El Paredón
Surfing in Guatemala
After three weeks among colonial-style architecture, hiking up volcanoes and trying all of Antigua’s coffee shops, it was time for Charlie to get to the coast and see what Guatemala had in stock for surfers.
Getting to El Paredón
There are a few shuttles daily from Antigua to the surf town of El Paredón and it took about three hours to arrive. Even though Charlie had been warned by the tour company about winding roads, it wasn’t nearly as winding as the drive to Lake Atitlan. Between Puerto San José and El Paredón, there was a bit or dirt road but other than that it was a smooth ride.
First impressions of El Paredón
Charlie arrived in El Paredón in the late afternoon and what she saw was not what she had expected. The road into El Paredón was paved and in good shape whilst at the same time, a good number of the houses along that same road looked abandoned. It did not seem to be a thriving surf town despite a few construction sites. It seemed like a place where economic decline met the hopes of tourist investment.
The shuttle bus had to reverse into a few side roads to get passengers to their accommodation. Those roads were not paved and mostly covered in sand.
Charlie arrived at her hotel, Zoah Surf Hotel, dropped her luggage and walked the two minutes down to the beach to watch the sunset. She spotted a few surfers in the water and more construction sites along the beach front.
Over the course of the next few days, Charlie noticed that a lot of the places that initially looked abandoned weren’t actually abandoned. They simply had very restrictive opening hours and would only come to life during those hours.
A place among the locals
Charlie also noticed upon some exploration of the town that it was one of those places where locals lived in the same area where the tourists stayed. (She had only seen this before in Tortuguero.) You could pass by a hotel and see some local houses on the next corner. There were chickens running around and laundry hanging out to dry. The place where Charlie hired a surfboard from was a private house where the surfboards were stored over a wooden structure under the roof and washing machines were rumbling in the front room. They offered laundry services too and were selling coco nuts. The grandpa was sitting in the door chatting whilst a younger women took care of the laundry. The surf hire was taken care of by a teenager. It was a family business in the strongest sense of the word and you could tell that they combined all the options they had to make a living.
Surf hire in El Paredón
It took Charlie a bit to find this place. Information about surf rentals in El Paredón was scarce online and she was recommended a place called Ocean which she had already spotted on the beach. However, they were closed. Charlie continued further along the beach and asked every place that had a sign for surf hire. However, she found that they only offered 2-hour-rentals and Charlie wanted a board for the whole week to go surfing whenever she felt like. She had almost given up when she passed by the laundry-coconut-surfshop. Apparently that one and Ocean are the only surf hire places in El Paredón that allow rentals for more than 2 hours.
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Surfing in El Paredón
Before Charlie got to El Paredón she was warned by some locals in Antigua about the powerful waves in that spot. They weren’t lying. El Paredón is not an easy spot. It is a beach break and the waves are fast and hollow. You get good chances for a barrel ride. The best time to surf El Paredón is generally a high tide, however it works at all points of the tide. At low tide though, it does get very shallow and there is a strong current. You can easily find yourself all the way at the southern end of the beach before you reach the lineup. Charlie did see quite a few surfers coming out of the water to walk up north again on the beach before re-entering and she certainly felt the current when she paddled out.
Experienced surfers were in the water at all points of the tide and there were some great barrel rides and airs to watch. Beginner lessons are usually held at low tide when you can stand in the whitewash. That is not possible at high tide.
It was never crowded in the water and everybody was friendly and chatty. It was good vibes!
In light of the construction works though, this can be expected to change as El Paredón gets more popular as a surf destination.
Turtle release and other activities in El Paredón
It is mainly a beach town and you could tell that surfing is the only thing that brings tourists to El Paredón. There are also paddleboarding and turtle watching tours to the nearby estuary offered as well as cooking classes.
There is one thing though you should not miss when in El Paredón: the turtle release. Charlie had seen a turtle hatch in Costa Rica and at first she wasn’t sure how this one could be different. It was! She did see nearly 300 baby turtles make their way to the ocean that morning.
The situation in Guatemala is a bit different than in other Central American countries. Turtle hatches are not protected and turtle eggs are even served as a delicacy. The only requirement is that a certain percentage of turtle eggs must be brought to a hatchery, the rest can be used at will. Since poachers mainly want to make money off the eggs, hatcheries offer to buy them. (For that reason, they rely on donations.) The eggs are put into nests until the baby turtles appear. It is always a surprise in the morning to see how many hatched during the night. The volunteers and helpers at the hatchery collect the turtles, put them in a bucket and release them into the ocean. That happens every morning at sunrise in El Paredón. When Charlie joined, they counted 285 baby turtles. Some other visitors had joined for the second time because it had only been 11 the day before.
