Overview
La Barra is a hollow rivermouth and jetty setup at Balneario Likin, 5km (3mi) past Puerto San Jose on the longest stretch of coastal road in Guatemala, where you can check several beaches without really leaving the highway. The surf here ranks among the best in the country. The righthander is often long and predictable, with hollow pockets broken up by slashable shoulders, and it stays rideable until slightly overhead. The left off the peak sucks hard and runs straight at the rocky tip of the jetty, so it often closes out. Shifting sandbars keep changing the shape and quality, so what you find one session may not be what you get the next.
When It Works
Swell comes in from southwest through southeast, with southwest the best match, and it breaks over sand. The spot works from 0.6 m / 2 ft to 2.4 m / 8 ft and picks up swell consistently.
Wind and Tide
Look for north offshore wind. Tide is the thing to get right here: river flow throws up hectic rips on dropping tides, so time your session for low incoming or slack high, and on big swells even dead high is a good window. It can work across low, mid, and high, but a rising tide is the better call and keeps you clear of the killer rip.
Local Tips
This one suits intermediate surfers. The sucky take-off and current make it a genuine struggle for beginners, and there are easier beachbreaks nearby if that's the level you're at. Expect a busy lineup when it's on, with some of the crew coming down from Puerto San Jose.
Access
There's a surf camp close by, plus camping, a surf school and a surf shop. Balneario Likin itself is one of the country's only high-end coastal resorts.
