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Barra de Santiago, El Salvador

Stay in Barra de Santiago: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

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About Barra de Santiago

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces SW (208°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (28°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 750 m out (1 in 76). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 28°C in February, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in April, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually July, August, September and October, with about 6 good days in 7; in January and December, about 3. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Barra de Santiago, 1 km away (about 5 min by car).

Water about 30°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 10 h 25 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to GUA, direct.

    See flights ORD → GUA · Skyscanner from about £230 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 2 h 15 from the airport to Barra de Santiago.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Barra de SantiagoAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Barra de Santiago · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Barra de Santiago · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Barra de Santiago on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

Barra de Santiago does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreInter­mediateSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct565 ft13 ssoft898kJ28°C
Mon 19Oct575 ft11 ssoft492kJ30°C
Tue 20Oct604 ft11 ssoft394kJ29°C
Wed 21Oct594 ft10 ssoft302kJ29°C
Thu 22Oct665 ft11 ssoft485kJ28°C
Fri 23Oct644 ft11 ssoft435kJ29°C
Sat 24Oct684 ft11 ssoft351kJ29°C
Sun 25Oct553 ft11 ssoft236kJ30°C
Mon 26Oct312 ft10 ssoft85kJ30°C
Tue 27Oct342 ft8 smushy61kJ29°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight ORD to GUA, then 2h 15 by road. About 10h 25 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Barra de Santiago

    Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 4 ft at 11 s, wind 4 kn (7 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Barra de Santiago

    Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 4 ft at 10 s, wind 7 kn (12 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Barra de Santiago

    Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 5 ft at 11 s, wind 0 kn (1 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Barra de Santiago

    Best 15:00 to 18:00 local time: 4 ft at 11 s, wind 3 kn (6 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Barra de Santiago

    Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 4 ft at 11 s, wind 3 kn (6 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to GUA, then 2h 15 by road. About 10h 25 door to door

The trip from Barra de Santiago, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £620–£1,160 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to GUA, estimated from distance and season, 3 airlines on the route, with a hold bag£230–£475
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£55–£90
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£125–£210
Food7 days eating out£120–£230
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£55–£90
Total£620–£1,160

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Barra de Santiago

  • El Chalesito MexicanoMexican · 1.4 km from the centre
  • Restaurante Ariana0.2 km from the centre
  • Restaurante Bendicion de Dios0.3 km from the centre

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.