Panama

Why Panama

Santa Catalina is the reason to come: a powerful, long right-hand reef point that holds real size, sitting in an otherwise sleepy fishing village on the Pacific. It has stayed low-key largely because it is awkward to reach.

Crucially for a mixed-ability trip, Playa El Estero — a sandy beach break a short walk away — is where every lesson happens. So a beginner and an experienced surfer can genuinely share a week here, which is rare at a reef destination.

When to go

• Apr–Oct: the south-swell season and the most consistent surf. Also the wet season.
• Dec–Mar: dry, windier, smaller.

Those months describe the Pacific side, which is where Santa Catalina and almost everything in this guide sits. Panama's Caribbean coast runs on the opposite calendar: Bocas del Toro picks up North Atlantic swell from roughly December through March, peaking in December and January — the very window that is flat on the Pacific. If you can only travel over the northern winter, that is the side to look at.

Getting around

Fly into Panama City, then it's a long haul — roughly seven to eight hours by road, or a short flight to David plus a drive. Nearly everyone books a transfer. Once you're in Santa Catalina it's a walking village, and boats run out to Coiba and Cebaco.