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.

El Zonte surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast
Today15
63
Fair
0.9m@13s
9km/h
Wed16
67
Good
1.1m@13s
7km/h
Thu17
70
Good
1.1m@13s
8km/h
Fri18
59
Fair
1.0m@12s
6km/h
Sat19
58
Fair
1.0m@12s
7km/h
Sun20
51
Fair
0.8m@10s
5km/h
Mon21
68
Good
0.7m@13s
4km/h
Tue22
72
Good
0.7m@14s
3km/h
Wed23
70
Good
0.7m@14s
5km/h
Thu24
60
Fair
0.8m@13s
8km/h
5+ days out, less certain

Today's Conditions

Find Flights
Best session: MorningAM 6 km/h · PM 11 km/h
Swell
0.9m
SSW(211°)
Score: 15/25
Period
13s
Medium period swell
Score: 23/25
Wind
9km/h
WSW(237°)
Score: 11/25
Weather
28°C
0.0mm99%
First light 5:16amSunrise 5:46amSunset 5:59pmLast light 6:29pm
Secondary0.7mConfidence
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: 6:44–9:28am · droppingStrike window: 12:36–3:40pm · risingIdeal 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°
28°
29°
29°
27°
23°
29°
30°
29°
27°
24°
29°
29°
29°
27°
24°
28°
29°
29°
25°
22°
28°
28°
28°
25°
24°
28°
29°
26°
25°
24°
26°
28°
26°
24°
23°
24°
26°
26°
25°
23°
25°
27°
26°
25°
23°
26°
28°
27°
25°
2m1.0
sec
12s
12s
12s
14s
14s
14s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
11s
10s
10s
10s
10s
10s
13s
13s
14s
13s
15s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
13s
14s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
swell
windkm/h
7g12
6g17
10g34
10g25
11g24
9g16
4g16
7g28
9g24
6g12
9g17
9g25
3g27
5g19
11g25
1g3
5g19
6g19
9g24
13g26
8g13
7g20
8g33
9g25
10g23
1g5
2g12
11g29
5g28
4g16
2g8
5g19
6g30
2g29
5g25
2g15
3g21
5g25
3g24
0g21
4g8
6g18
8g28
4g28
1g23
5g13
7g21
9g28
9g28
8g26
tidem
4:43am2.0m
11:01am0.0m
5:04pm1.7m
5:21am1.9m
11:42am0.1m
5:43pm1.6m
6:06am1.7m
12:26pm0.1m
6:26pm1.4m
6:46am1.5m
1:11pm0.2m
7:16pm1.3m
1:15am0.3m
7:38am1.4m
2:10pm0.3m
8:08pm1.1m
2:06am0.3m
8:39am1.3m
3:13pm0.3m
9:13pm1.1m
3:16am0.4m
9:40am1.3m
4:19pm0.3m
10:24pm1.1m
4:24am0.4m
10:46am1.3m
5:15pm0.3m
5:30am0.3m
11:43am1.4m
6:02pm0.2m
6:25am0.3m
12:34pm1.4m
Ideal tideStrike windowNight

Tide times today

4:43 am
High tide - 1.97m
11:01 am
Low tide - 0.00m
5:04 pm
High tide - 1.72m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

63
Fair
Components
Swell Direction17/25
Swell Size15/25
Swell Period23/25
Wind11/25
Raw Score66/100
Adjustments
🌊 Tide+1
💨 Gusty Wind-4
Adjusted Score63/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score63
🌊 Partly in the tide window

Plan Your Strike

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
SSW (200°)
Direction range
175° - 235°
Size range
0.6m - 2.5m
Ideal size
1.5m - 2m
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?

The El Zonte profile favors the recorded tide range, ideally between 0.3m and 1.5m on the local tide chart. Compare this preference with the forecast tide and local conditions before choosing a session.

What wind direction is offshore at El Zonte?

The El Zonte profile uses wind from NNE (20°) as its preferred direction, with an offshore range of 340° to 70°. Wind speed matters too: light winds outside that range can still produce surfable conditions, while strong offshore winds can make takeoffs difficult.

What swell size and direction work best at El Zonte?

The El Zonte scoring profile favors swell from SSW (175° to 235°), a swell-height range of 0.6m to 2.5m, and a reference period of 14s. These are model inputs, not guaranteed breaking-wave heights or a promise that the surf will suit every ability.

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?

The spot profile lists SAL as a nearby airport. The estimated road transfer is 55 minutes. 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