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With more
than 300 kilometers of shoreline,
El Salvador has lots of beautiful beaches to attract
sunbathers and surfers alike. |
| Because it may not be easy to choose between a
Tahitian-style, black sand beach nestled among volcanic outcrops, or a
private expanse of white sand that stretches for miles, or a tiny island
with views of distant volcanoes, it's best to allot plenty of time to
explore all of these options, with a cooler of iced drinks, some good books,
a Frisbee and a hammock on hand. |
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Beaches |
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Many of El Salvador's western beaches lie in small coves
along a dramatic shoreline of black, volcanic rock. The westernmost beach,
Barra de Santiago, offers sunbathing and a sea turtle conservation project
that includes exhibits and tanks with young sea turtles kept for educational
purposes. Traveling along a coastal highway that hugs the western shore,
visitors pass the Cóbanos Beach near Acajutla, followed by Tunco, Zunzal and
Majagual beaches. Private beaches along the highway offer tourism centers
that include pools and picnicking areas. The highway passes through the port
town of La Libertad, very popular with surfers and weekend visitors from the
capitol, and famed for its fresh oysters and live mariachi music. East from
La Libertad, three of El Salvador's finest beaches await travelers at the
Costa del Sol, or "Sun Coast," with facilities that include hotels,
restaurants and a public tourism center with beaches, pool and lifeguards. |
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To the east of the Lempa River, visitors will discover some
of El Salvador's most beautiful and private beaches. For those who'd like
their own private islet, Piraya Island in the Jiquilisco Bay offers white
sand and lovely views of volcanoes landward. El Espino, further down the
coast, has miles of sandy beaches, as does Icacal, where shallow water and
gentle surf combine to produce a safe family beach. Along the beach at Cuco
residents work at drying and salting fish, collected from boats in heavy
wooden carts. The eastern beaches of Tunas, Negra and Tamarindo, near the
Gulf of Fonseca, are popular with surfers and sunbathers alike, while the
lovely Meanguera Island in the Gulf offers a pristine beach in a sheltered
cove of its south side. |
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Surfing |
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El Salvador has become an increasingly popular surfing
destination, offering 1.5 to 2 meter swells for shorties most of the year,
with 3 meter waves during the rainy season months of September and October.
Water temperature ranges from a comfortable 20 to 25oC. Hot surfing spots
include La Ventana, Punta Mango and La Flor in eastern El Salvador, and
Zunzal, Punta Rocas and Kilometer 59 in the west. Punta Rocas, just outside
of La Libertad, is easy to access and features right point breaks for
experienced surfers. A lovely beach at Kilometer 59 on the coastal highway
to the west of La Libertad also offers a fast and powerful right point
break, up to 200m long on a good day. Another popular swell is found at
Zunzal beach, less difficult than K59 and Rocas, but lots of fun and a
regional classic. Surfer friendly accommodations are easily found near
popular surf spots. |
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Diving |
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Three popular diving
destinations in El Salvador include the Ilopango and Coatepeque crater
lakes,
as well as open water
diving at Los Cóbanos near Acajutla. |
| Cóbanos attractions include a 50
year-old shipwreck, volcanic reef and plenty of marine life such as moray
eels, eagle rays, jacks, grouper, angelfish and green turtles. The lakes
offer a look at volcanic nodules and freshwater fish. A few lucky divers
have even found archaeological relics on the floor of the lakes. |
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Discover Volcanic Crater Diving |
In the year 500 A.C. many native
populations fled from the catastrophic eruptive earth’s force, entire
villages were covered by ashes that reached 100 kms in depth, beginning so
the eruptions named “La Caldera de Ilopango”. After various eruptions
through time, these ceased, rainand rivers flew at 30 kms of diameter to the
made crater, filled it up with water.
Now El Cráter de Ilopango has a maximum depth of 788 feet (236 meters)
having a brittle hydrographic rocky bottom with gray and white sand, forming
valleys, precipices, mountains and underwater cliffs, an excellent volcanic
panorama to practice diving. |
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