Surfing in Panama

Panama Surf Report

By Jon Hanna of Panama Surf Tours

Panama has some of the best surf breaks in all of Central America! Whether you like point breaks, beach breaks, hollow tubes, or long peelers, Panama has a variety of surf breaks to accommodate your style.

Unlike Costa Rica, Panama is still virgin and you can catch most of the best surf spots by yourself with your buddies. Few people know about Panama's surfing potential, which is a big plus for surfers who visit! However, you better go soon because Panama is becoming more and more popular for surfers from around the globe.

Panama's roads are of the best in Central and South America, with 4 lane highways all over the country for quick access to the surf breaks. The transportation system is very good, and buses and taxis are readily available from the international airport. However, if you are strapped for time, and would like to be picked up and guided to the best surf spots and hotels, try a surf tour by Panamasurftours.com .

Panama is also one of the safest places in the world, so no worries about getting mugged by thugs at the beach, as frequently happens in El Salvador, Mexico, and other countries in Central America. In general, you can surf, roam the streets, party, or shop care free, at any time day or night.

Panama also has an excellent communications system so you can easily call your girlfriend, family or business back home at any time without any hassle. You can even rent a cellular phone for your surf trip, so you can be always in communication.

Panama's hospitals are of the best in Central America, so in the event that you got beatings on the rocks or reef while surfing (God Forbid), you can be guaranteed that you will be assisted by well trained health care professionals.

The Pacific side is best in the months between April and November. The Caribbean side is best between December and March, but can get swells any time of the year except the time between September and November. We recommend you look at the swell history for individual surf spots on Magicseaweed.com for more specific information.

Finally, Panama is still inexpensive. At the beaches, you can generally get a great meal for under $4, and budget hotels range from $20 to $50 per room per night, depending on your style. Bus transportation can cost anywhere from $0.30 to $15 depending on where you are going.

Pacific Ocean

We will start from the beaches in the province of Darien and work upwards along the coast through Panama City, then the Panama Bay Area beaches, then the Peninsula area of Los Santos and finally the provinces of Veraguas and Chiriqui.

Darien

The province of Darien is located below Panama City on the east side of the Panama bay, and is basically unexplored. There are a few breaks that people have surfed, however, only a few surfers have ever ventured into this territory.

Punta Jaque

Is a rock bottom point break with rights that is best at medium tide.

Jaque Beach Break

A black sand bottom beach break that breaks right and left and is best at medium to high tide, but can be surfed at low tide as well.

Panama City

Panama City has a few different surf breaks, however, we do not recommend them due to the city pollution that has gone into the ocean in front of the city—the government is in the process of cleaning it up. Also, there must be a really big swell for these spots to break.

Playa Las Bovedas

This spot is located directly in front of the Presidential Palace in the area of "Las Bovedas". It is a rock bottom point break with rights and lefts, and it is best at medium to high tide. The area is known for it's rich history with statues of famous people of Panama. At the entrance there is a great restaurant called "Restaurante las Bovedas", which has great seafood and a wonderful atmosphere. This restaurant was built inside of an old jail that the Spaniards used to drown pirates. They would lock them in the cell, and when the tide came up, the water would fill the cell.

Panama Viejo

This spot is located directly in front of the old Spanish ruins of Panama Viejo ("Old Panama"). It used to have a sand bottom, but many years ago they took most of the sand for building, and now there are only mud flats with some sand. You can surf here on a big swell at high tide, it breaks right and left but is a weak wave. Also, they recently built a highway called "Corredor Norte" that runs over the water in front of Panama Viejo, so the swell has to go through the pilings which weakens it even more.

Boca La Caja

This spot is located in front of the "Corredor Norte", in front of the area of "Boca La Caja" which is a somewhat dangerous area of the city with many thugs. We do not recommend going to this spot unless you are with a local. The break is a rock bottom, right break that is surfed at medium to high tide.

Isla Chepillo

This spot is an island in the Panama Bay located East of Panama City. You can only get there by boat. If you don't have your own boat, then you have to drive to the town of Chepo, and catch a boat from there. The boat men charge about $40 to take a group of 4 to 6 surfers out there. There are are two point breaks. One is a right point that breaks over sharp rocks and can be surfed at all tides. The other is a center peak breaking over rock, and can be surfed at medium to high tide.

Pacific Coast Beaches Near Panama City

The Pacific coast area near Panama City is much cleaner than the city breaks, and gets much better surf. These surf breaks are located by about an 1 hour drive west from Panama City, over the Bridge of the Americas, and up the coast on the Pan-American highway. We will list them in order as you go along the highway.

