Best Time to Surf Panama
The best time to surf Panama is March to October: that is when the most breaks are at their best — 7 of the 9 Panama breaks we map at the peak.
Last updated · Counted from the surf breaks we map — each break's own season, level and wave type
Surf in Panama month by month
How many of the 9 breaks we map in Panama are at their best in each month, and which ones. The busiest months are highlighted.
January
1 at their best · 2 in season
February
1 at their best · 2 in season
March
6 at their best · 7 in season
El Estero Beach, La Punta, Playa Venao, Bluff, Silverbacks, Playa Cambutal
April
6 at their best · 8 in season
El Estero Beach, Punta Brava, La Punta, Playa Venao, Silverbacks, Playa Cambutal
May
7 at their best · 8 in season
El Estero Beach, Punta Brava, Punta Roca, La Punta, Playa Venao, Silverbacks, Playa Cambutal
June
7 at their best · 8 in season
El Estero Beach, Punta Brava, Punta Roca, La Punta, Playa Venao, Silverbacks, Playa Cambutal
July
7 at their best · 8 in season
El Estero Beach, Punta Brava, Punta Roca, La Punta, Playa Venao, Silverbacks, Playa Cambutal
August
7 at their best · 8 in season
El Estero Beach, Punta Brava, Punta Roca, La Punta, Playa Venao, Silverbacks, Playa Cambutal
September
7 at their best · 8 in season
El Estero Beach, Punta Brava, Punta Roca, La Punta, Playa Venao, Silverbacks, Playa Cambutal
October
6 at their best · 8 in season
El Estero Beach, Punta Brava, La Punta, Playa Venao, Silverbacks, Playa Cambutal
November
0 at their best · 1 in season
December
1 at their best · 2 in season
Lefts, rights and peaks in Panama
Every break we map here, by what the wave breaks over and which way it peels — a left peels to the surfer's left as they ride towards the beach.
| Break type | Lefts | Rights | Both ways / A-frames |
|---|---|---|---|
| Point | — | La Punta | — |
| Reef | Punta Roca | La Punta, Silverbacks | Punta Brava, Bluff |
| Beach | — | — | El Estero Beach, Playa Venao, Playa Cambutal |
Season at every Panama break
Each break's stated season, with its best months filled in.
- Bluff
Bocas del Toro
- Wave
- Beach & Reef break · A-frame peaks (lefts and rights)
- Level
- Advanced
- Season
- December to March (Caribbean swells), with a smaller window in the northern summer
- Tide
- Best on a mid-to-high tide
- Watch out
- Heavy barrels and shorebreak over sand and shallow reef; booties help. Strong currents on bigger days. Playa Bluff is a turtle nesting beach, so follow local guidance in season.
- La Punta
Santa Catalina
- Wave
- Point · Right
- Level
- Intermediate
- Season
- All Year Round
- Tide
- Best on a mid to high tide.
- La Punta
Santa Catalina
- Wave
- Reef break · Right-hand
- Level
- Intermediate
- Season
- March to October (south swells)
- Tide
- Best on a mid-to-high tide
- Watch out
- Breaks over shallow coral or rock reef — booties are recommended and mind the take-off zone.
- Punta Roca
Santa Catalina
- Wave
- Hollow, fast left-hand reef break · Left
- Level
- Expert
- Season
- April through October, with the peak months being May through September
- Tide
- Best from low to mid tide,
- El Estero Beach
- Wave
- Beach Break · Lefts & rights
- Level
- Beginner – Intermediate (Advanced on larger swells)
- Season
- March – October
- Tide
- Mid to High
- Watch out
- Considerations: Strong currents and rips on larger swells; shifting sandbars and river-mouth conditions can affect wave quality.
- Playa Cambutal
- Wave
- Beach break · A-frame peaks (lefts and rights)
- Level
- Intermediate
- Season
- March to October (south swells)
- Tide
- All tides; sandbar-dependent
- Watch out
- Rip currents form between the sandbars, so check before paddling out. It is remote, with basic medical care nearby.
- Playa Venao
- Wave
- Beach break · A-frame peaks (lefts and rights)
- Level
- Beginner
- Season
- March to October (south swells)
- Tide
- All tides; sandbar-dependent
- Watch out
- Rip currents form between the sandbars — always check conditions before paddling out.
- Punta Brava
- Wave
- Reef / Rocky Point · Left & Right
- Level
- Intermediate
- Season
- April–October
- Tide
- Low to Mid
- Silverbacks
- Wave
- Reef break · Right-hand
- Level
- Advanced
- Season
- March to October (south swells)
- Tide
- Best on a mid-to-high tide
- Watch out
- Breaks over shallow coral or rock reef — booties are recommended and mind the take-off zone.
Surf spots in Panama by level
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to surf Panama?
The best time to surf Panama is March to October: that is when the most breaks are at their best — 7 of the 9 Panama breaks we map at the peak.
Can you surf Panama all year round?
Yes. At least one of the 9 breaks we map in Panama is in season in every month of the year, though the most are at their best in March to October.
When is the best time for beginners to surf Panama?
The 2 beginner-rated breaks we map in Panama (El Estero Beach and Playa Venao) are mostly at their best in March to October. Smaller days in the shoulder months are easier to learn on.
Which surf breaks in Panama are lefts and which are rights?
Lefts: Punta Roca. Rights: La Punta, La Punta and Silverbacks. The table below splits every break we map in Panama by type and direction.