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Punta Roca, El Salvador

Stay in El Tunco: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of El Tunco

All 15 on El Tunco's map

Watch this spot We email you when Punta Roca is worth the trip.

About Punta Roca

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

The spot faces S (193°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (13°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits expert surfers. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 500 m out (1 in 52). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 28°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in April, its warmest (no wetsuit). For expert surfers the best months are usually May, June, July and August, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is El Tunco, 5 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 8 surf spots.

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 20 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

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

    See flights ORD → SAL · Skyscanner from about £235 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 50 min from the airport to Punta Roca.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in El TuncoAd

    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 El Tunco · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in El Tunco · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Punta Roca on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

Punta Roca does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.

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

DayScoreExpertSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct505 ft13 ssoft808kJ29°C
Mon 19Oct425 ft11 ssoft548kJ29°C
Tue 20Oct354 ft11 ssoft377kJ28°C
Wed 21Oct314 ft11 ssoft310kJ29°C
Thu 22Oct364 ft11 ssoft389kJ28°C
Fri 23Oct344 ft12 ssoft419kJ28°C
Sat 24Oct283 ft11 scrumbling276kJ29°C
Sun 25Oct213 ft11 scrumbling176kJ29°C
Mon 26Oct122 ft10 scrumbling76kJ29°C
Tue 27Oct132 ft12 scrumbling101kJ29°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 SAL, then 50 min by road. About 9h 20 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 4 ft at best.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 4 ft at best.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 4 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 4 ft at best.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 3 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to SAL, then 50 min by road. About 9h 20 door to door

The plan picks the best of 10 spots near El Tunco each day: Cemetery, El Sunzal, El Tunco, Playa El Cocal, Playa la Paz, Punta Roca, Punta Roca La Libertad, Restaurants, Rio Grande - La Bocana, San Blas.

The trip from El Tunco, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £625–£1,175 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 SAL, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag£235–£490
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£625–£1,175

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

Places to eat near El Tunco

  • Tunco Veloz PizzeriaPizza · 0.1 km from the centre
  • Café SunzalSeafood · 0.8 km from the centre
  • Km 59 El SalvadorMexican · 0.1 km from the centre
  • MopeliaPizza · 0.1 km from the centre
  • MamaguayaSeafood · 0.2 km from the centre
  • Restaurante ErikaSeafood · 0.3 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.