news surfing

If Nicaragua, while still relatively unspoiled, is beginning to show signs of being discovered by the surfing world, then maybe it's time to head to El Salvador. There, just a five-hour nonstop flight from New York, you can catch rides all day on perfectly hollow 5- to 10-foot waves in 82-degree water, while sea turtles paddle past you, pelicans fly in formation above your head and so many fish leap from the water, you have to regularly brush them off your surfboard.

"What makes the surf so special in El Salvador is the topography," says Henry Morales, managing director at Wavehunters Surf Travel in California. "It's the only country in Central America where there are 15 right point breaks," which create an ideal kind of wave for long rides.

There, particularly in the Punta Roca area of La Libertad, you can spend evenings at open-air bars with surfers from around the world drinking 80-cent beers. Down the beach is El Sunzal, one of the best point breaks in the America for longboarders and with the longest rides in the country.

Until just recently, only hardcore surfers willing to stay in appalling accommodations would be able to take advantage of these empty and near-perfect breaks. Now, two new surf-beach boutique hotels makes El Salvador accessible to the surfer who not only wants the most authentic surfing experience possible but also a stylish hotel with efficient service, clean beds, hot showers and air-conditioning.

One, Casa de Mar Hotel, is directly in front of the break at El Sunzal, about a 30-minute drive southwest from San Salvador Airport. It has 11 simple and airy suites nestled in the hillside and lush landscaping with palms and tropical flowers. Each room overlooks the ocean, as do the swimming pool, bar and hilltop restaurant.

The owner, Alfonso Alvarez, an obsessive surfer (he gets up at 5:45 a.m. to surf before work) says: "Coming to El Salvador, you don't lose a day traveling - you can be here by lunchtime. The return flight leaves at 5 p.m., so you can surf all day and be in New York by 10 p.m."

But El Salvador still has a way to go before it becomes a tourist hot spot. For one, it's still not entirely safe. Even at Casa de Mar, the attentive staff will warn you against walking the beach at night or going out after sunset. "Everyone goes to bed early anyway to get up at 5:45 to surf," says Alex Hubbard, a Brooklyn artist who was there surfing recently.

Equally important, though, the food is not inspiring. You can only eat so much ceviche. And though the tortillas and egg breakfasts at the beachside shacks are a steal ($2.85 for eggs, beans and tortillas), you will begin to crave fresh fruits and vegetables and anything not fried or smothered in sauce.

While Café Sunzal at Casa de Mar has beautiful views, pricing is in dollars (and so is relatively expensive) and a frenetic menu - ranging from tiramisù to Jean-Georges Vongerichten recipes adapted for fish - means more heavy sauces.

Nonetheless, other options are popping up. In El Salvador's "Wild East," Las Flores Surf Club is to open at the end of this month at Playa Las Flores in El Cuco, where the waves are accessible only by boat. It has six suites with similar amenties to Casa de Mar - air-conditioning, airy rooms, balconies, surf views, a pool, swim-up bar and a full restaurant.

Seven-day surfing packages there include three meals a day and daily boat trips to the best surf breaks. Going there is like being the first to ski off piste - no crowds, pristine waves and more than likely, a lot more turtles.

The big-wave season in El Salvador is March to June. December to February is the best time for beginners.

TACA Airlines, (800) 400-8222, www.taca.com, has daily direct flights from Kennedy in New York to San Salvador. Round-trip fares in mid-June start at $495.

Casa de Mar Hotel, in El Sunzal, www.casademarhotel.com, (503) 389-6284, has 11 suites costing $90 to $150 a night.

Wavehunters Surf Travel, www.wavehunters.com, (888) 899-8823, arranges surfing trips around the world. A week at the new Las Flores Surf Club is $1,415 a person, double.