El Salvador Surf & Strength Retreat: Private Villa Buyout in El Tunco

The week is built around a private villa complex rather than a hotel. Mar de Flores is four connected buildings in the centre of El Tunco, booked entirely for the group. There are four private pools, rooftop patios, terraces overlooking the ocean, a shared yoga terrace, an on-site gym with full weights, and outdoor common areas. The surf break is a three-minute walk; the main strip of restaurants, bars and shops is right outside. It's the space of a rented house with a team running the show.

A typical day starts with sunrise yoga at 07:00, buffet breakfast at 08:30, a group gym workout at 11:00, lunch at the villa at 13:00, a sunset beach hang at 17:00, dinner in town at 19:00, and either bedtime yoga or a night out at 20:30. That's the shape of it, not a rule — the schedule is optional every day. Training alternates between the gym and the patio: strength downstairs, conditioning outside. Yoga shows up most days, Pilates on the slower mornings, and there's a restorative session to close some days out.

The coaching lineup is the reason a lot of people book. Erin Harris handles yoga and Pilates and is the one who keeps the schedule moving. Nate Behar covers mobility and strength. Telvin Tavernier runs sport-specific work, HIIT and strength. Courtney Fonseca teaches yoga and breathwork, and Connor Caden runs the running and pace-setting sessions. Between them they cover strength, conditioning, mobility, yoga, Pilates and breathwork, so there's something on the timetable for every level.

What separates this from a standard surf retreat is the combination of a full gym and a real point break within walking distance, plus the chef rotation. Most surf camps feed you the same menu all week. Here, a different local chef cooks each night, so you eat Salvadoran, Mediterranean, Japanese and whatever else the chef specialises in across seven dinners. The pupusa class on day five is the one people come home talking about.

El Tunco itself is a compact, walkable surf town on the Pacific coast of El Salvador, about an hour from San Salvador's airport. The town is small enough to cover on foot and busy enough that the bars run late. The Tamanique Waterfall hike is a half-day trip into the hills behind town, ending at a series of waterfalls you can swim in. Airport transfers from Monsenor Oscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport (SAL) are included on arrival day, with the last group shuttle leaving at 21:30 local time.

What's included

- 7 nights at Mar de Flores private villa complex (entire property is ours) - ~16 chef-prepared meals from rotating local chefs - Daily SALTY workouts and yoga - Hustl+Flow programming (Courtney & Connor) - Full gym access (real weights, on-site) - Access to all 4 private pools - Tamanique Waterfall hike - 2 hosted cocktail nights - Airport transfers from San Salvador (SAL) - Welcome swag - Professional photography

What's not included

- Flights to and from El Salvador (SAL) - Travel insurance (strongly recommended) - One lunch and one dinner, explore the town's amazing food scene! - Surf lessons (local instructors available to book on-site) - Additional spa treatments - Alcoholic drinks beyond hosted events - Gratuities for staff