The best beaches in El Salvador are La Costa del Sol, El Cuco, El Tunco, La Libertad, El Zonte, San Diego, El Sunzal, Los Cobanos, El Espino, and El Majahual. Also, Las Flores, Barra de Santiago, Punta Roca, and Mizata.
El Salvador beaches welcome all visitors, surfers, families, couples, singles, etc. The country has some of the best beaches for surfing in Central America. It also has fantastic beaches perfect for relaxation and enjoyment.
The vast majority of El Salvador beaches are in underdeveloped regions of the country. Some visitors see the underdevelopment as a charming reason to visit them; in contrast, others don’t seem to like it as much.
1. La Costa del Sol Beach
When it comes to the best beaches in El Salvador, La Costa del Sol is one of the most popular. The beach is within a tourist area with the same name that includes three beaches: La Costa del Sol, San Marcelino, and Los Blancos.
La Costa del Sol Beach is located in an area considered the most developed coastal region for tourism in the country; it has a vast array of excellent hotels, hostels, restaurants, stores, and activities.
Luxury travelers in El Salvador head to La Costa del Sol because it has beautiful oceanfront villas, vacation rentals, and upscale beach homes.
La Costa del Sol is an excellent option for foreigners visiting the country. For one thing, the international airport is about 24 miles away. Also, the beach area has plenty of accommodations and plenty of everything for tourists to enjoy and do.
SEE ALSO: La Costa del Sol El Salvador, a perfect Beach Area for Relaxation
This Salvadoran beach is popular among locals and foreigners, particularly during the Holy Week, the August vacations, and the Christmas holidays.
2. El Cuco Beach
Without a doubt, El Cuco Beach is one of the best beaches in El Salvador; therefore, it’s also one of the most visited. This beach is in the eastern part of the country in the San Miguel department.
Playa El Cuco would be more popular if it were centrally located and had more infrastructure. Because of its underdevelopment and difficulty getting to it, this beach is popular mainly with locals; however, it is not uncommon to see foreigners visiting.
El Cuco Beach has everything a top-notch beach should have, such as a soft sandy shore, smooth waves, a relaxing atmosphere, and more. Also, Las Flores and Punta Mango, two top surf spots in El Salvador, are near El Cuco.
The dark sandy beach with vendor huts and seafood restaurants attracts visitors from all parts of the country and some foreigners. El Cuco Beach is about 140 kilometers from the international airport and around 175 kilometers from San Salvador.
SEE ALSO: Playa El Cuco in El Salvador, the Ideal Beach to Relax in Eastern ES
3. El Tunco Beach
El Tunco beach is a surfers paradise and a popular destination for backpackers and travelers on a budget. This incredible beach is one of the top surf spots in El Salvador and a big part of the Salvadoran Surf City project.
In addition to being a superb surfing spot, this beach is also famous for its exceptional sunsets and wild weekend parties.
SEE ALSO: El Tunco beach El Salvador, one of the best surf spots in the country
If you are looking for a beach to relax and enjoy, this beach is not the one for you. However, if surfing and hanging out with backpackers is your thing, then El Tunco might not be the place for you.
4. Port of La Libertad Beach
Puerto de La Libertad, or Liberty Port, is a beach located within the city of La Libertad in the department of La Libertad. It has a beach, a pier, and the Malecon or boardwalk.
The beach is an excellent option to spend the day relaxing or enjoying with family or friends; there is plenty to do and see here.
The beach area is excellent to spend the day. The pier is an open-air fish market great for purchasing fresh fish. The Malecon is a modern tourist area along the beach; it has many amenities, including restaurants and souvenir shops.
La Libertad Beach is the central area in President Nayib Bukele’s Surf City project. The People’s Republic of China built a theme park (Sunset Park) and is in the process of completing a brand new pier.
RECOMMENDED: Visit our “La Libertad Beach” page to get more information on the area and the beach.
5. El Zonte Beach
Playa El Zonte is a secluded surf spot popular with local and international surfers. It is located at kilometer 53 of the Litoral highway in the Chiltiupan municipality, La Libertad.
Many surfers prefer this laid-back location instead of the hectic El Tunco beach or Punta Roca. The crowds are minimal, the surf is always good, and accommodations are affordable.
Anyone looking for a beach town with pristine beaches, great surf, tasty local food, and a relaxed atmosphere should visit El Zonte beach.
RECOMMENDED: Visit the “El Zonte” page to get more information about this fantastic surf spot in El Salvador.
6. Playa San Diego
San Diego Beach is about 4.3 miles long and is located in the department of La Libertad, about five miles from the La Libertad pier.
This beach is attractive because of the white sandy beaches and the long shoreline that leaves plenty of beach space to enjoy.
Despite being very accessible, San Diego Beach is not very crowded. Therefore, you visitors can enjoy their time here with plenty of privacy.
San Diego Beach is surrounded by private ranches and homes. However, access to the beach is open to the public.
7. Sunzal Beach
El Sunzal is a top surf spot located near the famous El Tunco beach. They are about half a mile apart. Playa El Sunzal is part of President Bukele’s Surf City project. This beach regularly hosts top-notch international surf competitions.
At this beach, you will find plenty of activities other than surfing. And to make it even better, the beach is easy to access. Furthermore, El Sunzal is near other prevalent Salvadoran beaches.
RECOMMENDED: To learn more about this small but fantastic surf spot, visit the “El Sunzal” page.
