Travel. El Salvador. Central America.

Which Is the Best Beach in El Salvador?

El Zonte or El Tunco? The often asked backpackers dilemma!

The sunset at El Zonte (Photo credit to the author)

The two most popular beaches in El Salvador, favoured by surfers, are a stone’s throw away from each other but worlds apart in the minds of other travellers. We asked ourselves the age-old question: Which one should we stay at?

We were going to stay in El Tunco but decided against it. Some people we met had complained that it was too busy, and they recommended the quieter, more peaceful El Zonte.

At first glance, El Zonte was beautiful, particularly watching dogs run across the sand at sunset from our balcony. The sunsets were special; one night we even saw a bright candy pink sun in the sky.

A pink sunset in El Zonte (photo credit to the author)

It’s a lovely, nice beach to walk along, particularly to see the sea caves at the far end.

El Zonte sea caves (photo credit to the author)