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Waves breaking on the black-sand beach of El Sunzal

Surf City

El Sunzal Beach, El Salvador

El Sunzal, in Tamanique next to El Tunco, is possibly where surfing began in El Salvador, when American surfers arrived in the late 1960s. Its right-hand point break can give rides of up to 300 m and works every day of the year. It hosted the ISA World Longboard Championship in 2025.

Updated November 2026 · Figures checked 9 November 2026

Photo: davidjoviera, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Longest ride, from the outside to the inside section
300 m1
Longest ride, from the outside to the inside section
Common wave height from March to October
2.5–5 m1
Common wave height from March to October
Participants in the 2025 World Longboard Championship
1904
Participants in the 2025 World Longboard Championship

El Sunzal Beach, El Salvador

At a glance

At a glance
El Sunzal
District Tamanique, La Libertad Costa
Wave Right-hand point break over a deep rocky bottom
Paddle out About 300 m down a channel
Tide Works on all tides, best on half tide
Contests ISA World Surfing Games 2023; ISA World Longboard Championship 2025

Source: El Salvador Travel (Ministry of Tourism): El Sunzal; International Surfing Association: ISA world champions; International Surfing Association: Annual Report 20251,3,4

Map

El Sunzal and the nearby surf beaches 1 El Sunzal 2 El Tunco 3 El Zonte 4 Punta Roca
Surf beach Places are approximate, from Wikidata and OpenStreetMap. Boundaries: geoBoundaries SLV ADM1 (OpenStreetMap contributors, CC BY-SA 2.0)1,2
  1. 1 El Sunzal Tamanique; a long right point break
  2. 2 El Tunco Tamanique; km 43, the La Bocana wave
  3. 3 El Zonte Chiltiupán; km 53, point break and Bitcoin Beach
  4. 4 Punta Roca La Libertad Costa, next to the port

The wave

  • Two sections: on the outside a powerful wave peels for nearly 200 m; it can link with the middle and inside sections for a ride of up to 300 m.
  • Size: the Ministry of Tourism says El Sunzal holds the biggest waves on the Salvadoran coast without closing out, up to 8.5 m on the largest swells. From March to October, waves of 2.5 to 5 m are common, and smaller days suit beginners.
  • Currents: the channel used to paddle out can create strong side currents when the waves are big.
  • Big Wednesday: El Sunzal and Punta Roca were locations for the 1977 surf film Big Wednesday.

Source: El Salvador Travel (Ministry of Tourism): El Sunzal1

World contests

  • 2023: El Sunzal and La Bocana hosted the ISA World Surfing Games.
  • 2025: the ISA World Longboard Championship was held at El Sunzal from 25 April to 1 May 2025, with 190 participants from 44 nations.

Source: International Surfing Association: ISA world champions; International Surfing Association: Annual Report 20253,4

Visiting

  • Getting to the beach: the easiest way is to walk from El Tunco, though the beach can be rocky at times. Restaurants and hotels in front of the point also give access for a small fee or a day pass, with tables, food and showers.
  • Services: hotels, hostels, rentals, restaurants and shops nearby, board rentals, instructors and local photographers.

Source: El Salvador Travel (Ministry of Tourism): El Sunzal1

Surf conditions change with the tide and the swell, and rocky bottoms and currents are dangerous. Ask local surf schools or lifeguards before you go in.

For investors

In 2025 the beaches of Surf City I, on the coast of La Libertad, received 2.1 million of the 4.1 million international visitors to El Salvador, according to the Minister of Tourism. Hotels, rentals and restaurants can apply for the incentives of the Tourism Law. The beach itself is public; ask your lawyer about the public strip, building permits and coastal hazards before you buy land on the coast.5

Sources

  1. El Salvador Travel (Ministry of Tourism): El Sunzal
  2. El Salvador Travel (Ministry of Tourism): Surf City beaches
  3. International Surfing Association: ISA world champions
  4. International Surfing Association: Annual Report 2025 (PDF)
  5. Diario El Mundo: Surf City 1 received more than 2 million international visitors in 2025, 13 March 2026 (in Spanish)

Figures checked 9 November 2026. Prepared by InvestSalvador.com for general information. Figures come from the sources listed.

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