Costa Esmeralda
Surf spot · Panama
Is it worth the trip?
6Poor out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Tue 3 · 8 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft11 s
- Energy
- 8kJ
- Wind
- SW 4 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Wed 4 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft10 s
- Energy
- 4kJ
- Wind
- WSW 7 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Thu 5 · 8 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft12 s
- Energy
- 8kJ
- Wind
- W 5 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Fri 6 · 5 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft9 s
- Energy
- 4kJ
- Wind
- WSW 8 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Sat 7 · 5 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft11 s
- Energy
- 4kJ
- Wind
- SW 6 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Sun 8 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft15 s
- Energy
- 3kJ
- Wind
- S 4 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Mon 9 · 7 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft13 s
- Energy
- 6kJ
- Wind
- ENE 1 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 28, too small
- Tue 38, too small
- Wed 44, too small
- Thu 58, too small
- Fri 65, too small
- Sat 75, too small
- Sun 83, too small
- Mon 97, too small
- Tue 107, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces SEtakes swell from the SE
- Offshore: NWwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 3–12 ftof swell
- Water 28 °Cno wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 8, too small | 1 ft12 s1 ft at break (est.) | 9kJ | wind from the east, 3 knots | 28°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 8, too small | 1 ft11 s1 ft at break (est.) | 8kJ | wind from the south-west, 4 knots | 28°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 4, too small | under 1 ft10 s1 ft at break (est.) | 4kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 7 knots | 28°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 8, too small | 1 ft12 s1 ft at break (est.) | 8kJ | wind from the west, 5 knots | 27°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 5, too small | 1 ft9 s1 ft at break (est.) | 4kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 8 knots | 28°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 5, too small | under 1 ft11 s1 ft at break (est.) | 4kJ | wind from the south-west, 6 knots | 28°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 3, too small | under 1 ft15 s1 ft at break (est.) | 3kJ | wind from the south, 4 knots | 28°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 7, too small | under 1 ft13 s1 ft at break (est.) | 6kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 1 knot | 28°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 7, too small | 1 ft11 s1 ft at break (est.) | 7kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 4 knots | 28°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Mon 2 NovLow 02:55 −1.5 mHigh 09:02 +1.5 mLow 15:24 −1.6 mHigh 21:49 +1.6 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 04:07 −1.4 mHigh 10:20 +1.4 mLow 16:36 −1.5 mHigh 23:04 +1.6 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 05:22 −1.4 mHigh 11:39 +1.4 mLow 17:47 −1.5 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Map
the spot and its town
Costa Esmeralda on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for intermediates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More surf near here
5 places
- Tetas 2.1 km away
- Jeffreys's (San Carlos Point) 3.1 km away
- El palmar point 3.9 km away
- Punta del Palmar 3.9 km away
- Riomar 6.1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Costa Esmeralda
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SE (139°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (319°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 3–12 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 850 m out (1 in 85). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 25°C in March, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 29°C in May, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is San Carlos, 3.6 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots and 1 wind sports spot.
Water about 28°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$764–US$1,450 each
about US$764–US$1,450 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to PTY, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$301–US$630 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$74–US$127 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$147–US$248 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$167–US$315 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$74–US$127 |
| Total | about US$764–US$1,450 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
about 10 min by car · 12 places to stay
about US$54/nightcountry average
About San Carlos its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Coronado Cocle on Booking.com
about 10 min by car · 16 places to stay
- Beds in Gorgona on Booking.com
about 20 min by car · 14 places to stay
About US$54 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 11h 10m
About 11h 10m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → PTY, direct, then 1h 55m by road
Flights ORD → PTY on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.