It was magical to see these little creatures walk down the beach to the sea as the sun came up in the distance.
The hatchery belongs to Driftwood and the meeting point is every morning at 5.30 a.m. in front of the hostel. The group then walks over to the hatchery. It is a free activity, however donations are encouraged.
Accommodation in El Paredón
Driftwood is also the hostel with the best marketing in El Paredón. You could see their stickers everywhere in Antigua and the information was easy to find online. However, it is a party hostel and Charlie knew that she would have to work too during her stay.
There are a few boutique hotels in El Paredón and Charlie decided to stay in one of them, Zoah. It was a collection of tiny houses, each with their own terrace and hammock. The hotel has a pool and a restaurant with views towards the ocean.
Charlie had also been looking at Swell, but they’re communication wasn’t great when she was trying to get more information about the shuttle connections. She did go to their restaurant though and it looked like a beautiful place to stay.
There are a few other hostels in El Paredón too that all gave great surf vibes and certainly bring the party to the town.
What Charlie mostly liked about Zoah was that it was run by locals and Charlie likes to support this type of business. The hostels in El Paredón are run by volunteers with very few locals working there and most of them are hiring temporary managers for a few months only before they move on to other parts of the world. Who knows where the profits really go?
Yoga in El Paredón
Where Santa Teresa was flooded with yoga classes, El Paredón still had a lot of opportunity. There are regular classes at Swell and at Cocori. It is best to contact them directly about the times. At Cocori, Charlie was a bit disappointed and it seemed as if the Yoga teacher was also just a volunteer with a lot of Yoga experience but no teacher training. The poses weren’t properly cued and the sequence was a recipe for injuries. Besides, the class took place in an area of the bar. The views towards the ocean were great, but it smelled like spilled beer.
Charlie passed by Green Belly Surf Lodge and they had a sign about Yoga classes in front. It turned out that the sign was outdated, but the resident Yoga teacher, Francesca, was offering classes upon demand. Those classes were very good and they had a really friendly vibe. Charlie even ended up hanging out at Green Belly with the girls she had met during the class. The same Yoga teacher was doing the classes at Swell. Charlie was very happy with those.
The best way to find out about Yoga classes in El Paredón is by just walking around and asking. The Yoga teachers seem to change every few months too, so it’s best to attend one class and form your own opinion.
El Paredón for digital nomads
It is not easy for a digital nomad to find a place that has kept its authenticity whilst at the same time is suitable for remote work. El Paredón certainly ticks the authenticity box (at least at the time of writing this in 2025), however the Wi-Fi quality made it at times stressful to get work done.
The place with the best Wi-Fi and coworking vibes was the coffee shop Surfista. They also have power plugs, great coffee and serve breakfast and lunch. Charlie hung out there quite a bit during her week in El Paredón.
Her next choice was Saya, a small square with a few food and coffee stalls. They serve great coffee and food, however, the food stalls have quite restrictive opening hours. It is a nice spot to sit and the Wi-Fi was strong. There are no power plugs though.
Around the corner from Saya is Hotel Pacifico. That’s where Charlie found power plugs and the Wi-Fi was okay. It is more of a lounge seating with low tables, but a good option if you need a place to recharge your laptop in the middle of the day. You can get lunch there too.
Charlie also worked from Cocori, however there are no power plugs and it might get loud and busy. The Wi-Fi was okay and what really makes this a nice spot to work from is the fact that it’s on the beach with views towards the ocean.
The reason for booking a hotel instead of a hostel was to be able to work from her room, however the Wi-Fi signal at Zoah didn’t reach Charlie’s room. It was good at the restaurant, however, the connection would occasionally drop.
The restaurant at Swell might seem inviting to work from, however, they only give the Wi-Fi password to hotel guests. They do take your money though as a restaurant guest. At least, it was good coffee and cake!
If you plan to stay in El Paredón as a digital nomad, you better get a good data plan for your phone!
Some final things about El Paredón
When it comes to shopping, there are some small stores in town where you can get the necessary things, however don’t expect any big shopping places. You will also need cash in El Paredón. There is an ATM at the Super24.
El Paredón was the place where Charlie had more mosquito bites than anywhere else in the world! The sand flies are very aggressive and so are the mosquitoes. Bring a decent insect repellent!
Now, everything that was just said might change quickly in the future. The construction work is a clear sign for that. Charlie only hopes that El Paredón will manage to maintain some authenticity despite touristic growth.
