El Salvador Trip...

Ok.. been getting some great tips for my surf trip to El Salvador this Saturday.  I am going to be hooking up with K59 surftours

Here's an email I got from Ian talking about his trip:
Everything is very close. There are 5 quality breaks
all within an hour or so of each other i.e. La
Libertad (Punta Roca), Sunzal, San Blas, El Zonte, K59
and a few other "K-breaks".

Upon arrival I recommend either bargaining a taxi ride
from the airport to your spot in La Libertad or
depending on where you're staying, having the owners
pick you up, if they offer that. The ride is roughly
45 minutes from what I remember, depending on how many
dead cows, people, flipped cars, etc. are in the road.


I stayed at Horizonte Surf Camp in El Zonte, which is
about 10-15 minutes North or West, depending on how
you see it, from La Libertad (Punta Roca, etc..) A
taxi from the airport to El Zonte cost me $20 but you
may be able to get it lower. Also, the place I stayed
at charges $25 for a scheduled pick-up in a spacious
SUV with AC (very nice in that horrible oppressive
humidity and heat).

Punta Roca is basically one of the sickest waves in
the world, and if you love empty hollow rights that
can hold up to 15 ft. then that is the spot for you.
If I were to go back, I would spend more time there. I
only got it good twice. Both times were empty.
However, the crime in La Libertad is pretty bad, and I
wouldn't recommend walking alone there. In fact,
unless that was the ONLY spot you wanted to surf, I
wouldn't even recommend staying there, but that's just
my opinion. If you can, buddy up with someone. I've
heard numerous stories of people walking in town, or
to the point, and having guns or machetes pulled on
people, more often than not by teenagers on crack
(seriously). So with that being said I would paddle to
the point from Rotherman's restaurant, which is a
pretty far, but safe paddle. It's up to you, just
check it out and weigh the situation for yourself. I
got lucky and hooked up with some locals, and was able
to walk through the cemetery directly to the point.

I can only speak confidently about El Zonte. I stayed
there for 2 weeks, venturing off to other breaks via
bus only a couple times. It is one of the most laid
back, relaxing places I have ever been to. To me, it
is paradise. The surf camp is directly across a 10 ft.
road that runs next to the beach. The only thing
separating the surf camp from the ocean, is the
restaurant owned by Saburo (who owns Horizonte). His
wife Carol is very sweet too. They charged me $10 a
night for my own room (not air conditioned). Or you
can bunk up with someone in a double and pay $7 a
night. Some of the rooms have AC, but are more
expensive. The surf camp has 4 hammocks under a shaded
hut, surrounding a bar, with a TV and DVD and stereo
hook-up. Hungry? hit the restaurant up for some
licuados (smoothies) for like $1.50. Or get 3 papausas
(stuffed taco type things that are SUPER good) for
something like $1 or 2. Everyone in that little
neighborhood is super friendly and eager to befriend
you as long as you show respect.

There are two other surf camps there along the point.
One is owned by Teco. He owns the property ON THE
POINT. So if you stay there, you are basically
sleeping in front of the break. Alex owns the surf
camp next to Horizonte. They all charge about the
same, and all offer the same things as well. So, it's
basically up to you where to stay. Once you're there
you will find out about the other breaks, and what
buses to take (they cost $0.25).

El zonte is such a fun, rippable wave. It can be fast,
mellow, barreling, gentle, big, small. Whatever. The
break is very adaptable to different swell directions
and sizes. There isn't much else to say. Wherever you
go you'll have a great time as long as there are
waves. I spent 15 days there and there only about 4
un-ridable days.

I only went into San Salvador once, and hated it. It's
a big third-world city with a shit load of smog and
even more poverty. But they have one of the craziest,
and biggest malls I've ever seen. Ironic. So that's
about all I know for the place.


Technorati Tags: el salvador, surf, surfing, waves