La Libertad Department

The department that is El Salvador's surfing mecca, with dense surf breaks along the Pacific coast, plus the World Heritage site of Joya de Cerén.

La Libertad Department lies west of the capital, bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the south, with Santa Tecla as its capital. Coastal spots such as El Tunco, El Sunzal, El Zonte and Punta Roca are world-famous surf destinations, promoted as "Surf City," with black-sand beaches and relaxed seaside towns. Inland, the Joya de Cerén site, buried under volcanic ash, preserves an ancient Maya village in remarkable condition and is known as the "Pompeii of the Americas"; the San Andrés ruins are also nearby. The dry season has the best surf and weather, and the area is very close to both the airport and the capital.

Destinations

• El Tunco
• San Salvador

Itineraries

• El Salvador Towns, Volcanoes & Coast – A self-drive loop connecting the capital, Suchitoto, Santa Ana Volcano, the Flower Route, and El Tunco coast.
• El Salvador Western In-Depth & El Imposible – A slow-paced self-drive through the west, adding Mayan ruins, El Imposible National Park via Tacuba, and the El Zonte c…
• Antigua, Copán & El Salvador Tri-Country Tour – From the ancient capital of Guatemala to the Mayan ruins of Copán, then into El Salvador to explore the Route of Flower…
• El Tunco Surfing & Tamanique Waterfalls – A weekend getaway right by the sea: learn to surf, watch black sand beach sunsets, and hike Tamanique Waterfalls.