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Zipacate, Guatemala

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

Also within 20 km of El Paredón

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

About Zipacate

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

The spot faces S (186°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (6°). 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 very gently: 10 m deep about 1.6 km out (1 in 159). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. 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 July, August, October and November, with about 6 good days in 7; in January, February and December, about 2. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is El Paredón, 7.8 km away (about 15 min by car).

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 10 h 10 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. ORD to GUA, direct.

    See flights ORD → GUA · Skyscanner from about £230 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 2 h from the airport to Zipacate.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in El ParedónAd

    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 Paredón · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in El Paredón · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Zipacate on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

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

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct606 ft13 ssoft988kJ30°C
Mon 19Oct605 ft12 ssoft531kJ30°C
Tue 20Oct644 ft11 ssoft476kJ29°C
Wed 21Oct674 ft10 ssoft293kJ30°C
Thu 22Oct595 ft12 ssoft615kJ31°C
Fri 23Oct634 ft12 ssoft484kJ31°C
Sat 24Oct664 ft12 ssoft314kJ30°C
Sun 25Oct613 ft11 ssoft238kJ31°C
Mon 26Oct393 ft9 ssoft117kJ31°C
Tue 27Oct322 ft11 ssoft101kJ30°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

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight ORD to GUA, then 2h by road. About 10h 10 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf El Paredon

    Best 15:00 to 18:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, offshore wind.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf El Paredon

    Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 4 ft at 10 s, offshore wind.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf El Paredon

    Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 5 ft at 12 s, offshore wind.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf El Paredon

    Best 15:00 to 18:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, wind 3 kn (6 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Zipacate

    Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, wind 3 kn (6 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to GUA, then 2h by road. About 10h 10 door to door

The plan picks the best of 2 spots near El Paredón each day: El Paredon, Zipacate.

The trip from El Paredón, 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 El Paredón

  • Bora El Paredón0.5 km from the centre
  • Chef in Flip Flops Beach Haus0.6 km from the centre
  • The Spaceship Restaurant2.0 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.