PirateArts Experience Resort is the best location for surfers that are visiting Bocas. We are strategically located on the western tip of Carenero Island putting us at just a 5 minute walk from the world class surf at Carenero Point. Surfers will also be able to hop on a water taxi from our private dock and be in the water at Paunch or Bluff within minutes. This is why the world’s best surfers have come to stay at our resort, and why you will love it also!
BOCAS DEL TORO
SURF SPOT GUIDE
Welcome to our Bocas del Toro Surf Spot Guide!
In this guide you will find a detailed list of the many different Surf Spots around Bocas del Toro and also how to get there from PirateArts Experience Resort on Isla Carenero.
BOCAS DEL TORO
surf spot guide
SPOT: Bluff Beach
- Location: Isla Colon
- Wave Type: Beach Break
- Skill Level: Advanced
- Getting There: 20-min Water Taxi or 40-min Land Taxi
Bluff Beach is a beautiful stretch of coast on Isla Colon where the sound of the thick rainforest filled with howler monkeys and buzzing insects is in a constant battle with the roar of the waves breaking just a few meters away. The surf is heavy and punishing and will teach many a lesson to the amateur surfer or swimmer. This spot will deliver huge barrels even when it is small and becomes strictly for the best surfers when it is big. Bring an extra board because Bluff loves to break them!
SPOT: Paunch Reef
- Location: Isla Colon
- Wave Type: Reef Break
- Skill Level: Intermediate – Advanced
- Getting There: 5-min Water Taxi or 10-15-min Land Taxi
Paunch Reef is a left and right hand reef break that can have a few different take-off spots. The most crowded and best section of the wave breaks to the left and can have a big barrel section followed by a long open wall for turns. Paunch can be soft and fat when it is smaller but will famously turn into, “Punch,” when it is big. There is a small keyhole entrance through the reef that you use to paddle out from the beach, or you can get dropped off in the channel by water-taxi and paddle over to the break.
Piratearts experience resort
- Location: Isla Carenero
- 5 minutes walking to Carenero Point, Black Rock and Old Mans!
- 10 minute water taxi to Paunch!
Luxury apartments for rent in Bocas del Toro, just 5 minutes walking distance to surf at Carenero Point, Black Rock, and Old Mans. Live the dream life of a surfer in Panama!
SPOT: Tiger Tails
- Location: Isla Colon
- Wave Type: Reef Break
- Skill Level: Intermediate – Advanced
- Getting There: 5 Minute Water Taxi or 10 Minute Land Taxi
Tiger Tails is a right and left hand reef break that is a great spot to bring your non-surfing significant other as there is a great restaurant/ bar on the beach right in front of it called Paki Point. The wave has fast right and left sections with a menacing rock sticking out on the left that needs to be avoided. It can be shallow on the inside of the wave but the reef here is covered in a soft grass so it is not as threatening as some other spots. Tiger Tails can have swell even when it is very small but will be closed out when Bocas is at its biggest.
SPOT: Carenero Point
- Location: Isla Carenero
- Wave Type: Point Break
- Skill Level: Intermediate – Advanced
- Getting There: 10 Minute Walk or 5 Minute Water Taxi
Carenero Point is the premiere left-hand point break in Bocas del Toro. It is located on the tip of Isla Carenero and features a long left-hand breaking wave with multiple take of sections. When it is really good, it will break from the point all the way down to the inside offering the longest rides in Bocas and plenty of opportunities for barrels and turns. Carenero Point can be great for intermediate surfers when it is small to medium size but will deliver heavy beat downs when it is big, especially on the inside. Beware of paddling out past the top take off point, as the outside-outside of Carenero Point is for locals only and you will be sent back.
SPOT: Old Mans
- Location: Isla Carenero
- Wave Type: Point/ Reef Break
- Skill Level: Beginner – Advanced
- Getting There: 10 Minute Walk or 5 Minute Water Taxi
Old Mans is a smaller left hand point break that is located just down from Carenero Point and is adjacent to Black Rock. This section of reef also has a few different take off spots and is popular with the surf schools. It is a good entry level wave to get accustomed to point breaks and is a great place for younger kids to learn. There is shallow reef towards the inside of the wave so be sure to ride them to the left and get out before you lose your fins!
