The Central Region
The Central and most popular area mainly consists of the beaches in the department of La Libertad. Here the coastal plain is consumed by a mountain range made up of about 20 volcanoes. There are several points, each above rock or coble-stone ocean floors. Beach breaks with sandy ocean-bottoms are abundant as well, but see few surfers on a regular basis because most choose to enjoy the perfectly-formed, larger waves at the points, and save the beach breaks for when there is only a small swell hitting the coast.
All the way down the coast, before, after, and in between all of the points there are miles of sand- and rock- bottom beach breaks and secret spots galore!
El Sunzal - is one of the best-known surf spots in El Salvador, and is also the most consistent wave in the country. It breaks well over three hundred days a year, during rainy season most of the time you’ll find it offers fun, long clean lines that you can surf for over a hundred yards (that’s over 300 feet). This wave holds its classic, slow, full –faced form in almost any kind of swell, and even offers a pretty hallow inside section most of the time. For beginners, there’s a minor peak off to the right further inside where you can score perfect waves of a smaller size.
El Zonte - is a right-hander on a little beach in front of a small cluster of surf hotels and restaurants. Its very quaint, but has a tendency to get slightly crowded, mostly by body-boarders. When there is a small swell hitting the coast this place can get really fun, offering up a nice hollow section and a nice long ride. If the swell is too big, it an get very messy and irregular, and big sections may close out.
KM 59 - is a strong right point that can be pretty hollow, and is located over a rocky ocean floor. During low tide and with smaller swells the waves break close to large rocks and boulders that may emerge from the water, or may reach just below the surface. It is found in a little gated neighborhood, north of La Libertad.
KM 61 - is another point right next to KM 59. Its much more amiable and smaller than 59, and has easier access. The wave is very fast and hollow and rarely surfed.
La Bocana - the next closest point to El Sunzal, is a somewhat finicky left point (and one of the only decent lefts in the country). To surf this wave you should be fairly experienced. It’s a pretty heavy wave located directly in front of a river mouth. La Bocana usually breaks pretty hard, can get super hallow, and when breaking right it can be the best wave you’ve ever ridden, or a nightmare, depending on your skill and luck level. Between the actual river mouth and point, and to the right of the point, there are several large, gnarly boulders and rocks that can do some serious damage if caught inside during a big set. This makes paddling in either long, or dangerous, depending on which route you choose. There’s almost always a super-strong current heading up the coast towards a huge set of scenic rocks and ledges, so you should have pretty strong paddling skills to surf here. La Bocana has had a reputation for some bad localism, but that isn’t so extreme today, although it is obviously heavily guarded due to the lack of lefts in the country. As always, just use your head and be respectful to the locals and they usually respect you back.
La Paz - is a fun, peaky, mild wave that connects with La Punta in its last section. It’s much smaller and mellower than the actual point, and is perfect for beginners. It’s located just in front of the restaurants of La Libertad, where the beaches are a mixture of sand and rocks, with pebbles littering the shores during season.
La Punta Roca - is La Libertad’s world-class wave. It’s a perfectly formed right point that can be pretty dangerous for inexperienced or weak surfers. It has a super hallow and super fast take-off which looks like a giant wall during the drop. Its location on a pebble stone point, and that fact that its littered with boulders that surface during lower tides, not only makes it difficult to paddle out to, but also makes it somewhat dangerous to surf. When there’s a swell it can break well in both tides, but high tide is obviously safer. One wave here can completely make your trip.
Mizata - can be a really fun and strong wave in the right conditions. It contains both a left and a right point, and is surrounded by smaller beach breaks. This is one of the least surfed wave by most local surfers since it’s the farthest away from the capital where most live.
