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Isla Grande
Surf spot · Panama
Is it worth the trip?
6Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: too small (3 ft swell at 6 s), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 10 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 shollow
- Energy
- 41kJ
- Wind
- N 1 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Wed 4 · 7 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 shollow
- Energy
- 16kJ
- Wind
- ESE 3 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Thu 5 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft2 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- SW 3 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Fri 6 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft2 s
- Energy
- 0kJ
- Wind
- NNE 1 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Sat 7 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft3 smushy
- Energy
- 2kJ
- Wind
- W 4 kn
- Temp
- 30°C
Sun 8 · 5 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft3 shollow
- Energy
- 2kJ
- Wind
- E 2 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Mon 9 · 1 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft8 s
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- SSW 1 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 214, too small
- Tue 310, too small
- Wed 47, too small
- Thu 52, too small
- Fri 62, too small
- Sat 74, too small
- Sun 85, too small
- Mon 91, too small
- Tue 102, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces NWtakes swell from the NW
- Offshore: SEwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 5–20 ftof swell
- Water 29 °Cno wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
Isla Grande does not suit intermediates. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Expert | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 14, too small | 4 ft6 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 90kJ | wind from the west, 4 knots | 30°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 10, too small | 3 ft6 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 41kJ | wind from the north, 1 knot | 29°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 7, too small | 2 ft5 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 16kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 3 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 2, too small | under 1 ft2 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the south-west, 3 knots | 27°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 2, too small | under 1 ft2 s1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 1 knot | 29°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 4, too small | 1 ft3 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 2kJ | wind from the west, 4 knots | 30°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 5, too small | 1 ft3 shollow1 ft at break (est.) | 2kJ | offshorewind from the east, 2 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 1, too small | under 1 ft8 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 1 knot | 28°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 2, too small | 1 ft4 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 2kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 5 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 00:59 −0.2 mHigh 07:14 +0.0 mLow 11:52 −0.1 mHigh 18:19 +0.2 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 01:36 −0.2 mHigh 08:00 +0.1 mLow 13:19 −0.0 mHigh 19:17 +0.2 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 02:14 −0.1 mHigh 08:48 +0.1 mLow 14:50 −0.1 mHigh 20:20 +0.1 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
Isla Grande 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.
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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
3 places
- Manzanillo 3.2 km away
- EL Playon 3.5 km away
- Isla mamey 3.8 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Isla Grande
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces NW (305°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (125°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 150 m out (1 in 14). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 28°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 29°C in May, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Isla Grande, 0.4 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots and 2 wind sports spots.
Water about 29°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 5 min by car · 9 places to stay
about US$54/nightcountry average
About Isla Grande its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Cacique on Booking.com
about 10 min by car · 5 places to stay
- Beds in Portobelo on Booking.com
about 25 min by car · 3 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 10h 45m
About 10h 45m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → PTY, direct, then 1h 25m by road
Flights ORD → PTY on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.