Top Reasons Panama Is Becoming A Surfing Hot Spot
Guide to Panama’s Famous Surfing Beaches – Here’s Way Panama is a Surfing Hot Spot
With a perfect combination of reef breaks and beach breaks, Panama is a surfer’s heaven both for the beginners and the experienced. It is known to have some of the best breaks in Central America and easily accommodates different styles of surfers. With miles of beaches on both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, it’s no surprise that Panama has emerged as a Surfing hot spot.
Spread over an area of 2,400 kilometers, the place is relatively safe with less violent crimes rating to 7.2 per 100,000 people in the country. It is crucial to maintain your safety if you are planning to visit Panama primarily for surfing. In this regard, it has been observed that Palenque Surf swells can reach up to 90% at some times of the year. On the other hand, the wind can go to as low as 10% during November.
Read on to discover the best places for surfing and start making the best adventurous memories on the unexplored seas of Panama.
The Right Time of Year to Visit Panama
When going through travel questions and answers, many travelers and surfers want to know about the right time for surfing in Panama. The months between April and November are a suitable option on the Pacific side. For the Caribbean side, the time from December and March is perfect. But it is good to visit the place at any time of the year except for September and October.
Other than surfing, travelers have great options like visiting the vibrant cities, roaming around in the streets, shopping, partying hard during both daytime and night time. With an excellent communication system in the city, tourists can travel hassle-free from one point to another.
As an added advantage, city life is still considered as inexpensive. For instance, meals are available for $4. Budget hotels charge from $20 to $50 per night for a single room. To get the answer to all your travel-related queries, knowing about the right time and the equipment to carry if you wish to go for surfing shall help, ask fellow travellers on discussion forums and get answers from locals as well.
Best Destinations for Surfing in Panama
With plenty of accessible surfing spots in Panama, most of the locations are along the Pacific coast and near the Caribbean. Let us take a glance at the popular surfing spots.
1. Santa Catalina
This place is considered as the best for Panama Surf and a reliable spot. This surfing spot is a point of interest for many international surfers these days. Big competitions are held at this place at the La Punta or point break which is renowned for its fantastic tubes, powerful surf and long rides. With many breaks, some are perfect for beginners, while the rest is perfect for the experienced ones. Due to consistent waves, it is a suitable option for surfing throughout the year.
2. Playa Morrillo
Situated in the Veraguas province, this is a semi-deserted beach which makes it popular among surfers who want to avoid crowds and practice surfing to their heart’s content. For adventurous surfers, this is another place where warm water is available throughout the year.
3. Playa El Palmar
This surfing spot is towards the central Pacific Ocean, where surfers of all levels can surf safely. Though not-overcrowded, some sets of surfers are always present in this spot. This location is slightly west of San Carlos. With strong waves, it can go up to 8 feet at times. Therefore, it offers gentle waves for surfers to enjoy surfing here. The presence of such waves is due to three breaks the Frente Palmar, Punta Palmar, and Hawaiisito. If you are a beginner surfer, a learning school at this spot is a suitable option.
4. Morro Negrito
One of the most famous surf destinations in Central America is Morro Negrito. This small yet beautiful beach is located towards the Pacific coast of Panama. With diverse wildlife, the place has plenty of mangrove trees. Also, several private islands are present in the nearby area with beach breaks and point breaks.
5. Isla Colón, Bocas del Toro
For travelers as well as surfing lovers, Bocas del Toro is a must-visit place. This gold sand beach is located on the main island of Isla Colon with exotic vegetation surrounding it. At this spot, the waves are powerful enough to go up to 15 feet, making it suitable for bodyboarding. In such mighty waves, surfing becomes challenging even for experienced folks, so only the daredevils tread there!
Looking at these options, it is easy to see that apart from popular surfing destinations such as Australia and offbeat ones like Peru, Panama is one of the best destinations to unleash the passion of a surfer in you!
Surfing Schools in Panama
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There are many surfs schools in Bocas del Toro’s where experienced surfers provide suitable training to interested beginners. Knowing about the basics of surfing will help one while surfing for the first time. Knowing about sea safety, the etiquette of surfing a little awareness about sea waves can help beginners.
Getting there
Transportation system is easy to avail throughout the country such as bus transportation will cost $0.30 to $15 depending on the location you want to travel. If you are going to Panama with the primary aim of surfing, try to choose hotels located near the famous surfing spots. With this, you can cover most of the must-visit places in Panama.
Travel tips for a perfect vacation in Panama
If you are planning to take your kids along, do explore the amenities offered for kids, in and around the surfing spots. For instance, Playa Venao is an excellent surfing point. You can find a nearby hotel that offers swimming pool facilities and other amenities for the kids.
Places to stay during Panama surf trip
With plenty of options available in Panama, choosing the one near the surfing spots shall help you travel comfortably. Some options are given below:
Hotel Caribbean View Panama
If you are looking for an affordable one, this hotel near Isla Bastimentos is a suitable option. The food served in this place is good. Travelers are fond of the Lobster dishes available at this place.
Hotel Oasis Panama
If you wish to get a 180-degree view of the ocean, this hotel is the perfect option. Located in Puerto Escondido, it is among the most recommended ones by travelers and frequent surfers at Panama.
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About The Author: Samuel Alfie is a blogger at ProProfs Discuss, the #1 Q&A website with millions of wisdom seekers collaborating to ask questions and get the best answers. He loves reading and writing about a variety of topics including Travel, e-commerce, science, philosophy, pop culture, digital media, and more. With a knack for writing, enthusiasm for research and an editorial mindset, he loves creating content that resonates with the audience.
