La Libertad Pier

The pier at La Libertad, El Muelle, runs out from the town over the surf, and because there is no harbour the fishing boats are lifted on and off the deck by crane, swung out over the water and dropped in, which is the thing to watch. Along the deck the morning catch is sold from tables: tuna, snapper, shark, rays, shrimp and shellfish, cleaned and packed while buyers pick through. Restaurants at the town end serve it. The malecon along the shore was rebuilt in the 2010s with a promenade, and the surf breaks at Punta Roca beside the pier are among the best known in the country.

What you actually see

• The boat crane - the lifting of boats on and off the pier deck.
• The fish sale - the morning catch sold along the pier.
• Punta Roca - the surf break beside the pier.
• The malecon - the rebuilt shore promenade.

When to go

November to April for the weather. Early morning is when the boats come in and the fish is sold; by afternoon it is over. Weekends bring visitors from San Salvador.

Honest expectations

The pier is a working facility, wet, slippery and strongly smelling. The catch includes sharks and rays, which some visitors find uncomfortable. The town outside the malecon is workaday. Swimming near the pier is dangerous.

Nearby

El Tunco lies west; San Salvador is north.