Santa Catalina, Veraguas

Santa Catalina is rumored to have the best surfing on the Pacific Coast of the Americas. A few surfing competitions are held here every year, but the destination caters mainly to a daring group of hard core surfers eager to risk their lives.

I could hear waves as we arrived by bus from Sona. A small hangout up the hill from the beach had a restaurant, rooms for rent, and a handful of dark-skinned surfers browsing surf magazines and tending wounds from nasty spills against sharp coral below the break.

Conversation at the dinner table revealed that Santa Catalina deserved its prestigious reputation. Surfers from the USA, South Africa and New Zealand agreed that this break “is one of the biggest and most consistent breaks there is, dude.”

Credits: Gary Savedra – Photo: Philippe Demarsan / Surfos

That afternoon, surfers came in as the wind had picked up. A crowd had gathered below and I went down to the shore only moments before a huge wave broke right over the top of a fishing boat attempting to reach the shore.

Equipment and parts were strewn near the half-sunken boat. I could see a man struggling to stay near the boat as another huge wave crested and crashed.

Minutes later another boat entered the water in an attempt to rescue the fisherman but that boat too was easily toppled. Men on shore attempted to drag the second boat in with ropes while the first boat lay at the mercy of the sea.

Eventually a truck was hitched to chains and hooked to the remains of the hull, which was severely damaged but still intact. In a village where fishing is the livelihood for many families, losing a boat can be a tragic disaster.

As the afternoon sun began to sink, my friend Sammy stood up and threw me a nod. I knew it was my turn to brave the surf. The tide was down and the air was calm – perfect conditions for a rookie. I consider myself an average swimmer, but both times I had tried surfing before I had failed to remain standing for more than a few seconds.

I did notice immediately that the waves were slow breaking and consistent and that there was less risk of being tumbled and turned after the break. These waves pushed, however, which made it difficult to paddle out past the break.

Eventually I did make it out past the break and hauled in a couple of waves. I was getting tired when Sammy turned in to the beach. The sun had set and it was time to kick back in a hammock swinging in the hot sea breeze, sipping cerveza.

Related Articles

Las Lajas – Las Lajas in the most popular beach destination in the Province of Chiriqui, Panama.

Volcan Baru – Volcan Baru is the highest peak in Panama offering incredible ocean views and spectacular cloud forest.

Santa Catalina – Santa Catalina has the best break in Panama for surfing.