This article covers everything you need to know about surfing in Bocas del Toro, Panama, including a detailed surf spot guide, where to stay, the surf seasons, where to check the surf report, and where to find surf lessons! We have lived and surfed in Bocas del Toro since 2015, so this guide is written based on our first hand experience!

First, let’s start with the basics:

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About Surfing in Bocas del Toro, Panama

Bocas del Toro is an archipelago of wave-rich islands located on the Northwestern Caribbean Coast of Panama. The archipelago is often compared to Bali or Hawaii, and its waves have been graced by legends such as Kelly Slater, Mick Fanning, Taj Burrow, and Felipe Toledo.

Bocas is famous for its laid-back, Caribbean vibes, welcoming spirit, and boating-centric lifestyle. It’s one of the top surf destinations in the Caribbean and very easy to get to compared to similar destinations in other parts of the world (Panama is only a 3-4 hour flight from the southern USA).

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Watch: Surfer Magazine Visits Bocas del Toro

Jump to a section:

• Surf Seasons in Bocas del Toro
• Surf Spot Map
• Surf Spot Guide
• Surfing Etiquette
• Best Places to Stay for Surfers
• Learn to Surf in Bocas del Toro
• Surf Report

How to Get to Bocas del Toro for Surfers

The best way to get to Bocas del Toro for Surfing is by flying from Panama City, Panama. Get your international flights to Panama City’s Tocumen International Airport (PTY), then get your domestic flights from Panama City’s Albrook International Airport (PAC) over to the Bocas del Toro Airport (BOC), through Air Panama.com. For details and insider tips, check out our full guide: how to get to Bocas del Toro.

When To Visit Bocas del Toro for Surfing

Main Surf Season: December through April

The best time to visit Bocas del Toro for surfing is December through April. This time is the high season for tourism and also for waves.

• December and January are the peak tourism months of the year so you will find a lot of surfers in the line-up and also the biggest and most consistent swell.
• February is one of the best months for good weather and good waves with fewer crowds.
• March can see more crowds due to the Spring Break holiday, can see big swells with nice weather.
• April sees smaller swells that are best for beach breaks. 

Mini Surf Season: June – August

The Mini Surf Season occurs in June, July, and August. These are low-season months so you will find a lot less surfers in the lineup but the weather overall is more rainy compared to the high season.

• June sees an increase in the swell that is good for beach breaks and the weather is generally sunny.
• July is one of the best months of the year for surfing and sees consistent big swells but also frequent rain.
• August has mixed sunny and rainy weather and smaller swells – typically good for beach breaks. 

Off-Season for Bocas del Toro Surfing

The months of May, September, October, and November are not good for surfing in Bocas. You might get lucky with a waist-to-chest high swell but generally, it is flat as a cat. However, these are some of the best months for Scuba Diving, Deep Sea Fishing, Free Diving, and island adventuring due to the calm seas!

Bocas del Toro Surf Spot Map

Bocas del Toro Surf Spot Guide

The goal of this guide is to give you everything you need to know about the surf spots of Bocas del Toro. For each location, we include the type of wave, the island it is located on, the difficulty of the wave, the crowd level, and how to get there from the center of the islands (in or around Bocas Town).

Bluff Beach

• Type of Wave: Beach Break
• Location: Isla Colon (Main Island)
• Difficulty: Advanced
• Crowd Level: It is a long beach so you can choose if you want to surf with other people or not!
• How to Get There: 15 Min. Boat Ride or 20 Minute Land Taxi from Bocas Town

Bluff Beach on Isla Colon is one of Bocas’ most famous breaks. It is a long strip of wild and raw coastline where the rainforest spills out right onto the beach. The wave is heavy and powerful and is loved for its massive tubes and feared for its massive beatdowns.

Bluff breaks close to the beach in very shallow water and broken boards are a common occurrence. 3-5 foot Bluff is a good time to practice your tube riding and the super short paddle out means you can get more waves per hour with less energy. When it gets bigger it gets very heavy and should only be ridden by advanced surfers.

