El Tunco
Tamanique, La Libertad, El Salvador
Sports: Surfing
Best time to go: March–October
El Tunco is a small surf village on El Salvador's Pacific coast, about 40 minutes from San Salvador and next to El Sunzal. It is named after the rock that stands off the beach. The main wave, La Bocana, breaks at the mouth of the river, with fast lefts and rights over a rocky bottom with patches of sand.
South and south-west swells arrive mostly from March to October, and the biggest days come in the middle of the year. Light northerly and north-easterly land breezes keep the waves clean in the morning, and sea breezes tend to make them bumpy in the afternoon. La Bocana is a punchy wave for intermediate and advanced surfers; on small days other peaks along the beach are easier. The bottom is mostly rock and rounded stones, so booties help and entry and exit need care. After heavy rain the river can carry run-off into the line-up. The village is busy and the line-up gets crowded at weekends. The water is warm all year, around 27 to 30 °C.
Spots near El Tunco
- El Sunzal (1 km)
- El Zonte (6 km)
- Punta Roca (6 km)
- Las Flores (142 km)