El Tunco

This is the most popular place to visit in El Salvador. Many people will spend a night here to break up the long journey from Guatemala to Nicaragua. El Tunco is a tiny beach town with a large tourism industry. The main street of the town is lined with surf shops, restaurants and souvenir stores. The bright colors of this street as well as the amount of Gringos walking along it reminded me of Caye Caulker in Belize. At the end of the main street is the Pacific Ocean. This beach is covered with smooth large rocks. When the high tide starts to recede, the beach is filled with a popping noise as the large rocks fall back into the ocean.

Pupusas

In the middle of the main strip, before the T junction there is a local woman that sells pupusas. Pupusas are the famous national food of El Salvador. They are a tortilla stuffed with your choice of delicious goodness. This woman has the best pupusas in all of El Salvador (also the most expensive at $1 each). She imports her cheese from Nicaragua and there are at least 20 different fillings to choose from. Having our first papusa experience here, we were later happy about the cheaper prices but disappointed by the lack of options. Often, beans, chicken, cheese and spinach are the only fillings available.

Surfing

El Tunco is a must visit place for surfers traveling in Central America. There are many board rental shops if you aren’t able to travel with your own board. Also, surf lessons can be taken for $25 an hour and include board rental for the rest of the day.

I took a surf lesson through Wayo. I had one surf lesson in El Paredon and was falsely confident because my instructor was launching me into the waves. At Wayo the instructor wanted me to become a sustainable surfer so he simply gave me tips as I paddled and tried to catch the white wash on my own.

For more advanced surfers there is an area to the right (when facing the water) that has a large swell. It’s important to follow the locals lead though because there is also a dangerous rocky bit, covered up by the high tide.

Nightlife

We were in El Tunco over the weekend and were pleasantly surprised when we found a techno club. From midnight until 4am this secret club with neon paint played quality techno and psytrance. Earlier in the night we went to a local bar and danced to reggaeton with Gringos and El Salvadorians alike. There are only two main streets in town. If you follow your ears you’re sure to find the party. Also, many restaurants on the beach have live music earlier in the evening.

Where to Stay

We stayed at Tunco Lodge and were not impressed by the atmosphere. There was a big pool to swim in but otherwise it was a ghost town. However, Papaya Hostel is a very popular place for backpackers and I’d recommend you stay there!

After a few days of surfing, pupusas and dancing I’d recommend you explore other places in El Salvador.