Travel Guide Iztapa

Puerto de Iztapa is a town of 15,000 inhabitants located 50 km from El Paredón and Escuintla. As well as being by the ocean, it is crossed by the Río Maria Linda and lives mainly from fishing and agriculture. It's a safe community, with a tranquil atmosphere and virtually no tourism.Popular with some Guatemalan city dwellers and sport fishing enthusiasts, Iztapa is of particular interest to experienced surfers in search of big waves. The waves are particularly good in March and April, when they reach 3 to 3.5 m in height. Above all, they are open, which is not the case at El Paredón at such heights.Iztapa is also the ideal place for long-distance travellers who want to immerse themselves in the country's culture, interact with the locals and learn Spanish with them. Likewise, you'll find good little comedores and, above all, quality street food, from fish dishes to Salvadorian pupusas and Mexican carnitas.But be warned: we strongly advise against visiting between June and October. The reason: the pollution carried by the Río Maria Linda from Escuintla. In winter, plastic invades the town, where awareness-raising campaigns are sorely lacking. Some of the few accommodation facilities open to tourists organize garbage collections, but to no avail: the rubbish piles up just as much the next day. El Paredón, on the other hand, is unaffected by the phenomenon because the Río Acome rises in the mountains, and most of the village's hostel and hotel owners are involved in beach operations.