Stormriding El Salvador

Since the first surf explorers in the '60s discovered the great pointbreak potential of El Salvador the country has gone through a tumultuous time - a brutal army-led civil war followed by economic devastation and violent social unrest. Things have improved dramatically, surfers are returning, often using the services and experience of a local surf operator, which seems the best way to enjoy the unreal density of quality pointbreaks and avoid many problems. © 2013 Fitzpatrick/SurfCaribe.com/Low Pressure

El Salvador Travel Info

Getting to El Salvador - No visa required for most nationalities. Comalapa International Airport (not far from La Libertad) is serviced by major carriers. Despite its small size, El Salvador has flights to many US cities. A US$32 departure tax must be paid. Getting Around El Salvador - Renting a car is expensive. Main highways are modern and fast - small roads are potholed and washed out in the wet season. Lodging and Food - Despite the war being over there are still security concerns so surf camps and guided tours will be safer than independent travel. A meal will cost $6-10. Try corn and rice flour pupusas, as well as the local Pilsner beer. Weather - Oriente Salvaje has a tropical climate with warm to hot daytime temperatures and warm nights. The rainy season, known locally as invierno, or winter, extends from May to October; almost all the annual rainfall occurs during this time and usually falls in heavy afternoon thunderstorms. Verano is the summer dry season, running from November to April with light rainfall, NE trade winds and dry, hot, hazy air. Despite the heat, this is considered the best time to travel. Temps vary little between seasons and are most affected by altitude. Annual average rainfall is 1700mm (68in). Water temps vary between 26-28 © 2013 Low Pressure

Costa Del Balsamo

The far western coastline of El Salvador resembles Guatemala with straight unbroken beaches, except for the large rivermouth (la bocana) at Barra de Santiago. Acajutla faces due west and picks up smaller windswells but the port and petroleum plant pollution is heavy. The Costa Balsamo provides the lion's share of the righthand pointbreaks stretching from as far west as Mizata back along the impossibly twisty, coastal mountain range road that allows glimpses of perfect regular foot set-ups like K59 and 61, before hitting the crowded line-ups of Zunzal and Punta Roca. © 2013 Paul Kennedy

HotSpot

Touted as one of the best righthand points on the planet. Punta Roca pitches, walls up and races speedily over shallow, black boulders. Barrels and inviting open faces in medium-sized swells when length of ride can be leg burning. Used as filming location for the classic '70s surf film Big Wednesday. Hazards are many and varied including sharp shells on the rocks, bad pollution problems, hassling and drop ins, armed robbery on the walk out to the point, difficult entry and exit, crowds and powerful, butt-kicking waves. © 2013 Fitzpatrick/SurfCaribe.com

Costa del Balsamo Travel Info

Getting There - The airport is conveniently located 20min drive from La Libertad. Cross border buses also arrive from Guatemala. Getting Around - Buses and taxis between San Salvador and La Libertad are frequent and reliable. Renting a boat to reach remote breaks can be moderately expensive. Lodging and Food - La Libertad has a few decent hotels and many tour operators. Handy Hints - There are surf shops in San Salvador, La Libertad and Zunzal, but it's better to take your own gear and leave some. The points will require a fast board and a semi-gun for those big days. The waves always remain predictable and are generally soft-breaking. Take booties for use on the rocky points. © 2013 Low Pressure

Oriente Salvaje

To the east of La Libertad lies 120km (74mi) of thumping beachbreak interrupted by many large rivermouths draining the muddy coastal estuarine wetlands. While the La Libertad area has been the focus of attention since the '70s and gets crowded with locals and weekend city surfers the Oriente Salvaje in the east has very few local surfers and is now more popular with travellers. It has forged a reputation for great waves suiting all standards, from the wilderness, boat access barrels of Punta Mango to the fun, sandy walls of Punta Flores - where a handful of surf camps have sprung up since the area ceased to be the favoured rebel hangout. © 2013 Low Pressure

HotSpot

Epic, barreling, right point that gets very hollow as it peels over barely covered, barnacle encrusted boulders at low tide. Holds any size, but ideal head-high to double overhead with a solid S/SW swell and incoming tide. Tube addict's paradise surrounded by pristine mountains, but you wont be alone as boatloads of surfers make the 30min panga trip west from El Cuco and occasionally the La Libertad locals descend and hoover up everything going. Watch out for boils on the inside and clean-up sets on the outside. © 2013 Scott Winer

HotSpot

A Salvadorian dream set-up and one of the premier surfing locations in Central America. Compatible with the largest swells and always better at low tide, the waves first wrap around a rocky point full of palm trees, jack up over the take-off rocks, then reel off down a sandbar offering more speed and barrelling sections. Lengthy rides up to 300m are common, but the increasing crowds make it hard to get priority. Mellower shoulders at high tide but still fun. © 2013 Low Pressure

Oriente Salvaje Travel Info

Getting There - El Cuco is a 2.5h drive from the capital, or a 40min helicopter flight. Getting Around - Excellent bus service (cheap and frequent), reliable taxis. Boating to some breaks is the way to go - talk to the fishermen at Las Flores. Lodging and Food - Several levels of accommodation in El Cuco. Nature and Culture - Parrots nest in the rocks at Punta Mango. Heaps of butterflies, often in the line-up. Handy Hints - Limited surf supplies, take ding repair & extra fins. Bring a 6' to 6'5 plus a 6'8 to 7'2 board, a longboard can be great too. Reef booties at low tide and strong sun protection required. Water quality much better during dry season. © 2013 Low Pressure

The Wet Season

The coastline of El Salvador faces pretty much south so it only receives S-SW swells, SW being the best direction. Most swells are generated by the Southern Hemisphere low pressure systems. Exposure to these S swells is excellent making El Salvador a very consistent destination with plenty of small clean lines wrapping perfectly around the headlands. Highest consistency occurs during the southern hemisphere winter, with the main swell season being March-October. This co-incides with the wet season (May-Oct), with many 4-7ft (1.2-2.2m) waves and some 8-12ft (2.5-4m) days. During this period, winds are usually offshore in the mornings then shift to light to moderate SW onshores at mid-day. Hopefully some breaks near headlands and points remain well wind-protected nevertheless. © 2013 Fitzpatrick/SurfCaribe.com

The Dry Season

While a true northern hemisphere W swell will rarely get in to Eastern Salvador unless it is huge, it can still be considered a year round destination. The dry season (or "summer", from Nov-Apr) offers consistent surf, with numerous small south swells in the 3-5ft (1-1.5m) range. Another plus for the off-season is that it is blessed by E-NE winds which means that it's offshore most of the time, giving excellent water conditions. Beautiful sunny offshore conditions prevail, often for days. The lack of strong local offshores prevents the upwelling effect, unlike in neighbouring Nicaragua. The tidal range never goes over 6ft (1.8m), which only slightly affects most rocky pointbreaks. © 2013 Low Pressure

Want More?

The Stormrider Surf Guide Central America and the Caribbean takes a journey through the wave-rich deserts, jungles and tropical islands sandwiched between North and South America. This region hosts some of the most fun and funky surf spots around, breaking in bath-warm water, immersed in a kaleidoscope of cultures and backdrops. Beautifully presented maps, photos and up-to-date, reliable surf information make this Stormrider Surf Guide a must have item for any trip to Central America and the Caribbean. © 2013 Fitzpatrick/SurfCaribe.com