Paunch Reef

• Type of Wave: Right and Left Reef Break
• Location: Isla Colón (Main Island)
• Difficulty: Intermediate-Advanced
• Crowd Level: Crowded during peaks in the season and good swells
• How to Get There: 10 Minute Water Taxi Ride or 15 Minute Land Taxi from Bocas Town

Paunch is one of Bocas’ most popular and best waves. It is a right and left-hand reef break with the most popular take-off spot being a left. The big set waves at Paunch create a hollow barrel section followed by a long and open wall for turns. Paunch is soft and fat when it is small but will famously turn into, “Punch,” when it is big. New development in this area in recent years has brought more surfers to this spot and crowds can be a problem.

Tiger Tails

• Type of Wave: Right and Left Reef Break
• Location: Isla Colón in front of Ohana Restaurant
• Difficulty: Intermediate – Advanced
• Crowd Level: Low – Medium
• How to Get There: 5-7 Minute Water Taxi Ride or 10 Minute Land Taxi from Bocas Town

Tiger Tails breaks over a shallow reef that produces right and left-hand sections. It’s located on Isla Colón in front of Ohana Restaurant at just a 3$-$4 taxi ride from Bocas Town.

The wave is fun and holds power when the swell is small, but can also turn fast and hollow when it’s big. You can find right and left-hand barrels as well as nice walls to snap on. There is a big rock that sticks out of the water on the left that you need to avoid if you ride the wave to the end. The inside is very shallow but most of the reef is covered in grass so it is softer on your board and fins when you duck-dive into it!

Carenero Point

• Type of Wave: Left Point Break
• Location: Isla Carenero
• Difficulty: Intermediate – Advanced
• Crowd Level: Crowded during peaks in the season 
• How to Get There: 3-5 Minute Water Taxi from Bocas Town

Carenero Point is said to be the wave that put Bocas del Toro on the world surfing map. On the best days, the wave can break from the top all the way to the inside, delivering long rides with multiple barrel sections and open walls.

On most swells, the wave will break in sections, which divides the point to the inside and outside. The inside is a fast and racy wall that can provide big-time shade on good days. The outside is best for big sweeping turns and also can produce hollow barrel sections. Carenero Point features several take-off spots which also helps spread out the crowd during peak season.

The far outside wave is a locals-only spot, so don’t paddle up past the main peak. It is also one of the shallowest waves in Bocas and can be very dangerous if you don’t know how to surf it.

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Old Mans

• Type of Wave: Left Point Break
• Location: Isla Carenero
• Difficulty: Beginner – Intermediate
• Crowd Level: Low – Medium
• How to Get There: 3-5 Minute Water Taxi from Bocas Town

Old Man’s on Isla Carenero is a left-hand point break that sits just down from Carenero Point and to the side of Black Rock. Old Mans will produce a perfect mini-point break during big swells. This spot is a good option for people who want to have a mellow surf instead of battling a crowd. It is also a good place for beginner and intermediate surfers to learn how to surf a point break. The inside gets very shallow so be careful not to ride the wave too far in.

Black Rock

• Type of Wave: Reef Break
• Location: Isla Carenero
• Difficulty: Beginner – Intermediate
• Crowd Level: Medium – High due to being a popular spot for all beginners and surf lessons. 
• How to Get There: 3-5 Minute Water Taxi from Bocas Town

Black Rock sits off of Carenero Island and breaks over a deep reef with right and left sections. This wave is a popular spot for beginners and is one of the best spots in Bocas to learn how to surf. The wave breaks over a deep reef and has channels on either side of it that you can use for a duck-dive free paddle back to the point. The biggest danger at this spot is other surfers. Many go here with longboards who do not know how to use them. Be aware of other surfers and follow proper surfing etiquette when surfing this break!

Silverbacks

• Type of Wave: Deep Water Slab/ Big Wave Spot
• Location: Isla Bastimentos
• Difficulty: Professional
• Crowd Level: Just you and your thoughts
• How to Get There: 10 Min. Boat from Bocas Town

Silverbacks is Bocas’ infamous big wave spot. It’s a deep water slab that produces a cavernous tube with a lip size comparable to Teahupo’o. Only the best surfers are able to score barrels here and when they do, you’ll see it all over surf media. The wave breaks far off of Bastimentos in what seems like the open ocean and the peak is notoriously shifty. Throw in a strong current and an ominously stormy sky and you can understand how the break got its nickname, “The Beast.” 

