Rio Mar & the coast · Panama
Surfing Rio Mar
A right point in Rio Mar & the coast, Panama, for intermediate surfers.
Rio Mar is a beach on the West Panamá coast, about an hour and a half from Panama City. A fun right breaks along a long rock ledge at low tide, a good walk from the beach access. At higher tides, try the beach breaks next to it.
It has hosted contests, though the waves tend to close out on bigger days. Rio Mar Surf Camp is on the beach, and it's a common base for surfing the rest of this coast.
The season runs from April to October, with the best swells usually from July to September. The beach is a popular weekend trip from Panama City, so weekdays are much quieter.
When to surf
Rio Mar
Rio Mar is at its best from April to October. Conditions it likes: S-SW swell, low tide.
April to June: Good
S-SW swell building; the narrow window means it's smaller than Santa Catalina
July to September: Prime
Peak S-SW season, best NZ lows send the optimum ~210° swell; onshore afternoons
October to November: Good
Onshore south winds increasingly dominate late in the season
December to March: Quiet
Dry season, offshore northerlies, but swells are unreliable and often flat
The year across West Panamá Province
Waves near Rio Mar
Hawaiisito (Little Hawaii)
under 1 kmRio Mar & the coast · Beach Break · Beginner / Intermediate
San Carlos Point (Jeffreys)
4 kmRio Mar & the coast · Right Point · Intermediate
Costa Esmeralda
7 kmRio Mar & the coast · Left & Right Reef · Intermediate
Straight-line distances. By road it is usually further.
Getting there
Where to stay: This coast is an easy 1-1.5h drive from Panama City down the Pan-American Highway, great bus and taxi links. Base at Rio Mar Surf Camp (on the point) or in Coronado/Gorgona for more choice. The road system is among Central America's best, so a rental car makes spot-hopping easy.
Transport, costs, where to stay and the rest of the waves in the area are in the Rio Mar & the coast guide.
Rio Mar & the coast surf guideSurf it often and something here is wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.