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La barra, Guatemala

Stay in Puerto San José: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Puerto San José

  • Puerto San Jose Surf spot · 0.3 km from Puerto San José
  • Iztapa Surf spot · 12.1 km from Puerto San José

Watch this spot We email you when La barra is worth the trip.

About La barra

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

The spot faces S (166°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (346°). 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 moderately: 10 m deep about 300 m out (1 in 32). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. 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 May, July, August and October, with about 6 good days in 7; in January and February, about 2. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Puerto San José, 4.8 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.

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 9 h 45 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. 1 h 40 from the airport to La barra.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Puerto San JoséAd

    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 Puerto San José · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Puerto San José · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

La barra on Google Maps · Directions

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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

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

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct486 ft13 scrumbling893kJ30°C
Mon 19Oct445 ft11 scrumbling529kJ31°C
Tue 20Oct354 ft11 scrumbling455kJ29°C
Wed 21Oct324 ft10 scrumbling344kJ30°C
Thu 22Oct445 ft12 scrumbling573kJ30°C
Fri 23Oct364 ft12 scrumbling480kJ31°C
Sat 24Oct274 ft12 scrumbling325kJ30°C
Sun 25Oct233 ft11 scrumbling255kJ30°C
Mon 26Oct173 ft9 scrumbling124kJ31°C
Tue 27Oct142 ft7 smushy45kJ31°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 expert surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight ORD to GUA, then 1h 40 by road. About 9h 45 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 5 ft at best.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 4 ft at best.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Puerto San Jose

    Best 12:00 to 15:00 local time: 5 ft at 12 s, wind 3 kn (5 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 5 ft at best.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 4 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to GUA, then 1h 40 by road. About 9h 45 door to door

The plan picks the best of 2 spots near Puerto San José each day: La barra, Puerto San Jose.

The trip from Puerto San José, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £720–£1,330 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£70–£115
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£165–£280
Food7 days eating out£155–£290
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£65–£105
Total£720–£1,330

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

Places to eat near Puerto San José

  • Pollo CamperoChicken · 0.2 km from the centre
  • Guatemala, Escuintla, Puerto San JoséMexican · 0.2 km from the centre
  • Taqueria La Bendición puerto san JoséMexican · 0.4 km from the centre
  • Taqueria Taco-ntentosMexican · 0.4 km from the centre
  • La Mar GuatemalaSeafood · 0.5 km from the centre
  • Nigth club el CerritoBar and grill · 0.5 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.