Wizard Beach (Playa Primera)

• Type of Wave: Beach Break
• Location: Isla Bastimentos
• Difficulty: Beginner – Advanced
• Crowd Level: 0 – Low with a few friendly locals 
• How to Get There: 20 Min. Boat or 30 Minute Jungle Hike from Old Bank

Wizard Beach on Isla Bastimentos is the best all-around beach break in Bocas. It can be the perfect spot for beginners when it is small and stay fun for advanced surfers when it is chest high and bigger. Wizard Beach is best when it’s 3-5 feet and clean on an incoming tide, mostly in the morning. When you score the right conditions you will experience crystal clear water, long open walls, 180-degree jungle views and rainbow spray off the backs of the waves. I’m not sure where the name Wizard comes from, but it could certainly be from the magic you’ll experience here with these conditions! 

Red Frog Beach

• Type of Wave: Beach Break
• Location: Isla Bastimentos
• Difficulty: Beginner – Advanced
• Crowd Level: Low
• How to Get There: 25 Minute Boat or 10 Minutes Hiking through the Red Frog Beach Trail. 

Red Frog Beach on Isla Bastimentos is the most famous and popular beach in the archipelago. It is a stunningly tropical area with a handful of accommodations and restaurants. There is also beach volleyball and beach cabañas you can rent for the day. However, Red Frog Beach is generally not considered a good surfing beach. With any size, the wave will be a super-fast close-out that offers little room for anything other than standing up. However, Red Frog Beach can be a good place for beginners to learn to surf when the swell is small. There is a reef break on the far end of the beach that can be more surfable than the beach itself.

Long Beach (Playa Larga)

• Type of Wave: Beach Break
• Location: Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park, Isla Bastimentos
• Difficulty: Beginner – Advanced
• Crowd Level: 0 – Low
• Hot to Get There: 30 Minute Boat Ride

Long Beach, or Playa Larga, is located within the Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park. It takes 30 minutes to get here by boat and is one of the most beautiful beaches in the archipelago. As the name suggests, it is a long beach, and that means peaks galore for you and your mates.

Playa Larga receives more direct swell than other beach breaks close to Bocas Town so it is typically bigger and more powerful here. With good conditions, the wave will have long open walls with big square barrels and super clear water. You’ll mostly surf here all alone except for the sea turtles and the National Park guards who live in a shack on the beach.

Bocas del Toro SurfIng Photographer

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Where to Stay in Bocas del Toro for Surfers

Choosing the right area to stay in is critical if you want to surf easily with multiple sessions per day. The red lines on the map above indicate the most ideal places to stay for surfers who want easy access to waves. You can always stay farther away or in a less accessible place, just be ready for a longer and more expensive boat or taxi ride to get to the waves.

We personally prefer being able to take the boat/ water taxi to go surfing, as that gives you the most freedom of movement and the largest wave selection.

Also to note: All of the accommodations listed here are not surfer-specific accommodations, so don’t expect them to be like a surf camp or surf hostel.  

Isla Colón

Staying out in the Bluff Beach, Paunch, and Tiger Tails area of Isla Colón offers some of the most convenient, surf-right-in-front accommodations. However, going to surf other waves around the archipelago is more difficult because you are isolated from the water taxi system, which limits you to surfing mostly around Bluff, Paunch and Tiger Tails because of the poor road conditions.

Staying in/ around Bocas Town offers access to land and water taxis, giving you more freedom of wave selection, but no waves within walking distance. You can also rent a vehicle like a motorbike, E-Bike or ATV and use that for surf exploration around Isla Colón (Bali Style!).

Read our Isla Colón, Panama Travel Guide

Where to Stay on Isla Colón for Surfers:

Isla Carenero

Staying on Isla Carenero also gives you the ability to walk to some of the best surf spots in Bocas. It is in close proximity to Bocas Town so the nightlife, restaurants, and water taxi system are easily accessible. Most accommodations on Isla Carenero are within a 10-20 minute walk or a couple of minutes water taxi to the surf breaks here. This is the best island to stay on for beginners for the easy access to lessons, board rentals, and walk to surf.

Where to Stay On Isla Carenero for Surfers

Carenero Hills (New!)

Carenero Hills is a brand new Airbnb featuring 3 rental cabins that are built right in front of Carenero Point. You can’t stay any closer to the best point break in Bocas del Toro! The cabins are stylishly designed and fully equipped with everything you need to eat, sleep, surf, repeat. No need to water taxi from Carenero Hills to go surfing, you can walk straight out of your cabin and be in the water in 1 minute. Watch the lineup from your balcony and when the crowd thins out, you can slide right in!

