The Panama City Beaches Area

Surfing neophytes will likely want to head straight to Playa El Palmar, outside the town of San Carlos and about 10 kilometers west of Coronado. Because it’s only about an hour and a half from Panama City, it’s a popular place and can get crowded on the weekends. In short, you won’t find much competition for the waves on weekdays.

Frente El Palmar (The Palmar Front)

This a beach break with a nice, soft sandy bottom for those times you inevitably tumble from your tabla (Panamanian Spanish for surfboard). Most importantly, beginners will want to check here first, especially on a low to medium tide, and dive right in if the swells are there. The rides can be short, but fun.

Punta Palmar (Palmar Point)

If the tide is high, head for this spot to the right of the beach break. It’s a rocky bottom and the swells can be larger than the front so beginners may want to tread lightly here, but those with experience will appreciate the powerful waves here.

Hawaiisito (Little Hawaii)

This one is also close to the Palmar area.  Most importantly, it’s often less crowded than the point or the front (especially on weekends). And, it’s also a rock bottom and ideal when the swells are around four feet or less at high tide.

Playa Rio Mar

Further west down the road from Palmar is Playa Rio Mar, where two breaks dominate—the Frente Rio Mar (Rio Mar Front), a beach break that goes both left and right, that is best at medium to high tide, and Punta Rio Mar (Rio Mar Point), about a mile down the beach, near a long rock ledge where the waves break predominantly at low tide.

Playa Malibu

In the direction of Panama City near the town of Gorgona is one of the best and most consistent spots in the Panama City Beaches.

The waves break to the right along a sandbar at the mouth of the Chame River. And, look for some lovely tubes here on a good day, but beware of debris in the water drifting out from the mouth of the river (especially after a heavy rain).

Playa Teta

Another river-mouth spot, also near Coronado, the main attraction here is the long lefts at low tide at the front and the tubes and long rides on incoming tides at the point. Nearby Rinconsito, named after a famous break in California, is known for a right break that can stretch as long as 183 meters under the right conditions.