Surf spot

El Pinar

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

Country: Uruguay
Coordinates: -34.7998, -55.8731

Metric
Metric	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	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00
Wave height (m)	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.2	0.1	0.1	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.5	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.6	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.4	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.1	0.3	0.1	0.4	0.6	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.4	0.4	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2
Wave direction	ESE	ESE	ESE	SE	SE	SSE	ESE	ESE	E	ESE	ESE	S	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SE	SE	SSE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	WSW	ESE	W	SE	SSE	S	S	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE
Wave period (s)	3.7	3.7	3.5	7.3	7	7.3	4	3.9	2.8	2.9	4.2	5	7.5	8.5	9.8	7.5	6	5.3	5.6	6.2	5.3	5.1	4.3	4.3	4	3.9	4	4	4.3	4.3	4.5	4.2	4.5	6.3	2.8	4.8	3	6.8	5.8	5.2	4.5	5	5.6	6.1	6.5	6.8	7	7.3	7.4	7.3	7.8	5.8	5.1	5.9	5.8	5.9
Wave energy (kJ)	2	1	1	3	3	2	1	1	0	1	0	0	5	7	9	29	44	38	31	24	27	23	16	14	10	8	7	5	4	4	3	2	2	3	1	1	1	2	12	19	18	27	31	32	32	31	31	25	21	17	14	6	3	3	3	2
Wind speed (km/h)	14.7	9	11.3	12.6	14.7	16.6	15.3	16.1	10.7	15.3	22.5	23.8	29.4	30.7	34.9	31.1	24.3	22.4	19.2	16	15.6	16.1	14.4	16.6	15	9	8.7	9.6	11.5	11.3	16.2	2.4	12.9	16.2	17.3	22.9	31.1	35.6	32.8	32.5	23.8	19.5	13.8	12.6	13.1	17.8	20.1	14.9	20.4	22	20.2	23.3	21.9	14.4	11.7	10.2
Wind direction	ENECross-on	ECross-on	ENECross	ESECross-on	SEOnshore	SEOnshore	SEOnshore	SEOnshore	SEOnshore	SSEOnshore	SSEOnshore	SEOnshore	SEOnshore	SSEOnshore	SSEOnshore	SSEOnshore	SSEOnshore	SSEOnshore	SEOnshore	SEOnshore	SEOnshore	SEOnshore	ESEOnshore	ECross-on	ENECross	NNECross-off	NNECross-off	NNECross-off	NCross-off	NNWOffshore	SSWCross-on	ESEGlassy	NNWOffshore	NNWOffshore	NWOffshore	WCross-off	SSWCross-on	SBlown out	SCross-on	SOnshore	SSEOnshore	SEOnshore	ESEOnshore	ECross-on	ECross-on	ESECross-on	ESECross-on	NNECross-off	NNECross-off	NNECross-off	NNECross-off	NCross-off	NNECross-off	NNECross-off	NCross-off	NCross-off

El Pinar, Uruguay is a well-known surf spot just east of Montevideo, on Uruguay’s Atlantic coast. It’s a beach break with shifting sandbanks, so the shape and quality of the waves can change a lot with swells, tides, and wind.

What it’s like

Wave type: Beach break
Best for: Beginners to intermediate surfers, though it can offer fun sections for more experienced surfers when conditions line up
Wave quality: Can be playful and punchy, but usually depends heavily on sand movement
Crowds: Often one of the more accessible surf options near the capital, so it can get busy when conditions are good

Conditions

Swells: Works best with Atlantic swell, especially when there’s enough size to organize the sandbars
Wind: Offshore winds help, while strong onshore winds can make it messy
Tides: Tide can make a big difference; some sandbanks work better at mid tide or low tide depending on the day

Vibe

El Pinar has a relaxed local surf atmosphere and is a convenient spot for surfers in and around Montevideo. It’s popular because it offers decent waves without needing a long drive.

Things to keep in mind

Sandbanks shift frequently, so the best peak can move around.
Conditions can change quickly, so checking a recent forecast or local report is important.
As with most beach breaks, currents and rips can be present when the surf is bigger.