Lajas
Surf spot · Panama
Is it worth the trip?
23Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: 2 ft swell at 3 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 12 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft6 s
- Energy
- 4kJ
- Wind
- SSW 4 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Wed 4 · 22 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft6 s
- Energy
- 6kJ
- Wind
- SW 10 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Thu 5 · 41 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft3 s
- Energy
- 7kJ
- Wind
- WNW 8 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Fri 6 · 18 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft6 s
- Energy
- 10kJ
- Wind
- SW 8 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Sat 7 · 22 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft4 s
- Energy
- 11kJ
- Wind
- SSW 11 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Sun 8 · 14 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft5 s
- Energy
- 4kJ
- Wind
- S 4 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Mon 9 · 13 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft6 s
- Energy
- 2kJ
- Wind
- SE 0 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 217, too small
- Tue 312, too small
- Wed 422, too small
- Thu 541, poor
- Fri 618, too small
- Sat 722, poor
- Sun 814, too small
- Mon 913, too small
- Tue 109, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces SEtakes swell from the SE
- Offshore: NWwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 2–7 ftof swell
- Water 28 °Cno wetsuit
- Best May–Aug3 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for beginners | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 17, too small | 1 ft5 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 5kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 2 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 12, too small | 1 ft6 s1 ft at break (est.) | 4kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 4 knots | 28°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 22, too small | 1 ft6 s1 ft at break (est.) | 6kJ | wind from the south-west, 10 knots | 28°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 41, poor | 2 ft3 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 7kJ | offshorewind from the west-north-west, 8 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 18, too small | 1 ft6 s1 ft at break (est.) | 10kJ | wind from the south-west, 8 knots | 28°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 22, poor | 2 ft4 s1 ft at break (est.) | 11kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 11 knots | 29°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 14, too small | 1 ft5 s1 ft at break (est.) | 4kJ | wind from the south, 4 knots | 28°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 13, too small | 1 ft6 s1 ft at break (est.) | 2kJ | wind from the south-east, 0 knots | 28°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 9, too small | under 1 ft6 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | offshorewind from the west-north-west, 6 knots, offshore | 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 02:56 −1.6 mHigh 09:05 +1.6 mLow 15:26 −1.7 mHigh 21:52 +1.6 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 04:08 −1.5 mHigh 10:24 +1.4 mLow 16:38 −1.6 mHigh 23:08 +1.6 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 05:23 −1.5 mHigh 11:44 +1.4 mLow 17:49 −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.
Best time to go
best May–Aug
Good days in a typical week, each month, for beginners, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May3of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun3of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul3of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug3of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep2of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov2of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
Lajas on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for beginners: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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Photos of Lajas
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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Lajas
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SE (132°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (312°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–7 ft of swell. The sea is about 26°C in February, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 29°C in May, its warmest (no wetsuit). For beginners the best months are usually May, June, July and August, with about 3 good days in 7; in January and February, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Saboga, 2.5 km away (about 5 min by car).
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: Saboga
about 5 min by car · 5 places to stay
about US$54/nightcountry average
About Saboga its beds, food and every spot near it
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 40m
About 10h 40m 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.