The Minister of Tourism of El Salvador gives us more information about Punta Roca.

El Salvador, a beautiful country surrounded by great natural tourist attractions, with a large number of beaches that have enormous potential for various water sports, including surfing.

This Central American country, with its current president Nayid Bukele, has opted for a project called "Surf City", an idea that was born with the aim of boosting the beaches of Ahuachapán, Sonsonate, La Libertad, La Paz, San Miguel, Usulután and La Unión and that seeks to attract millions of dollars thanks to tourism and other areas involved.

Among these places selected to boost the economy is La Libertad, a beautiful place in the south that has 16 beaches listed among the top places in the world for surfing, hosting a large number of international events.

Punta Roca is an iconic wave in this Salvadoran region, full of right-hand waves that break practically year-round, and is known as the JBay of Central America.

We wanted to learn a little more about the history of this wave and how surfing was promoted in this region, so we spoke with Morena Valdez, Minister of Tourism of El Salvador, who gave us more information about it.

What was Punta Roca originally called?

It was originally called Punta Chilama.

Who were the people who named this wave Punta Roca?

I have several versions, however, I think it was Robert Rotherham, an American known as "horse", since he ran over an animal of this type when he arrived in Salvadoran lands.

Who were the people who encouraged surfing in Punta Roca?

Robert Rotherham is certainly one of the original founders, and he has been a driving force behind surfing events, along with figures like Francis “Chute” Hasbun, Omar “El Sheriff” Rodríguez, Benjamín “El Mincho” Gómez, and many others. Another interesting fact is that Robert fell in love in El Salvador and stayed there .

Have you ever heard of Mama Rock?

Of course I've heard of it, and all that Mama Roca implies. Punta Roca has many rocks, but the crag that stands out at low tide is the one that's called Mama Roca. It's opposite Punta Roca, to the left.

Why would you encourage people to come and visit La Libertad?

In this area of ​​Surf City La Libertad, we have a large number of accommodations, food establishments, and different adventure activities that can be done. This is one of the first phases we are carrying out, right in front of the Port of La Libertad, where we have a tourist complex with a seafood market where you can buy all kinds of fresh seafood. There are also different restaurants, we are going to have an amusement park and we connect it with an adventure park called Walter Thilo Deininger, which has a lot of adventures to do.

See more about this park here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CeybFq0PR8z/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

El Salvador is truly beautiful, with more than 70 spots along more than 321 kilometers of coastline, an ideal place for surfing and lovers of adventure and nature.

Written by: Enrique Hernández