CASA OCEANA - PANAMA VACATION RENTAL

• Surfing (see more about surfing at the bottom)
• Boating
• Sailing
• Jet skiing
• Water skiing
• Wake boarding
• Kayaking
• Fishing
• Snorkeling
• Scuba diving
• Swimming
• Laying on the beach
• Hiking / walking in the rain forest
• Bird watching
• Photography
• Horseback riding
• Wrestling with the alligator in the back
• ATV riding
• Day trips to surrounding areas
• Massages

Surfing

The surf in the archipelago of Bocas del Toro can get so good that sometimes people compare it with Indonesia or Tahiti ! Swell is produced by seasonally strong trade winds and cold fronts in the Caribbean Sea which produce potent short period swells. The biggest and most consistent swell hits Bocas in winter, from December through March, but you can surf year round and Bocas does not suffer tropical Typhoons. The climate is tropical and the tiny islands covered by lush primeval forest. The beaches are long, with white sand and fringed by swaying coconut trees. The water is warm - westsuits are not necessary - turquoise blue and clear, so you can see the reef while you surf. This comes handy as several of the breaks are reef breaks over shallow water.

Bocas del Toro offers a variety of different and uncrowded breaks, distributed between the islands of Colon, Bastimentos and Carenero. Waves range from long barrelling reef breaks to powerful beach breaks, steep drops and spitting tubes. The islands of Bocas catch just about any swell in the Caribbean and the waves are rarely under 4 feet while they can get as big as 25 with a good swell. The tides hardly fluctuates, so that you can surf all day long without having to wait for the tide.

Although it hosted the first Latino American Bodyboard Championship in 2002, Bocas is still virgin to the surfing world and the spots uncrowded. So far, there is not surf shop in these islands, so bring you repair kit - the coral reef breaks are deadly for boards ... and surfers ! Locals will nevertheless help you out with repairs to make some extra money.

Surf Spots
Colon Island: There are two reputed spots on Bocas' main island, Bluff Beach and The Bump. Bluff Beach is a long beach with very strong waves, but not always good for surfing - the underwater drop off makes long and continuous waves that break almost on the beach ! The Dump is a favourite with local surfers but also quite dangerous as the waves breaks close to a coral reef. Surfers must be careful to end their ride before the reef !

Bastimentos Island: The surfspots of Bastimentos are less visited as they are more difficult to reach. They can be accessed by boat from Bocas town and then a fifteen minutes walk from the jetty through Bastimentos Island National Park, a bird sanctuary and marine park. The big reef break called Silverbacks can hold a Hawaiian-like 25 foot right - mostly a big drop and short tube ride.

Carenero Key: A 200 yards long zippy ride over a shallow reef, just as good and dangerous as The Dump, on Colon Island.