Best Time to Surf El Salvador
The best time to surf El Salvador is March to October: that is when the most breaks are at their best — 11 of the 17 El Salvador breaks we map at the peak.
Last updated · Counted from the surf breaks we map — each break's own season, level and wave type
Surf in El Salvador month by month
How many of the 17 breaks we map in El Salvador are at their best in each month, and which ones. The busiest months are highlighted.
January
3 at their best · 7 in season
Costa del Sol Beach Breaks, Fishermans Point, Playa Conchalio
February
1 at their best · 6 in season
March
10 at their best · 14 in season
Amatecampo, Fishermans Point, Mizata, Mizata Beach Break, Tweeners / A-Frames, Punta Roca, El Sunzal, El Zonte +2 more
April
11 at their best · 14 in season
Amatecampo, K61, Mizata, Mizata Beach Break, Playa San Diego, Tweeners / A-Frames, Punta Roca, El Sunzal +3 more
May
11 at their best · 13 in season
Amatecampo, K61, Mizata, Mizata Beach Break, Playa San Diego, Tweeners / A-Frames, Punta Roca, El Sunzal +3 more
June
11 at their best · 13 in season
Amatecampo, K61, Mizata, Mizata Beach Break, Playa San Diego, Tweeners / A-Frames, Punta Roca, El Sunzal +3 more
July
11 at their best · 13 in season
Amatecampo, K61, Mizata, Mizata Beach Break, Playa San Diego, Tweeners / A-Frames, Punta Roca, El Sunzal +3 more
August
11 at their best · 13 in season
Amatecampo, K61, Mizata, Mizata Beach Break, Playa San Diego, Tweeners / A-Frames, Punta Roca, El Sunzal +3 more
September
11 at their best · 13 in season
Amatecampo, K61, Mizata, Mizata Beach Break, Playa San Diego, Tweeners / A-Frames, Punta Roca, El Sunzal +3 more
October
9 at their best · 12 in season
Amatecampo, Mizata, Mizata Beach Break, Tweeners / A-Frames, Punta Roca, El Sunzal, El Zonte, Las Flores +1 more
November
4 at their best · 8 in season
Comasagua Point, Costa del Sol Beach Breaks, Fishermans Point, La Paz
December
2 at their best · 7 in season
Lefts, rights and peaks in El Salvador
Every break we map here, by what the wave breaks over and which way it peels — a left peels to the surfer's left as they ride towards the beach.
| Break type | Lefts | Rights | Both ways / A-frames |
|---|---|---|---|
| Point | Fishermans Point | K59, K61, La Paz, Mizata, Punta Roca, El Sunzal, El Zonte, Las Flores, Punta Mango | Comasagua Point |
| Reef | — | — | Tweeners / A-Frames |
| Beach | — | — | Amatecampo, Costa del Sol Beach Breaks, El Pimental, Mizata Beach Break, Playa Conchalio, Playa San Diego |
Season at every El Salvador break
Each break's stated season, with its best months filled in.
- Amatecampo
Amatecampo
- Wave
- Beach Break · Right / Left
- Level
- Intermediate to Advanced
- Season
- March - October - Year Round
- Tide
- Mid to High Tide
- Watch out
- Strong currents when larger • closeouts on big swells • shifting sandbars • afternoon onshore wind • limited surf infrastructure • theft/security considerations.
- Fishermans Point
Costa del Bálsamo
- Wave
- Reef & Point Break · Left
- Level
- Intermediate; advanced when larger
- Season
- November–March
- Tide
- Mid to High with Rising Tide the Best
- Watch out
- Rocks and rip currents. Crowds increase when swell and wind conditions align.
- Playa Conchalio
Costa del Bálsamo
- Wave
- Beach Break · Left & Right
- Level
- Intermediate; advanced surfers on larger days
- Season
- November–April | Peak: January
- Tide
- Mid to High Tide
- Watch out
- Dangerous rip currents; exposed beach break can become more powerful with larger swells.
- Las Flores
El Cuco, San Miguel
- Wave
- Point break · Right-hand
- Level
- Intermediate
- Season
- March to October (south swells)
- Tide
- All tides; best on a pushing tide
- Watch out
- Rocks and a current around the point, so plan your entry and exit. It can be crowded when it is good.
- K61
El Zonte
- Wave
- Point / Reef Break · Right
- Level
- Intermediate–Advanced outside; easier inside on smaller days
- Season
- March–October / Peak April–September
- Tide
- All Tides — High Tide Preferred
- Watch out
- Rocky bottom, river stones and sea urchins. Outside section can be fast, steep and occasionally hollow.
- La Paz
La Libertad
- Wave
- Reef & Point Break · Primarily Right
- Level
- Beginner–Intermediate; experienced surfers when larger
- Season
- Year-round potential; November standout for clean conditions
- Tide
- Mid to High / Rising
- Watch out
- Rips, rocks, crowds/local surfers and potential water-quality issues. Conditions become substantially more demanding during large swells.
