Surf spot

Palmarcito

Forecast conditions and map view for Palmarcito in El Salvador. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: El Salvador
Coordinates: 13.4932, -89.4222

Metric
Metric	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00
Wave height (m)	1.1	1.1	1	1	1	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.7	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.7	0.7	0.5	0.6	0.6	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8
Wave direction	SSW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SSW	SW	SSW	SSW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	WSW	SW	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	S	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW
Wave period (s)	11.7	11.5	11.8	11.7	11.7	11.9	11.3	11.6	11.6	11.7	11.3	11.8	10.9	10.6	10.4	10.3	10.3	10.3	10.3	10.3	10.3	10.1	9.4	8.1	7.1	6.3	6.3	6.8	6.1	7.5	9.8	9.8	10	10.2	10.9	10.9	10.9	10.8	10.8	12.3	11.8	11.6	11.6	11.7	11.7	11.4	11.3	11.6	11.4	11	11	10.9	11.1	11	10.7	10.6
Wave energy (kJ)	328	297	276	263	250	229	224	208	216	150	205	161	146	172	160	150	137	130	121	115	109	99	59	44	39	35	35	25	25	36	93	99	110	114	146	145	152	157	163	222	236	216	199	212	210	203	200	197	183	179	171	169	166	163	154	144
Wind speed (km/h)	5.5	8.8	10	1.4	14.2	9.8	9.8	12.3	6.9	8.5	10	3.7	16	3.5	8.3	16.8	13.2	13.8	12.5	1.5	12.5	9.4	3.7	1.5	8.4	8.2	9.5	5.4	11.1	14.3	15.9	2.5	5.4	11.4	12.3	3.6	10.7	13.2	9.1	8.6	13.6	13.6	14.3	3.3	12	12.9	8.7	3.8	10.2	10.2	9.4	2.6	16.1	15.6	12.6	12.3
Wind direction	NNWCross-off	NOffshore	NNEOffshore	SGlassy	SSWOnshore	SWCross-on	WCross	NOffshore	NOffshore	NNEOffshore	NNEOffshore	SSEGlassy	SOnshore	SSWGlassy	NOffshore	ENECross-off	NNEOffshore	NOffshore	NNECross-off	SSEGlassy	SSWOnshore	SWCross-on	WGlassy	SSWGlassy	NOffshore	NNEOffshore	NNEOffshore	NOffshore	SSWOnshore	SWCross-on	WNWCross-off	SWGlassy	NNWOffshore	NOffshore	NNEOffshore	NGlassy	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	WCross	NNEOffshore	NNEOffshore	NNEOffshore	NOffshore	NGlassy	SSWCross-on	SWCross-on	WCross	NWGlassy	NOffshore	NNEOffshore	NNEOffshore	SWGlassy	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	WCross	WCross

Palmarcito is a small, scenic surf beach on El Salvador’s Pacific coast, just west of El Tunco and Sunzal. It’s known for being more relaxed and less crowded than the better-known breaks nearby, with a laid-back village feel and black-sand beach setting.

Surf

Wave type: Mostly a beach break with shifting peaks, though conditions can produce fun, punchy rights and lefts.
Skill level: Best for intermediate surfers, but it can also be approachable for beginners on smaller days.
Best swell: Works best on south and southwest swells, which are common during the main surf season.
Conditions: Can get fast and a bit hollow when the swell is up, with sandbars changing after storms.

Vibe

Crowd: Generally quieter than nearby hotspot breaks.
Atmosphere: Chill, local, and low-key, with small surf camps, restaurants, and beach accommodations.
Beach: Wide black volcanic sand, tropical scenery, and a mellow feel.

Good to know

Tides matter: Surf quality can change a lot with the tide.
Consistency: Not as reliable as some point-style breaks in the area, but can be very fun when conditions line up.
Nearby options: Easy to combine with surf at Sunzal, El Tunco, and nearby La Libertad-area breaks.