8. Los Cobanos Beach
Los Cobanos Beach is located in the western part of the country in the department of Sonsonate, near the Port of Acajutla. This beach has a coral reef of about 150 kilometers in length; it’s the longest reef on the Pacific Coast in Central America.
Scuba diving is a popular activity at this beach; you can observe coral formations in addition to all the marine life. Other popular activities include whale watching, deep-sea fishing, snorkeling, and relaxing at the beach.
RECOMMENDED: Take a look at the “Los Cobanos” page to get more information on this beautiful beach.
9. El Espino Beach
El Espino Beach is considered one of the best beaches in the country and one of the favorite beach attractions in eastern El Salvador.
The main characteristic of El Espino is how long the beach is; it has more than 10 kilometers of continuous beach, perfect for relaxation and fun.
The gentle waves, warm weather, and beautiful sunsets make this beach one of the preferred destinations by many Salvadorans.
This beach, just like El Cuco beach, would be even more popular if it were centrally located and the area was more developed.
RECOMMENDED: Take a look at the “Playa El Espino” page to get more information on this beautiful beach.
10. El Majahual Beach
El Majahual Beach at La Libertad is one of the most active beaches in the country, primarily because of its proximity to the capital and other large cities.
RECOMMENDED: Visit the “Playa El Majahual” page to get more information on this beach.
This beach gets crowded, especially on the weekends and national holidays. El Majahual Beach is a top touristic destination for Salvadorans who want a family-oriented relaxing atmosphere at a low cost.
11. Las Flores Beach
Las Flores Beach is a fantastic surfing spot in Eastern El Salvador; it is next to El Cuco Beach, another famous beach in El Salvador worth visiting.
Las Flores Beach is just like other beaches in the eastern region of the country. It has smooth black sand and a long sandy coast. However, this beach is peculiar as it has impressive waves ideal for surfing. Additionally, Las Flores is surrounded by dense tropical vegetation, which gives it a unique setting.
RECOMMENDED: Visit our page “Las Flores beach” to get more information about this surfing spot.
12. Barra de Santiago
Barra de Santiago is a beautiful beach worth visiting in Western El Salvador. The beach is located about 106 kilometers from the capital city of San Salvador, in the municipality of Jujutla, department of Ahuachapan.
The Barra de Santiago sits in a protected wetland area surrounded by different mangroves. Locals and foreigners visit the Barra of Santiago to appreciate the diversity of flora and fauna found in the wetland.
The ocean, estuary, and river mouth come together at the Barra of Santiago. This beach is excellent for enjoying the spectacular views and relaxing in the warm Pacific Ocean waters.
RECOMMENDED: Visit our page “Barra de Santiago” to get more information about this spectacular beach area.
13. Punta Roca Beach
Punta Roca Beach is a popular destination with locals and foreigners for either surfing or relaxation. This exceptional beach has consistent waves for surfing. Also, it has warm Pacific Ocean waters, perfect for relaxation or fun.
Punta Roca Beach is another of the best surf spots in El Salvador. It is not that far from El Tunco and El Sunzal, two other top surf locations in the country.
The Punta Roca beach is one of the principal beaches in the Surf City El Salvador Project. Every Year, this beach hosts top-of-the-line international surf competitions; in 2023, it hosted the Central American and Caribbean Games and the WSL Surf City El Salvador Pro.
RECOMMENDED: If you want to know more about this surf spot, visit our “Punta Roca Beach” page.
14. Mizata Beach
Mizata beach is another beautiful top surf spot located in the department of Sonsonate. This beach is excellent for anyone looking for a more secluded environment to either surf or relax.
Mizata beach has exceptional surfing conditions the entire year. Also, it offers a tranquil environment ideal for families, couples, or friends to have fun unwinding or surfing.
RECOMMENDED Visit our “Mizata beach” page to get more detail on this great surf spot.
Beaches in El Salvador Locations
| Beach | Location Municipality Department |
Distance from Airport Kilometers |
Distance from San Salvador Kilometers |
Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Costa del Sol | San Luis La Herradura La Paz |
29 km | 64 km | View on Map |
| El Cuco | Chirilagua San Miguel |
124 km | 138 km | View on Map |
| El Tunco | Tamanique La Libertad |
41 km | 44 km | View on Map |
| Port of La Libertad | La Libertad La Libertad |
34 km | 37 km | View on Map |
| El Zonte | Chiltiupan La Libertad |
52 km | 53 km | View on Map |
| San Diego | La Libertad La Libertad |
33 km | 42 km | View on Map |
| El Sunzal | Tamanique La Libertad |
43 km | 44 km | View on Map |
| Los Cobanos | Acajutla Sonsonate |
124 km | 89 km | View on Map |
| El Espino | Jucuaran Usulutan |
122 km | 157 km | View on Map |
| El Majahual | La Libertad La Libertad |
124 km | 89 km | View on Map |
| Las Flores | Chirilagua San Miguek |
140 km | 174 km | View on Map |
| Barra de Santiago | Jujutla Ahuachapan |
164 km | 129 km | View on Map |
| Punta Roca | La Libertad La Libertad |
34 km | 35 km | View on Map |
| Mizata | Teotepeque La Libertad |
85 km | 86 km | View on Map |
El Salvador is a small country. It is called the Pulagarcito de America or America’s thumb and the 45-minute country. El Salvador has earned the nickname “El Pulgarcito de America” for being the smallest country in Central America and on the continent. However, it has plenty of things to offer visitors.
Do not let its size fool you; El Salvador has some fantastic beaches worth visiting. Also, living in El Salvador is becoming an option many people are considering.
