ORIENTE SALVAJE
El Salvador
OVERVIEW
The Oriente Salvaje World Surfing Reserve is a wild and biologically diverse section of El Salvador’s eastern coastline. This unique zone hosts some of the last truly wild tropical dry forests in northern Central America, is considered a key biodiversity area, and hosts incredible point breaks that are renowned worldwide, including Las Flores and Punta Mango.
- Approved: December 2023
- Dedicated: November 16, 2024
- 19km of coastline
- 12 Waves
- 13th World Surfing Reserve
Our core focus is looking after the quality of the waves themselves and preserving the ecosystems that produce them. Surf spots need to be celebrated, recognised and protected in the same way we protect and recognise beautiful national parks like Exmoor.
Adam Hall
Local surfer and Co-founder of the Surfing Reserve in North Devon
Why Oriente Savaje?
The designation of Oriente Savaje as a World Surfing Reserve sets an example and a path for conservation of surf ecosystems within El Salvador and aims to balance development pressures with a foundation of conservation through protected areas and stewardship projects. As the popularity of surfing has grown in the country and the government has prioritized surf tourism as an economic driver and development strategy, the Oriente Salvaje World Surfing Reserve aims to protect the critical elements of the relatively pristine coastline and ensure that the growing surf tourism sector in the country provides economic benefits to the local communities while protecting the natural environment and the life it harbors.
Oriente Salvaje’s terrestrial area was declared a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) in 2007 (SV016 – 4984 Ha) for its global contribution to the persistence of biodiversity. It has the country’s largest area of intact coastal dry tropical forest, an endangered forest ecosystem with official protections provided to only 1% of its area in El Salvador and 4% of its area across Mesoamerica.
The designation of Oriente Salvaje as a World Surfing Reserve is aimed at promoting conservation as the critical path to success by providing international recognition of the waves and coastal ecosystems in order to mitigate environmental threats.
Attributes of a World Surfing Reserve
- The 19 km stretch of varied coastline contains over a dozen named surf spots that are regularly surfed. Of these spots the best and most well known waves are Las Flores and Punta Mango: two world-famous right point breaks that provide quality surf 200+ days/year. The wave at Las Flores breaks off a lava rock point then wraps up to 300m into a sand-bottom cove and is best on low tides. The wave at Punta Mango breaks off a cobblestone point for up to 200m and is less tide sensitive. Both waves have truly exceptional form. Las Flores is usually more moderately paced while Punta Mango can be racier. Both waves provide walls for high-performance maneuvers and generous hollow sections.
El Salvador has been known to surfers since the 60’s or 70’s – a legendary land of right point breaks in the Central American tropics. The first travelers became acquainted with the classic waves of the Balsam Coast such as Punta Roca and Sunzal. Only the most intrepid adventurers explored Oriente Salvaje. Sometime around the 1970’s, Las Flores and Punta Mango became the coveted secret spots of a few adventurous, vagabond surfers. Nowadays, a strong local surf crew welcomes surfers from around the world that come to enjoy the good waves and laid-back coastal villages.
RESOURCES
Contact Information
For more information go to: TBD
Contact: TBD
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Local Stewardship Council
Core Team:
Dr. Sarah Otterstrom
David Kramer
Rodrigo Barraza Dominguez
2 other forthcoming members
Ambassadors:
Bryan Perez – @the_pink_panther14
Sindy Portillo – @portillo_sindy_chela
Environment Agency, National Trust, Surfers Against Sewage, Blue Marine Foundation
Exmoor National Park, North Devon Coast: Area of Outstanding Beauty, North Devon’s Biosphere Reserve, Plastic Free North Devon, Pickwell Foundation, Devon Local Nature Partnership, Exmoor National Park
Surfing England, RNLI, Museum of British Surfing, Surfdome, The Wave Project, Surf Life Saving GB
Croyde Surf Club, Wave Wahines, Hotdoggers Surf Club, North Devon Schools Surfing, Woolacombe Boardriders Surf Club, Woolacombe SLSC, The Point Magazine
University of Plymouth, The Ilfracombe Academy
Mortehoe Parish Council, Georgeham and Croyde Parish Council, Lynton and Lynmouth Parish Council, North Devon Council, Braunton Parish Council
Visit Devon, Visit North Devon and Exmoor, Croyde Beach / Ruda, Putsborough Beach, Downend Car Park / Croyde, Saunton Beach and Villas, Woolacombe Beach / Parkin Estates
Stewardship plan
Conceptual Model
Stewardship Plan
Booklet
Download PDF (includes English and Portuguese)
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