Women’s Surf Retreats in El Salvador
A week of coaching, waves picked for your level, and a villa to come back to.
Two retreats. Pick the one that matches your surfing.
Both run 6 days and 7 nights with 10 coached surf sessions, photo and video analysis, villa accommodation, meals, yoga, a massage and a waterfall trip. Never more than 4 guests. All-inclusive weeks from $2,100. Message Pixie to hold your spot.
Beginner Retreat: White Water to Green Waves
For you if you’ve never surfed or have only played in the white water. By the end of the week the goal is to have you catching unbroken green waves on your own. You’ll work on your pop-up, water safety, rips and currents, surf etiquette and angled take-offs. Message Pixie for the next open dates.
Progression Retreat: Take It to the Next Level
For you if you’re already catching green waves and want longer rides. We work on positioning at the peak, bottom and top turns, building speed, reading the waves, and reading surf charts. See the retreat page for open dates.
Already here and surfing?
Pixie also guides experienced surfers, up to 4 people, to 7 world-class breaks within 30 minutes. Car and guide is $90 a day for one session or $110 for two.
Meet Pixie, your head surf coach
Pixie got her nickname from the local surfers in El Salvador, and it stuck. She has been surfing for 22 years and has 17 years of surf coaching behind her. Before that she spent a decade as a PADI dive instructor in Indonesia, where she started giving surf tips to guests at a remote resort in Lombok.
She found El Salvador’s uncrowded waves 13 years ago, fell for the place and the people, and never left. Today she’s an official resident and runs every retreat herself from Palmarcito.
Qualified through the International Surfing Association, with 17 years of surf coaching behind her.
UK Beach Lifeguard (NVBLQ). Water safety is part of every session.
Ten years teaching scuba in Indonesia before coaching surf full time.
Pixie’s Philosophy
I remember exactly what it feels like to be a beginner.
When I started surfing over 20 years ago, the lineup could be a macho, unfriendly place for women. That memory makes me a better coach. I know the fears my students bring into the water and I know how to get them past it. These retreats are built on safety, understanding the ocean, and a small crew of women cheering each other on.
What surfers say
This retreat was fantastic for so many reasons!! The most important for me was that there were two SURF sessions each day. This really improves Surfing and what I love about Pixie, was that we moved around to find the best break in the area for the best SURF each day. It is a small retreat with only four women and we got very specialized attention. Returning to my home break, a friend of mine said that she’d never seen me surf as good as she did on Sunday. I had all of the instruction in my head from Pixies detailed coaching and it really improved my level of Surfing! Additionally, Pixie took us to a different restaurant every night that had truly great food. That was an added bonus we didn’t anticipate. The yoga, massage, video analysis, fresh fruit shakes, and COCO Frios were also all favorites of the trip. Pixie is a great person who cares about her students and really is good at analyzing what is needed for improving and getting to the next level. Thanks Pixie and Titi for a fantastic surf week !! We can’t wait to come back!!
I have so many things to say about Pixies retreat and all of them are good. I went on one of Pixies women’s surf retreats with my mom and it was one of the best surf trips I’ve been on. Pixie did such an amazing job teaching us both in the water where we surf multiple times daily and out of the water where we had video reviews. Her instructional style paired with her great energy made every sesh fun and productive. I have taken many surf lessons over the years and pixies are the only ones I felt like I could actually see progress from. Not only was the surf aspect great but so was every other aspect of the retreat. She took us out to dinners every night that were both high quality safe and delicious. We were able to explore many of the surrounding towns and surf spots and the whole trip was packed with fun. 10/10 experience would love to do it again. I could go on and on about how amazing this retreat was. Pixie was phenomenal and made sure we had the best time. Great surf, great food, great yoga, great people, beautiful country.
Pixie was a fantastic host on this retreat. She went above and beyond to be sure that we all got good waves and had everything we needed to be comfortable during our stay. We went to a few different spots and Pixie was always planning for the best tides/times. The food was amazing for each meal the restaurant choices were spot on and there was a good balance between surf time, free time, and group time. It was nice that it is a small group and we were able to see some local spots and visit a waterfall too.
Pixie is the best surf instructor I’ve ever had. I feel like I really leveled up in my week with her coaching. I can better read the waves, have more confidence in the water, and significantly improved my takeoffs and turns. She’s also a kind, compassionate, and fun person who has incredible local knowledge and has developed a deep and sweet community in El Salvador. I had such a great trip and can’t wait to go back.
I only had my first lesson with Pixie today and I wanted to recommend her to everybody now already😍😍😍She is really structured and you feel that she does her courses with her heart! Asking indivually what my goals and struggles are and how I can effectively work on that. She asks already before and gives you confidence with her positive and warm actitude. If I compare her to my surfcamp experiences until now,this is a whole different level and I had a lot of key moments understanding what I can work on 🙂
Pixie was very helpful in getting me back into surfing and providing me with tips on progressing into an intermediate surfer. She’s passionate, attentive, and is holistic in her assessment of what improvements need to be made.
