, board hire, point break and beach break
Whether you’re just starting your surfing journey, are a family of experienced surfers, or are keen to catch waves and have kids in tow, slip into the El Salvadorian lifestyle in this beachside surf hotel. Owned and run by a family of surfers, with the excellent Surfing Your Fears programme run onsite, it’s fully set up for surf time, hammock time, and the laidback beach life with everything you need on tap.
While it’s easy to surf, eat, chill and repeat, you can also break out for adventures to waterfalls, volcanoes and Mayan ruins – and you’re not far from the famous Punta Roca, and the longboarding haven of El Sunzal.
Esencia Nativa
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Overview
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Rooms
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Onsite
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Surf and beaches
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Food
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Things to do
Transfer: 1hr 20mins from El Salvador International Airport (SAL).
Family friendly: All ages (best for ages 3+)
Surf level: Beginner to advanced
Other activities: Volcanoes, waterfalls, coffee plantations, yoga and Mayan ruins.
Climate: Av 28C year-round.
Time zone: Â UTC -6 hours
- Stripped back and beachside, the rooms are seaside sanctuaries with air con, comfy beds, and hammocks on the verandah.
- Wake up to a view of the surf or step out onto the beach... there's always a shady and cool space to retreat to.
- Every room has an ensuite, some with hot showers.
Onsite you'll find everything you need to make family surfing life easy:
- Garden, swimming pool and outdoor showers.
- Beach-view restaurant open all day.
- Local coffee roaster and café.
- Table tennis and table football.
- Studio with mats, weights and exercise equipment.
- Surfboard hire and surf school.
- Esencia Nativa is perfectly positioned between El Zonte's point break and beach break – so you can keep an eye on the waves from sunrise to sunset.
- The righthand point break is world-class on its day, delivering long waves with an inside and outside section to choose from.
- The beach break is a boulder reef with powerful a-frames for fast, punchy rides. There are also sand-bottomed sections where beginners can learn to surf on the whitewater.
- The owner, Alex Novoa, runs Surfing Your Fears surf coaching, and can take you to the next step of your surfing journey, whatever level you're at.
- You can rent surfboards and bodyboards onsite, and surf skate lessons are also available.
- Other nearby breaks include:
- K59 – it's just ten minutes' drive to this righthand point break that offers powerful waves with great tubes and fast sections. There are often turtles in the lineup, too.
- 15 minutes' drive in the other direction you'll find El Sunzal – one of the best, and most consistent waves in the region for progressors and longboarders, El Sunzal delivers freight-train rides from outback to its cobblestone shore.
- It's about 40 minutes to La Mizata – a remote point break and beach break.
- The famous Punta Roca, now a stop on the WSL World Tour is just 30 minutes' drive.
- Check out our Family Surfing Guide to El Salvador for more information on the surf beaches.
- A breakfast stacked with local ingredients is included, and will keep you fuelled up post-dawnie for the rest of the day. Think eggs, guacomole, watermelon, chorizo, salsa, plantain, pancakes, juice and locally-roasted coffee.
- The restaurant is open all day and serves delicious El Salvadorian scram and daily specials, from tacos and steaks to pizzas and pasta.
- Other local favourites include El Vikingo, Pupuseria Geisy and Cavana Seaside Kitchen.
- If you want to break out for a fancy meal, hop on the bus to Beto's – an incredible sea view restaurant about 20-minutes drive away.
Esencia Nativa makes it easy to explore El Zonte and beyond, with scheduled weekly excursions including:
- Waterfalls
- Horseriding
- Coffee plantations
- Mayan ruins
- Santa Ana volcano
You can also join in Spanish lessons with Say Zonte.