• Price Range: $150 per night
• Top Amenities: Air Conditioning, Full Kitchen, Ocean and Jungle views
• Distance to Surf: 1-minute walking

Casa del Fuego Vacation Home

Casa del Fuego is a private rental home featuring 3 bedrooms, a private dock, a bonfire area and a small beach, as well as amazing views and sea breezes. It’s a great house to rent for a group of surfers who want to be just a few minutes walk to the best waves on Isla Carenero, or also easily grab a water taxi from their dock.

• Price Range: $270 Per Night
• Top Amenities: Small private beach area, bonfire area, outdoor BBQ, huge private dock, amazing, knowledgeable hosts!
• Distance to Surf: Black Rock and Carenero Point are a 5-minute water taxi, or 10-15 minutes walking
• Google: 5/5

Bonus: Get 5% Off Casa del Fuego when you mention “The Bocas del Toro Blog” (direct bookings only). Learn more on the Casa del Fuego Website.

Casa Acuario Overwater Boutique Hotel

The beautiful and iconic Casa Acuario is a four-bedroom, family-owned boutique hotel, built in the traditional Caribbean Bocas style architecture. They are located just across the channel from Bocas Town, and you can easily walk to the waves on Isla Carenero or take a water taxi to other spots.

• Price Range: $200 Per Night
• Top Amenities: Private, Over-the-Water Balcony with Panoramic Island Views, Custom Kitchenette with Coffee Makers, A/C, Private Bathrooms, Large Outdoor Lounge Area with BBQ Facilities
• Distance to Surf: Black Rock and Carenero Point are a 5-minute water taxi, or 10-15 minutes walking
• Trip Advisor: 4.5/5
• Booking.com: 8.9/10
• Google: 4.8/5

PirateArts Experience Apartments (Get 10% Off)

PirateArts Experience Resort offers luxury apartments for rent short and long-term in Bocas del Toro. They are located on the bay side of the island but are just a short 5-10 minute walk to the other side where Carenero Point, Black Rock, Old Man’s and Bibi’s Break are located. You can also take a water taxi over to Paunch, Tiger Tails, or Bluff Beach right from their dock. They have 1, 2, 3, and 4 bedroom apartments available.

• Price Range: $89 – $99 (1BR), $129 – $199 (2BR), $320 (3BR), $380 (4BR)
• Top Amenities: Fully Equipped Modern apartments, AC, Kitchen, Laundry service, in a beautiful tropical island resort.
• Distance to Surf: 5-10 minutes walking to Carenero Point, Black Rock, Old Man’s and Bibi’s
• Google: 4.9/5

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Other places to stay on Isla Carenero:

• Zona Tropical Homestay – comfortable rooms, fully equipped, and very close walking distance to the surf on Carenero.
• Aqua Lounge – Party hostel that is popular with surfers, almost nightly live music events, and the final stop of Filthy Friday.

Isla Bastimentos

Old Bank and the immediate surrounding area on Isla Bastimentos is another good place to stay for surfers in Bocas. Water Taxis are easy to find here and Old Bank is also where the trail to Wizard Beach starts. It is only a 5-minute water taxi out to the waves on Isla Carenero from here.

Where to stay for surfers:

Red Frog Bungalows

Red Frog Bungalows is a Boutique Surf Resort located on Red Frog Beach. Founded in 2008, they boast the most experience surf guiding in Bocas del Toro and are known for hosting the pros like Kelly Slater, Mick Fanning, Felipe Toledo, and many more. Located right on Red Frog Beach so when you aren’t surfing or fishing you’ll be staying on one of the most beautiful beaches in the archipelago.

• Eclypse del Mar – rustic, eco-friendly overwater bungalows in Old Bank
• Ataraxia Guesthouse – comfortable rooms with hosts that surf in a quieter location just outside of Old Bank
• Surf n Chill – Local homestay with funky jungle cabins – stay here for an unforgettable local Bastimentos experience – offering surf charters/ guiding and tours local style
• The Firefly – On the breezy open ocean side of town, amazing restaurant and views!
• Up in the Hill – located “up in the hill” above Old Bank. Amazing rainforest experience with awesome hosts, walk to wizard beach

North West End of Isla Solarte

The Northwest end of Isla Solarte (closest to Bocas Town) is another great spot to stay for a surf strip. You’ll need to take a water taxi out to surf, but this should only run about $5-$8 per person (each way) depending on where you stay. You’ll get the bonus of coming home to one of the most beautiful islands in Bocas!