SPOT: Black Rock
- Location: Isla Carenero
- Wave Type: Reef Break
- Skill Level: Beginner – Intermedia
- Getting There: 10 Minute Walk (+ paddle) or 5 Minute Water Tax
Black Rock is a popular reef break that sits just off the coast of Isla Carenero and is named after an outcropping of Black Rocks that stick out of the reef on the inside. This spot is very popular among beginners and surf schools and is where most of the surf lessons take place. Black Rock features both a right and a left and has deep channels on either side of the reef where the wave doesn’t break, so you can paddle back out to the top easily. The reef is deep and is generally not something to worry about. This is also a great place to practice your surfing etiquette before you graduate to the more advanced waves around the islands!
SPOT: Bibi's Break
- Location: Isla Carenero
- Wave Type: Reef/ Sand Break
- Skill Level: Beginner
- Getting There: 15 Minute Walk or 5 Minute Water Tax
Bibi’s Break is fun little wave that is great for young kids and beginners. It breaks over a shallow, mostly sand bottom and is a gentle white-water wave. Kids love this spot because they can stand and play around while they also surf. When the really big swells come the surf schools will often bring their classes here also. There is a nice beach nearby and a great over-water restaurant at Bibi’s by the Beach, hence the name of the break!
SPOT: Silverbacks
- Location: Isla Bastimentos
- Wave Type: Right Slab/ Big Wave Spot
- Skill Level: Advanced – Pro
- Getting There: 15-Min Boat Ride
Silverbacks is one of the most famous waves in Bocas del Toro and is reverently referred to as, “The Beast.” It is a reef break that produces a massive right handed barrel with no room for turns, or error. The wave is created by a steep underwater ridge that rises up from 40 feet deep to about 10 feet where the wave breaks. Big swells slam unimpeded into the ridge which shoots the energy upwards like a ramp, causing the lurching barrel to form. Strong currents and a shifty take off zone add to the treachery of this spot which should only be reserved for the most advanced surfers.
SPOT: Wizard Beach
- Location: Isla Bastimentos
- Wave Type: Beach Break
- Skill Level: Beginner – Advanced
- Getting There: 10 Minute Water Taxi to Old Bank and then a 30 Minute Hike
Wizard Beach is a huge stretch of sand that is a 20 minute walk through the jungle from the laid back Afro-Caribbean town of Old Bank on Isla Bastimentos. The wave itself changes from hour to hour depending on the tide and size, but catch it at the right combination and it can produce some of the best waves in Bocas. It is generally better with smaller swells and can have long lefts and rights depending on the sand bars. Come here on a sunny day when the water is clear and you will see the magic!
SPOT: Red Frog Beach
- Location: Isla Bastimentos
- Wave Type: Beach Break
- Skill Level: Beginner
- Getting There: 15 Minute Water Taxi and then a 15 Minute Jungle Walk
Red Frog Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Bocas and also one of the most popular tourist beaches. The wave here is best for beginners who want to surf white water or for body surfing close out tubes. There might be a few good days to be had here but you’re better off going to Wizard or Long Beach to surf and saving Red Frog for post surf fish tacos and cold balboas!
SPOT: Long Beach
- Location: Isla Bastimentos
- Wave Type: Beach Break
- Skill Level: Beginner – Advanced
- Getting There: 30 Minute Boat Ride
Long Beach is a super sick wave that falls within the boundaries of the Bastimentos National Marine Park which means the entire beach is protected, mainly because of the abundance of sea turtles that nest here. It is a very long stretch of beach with nothing on it besides a small house in the corner where the park rangers are headquartered. The ride is a bit long to get out here but is almost always worth it. The wave is known to have plenty of peaks and barrels and can get very big and still be rideable. Go out here with a knowledgable captain and be sure to anchor the boat in the right spot!
BOCAS DEL TORO SURF SEASONS
Bocas del Toro has two surf seasons in the year. The first surf season coincides with high season for tourism which is November-March. The biggest and best swells will mostly occur in December, January and February when the waves can be overhead for weeks on end. This is also the most crowded time of the year, but with a little effort and the right guide you can score uncrowded or empty waves your entire trip. November and March also receive swell and are less crowded. During high season there is almost always some swell, so if it’s not head-high on the reef you can always go to bluff, wizard or long beach and score.
The second surf season in Bocas del Toro occurs during June, July, and August. This season is characterized as having less powerful swells than high season but also less crowds and glassier conditions. Again, if the swell isn’t head high on the reef breaks around Bocas, hop on a boat or hike to the beach and you will have just as much fun!
Article Written by Drew Berger
Drew is a web designer and blogger who has lived in Bocas del Toro since 2015. He is the owner of The Bocas del Toro Blog, a travel blog about Bocas del Toro. Drew is passionate about surfing, spearfishing, and showing people the best that Bocas del Toro has to offer!