- Punta Roca
La Libertad
- Wave
- Point break · Right-hand
- Level
- Advanced
- Season
- March to October (south swells)
- Tide
- All tides; best on a pushing tide
- Watch out
- Rocks and boulders on the entry and exit, and a strong current down the point. Plan your way in and out before you paddle. The lineup is competitive when it is good.
- Mizata
Mizata
- Wave
- Rocky Point Break · Right
- Level
- Intermediate–Advanced
- Season
- March–October; year-round potential
- Tide
- Low to Mid — Rising Preferred
- Watch out
- Rock/boulder bottom, strong currents on larger swells, shallow at low tide, and nearby cliff.
- Mizata Beach Break
Mizata
- Wave
- Beach Break · Rights and Lefts
- Level
- All Levels
- Season
- March - October
- Tide
- Medium to High Tides
- Watch out
- Powerful shoreward-moving surf, shifting peaks and stronger currents during larger swells. Conditions can become considerably more demanding when overhead.
- El Pimental
Playa El Pimental
- Wave
- Beach Break / Sandbar · Right / Left
- Level
- Intermediate • Advanced
- Season
- Year-Round
- Tide
- Mid to High
- Watch out
- Strong rip currents and undertow, fast hollow sections, shifting sandbars and larger swells that can produce closeouts. The beach is generally best early in the morning before winds become choppy/onshore, often after approximately 11 AM. Swells above roughly 6–8 ft can overwhelm the sandbars and close out.
- Comasagua Point
Playa San Blas
- Wave
- Beach & Point Break · Left & Right
- Level
- Beginner to Intermediate in manageable conditions
- Season
- November standout for clean conditions
- Tide
- Variable / Tide Dependent
- Watch out
- Dangerous rip currents are the principal reported hazard. Conditions are swell-dependent and less reliable than El Salvador's premier point breaks.
- Playa San Diego
San Diego
- Wave
- Beach Break / A-Frame · Left & Right
- Level
- Beginner–Advanced, depending on swell
- Season
- April–September
- Tide
- All Tides — Rising Preferred
- Watch out
- Strong rip currents, shifting sandbars and closeouts on larger swells. Water quality can be affected following heavy rains.
- Costa del Sol Beach Breaks
Zacatecoluca
- Wave
- Left & Right / A-Frame · A-Frame • Left & Right
- Level
- Beginner • Intermediate • Advanced
- Season
- November–January
- Tide
- Mid to High
- Watch out
- Strong rip currents, shifting sandbars, fast closeouts, powerful shorebreak, larger South Pacific swells, changing conditions along the 15-km coastline and limited landmarks for identifying the best banks. Conditions can change quickly with tide and swell. Beginners should choose smaller peaks and avoid stronger rips; larger hollow days are best left to experienced surfers. Surf-Forecast specifically identifies dangerous rips as a hazard.
- El Sunzal
- Wave
- Point break · Right-hand
- Level
- Beginner
- Season
- March to October (south swells)
- Tide
- All tides; best on a pushing tide
- Watch out
- Rocks and strong currents run around the point, so plan your entry and exit carefully.
- El Zonte
- Wave
- Point break · Right-hand
- Level
- Intermediate
- Season
- March to October (south swells)
- Tide
- All tides; best on a pushing tide
- Watch out
- Rocks and strong currents run around the point, so plan your entry and exit carefully.
- Punta Mango
- Wave
- Point break · Right-hand
- Level
- Advanced
- Season
- March to October (south swells)
- Tide
- All tides; best on a pushing tide
- Watch out
- Cobblestones and rocks; steep and powerful takeoff; heavy barrel sections; current around the upper point; difficult access; limited services; and rapidly changing conditions once wind comes up. Smaller surf can break dangerously close to the rocks, while large south swells demand strong paddling, positioning and barrel-riding ability. Access is traditionally by boat from the Las Flores/El Cuco area, although some overland access is possible by 4WD.
- Tweeners / A-Frames
- Wave
- A-Frame / Reef-Rock Peak · A-Frame / Reef-Rock Peak
- Level
- Intermediate - Advanced
- Season
- Southern Hemisphere Fall–Winter; roughly March–October
- Tide
- Medium to High
- Watch out
- Rocky bottom and exposed rocks, especially at lower tide. More powerful and hollow during overhead swells.
Also mapped here, with a season we can't place on the calendar: K59.
Surf spots in El Salvador by level
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to surf El Salvador?
The best time to surf El Salvador is March to October: that is when the most breaks are at their best — 11 of the 17 El Salvador breaks we map at the peak.
Can you surf El Salvador all year round?
Yes. At least one of the 17 breaks we map in El Salvador is in season in every month of the year, though the most are at their best in March to October.
When is the best time for beginners to surf El Salvador?
The 6 beginner-rated breaks we map in El Salvador (Comasagua Point, Costa del Sol Beach Breaks, La Paz, Mizata Beach Break, Playa San Diego and El Sunzal) are mostly at their best in April to September, November. Smaller days in the shoulder months are easier to learn on.
Which surf breaks in El Salvador are lefts and which are rights?
Lefts: Fishermans Point. Rights: K59, K61, La Paz, Mizata, Punta Roca, El Sunzal, El Zonte and Las Flores. The table below splits every break we map in El Salvador by type and direction.