Massive waves caused by a storm more than 3,000 kilometres away have washed away homes, hotels and restaurants along the coastline of Central America, officials said Tuesday.

There have been no reports of death, but hundreds of people have fled from their homes and communities.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said the waves are not caused by a tsunami from underwater earthquakes, but are from a large storm in the South Pacific.

Large waves have been pounding the coastline from Ecuador's Galapagos Islands to the Mexican resort of Acapulco for several days, but Central America reported most of the damage on Tuesday.

In Guatemala, waves along the western shore smashed a small hotel in Sipacate, a surfing hotspot about 100 kilometres from Guatemala City.

High waves drove water about 90 metres inland in Nicaragua, washing away about 20 homes in Peurto Corinto.

Dozens of people fled their homes in El Salvador, where witnesses reported high waves, while a number of coastal areas of Costa Rica reported flooding.

Weather officials said the waves should subside on Wednesday or Thursday.