Staying Home Sucks, home

Pan Dulce

Surf spot · Costa Rica

Is it worth the trip?

24Poor out of 100 for your dates

Stay home

Best on Thu 5: too small (4 ft swell at 11 s), 4 hours of offshore wind, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow

Each day of your trip, out of 100

Mon 2 · 24 out of 100

Swell
3 ft13 shollow
Energy
334kJ
Wind
N 1 kn
Temp
27°C

Tue 3 · 26 out of 100

Swell
4 ft10 shollow
Energy
268kJ
Wind
S 3 kn
Temp
27°C

Wed 4 · 19 out of 100

Swell
3 ft11 shollow
Energy
243kJ
Wind
W 5 kn
Temp
26°C

Thu 5 · 32 out of 100

Swell
4 ft11 shollow
Energy
323kJ
Wind
WNW 7 kn
Temp
26°C

Fri 6 · 23 out of 100

Swell
3 ft12 shollow
Energy
260kJ
Wind
N 2 kn
Temp
27°C

Sat 7 · 20 out of 100

Swell
3 ft11 shollow
Energy
162kJ
Wind
W 5 kn
Temp
27°C

Sun 8 · 10 out of 100

Swell
2 ft14 shollow
Energy
102kJ
Wind
WSW 3 kn
Temp
27°C

Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast

Forecast: next 10 days

Full forecast
  1. Sun 134, too small
  2. Mon 224, too small
  3. Tue 326, too small
  4. Wed 419, too small
  5. Thu 532, too small
  6. Fri 623, too small
  7. Sat 720, too small
  8. Sun 810, too small
  9. Mon 922, too small
  10. Tue 1026, too small

The spot in five facts

  • Faces Etakes swell from the E
  • Offshore: Wwind from the land
  • Beginner +who it suits
  • Works 5–20 ftof swell
  • Water 28 °Cno wetsuit

Full forecast

every day, every number

Pan Dulce does not suit intermediates. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.

Forecast and score for expert surfers at Pan Dulce, each day
DayScorefor ExpertSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 1Nov34, too small4 ft13 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.)490kJwind from the south, 4 knots28°C
Mon 2Nov24, too small3 ft13 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.)334kJwind from the north, 1 knot27°C
Tue 3Nov26, too small4 ft10 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.)268kJwind from the south, 3 knots27°C
Wed 4Nov19, too small3 ft11 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.)243kJwind from the west, 5 knots, offshore26°C
Thu 5Nov32, too small4 ft11 shollow2 ft at break (est.)323kJwind from the west-north-west, 7 knots, offshore26°C
Fri 6Nov23, too small3 ft12 shollow1 ft at break (est.)260kJwind from the north, 2 knots27°C
Sat 7Nov20, too small3 ft11 shollow1 ft at break (est.)162kJwind from the west, 5 knots, offshore27°C
Sun 8Nov10, too small2 ft14 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.)102kJwind from the west-south-west, 3 knots, offshore27°C
Mon 9Nov22, too small3 ft13 shollow2 ft at break (est.)230kJwind from the south-south-west, 4 knots28°C
Tue 10Nov26, too small3 ft11 shollow2 ft at break (est.)250kJwind from the east, 3 knots28°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

  • Sun 1 NovLow 00:41 −1.1 mHigh 06:51 +1.2 mLow 13:13 −1.2 mHigh 19:35 +1.1 m
  • Mon 2 NovLow 01:48 −1.0 mHigh 07:57 +1.0 mLow 14:19 −1.1 mHigh 20:43 +1.1 m
  • Tue 3 NovLow 03:03 −0.9 mHigh 09:12 +0.9 mLow 15:31 −1.0 mHigh 21:55 +1.1 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

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.

Surf spot

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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.

About

the place in full, sources, credits

About Pan Dulce

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.

The spot faces E (108°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (288°). 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 16). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 28°C in October, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in February, its warmest (no wetsuit). No town nearby. Nearest place to stay we found: Casa Bambu Beach Resort, Puerto Jimenez, 0 km. Nearest beds: Zancudo, 22 km (about 40 min by car). Nearest airport: Puerto Jimenez Airport (PJM), 15 km. Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.

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$697–US$1,330 each

about US$697–US$1,330 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, 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 
Rough cost per person for this trip
WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to DAV, estimated from distance and season, changing at PTY, full-service airlines, with a hold bagabout US$301–US$630
Hire car6 days, sharedabout US$94–US$161
Food7 days eating outabout US$208–US$389
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about US$114 to fly your ownabout US$94–US$154
Totalabout US$697–US$1,330

No town nearby, so no stay is in it. For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.

Where to stay: nearest beds 22 km away

No town nearby

Nearest place to stay we found: Casa Bambu Beach Resort, Puerto Jimenez, 0 km. Nearest beds: Zancudo, 22 km (about 40 min by car). Nearest airport: Puerto Jimenez Airport (PJM), 15 km.

See places to stay near Zancudo, 22 km away · Booking.com

Getting there: about 16h 05m

About 16h 05m door to door from Chicago

Fly ORD → DAV, changing at Tocumen International Airport (PTY), then 3h 05m by road

An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.