As an American, you are probably constantly looking for new ways to be entertained, have fun and explore exotic places. South of the border, Mexico, Central America and South America have tons to offer. You can practice your Spanish while shopping in live markets. You can lay on the beach and drink rum in its purest and best form. You can stay in an El Salvador surf resort and learn how to surf—wait, you can do that? Yes, you can, and here are some reasons why you should.

The Surfing Instructors Are Local Experts

Even if you know how to surf, every beach and every wave pattern in the world is different. If you do not know how to surf at all, the surfing instructors are local experts who have been surfing for years. They know exactly how the tide and wave patterns operate, from sun up to sun down. They also know how to watch for riptides and dangerous waves or dangerous currents. Want to avoid overly curious sharks and jellyfish while surfing? The instructors will teach you that too.

You Can Leave Your Surfboard at Home

Trusting your personal surfboard to an airline baggage-check employee can leave you feeling frantic and worried all the way to El Salvador. Dodge that by staying in an El Salvador surf resort, and get your surfboard included in the price of your stay. If you want to take a chance on renting a surfboard once you get to El Salvador, you can do that too. You might find a better deal on renting a board, but you may also be without a board for your lessons. Still, any of these options are better than trying to bring your own surfboard from home (if you have one).

You Can Learn to Surf and Visit an Exotic, Tropical Place Simultaneously

You could stay home and visit a coastal state (or Hawaii) and learn to surf there, but then you would never be able to say that you went somewhere tropical and exotic. If the whole point to leaving home and going on vacation is to go somewhere you have never been and leave the U.S. in the process, and learn how to surf once you get there, there are many resorts along the coast of El Salvador that accomplish all of these things on your list. Talk to a travel agent to see how you can book a package deal and maybe get a few surfing lessons included in the price.