El Manda, Dominican Republic
Also within 20 km of Paraíso
- Patos Surf spot · 4.3 km from Paraíso
- San Rafael Surf spot · 6.8 km from Paraíso
Watch this spot We email you when El Manda is worth the trip.
About El Manda
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces SE (129°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (309°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 100 m out (1 in 10). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 27°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in September, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Paraíso, 0.3 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.
Water about 29°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
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Book the trip
From Chicago: about 14 h 30 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to SDQ, changing at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL).
See flights MDW → SDQ · Skyscanner from about £230 returnAdGetting there. 3 h 10 from the airport to El Manda.
Accommodation.
Stay in ParaísoAd
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.
Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).
See all places to stay in Paraíso (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Paraíso 1 min by car · rooms from £60 a night · 9 places to stay · where El Manda stays
Places to stay in Paraíso · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Paraíso · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Paraíso · GetYourGuideAd
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Luxury Where it is
El Manda on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
El Manda 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
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 30, too small | 2 ft4 shollow | 20kJ | wind from the north-east, 5 knots | 28°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 23, too small | 2 ft4 shollow | 12kJ | wind from the north-east, 4 knots | 28°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 18, too small | 2 ft4 shollow | 7kJ | wind from the north-east, 4 knots | 28°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 17, too small | 1 ft5 shollow | 8kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 1 knot | 28°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 22, too small | 2 ft4 shollow | 13kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 3 knots | 27°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 30, too small | 2 ft5 shollow | 19kJ | wind from the east, 4 knots | 24°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 48, good | 3 ft5 shollow | 44kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 4 knots | 25°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 44, fair | 3 ft5 shollow | 41kJ | offshorewind from the west-north-west, 2 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 31, too small | 2 ft5 shollow | 23kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 2 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 26, too small | 2 ft5 shollow | 15kJ | offshorewind from the west, 2 knots, offshore | 27°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
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Fly MDW to SDQ, changing at ATL, then 3h 10 by road. About 14h 30 door to door
- Tue 20 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Wed 21 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Thu 22 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Sat 24 OctSurf Patos
Best 16:00 to 19:00 local time: 3 ft at 5 s, wind 3 kn (5 km/h).
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Fly MDW to SDQ, changing at ATL, then 3h 10 by road. About 14h 30 door to door
The plan picks the best of 3 spots near Paraíso each day: El Manda, Patos, San Rafael.
Rough cost
About £720–£1,335 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to SDQ, estimated from distance and season, changing at ATL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | £230–£480 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | £70–£115 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £165–£280 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £155–£290 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £65–£105 |
| Total | £720–£1,335 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
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Where to stayAd
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