Oriente Salvaje nominated as next World Surfing Reserve 🏄

Oriente Salvaje, El Salvador nominated as next World Surfing Reserve!

The 13th WSR would become the first in El Salvador and include Las Flores and Punta Mango, two renowned surf breaks.

The Oriente Salvaje World Surfing Reserve (WSR) site has been provisionally nominated by Save The Waves Coalition and has started its stewardship planning process.

The international designation recognizes not only the incredible point breaks, but a total of 19 kilometers of El Salvador’s diverse eastern coastline and some of the last truly wild tropical dry forests in northern Central America.

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Why Oriente Salvaje Has Been Nominated

The formation of each World Surfing Reserve begins in the community.

The concept for the Oriente Salvaje WSR was initiated by local organizations ADETCO, Sociedad Salvaje Salvadoreña, and Paso Pacifico. For years, these organizations have instituted conservation and stewardship initiatives in the area and led the application to enshrine Oriente Salvaje as a World Surfing Reserve.

“Oriente Salvaje is located within the UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve Xiriualtique – Jiquilisco (RBXJ), and has strong components of quality and consistency of waves for surfing and has developed a great surfing culture and identity. It is a great opportunity and pride to be selected as a WSR to promote conservation as a critical path to success as a sustainable tourism destination, generating guidelines and stewardship that balance development pressure.”

- Rodrigo Barraza, President of ADETCO and co-owner of Las Flores Resort

Oriente Salvaje is also at a critical juncture with a rapidly developing coastline while possessing some of the most biodiverse ecosystems in Central America.

As the popularity of surfing has grown in the country, the Oriente Salvaje World Surfing Reserve aims to proactively protect their pristine coastline while balancing ongoing development pressure. With the government’s tourism sector targeting Oriente Salvaje as “Surf City 2”, the WSR will also work to ensure that the country’s growing love for surfing provides economic benefits to the local communities while protecting the natural environment.

What Happens Next?

The announcement of the opportunity to become an official World Surfing Reserve sets into motion new efforts to protect and preserve Oriente Salvaje’s “surf ecosystems.”

Now approved as a nominee, the region will undergo an intensive stewardship planning and certification process in order to be officially dedicated later this year. Upon completion of this process, the newest World Surfing Reserve would become the first in El Salvador.

Learn more about the nominated Oriente Salvaje WSR here.

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Special thanks to our partners and friends at O'Neill for supporting our mission and the World Surfing Reserves program.

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