Where to Stay:

• Sol Bungalows – #1 rated affordable overwater bungalow experience in the center of the islands
• Roam: Wellness, Surf, and Yoga Retreat – New Yoga/ Wellness and surf retreat center with private rooms and apartments
• Bambuda Lodge – Hostel/ Lodge in the rainforest with swimming pool, water slide, great food (rated #1 hostel in Panama)

Bocas del Toro Surfing Etiquette

The waves in Bocas del Toro can be the best in the world, but an unruly crowd will ruin the wave every time. Let’s follow the rules so we can all have better and safer sessions in Bocas! Here are some tips to have a good time surfing in Bocas del Toro:

• Be friendly, say hello to others when entering a line-up
• Don’t be overly greedy, let others get waves, and don’t paddle for every wave that comes.
• Don’t paddle straight to the peak when you first arrive. Others have been waiting long before you for a wave, let them go first.
• Don’t snowball others – if someone is going to get a wave, let them get it, and don’t paddle for it also causing it to break in weird sections, thus ruining the wave for the person who catches it.
• You should wait in line when surfing the point and reef breaks. It isn’t just about who is closer to the peak, but also who is waiting the longest. If someone is waiting and respecting the rules, it is definitely their priority for the wave.
• Be careful and only surf at spots that match your ability. Surfing is a dangerous sport and serious injuries can occur, especially when inexperienced surfers surf at more difficult spots.
• Respect the locals and the Local’s-Only spots

Check the Bocas del Toro Surf Report

Our favorite websites for checking the Bocas del Toro surf report are Surf-Forecast.com and Windy. We love surf-forecast for the energy reading which helps us better understand the power of the swells. When the energy readings are around 300-400 and up it is typically good for the reef breaks and anything below that is better for the beaches.

Windy.com is the best all-around weather report for Bocas del Toro. They seem to be very accurate and have metrics for everything you could want to know about. Be sure to use the ECMWF Forecast Model and not the GFS Forecast Model. Check out their Surf Report for Bocas del Toro below!

Bocas del Toro SurfIng Lessons, Board Rentals, and Surf Guiding

Bocas del Toro is a great place to learn to surf! There are several high-quality surf schools to choose from that offer competitively priced lessons and surfboard rentals. There are also a few reef breaks and beach breaks that are great for learning like Black Rock, Bibi’s Break, Old Man’s, and Wizard Beach.

Mono Loco Surf School (Lessons, Guiding, and Rentals)

Mono Loco Surf School has the highest quality surfboards and instructors. They offer surf lessons for $50 per person which includes around 30 minutes of surfing theory in a classroom setting, followed by 2 hours in the water. The whole lesson takes about 3 hours. Their boards are mostly hard-top, traditional-style longboards. Mono Loco Surf School rents surfboards for $25 per day. You can also hire a private surf guide through them!

La Buga Dive & Surf (Lessons and Rentals)

La Buga Dive & Surf also offers high-quality surf lessons and has a wide variety of surfboards to rent. They are a dive and surf school and also have an overwater restaurant, bar, and lounge area you can hang out at after your lesson! Their lessons also cost $50 per person and include on land theory with 2 hours in the water. Daily surfboard rentals are $20.

Escuela del Mar (EDM) (Lessons and Rentals)

Escuela del Mar is another top surf lesson option. The biggest difference with Escuela del Mar is that they use soft top surfboards for their lessons. Their on-land theory portion also takes place on an overwater platform on Isla Carenero. They also offer surf lessons for kids ages 4 and up. Escuela del Mar’s daily surfboard rentals can go for as little as $10 or up to $25 depending on the quality of the board.

Bocas Stoked Monkeys (Surf Guiding and High-Quality Boards)

Bocas Stoked Monkeys is a mom n’ pop shop located near Paunch that offers the highest quality surfboard rentals in Bocas. They also do surf guiding and have a cabin for rent.

Bocas Del Toro Surfing (Surf Guiding & Lessons)

Bocas del Toro Surfing offers high-quality private guiding experiences for all surf abilities. They specialize in group trips but can accommodate smaller groups like couples for surf lessons. Book in advance as they fill up quick!

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