Playa El Cuco in El Salvador. The Ideal Beach to Relax

By Eddie Galdamez  |  Feb 14th, 2022
Playa El Cuco El Salvador
Playa El Cuco El Salvador.

Playa El Cuco in El Salvador is a beautiful beach in the eastern part of the country. It has smooth dark sand, calm waves, a long shoreline, and an incredibly relaxing atmosphere.

This tranquil beach is one of the most visited beaches in the country; it is an excellent place for a full day of relaxation and fun with family or friends.

As you arrive at the beach, the first thing that will catch your attention is the long shoreline with the soft black sand. This long shoreline has plenty of room for activities that are enjoyable either alone or with others.

El Cuco Beach in San Miguel
El Cuco Beach in San Miguel.

A visit to Playa El Cuco in the eastern part of El Salvador is worth doing. Year after year, this beach gets visited by thousands of vacationers looking to relax, unwind, and swim in the calm waters.

SEE ALSO: Best Beaches in El Salvador. Discovering El Salvador’s Pristine Beaches!

Playa El Cuco Tourism

At El Cuco, you can be as active as you want to be; you can play soccer, go swimming, or go running; also, you can just relax in the sand and read a book or sleep. This part is entirely up to you!

Adding to the allure of this fantastic beach are the gentle waves, which are better during the low tide. In these smooth waters, you will forget about time and feel a calmness engulf you. Not to mention that the feel of the soothing waves hitting you will prevent you from wanting to leave.

The soft sand is another top attraction to Playa El Cuco. Ordinarily, most people try not to get any sand on their feet. However, at El Cuco, one of the best ways to walk on the beach is barefoot; the softness of the sand feels amazingly good.

El Cuco Beach El Salvador.
Playa El Cuco in San Miguel.

Activities at Playa El Cuco

The activities at El Cuco are far less than other beaches in El Salvador. This beach area is mainly for relaxation and enjoyment with family and friends. Nevertheless, there are still several activities to keep you busy.

The long shoreline is perfect for enjoying activities such as playing soccer, volleyball, and jogging. Also, you can enjoy the shoreline by doing relaxing activities such as reading a book, sleeping, or sunbathing.

Furthermore, you can do activities in the water, such as taking a boat trip, going deep-sea fishing, or just spending time swimming.

Surfing at El Cuco beach is not an option; the waves are not suitable for proper surfing. Nevertheless, at some point, you will see someone trying to surf these waters.

If while at El Cuco, you feel the need to find a surfing spot. Visit Las Flores beach or Punta Mango beach, two of the top surf spots in El Salvador; they are not far away from El Cuco.

The El Cuco Town

Playa El Cuco is located in front of a small town with the same name, El Cuco. In my opinion, this is a village and not a small town; I wouldn’t be surprised if more than 500 people lived in this small town.

This small town is underdeveloped; there is no ATM or bank. Also. Visitors are not able to pay for things with credit cards or debit cards, only cash.

Furthermore, there is no pharmacy or supermarket. Everything in town is sold at small mom-and-pop stores, which, in a way, is an attraction of undeveloped beach towns.

People who like this beach visit many times in a year; the charm of an undeveloped town with a great beach is a good enough reason to visit.

El Cuco Beach El Salvador
Playa El Cuco El Salvador.

The Local Gastronomy

At El Cuco beach, you will find plenty of food options. There is a vast array of small restaurants all over the town and along the coastline; these restaurants serve mainly fresh seafood and local dishes.

So, whenever you get hungry, walk up and down the beach and choose one of the many available small restaurants.

All restaurants at this beach look the same; also, most likely will serve the same dishes, fresh seafood, and typical Salvadoran foods. However, each of these restaurants will offer a variation of the same food specialty.

If you are staying at one of the hostels, they, for the most part, will include meals with their packages. Nonetheless, you can find alternatives at the many small restaurants along the coast or in town.

During meal times, especially during lunch, you will smell the aroma of fresh seafood and other local meals being prepared.

So, when visiting El Cuco, make sure to support the local economy by eating at one of the many small restaurants.

San Miguel Beach.
Beautiful Playa El Cuco.

Where to saty at El Cuco Beach?

As I previously mentioned, the area of El Cuco is underdeveloped; therefore, finding the proper accommodation that fits all of your needs might be an issue.

I am not implying that there is no lodging available at all. Playa El Cuco has accommodations available, which are good but are limited.

If you plan to spend a few days at El Cuco, I highly recommend that you make arrangements beforehand. Here are four options available; these hotels have great reviews online.

The hotels listed above are not the only ones available at this beach; they are the most popular.

Playa El Cuco
El Cuco Beach in Eastern El Salvador.

The Beach’s Location

Playa El Cuco in El Salvador is in the eastern part of the country, in the coastal area of the department of San Miguel.

Getting to El Cuco is a little bit difficult. For one thing, El Cuco beach is about 140 kilometers from the international airport and around 175 kilometers from San Salvador. Click here to view El Cuco’s location on Google maps.

It doesn’t matter if you drive, take a shuttle or public transportation. In the end, each one of these transportation methods will take time to get to Playa El Cuco.

Visit Playa El Cuco in El Salvador

There is a reason why El Cuco beach, year after year, is one of the most visited beaches in the country; the soft waves, the vast shores, the smooth sand, are some of those reasons as to why.

If you travel to El Salvador, take a day or two and visit this fabulous beach in the eastern part of the country, you will enjoy it!