Welcome to El Sunzal, El Salvador – Learn to surf at our new surf camp

Surf camp location: Where are El Salvador and El Sunzal? 

El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America, boarded by Guatemala, Honduras and the Pacific Ocean. The camp is located in a small town called El Sunzal on the southern Pacific coast. If you go down to the beach and walk for around five minutes you’ll get to the nearby town called El Tunco, also known as Surf City.

Our new surf camp: A home right by the ocean where you get the calmness of El Sunzal and the pulse of Surf City

The camp is located in front of El Sunzal beach, which is one of the surf spots you’ll surf at the most during your stay at the camp. You can even check the surf conditions from your balcony! The area of El Sunzal is nice and quiet since it’s almost unheard of by tourists. But if you’re looking for a bit more upbeat vibe and to dance all night long then head over to Surf City for a night out with good food and drinks.

Surfing in El Salvador: Our favourite surf spots are right by the camp

There are two main surf spots that we use at the Lapoint Camp: El Sunzal and La Bocana. Sometimes we go further from the camp to explore more spots, but here’s a quick sneak peak on our two favourites:

El Sunzal

This is our main beach that’s just outside the camp. This spot has an amazing beach break for beginner surfers where you can enter and exit the water easily without any danger. El Sunzal is great for more experienced surfers too, the different sections offer different experiences, so it’s the perfect spot for all three levels. There can be a lot of people in the water, but it's a cool spot with great vibes in the water.

La Bocana

This spot is only for level 3 surfers since the waves are more powerful here. Experienced surfers will have a great time at La Bocana since it has consistent sweets, both left-and right-hand breaks and fun 300-meter rides.

Local cuisine: The food and drinks you need to try in El Salvador 

The most well-known food in El Salvador is the Salvadorian pupusas, which is an absolute must-try when you visit. It’s made with corn flour- or rice flour-tortillas and then you have either beans, chicken or cheese (or something else that you like) in between. Simple and delicious! Do you want to impress the locals? Then make sure to not eat them like tacos! Tear off a bit of the pupusa, pinch it together and use it to pick up the beans or chicken (with some nice salsa) and eat it. For beverages, try a horchata, chan or the limonada con hierbas to quench the thirst. Or why not get a fresh coconut from the saleslady at the beach?

You will find great food during your visit, both at the camp and around the area. You’ll see that there are both local and international foods at good prices. The currency in El Salvador is United States Dollars, one USD is almost exactly the same as one Euro. Here are some quick snapshots of different prices:

• Dinner at a restaurant: 6-10 USD 

• Local food: 5-10 USD 

• Coffee: 1 USD

• Beer: 1,5 USD

• Pupusas (must try!): 5 cent/pupusa

Adventures: What to see and do in El Salvador?

We wouldn't blame you if you want to stay all day surfing and watching the amazing waves from the camp. But if you feel the thirst for more adventures, we got you covered! 

• Hike at the Santa Ana volcano: When visiting El Salvador, hiking the Santa Ana volcano is on most adventurous travellers' bucket lists. You would do a hike through the jungle to reach this active volcano where you’ll find a crater lake with beautiful turquoise water. 

• Swim at the waterfalls of Tamanique: We hike in the jungle for about one hour to reach the Tamanique waterfalls. Here you’ll see and swim by some of the country’s best and most beautiful waterfalls.

• Take a boat tour in the Mangrove forest: For those brave at heart, visiting the Mangrove forest is a real adventure. During this boat tour, you can watch wild crocodiles swim by the boat and monkeys climb in the trees above you.

Check out this site for more info and pricing.

Packing list: What do you need to bring to the surf camp?

What you need to bring for a week in paradise: 

• Passport

• Swimwear

• Towels: We provide bath towels at the camp, but please bring your own beach towels.

• Reusable water bottle: At Lapoint, we destroy waves, not the planet. Therefore, as a part of our sustainability program, we don’t sell any plastic bottles and try to limit the use of plastic at the camp. In doing so, please bring a reusable water bottle for your trip to El Salvador. 

• Sunscreen: The sun is very strong in El Salvador so we advised you to bring sun protection with high SPF. We recommend using Oxybenzone-free products to reduce pollution and help conserve our beautiful ocean. We sell environmentally friendly zinc at the camp.

• Mosquito spray: Everyone loves El Salvador, and mosquitoes are no exception! Make sure that you bring mosquito spray to prevent them from bothering you. 

• Adapter: You will have the opportunity to buy adapters at the camp, but it's better to be safe than sorry and have one with you (it’s no fun to have your phone die at the airport and no way of charging it!). The plug types in El Salvador are the same as in the US, type A and type B. The supply voltage in El Salvador is 120V. 

• Vax: For level 3 riders it’s a good idea to bring a bar of surf wax with you.