El Zonte is a small, almost tiny, coastal village known for its rough waves, which are ideal for surfing. Quite apart from that, it also has a special stretch of beach and is incredibly peaceful.
I travelled there by bus from San Salvador – super easy and cheap – and once there, I walked down the earthy, village-like ‘streets’ of this truly tiny place towards the coast, which you a) can’t miss and b) really isn’t far away. Because the place is really tiny.
Once you reach the coast, there is a building with an open ground floor straight ahead, where you can chill out and either let the sea splash you or simply be mesmerised by the ocean. To the left is a bay with long waves for surfers. To the right is a stretch of beach separated by a sort of river channel that connects a river to the open sea.
Apart from that, there is an incredible calmth hanging over the whole place, enveloping and putting you at ease. I’ve no idea why, but despite fact that this place is incredibly tiny and doesn’t really have anything to it, the vibe simply fills everything with a relaxed stillness that’s infectious.

Go or not? I don’t think my photos do El Zonte justice. Still, I’d only include it in your itinerary if you’ve got the time. Like I for example carried straight onto El Tunco on the same day, which made perfect sense in my case because I’m not a surfer – like I simply can’t surf. For surfers though, I’d definitely recommend stopping here, because I think you will be pretty much undisturbed.