Would you believe this is breakfast in El Salvador?
El Salvador continues to be full of surprises. It’s on the Pacific Ocean, and the capital is a little inland. However, on the coast is a town called El Tunco, and here they host a round of the world surfing championships. It’s a surfing and backpacking Mecca. Young surfers flock from all over the world to surf here, although it’s a black sand beach and very rocky, which means it’s not ideal for swimming. If you’re not really a surfer there isn’t that much to do once you’ve explored the village, but if you are, it’s the place you want to be to surf during the day and party at night.
This morning, we walked across the road to a french patisserie for breakfast. I told you that El Salvador was full of surprises! Then we checked out, and took an Uber to El Tunco. Our accommodation is a funky little hotel where the rooms are made out of shipping containers. There are six containers in operation at the moment, and they are installing another three. They are not just metal contraptions, but have been well fitted out with all mod cons in a modern style, and look really terrific. Best of all the air conditioner was going flat out when we arrived. There was also a nice little welcome sign with our name on it on the kitchen table, and we are very comfortable, though there is one drawback to having white sheets, white towels, white bedspread and white walls near a black sand beach.
The village of El Tunco is quite small with only a few streets wandering through it. There is one entrance off the highway and one exit, so everybody winds their way through the village in the same way. We dropped our bags as we were too early for check-in, and went for a walk down to the beach and along the shore, watching the surfing lessons in progress. Came back past a pupusa restaurant for lunch. Not many places where your whole lunch of hamburgers, drinks and pupusas can be had for six dollars, and having US dollars as your currency makes the whole currency exchange thing a non issue.
After heading back and checking in, we rested in the unit and had a swim in the pool.
Wandered out at teatime and found a restaurant serving fish which we haven’t had for quite a while. We are assured that, being on the ocean, it’s local and fresh.
The Cabins, El Tunco, El Salvador
El Tunco beach
Surf School
Our container room
El Tunco at night