El Zonte

El Zonte is a small cove on El Salvador's Balsam Coast where a river mouth and rocky point produce a consistent right-hand break that works through most of the year, drawing surfers who want the country's waves without the scale of El Tunco. The sand is dark volcanic, the water warm, and the village small enough to walk end to end in ten minutes. It gained international attention as Bitcoin Beach when a local project began using the currency in everyday village transactions - a story visitors will hear about within an hour of arriving.

The landscape

• The point break - the right-hand wave that made the village.
• Surf schools - beginner lessons on the inside sections.
• The river mouth - the estuary at the cove's end.
• Sunset over the Pacific - the coast's daily gathering.

When to go

Swell is most consistent from March to October, with the biggest waves in the rainy season months. The dry season from November brings smaller, cleaner surf and better weather ashore. Water is warm year round.

Things to know

The break is over rock and reef in places, not sand, and beginners should take lessons on the designated inside areas rather than paddling out to the point. Rip currents are real and there are no lifeguards. The beach is dark volcanic sand that gets extremely hot underfoot. Accommodation has grown fast and prices have risen with the village's fame.

Nearby

El Tunco, La Libertad's fish market and the Balsam Coast road west.