The Sphinx Awaits
Playa El Tunco, El Salvador
La Libertad has one of the best right hand point breaks in Central America, and is El Salvador's surf capital, with surf shops, board rentals and repair shops. Punta Roca (Rock Point) hosts regional and international surfing championships. It is known for its fast and hollow waves, many of which break for 100–200 yards (90–180m). As recently as the 1970s only a few local surfers ventured there, until it was discovered by a few internationally recognized surfers, including Gerry Lopez, who traveled there frequently. He encouraged a new cadre of locals to adopt the sport. El Salvador went through a civil war in the 1980s, and getting to Punta Roca became dangerous. This slowed the influx of visitors, and resulted in a scarcity of surf boards for the locals, whose only means of obtaining a surf board was by travelers leaving them behind in exchange for guidance and accommodations. The well-known local surfer, "Yepi", was one of the first in his generation to take a leadership role in popularizing the sport among Salvadorans. Other local surfers have helped spread surfing's popularity throughout the country by offering custom surf tours to tourists and other visitors.The main break extends from La Punta to the township, a distance of about 800m, although single rides do not normally connect the sections through the whole distance. There are three main sections: the top of the point is a hollow and fast wave called "La Punta". The middle section is in front of the cemetery. The inside cove, fronting the town's restaurants, is called "La Paz"; this section is good for longboarding. On a good day, when the swell is 6 to 8 feet high (Hawaiian scale), the upper part of the point produces the best waves, allowing a ride of about 300m or more. It is relatively easy to "drop in" on the long, fast, and powerful walls, which turn into hollow barrels on the best days. The main takeoff is close to a dangerous rock which often sticks out of the water, and has caused injuries. Surfing is good on all tides, although low tide probably produces more barreled waves. The wave form of this break is unusual in that it often breaks at a slight angle to the shoreline, hitting it slightly squarely, creating powerful and fast walls. It can be difficult to get outside in large swells, and the rocky shoreline is notorious for its difficult entry.Further down the point are a few other breaks, including next to the cemetery and in the town itself. These are less crowded and can produce waist-high waves on occasions, but the world-class section of the point is far outside of town.