Playa Malibu

This spot is located near the town of Gorgona. You must turn off the main highway, into the town of Gorgona, go straight until you get to the end of the road at the beach. Look to your left, and you will see a river. The break is located directly in front of the river, and is a sand bottom right and left break best during medium to low tide. The right is good at low tide, and the left is good at medium tide going up.

This spot is one of the best and most consistent spots in the Panama Bay area and you can get some good tubes and long rides when there is a good swell. However, you should go by 4x4 truck and park on the beach in front of the break because if you leave your car on the road or near the river and walk down, your valuables in your car are very likely to get ripped off by the locals.

Playa Serena

This spot is located in the town of Coronado. You must go into Coronado, pass the gate, straight until you see two big Condo towers on the beach, in front of a rock point with a large concrete wall. The break is a right point break with good tubes at the point, then after the rocks, the wave tends to mush out but keeps a long rippable wall. You can get rides as long as 200 yards. There must be a good swell for this spot to work well.

Playa Teta

To the Gringos, this spot is called "Tits", not for naked women, but for the river that runs in front of it called "Rio Teta", which means "Tits river" for the shape of it. It is located about 2 miles past the town of Coronado, taking a left off of the main highway, then going down a dirt road for about 10 minutes. Park at the end of the road under the mango tree, then walk down the trail. This spot has 3 different breaks.

The Front (Frente de Teta)

Is the rock/sand bottom break that is located directly to the right of the river mouth, or in front of the river mouth, depending on how the river is flowing at that time (it changes from time to time). The front has long lefts at low tide, and rights and lefts at medium to high tide.

The Point (Punta de Teta)

Is the point break that is located directly to the left of the river mouth. It is a point break over rock bottom that breaks left and right, with good tubes at the peak and long rides. It is best at medium tide going up.

Rinconsito

Is the rock bottom point that is located directly to the left of Punta Teta, and it is a long right break. You can get rides of up to 200 yards long on a good swell. This spot is named after the famous break in California called "Rincon", so the Panamanians called it "Little Rincon", or "Rinconsito".

Playa El Palmar

This beach is located after the town of San Carlos, taking a left off of the main highway, right after you pass the bridge of San Carlos. Go down the asphalt road about 1 mile to the beach. This beach has 3 breaks.

Frente Palmar (Palmar Front)

Is a beach break with rock bottom on the left hand side. It is very crowded on weekends, and there is a surf camp located directly in front of it, so it can get crowded. The beach break is a close-out, and mainly beginners go there to surf.

Punta Palmar (Palmar Point)

Is a rock bottom point break directly to the right of the beach break, and has right peeling waves at medium to high tide. There must be a good swell for this spot to break well, but when it is good, it can get very powerful and fun.

Hawaiisito (Little Hawaii)

Is a rock bottom point break to the left of the beach break, down to the left of the concrete wall. It breaks to the left at full high tide, and can be fun, but this spot is quite weak, and can only handle a small swell of about 3 to 4 feet, otherwise it closes out.

Playa Rio Mar

This beach is located after Palmar, in the town of Rio Mar. After you pass the town of San Carlos on the main highway, you will go over a few hills, then you will see a sign to the left to enter Rio Mar on an asphalt road, which takes you to the beach. The restaurant charges $5 to park the car under the tree, in front of the beach. If you don't pay the $5 for parking, the restaurant owner will flatten your tires, so beware! There are some rental cabins there with a pool too. Rio Mar has 2 breaks

Frente Rio Mar (Rio Mar Front)

Is the beach break, with rocks spread throughout various parts of it. It is best at medium to high tide, and has rights and lefts.

Punta Rio Mar (Rio Mar Point)

Is the point break down to the right. At low tide, you have to walk down the beach for about a mile to the point, and then walk through the rocks, and paddle out where there is a long rock ledge that sticks out into the ocean. The wave breaks right and left, but the rights are best and it only breaks at low tide.

Los Santos: Pedasi / Tonosi

The province of Los Santos has some of the best surf in Panama, as it is located out on the peninsula of Panama. That is the part of Panama that looks like a boot that sticks out in the Pacific ocean.

To get there, you go down the Pan American highway, then take a left at Divisa, then go through Chitre, then through Las Tablas, then to Pedasi. At Pedasi, the beaches begin, and run all the way through Tonosi to the end of the road at Cambutal. There are dozens of unexplored beaches in this area, but we will name the known surf breaks from Pedasi over to Cambutal.

Playa Lagarto

Is in the town of Pedasi. Just ask anyone for directions to the beach, and follow the dirt road for about 10 minutes to the beach. This break is a beach bottom break that breaks at all tides with some rocks on each end, but gets good rights and lefts and can be very powerful when it is big. However, when it gets too big, it closes out.

