El Salvador Bodyboarding and Surf Coaching Week

Days start early with breakfast at the hotel — banana pancakes, chia bowls, or the local option of beans and rice with eggs. Then the group splits by ability and heads to the day's best break. Instructors are in the water with you, giving tips on the beach between sets and filming from the water and the land. You will get one long session or two shorter ones, depending on conditions. The area has a right-hand point and a left-hand wedge within walking distance of the hotel, plus more breaks a short drive away.

After surfing, there is usually a video and photo breakdown session. You watch your own waves move by move, with the instructor pointing out what to change. Footage goes into an online gallery as the week goes on, so you can see your progress and take the whole package home at the end. This is the part that separates the trip from a standard surf camp — the coaching is hands-on and individual, not a group lesson shouted from the beach.

The hotel is a family-run place with two pools, a riverside terrace, an on-site restaurant and bar, and wifi that handles emails and video calls. Rooms are small and simple, all ensuite with air conditioning. Comfy seating is strung between palm trees, and at night you can watch bodyboarding films on the big screen in the bar with a glass of local rum. The village itself is quiet, with wave riding woven into daily life.

Evenings are social. The group usually eats dinner out together at local spots — pupusas are the thing to try, thick corn tortillas filled with beans, cheese, meat or seafood and served with cabbage salad. A meal at a beachfront restaurant runs around 6, and pupusas can cost as little as $3 total. Drinks, snacks and cocktails are extra; budget 0–$20 a day.

Optional extras include yoga for all levels (4), Ginastica Natural (5), an ice bath experience ($35), Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (0) and massage ($60). Day trips can take you to the surf town of El Tunco, the Cascadas de Tamanique waterfalls, a volcano hike in the national park, a Mayan archaeological site, or La Libertad for vintage markets and live music. All of these are optional and some cost extra.

The trip runs in January, in the middle of the dry season. Water temperature sits around 28°C and air temperatures range from 19°C to 29°C. Rain, when it comes, usually falls at night. The team is led by Rob Barber, a former European and British bodyboarding number one, and includes coaches like João Veiga, Lisa Cutts, and celebrity coaches Jay and Vicki Reale on selected dates.

What's included

- 7 nights accommodation in a beachfront hotel - Ensuite rooms with air conditioning - Daily breakfast - Airport transfers at set times - Daily bodyboarding coaching tailored to your ability - Video and photo analysis sessions - Professional land and water photography - Photo and video package at the end of the week - Use of two swimming pools - Wifi at the hotel

What's not included

- International flights - Travel insurance - Lunches and dinners (except breakfast) - Drinks, snacks and cocktails - Optional activities such as yoga, ice baths, massage, excursions - Tourist visa entry fee (2 USD) - Personal expenses