El Pimental, El Salvador
Also within 20 km of San Luis La Herradura
- Costa Del Sol Surf spot · 6 km from San Luis La Herradura
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About El Pimental
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces SW (206°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (26°). 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 steeply: 10 m deep about 200 m out (1 in 20). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 28°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in April, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually August and September, with about 7 good days in 7; in January, about 1. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is San Luis La Herradura.
Water about 30°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
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From Chicago: about 9 h door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to SAL, direct.
See flights ORD → SAL · Skyscanner from about £235 returnAdGetting there. 30 min from the airport to El Pimental.
Accommodation.
Nearest beds: San Luis La Herradura, 17 km (about 30 min by car)Ad
No town with beds to book is nearer El Pimental: plan on the drive each day you surf.
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 San Luis La Herradura, 17 km away (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
San Luis La Herradura 30 min by car · rooms from £45 a night · 3 places to stay · where El Pimental stays
Places to stay in San Luis La Herradura · Booking.com AdEl Tunco 57 min by car · rooms from £45 a night · 76 places to stay
Places to stay in El Tunco · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in San Luis La Herradura · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in San Luis La Herradura · GetYourGuideAd
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El Pimental on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
El Pimental 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 | 58, good | 5 ft13 shollow | 919kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 3 knots | 31°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 61, good | 5 ft11 shollow | 468kJ | wind from the south, 3 knots | 31°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 70, good | 4 ft11 shollow | 385kJ | wind from the east, 4 knots | 31°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 68, good | 4 ft11 shollow | 307kJ | wind from the east, 2 knots | 31°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 68, good | 4 ft12 shollow | 454kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 1 knot | 30°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 73, good | 4 ft12 shollow | 413kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 0 knots | 31°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 62, good | 3 ft12 shollow | 283kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 6 knots | 32°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 49, good | 3 ft11 shollow | 176kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 3 knots, offshore | 31°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 28, too small | 2 ft10 shollow | 68kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 4 knots, offshore | 32°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 35, too small | 2 ft15 shollow | 160kJ | wind from the west, 3 knots | 32°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
Direct flight ORD to SAL, then 30 min by road. About 9h door to door
- Tue 20 OctSurf El Pimental
Best 06:00 to 09:00 local time: 4 ft at 11 s, wind 4 kn (7 km/h).
- Wed 21 OctSurf El Pimental
Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 4 ft at 11 s, wind 2 kn (4 km/h).
- Thu 22 OctSurf El Pimental
Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, wind 1 kn (2 km/h).
- Fri 23 OctSurf El Pimental
Best 06:00 to 09:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, wind 0 kn (1 km/h).
- Sat 24 OctSurf El Pimental
Best 06:00 to 09:00 local time: 3 ft at 12 s, wind 6 kn (11 km/h).
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Direct flight ORD to SAL, then 30 min by road. About 9h door to door
The trip from San Luis La Herradura, with every spot near it
Rough cost
About £585–£1,110 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 ORD to SAL, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | £235–£490 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | £15–£25 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £125–£210 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £120–£230 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £55–£90 |
| Total | £585–£1,110 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Places to eat near San Luis La Herradura
- Muelle de San LuisSeafood · 0.8 km from the centre
- Bar De Ostras Costa Del SolSeafood · 0.2 km from the centre
- Conchodromo PaquitaSeafood · 0.8 km from the centre
- Restaurante Jaltepeque0.8 km from the centre
- La esquina de Pablito0.8 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
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