Beach
both
Level 4/10

El Zonte

La Libertad, El Salvador
🌀Strong rips🪨Rocks

El Zonte is where surf culture meets the future—better known as Bitcoin Beach, this fun beach break gained global fame as the first community to adopt Bitcoin as currency, turning a sleepy surf town into an international phenomenon. But beyond the cryptocurrency headlines lies a genuinely good wave: consistent beach break peaks with point break options, warm water, and a growing community of digital nomads who've discovered you can work remotely, surf daily, and pay for everything in satoshis. The intersection of surf stoke and financial innovation creates an atmosphere unlike anywhere else in Central America.

10-Day Forecast
Wed5
38
Poor
0.9m@8s
8km/h
Today6
39
Poor
0.8m@9s
7km/h
Fri7
68
Good
0.9m@13s
7km/h
Sat8
65
Good
1.2m@13s
7km/h
Sun9
56
Fair
1.1m@12s
7km/h
Mon10
57
Fair
1.1m@12s
6km/h
Tue11
62
Fair
0.8m@14s
8km/h
Wed12
59
Fair
0.7m@15s
9km/h
Thu13
60
Fair
0.6m@15s
7km/h
Fri14
59
Fair
1.1m@15s
8km/h
5+ days out, less certain

Today's Conditions

Find Flights
Best session: MorningAM 7 km/h · PM 10 km/h
Swell
0.9m
SSW(202°)
Score: 10/25
Period
8s
Short period / windswell
Score: 2/25
Wind
8km/h
WNW(285°)
Score: 14/25
Weather
29°C
0.1mm54%
First light 5:13amSunrise 5:43amSunset 6:24pmLast light 6:54pm
Secondary0.4mConfidence
100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...
0°45°90°135°180°225°270°315°NESW
Swell
Wind
Showing forecast for today

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 8:47am–5:37pm · through lowIdeal tide: 0.3–1.5m
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
°C
24°
30°
31°
30°
27°
23°
29°
29°
30°
28°
24°
30°
30°
30°
28°
23°
29°
30°
29°
28°
24°
30°
31°
30°
28°
25°
31°
32°
31°
29°
25°
31°
30°
30°
28°
24°
27°
31°
30°
28°
25°
28°
30°
30°
28°
24°
27°
31°
30°
29°
2m1.0
sec
9s
9s
7s
7s
8s
7s
7s
7s
11s
11s
15s
11s
11s
14s
14s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
11s
11s
16s
16s
16s
15s
15s
15s
15s
13s
14s
13s
16s
17s
15s
16s
15s
15s
15s
15s
swell
windkm/h
8g19
7g19
12g32
9g25
11g24
6g10
3g13
9g34
7g25
7g19
6g14
4g16
9g37
9g25
8g17
11g17
4g16
7g27
5g28
7g17
12g17
3g19
11g32
8g32
5g21
13g24
2g20
10g31
5g35
2g17
12g23
8g23
11g30
6g31
5g29
5g16
4g24
12g32
13g34
12g32
1g11
5g21
9g33
7g32
11g28
6g18
5g26
12g34
7g36
13g34
tidem
6:39am1.9m
12:53pm0.3m
6:51pm1.6m
12:55am0.2m
7:23am1.9m
1:46pm0.3m
7:45pm1.6m
1:46am0.3m
8:16am1.9m
2:47pm0.4m
8:42pm1.6m
2:46am0.4m
9:22am1.9m
3:56pm0.4m
9:51pm1.5m
3:56am0.4m
10:30am1.9m
5:00pm0.3m
5:08am0.3m
11:37am1.9m
6:04pm0.3m
6:17am0.2m
12:43pm2.0m
7:05pm0.1m
1:15am1.8m
7:16am0.1m
1:38pm2.1m
8:00pm0.1m
2:11am1.9m
8:18am0.1m
2:32pm2.1m
8:50pm0.0m
3:00am2.1m
9:10am0.1m
3:20pm2.1m
Ideal tideStrike windowNight

Tide times today

6:39 am
High tide - 1.94m
12:53 pm
Low tide - 0.30m
6:51 pm
High tide - 1.65m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

38
Poor
Components
Swell Direction23/25
Swell Size10/25
Swell Period2/25
Wind14/25
Raw Score49/100
Adjustments
🌊 Tide+1
💨 Gusty Wind-4
📉 Undersized Swell-8
Adjusted Score38/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score38
🌊 Partly in the tide window

Plan Your Strike

Return flights to SAL, departing today with a 5-day trip window.

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
SSW (200°)
Direction range
175° - 235°
Size range
0.6m - 2.5m
Ideal size
1.9m
Height multiplier
0.92×
Ideal period
14s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
NNE (20°)
Offshore range
340° - 70°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
all
Optimal range
0.3m - 1.5m

Water temp

28°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Difficulty

4/10

Crowd level

5/10

Access: Famous Bitcoin Beach. Growing surf community.

Frequently Asked Questions

What tide is best at El Zonte?

El Zonte works best on a mid tide, ideally between 0.3m and 1.5m on the local tide chart. The tide chart above shows today’s strike window.

What wind direction is offshore at El Zonte?

Offshore wind at El Zonte blows from the NNE (20°). Anything in the 340° to 70° range grooms the faces; outside it, expect chop or bumpy conditions.

What swell size and direction work best at El Zonte?

El Zonte wants SSW swell (175° to 235°) between 0.6m and 2.5m, with a period of 14s or more for quality waves.

When is the best time of year to surf El Zonte?

The main season at El Zonte is Mar-Oct. A secondary window runs Nov, Feb. Consistent beach break. Year-round surf.

How do I get to El Zonte?

Fly into SAL, then allow about 55 minutes by road. Famous Bitcoin Beach. Growing surf community.

What kind of wave is El Zonte?

El Zonte is a beach break, a peak with lefts and rights. Difficulty is rated 4/10.

Best Season

Peak: Mar-Oct

Secondary: Nov, Feb

Consistent beach break. Year-round surf.

Getting There

Airport
SAL
Drive time
55 min
Data quality
verified

Strike Log

Community Discussion