Playa El Toro

Is also in the town of Pedasi. It is right next to Lagarto, but is the point before Lagarto where the road ends. It is a rock bottom point break with lefts and rights, and it gets really good when there is a good swell. It is best surfed at medium tide.

Playa Destiladeros

Is a beach near Pedasi with several breaks. It has a right point over rock bottom, a left point over rock bottom, and a beach break with pebble bottom. It is best at medium tide.

Ciruelo

Is a rock bottom point break located 20 minutes past Pedasi, right before Venado. You can see it from the road, but you must turn off at the store, and park, then walk down the hill to the break. It is rarely surfed, but can get really good left tubes when there is a good swell and no wind.

Playa Venao

Is a sand bottom beach break located 30 minutes past Pedasi. You will see the sign to turn off into Venao. This spot catches just about any swell, so it is a good bet when there is little or no surf anywhere else. It is best surfed at medium to high tide. At low tide, it tends to close out. Also, on swells over 8 to 10 feet, it tends to close out. There are some small beach cabins there, and a restaurant.

Playa Madrono

Is a sand bottom beach break located about 5 minutes past the entrance to Venado. You have to park the car on the main road, then walk down the cow pastures to the river, then follow the river out to the beach for about a 30 minute hike.

Bring your shoes and prepare to step in cow dung! Also bring along a bottle of water because there is nothing at the beach. The surf can get really good, with hollow tubes at low tide, but be sure to go early in the morning before the wind starts.

Playa Raya

Is a beach point break with sand bottom that is located about 10 minutes past Venado. It is named "Raya" for the big manta rays and sting rays that are seen in the water there. To get there, you have to park on the main road, then walk across the cow pastures to the beach. It is about a 45 minute hike down the hill to the beach. At low tide, you will see miles of secluded beach, with a right point break on the left side of the sand bar, and a left point break on the left side of the sand bar. The waves can get huge, up to 15 or 20 feet on big swells, with big tubes. Bring a bottle of water as there is nothing out there.

The wild life is incredible here and the big sea turtles come up to lay eggs on the beach. Be careful though, lots of big sharks here!

Playa Guanico

Is located about 1 hour past Venado. It has several breaks including 2 rock bottom point breaks with rights and lefts, and one beach break with rights and lefts. There is a small town there with a store, and there is a Frenchman building some cabins, but they are not open for business yet.

Cambutal

Is located past Venado, then past Tonosi, in the town of Cambutal. It has several great surf breaks including beach breaks and point breaks and catches just about any swell so it is rarely under 4 to 5 feet and as big as 15 to 20 feet.

To get to the surf breaks here, you need a 4x4 because the road is very muddy and you have to go through a river. There are no surf camps or hotels there, so bring your tent, or stay at the town of Tonosi, which is about 40 minutes away by car. Each break will be mentioned in order as you drive along the road from the beach break at the town of Cambutal to the end of the road, which is Corto Circuito.

Cambutal Beach Break

Is located directly in front of the town of Cambutal. It is a fun beach break with rights and lefts and is best at medium to high tide, but can be good at low tide as well.

Punta Negra

Is located down the road, around the first point. You will see it below as you go along the road that runs next to the cliff. It is a point break over rock bottom that is best during medium to high tide.

411

Is located about 30 minutes from the town of Cambutal, and it is a point break with a long right hander over rock ledge bottom. You can see how the surf has carved the rocks into shelf plates. This is one of the most famous breaks in Cambutal, and is best during medium to high tide.

Dinosaurios (Dinosaurs)

Is located directly next to 411. It is a rock bottom break with rights and lefts at medium to high tide, but can also be surfed at low tide. It is very powerful and can get very big surf.

Horcones Beach Break

Is located down the beach from Dinosaurios. It is a sand bottom beach break with rights and lefts. There is one spot that is in front of a small river mouth that gets really good at medium to low tide, but is also good at high tide.

Dos Rocas

Is a rock bottom point break down at the end of Horcones Beach Break. It has two large rock boulders that stick out so you will immediately see where it is. It can get good rights at medium tide.

Corto Circuito

Is the daddy of Cambutal. It is located at the very end of the road, after Dos Rocas. It is a rock bottom point break with a very powerful peak that breaks over a rock ledge and throws a huge tube, then peels down the point for about 100 yards with a great wall that you can do tons of turns on.

 For more information:  http://www.panamainfo.com/en/surfing-panama

Panama Surf Report
By Jon Hanna of Panama Surf Tours - See more at: http://www.panamainfo.com/en/surfing-panama#sthash.eeeWwaF8.dpuf

Panama Surf Report
By Jon Hanna of Panama Surf Tours - See more at: http://www.panamainfo.com/en/surfing-panama#sthash.eeeWwaF8.dpuf