If you’re an advanced-beginner looking to level up your surf game and love the rights of El Salvador, join Pixie! This was the most well-rounded, blissful, progression-packed surf experience I’ve ever had. From day one, the vibe was dialed in. Each morning kicked off with a beach breakfast, surf check, and what to expect from the day. At the beginning of the trip we brushed up on reading surf reports; tide, swell direction, wind windows, crowd factor, where to sit in the lineup, etc. All the things you need to feel confident when paddling out. Pixie and her team somehow balanced pushing you just the right amount while keeping everything fun, supported, and safe. I left catching more waves with better timing and WAY more confidence! The food alone deserves its own review, absolutely delicious after long days in the water. Yoga and stretching sessions were integrated perfectly and the boards provided were in great shape, with options for different skill levels. What really sets this experience apart, though, is Pixie’s ability to break down surf progression in a way that makes sense. Whether it was paddle technique, reading waves, angled takeoffs, or confidence in bigger sets, she gave guidance that clicked instantly! I’m already planning my next trip back. Miss our belly laughs Pixie! 🌊☀️🤙
Pixie’s retreat was one of the best trips I’ve been on! She is an amazing teacher and guide. I learned so much about surfing, and what specifically I needed to do to improve. Pixie provided super focused coaching, and I always felt safe with her in the water. We also had a great time learning about the local area, ate amazing food, and had lots of laughs. Pixie and her surf spot are true gems. I highly recommend her retreats to surfers of all levels! I’m already scheming my next trip down!
I cannot recommend Pixie’s retreat enough. She took us to beautiful beaches with beautiful surf. She was so encouraging, gave great coaching (both technique and mental!) and put together an amazing week for the four of us — including delicious meals, a waterfall hike, yoga and massages. We’re already talking about going back!
I stayed a month in El Salvador and was able to book Pixie’s Surf Coach Package (Five 1‑on‑1 Coaching Sessions). I received good instruction from day 1, especially useful beta on the El Zonte A‑frame and where to sit. Pixie was flexible and frequently available for booking lessons around my work schedule (9–5), and was accommodating with getting video replay for feedback/analysis, although paying the $30 for someone else to do it was generally better. I didn’t make much progress on my frontside turn, but now understand the mechanics of it so I’m getting there on my own. My backside turns improved, thanks to Pixie’s coaching and a LOT of repetition on those right point breaks. Overall, a good experience and I look forward to seeing her video edit of me! Thanks Pixie!!
Why El Salvador
El Salvador isn’t the place the old headlines made it out to be. It’s safe, the people are friendly, the food is great, and the water is warm. Retreats run in the months when the swell sits around 2 to 3 feet with little wind, so you get easy, fat take-offs and time on the face to work on your turns.
Home base is Palmarcito, a small beach community with an uncrowded right-hand point break a 30-second walk from the villa. From there we drive anywhere from 2 to 30 minutes to whichever break suits the day.
- 285+ sunny days a year
- Consistent 2 to 3 ft swell
- Warm water all year
- Villa 30 seconds from the beach
- Never more than 4 guests
The Waves
Right outside the villa. A fun right-hander for every level, usually a foot smaller than everywhere else.
15 minutes away. A long, fat, wally right that works on minimals, longboards and shortboards.
10 minutes away. Fast right-hand take-offs. 61 suits all levels, 59 is for intermediate surfers and up.
Fun for every level and usually a foot smaller than everywhere else. Long, cruisy lines on any board.
Goofy heaven. An A‑frame with a great left that works for advanced beginners on small swells.
A right-hand point for all levels, plus a beach break that throws a fun left.
FAQ
Your questions, answered
Don’t see yours here? Message Pixie on WhatsApp at +503 6074 9154.
Beginner lessons run November through March, when the waves are small and friendly. They aren’t available during retreat weeks, so message Pixie to check dates.
Yes. Group and couples classes welcome men, women and kids from age 7.
Yes. Round-trip hotel pickup is $30 for a private lesson, or $150 total for a couples class with transport included. For a group class, pickup is $30 for the group, or $20 each from separate hotels.
No, boards are included. If you bring your own you save $5 per person on a class, or $100 on a retreat.
Yes. Pixie has lived here for 13 years and has watched the country change completely. It now hosts the World Surf League tour and has hosted ISA Olympic qualifiers.
You get a 50% refund if you cancel more than 60 days out. Inside 60 days it’s non-refundable, but you can transfer your spot to someone else.
We strongly recommend travel insurance with medical cover. Retreat guests also sign a liability release on day one.
By bank transfer. Pixie doesn’t take credit or debit cards. Message her on WhatsApp or Instagram when you book and she’ll send you the transfer details.
Blog
Surf tips and stories from El Salvador
El Salvador vs Costa Rica vs Nicaragua for Learning to Surf
If you are choosing where to learn to surf in Central America, you are almost certainly weighing up the same three countries everybody weighs up. I
What to Pack for a Surf Retreat in El Salvador
Packing for a surf trip is mostly an exercise in bringing less than you think, with about four exceptions that actually matter. This is the list
Solo Female Travel in El Salvador: An Honest Guide
Almost every woman who books a retreat with us asks some version of the same question first, usually apologetically, as if it is rude to ask.