Puerto San Jose, Guatemala
Also within 20 km of Puerto San José
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About Puerto San Jose
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces S (180°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (0°). 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 250 m out (1 in 25). 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 September, with about 6 good days in 7; in January, about 2. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Puerto San José, 0.3 km away (about 5 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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From Chicago: about 9 h 50 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to GUA, direct.
See flights ORD → GUA · Skyscanner from about £230 returnAdGetting there. 1 h 40 from the airport to Puerto San Jose.
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 in Puerto San José (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Puerto San José 1 min by car · rooms from £60 a night · 40 places to stay · where Puerto San Jose stays
Places to stay in Puerto San José · Booking.com AdIztapa 20 min by car · rooms from £60 a night · 17 places to stay
Places to stay in Iztapa · Booking.com AdEl Paredón 48 min by car · rooms from £60 a night · 16 places to stay
Places to stay in El Paredón · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Puerto San José · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Puerto San José · GetYourGuideAd
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Where it is
Puerto San Jose on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 0, too big | 6 ft13 smushy | 1,019kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 6 knots | 30°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 59, good | 5 ft11 scrumbling | 573kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 31°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 59, good | 5 ft11 scrumbling | 491kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 4 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 62, good | 4 ft10 scrumbling | 377kJ | wind from the north-east, 3 knots | 30°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 58, good | 5 ft12 scrumbling | 610kJ | wind from the east, 1 knot | 30°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 62, good | 5 ft12 scrumbling | 508kJ | wind from the west, 4 knots | 31°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 69, good | 4 ft12 shollow | 343kJ | wind from the west, 1 knot | 30°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 57, good | 4 ft11 shollow | 277kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 2 knots | 30°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 44, fair | 3 ft9 shollow | 136kJ | wind from the west, 2 knots | 31°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 32, too small | 2 ft7 smushy | 47kJ | wind from the south-west, 4 knots | 31°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 GUA, then 1h 40 by road. About 9h 50 door to door
- Tue 20 OctSurf Puerto San Jose
Best 15:00 to 18:00 local time: 5 ft at 11 s, offshore wind.
- Wed 21 OctSurf La barra
Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 4 ft at 10 s, wind 3 kn (6 km/h).
- Thu 22 OctSurf La barra
Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 5 ft at 12 s, wind 2 kn (3 km/h).
- Fri 23 OctSurf La barra
Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, offshore wind.
- Sat 24 OctSurf Puerto San Jose
Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, wind 1 kn (2 km/h).
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Direct flight ORD to GUA, then 1h 40 by road. About 9h 50 door to door
The plan picks the best of 2 spots near Puerto San José each day: La barra, Puerto San Jose.
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.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to GUA, estimated from distance and season, 3 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | £230–£475 |
| 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–£1,330 |
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
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Where to stayAd
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