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Costa Esmeralda, Panama

Stay in San Carlos: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of San Carlos

Watch this spot We email you when Costa Esmeralda is worth the trip.

About Costa Esmeralda

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces SE (139°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (319°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 3–12 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 850 m out (1 in 85). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 25°C in March, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 29°C in May, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is San Carlos, 3.6 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots.

Water about 29°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 11 h 05 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to PTY, direct.

    See flights ORD → PTY · Skyscanner from about £265 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 50 from the airport to Costa Esmeralda.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in San CarlosAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in San Carlos · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in San Carlos · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Costa Esmeralda on Google Maps · Directions

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct111 ft13 scrumbling20kJ29°C
Mon 19Oct111 ft10 scrumbling16kJ29°C
Tue 20Oct81 ft10 scrumbling11kJ28°C
Wed 21Oct81 ft10 scrumbling9kJ27°C
Thu 22Oct101 ft12 scrumbling13kJ27°C
Fri 23Oct81 ft12 scrumbling11kJ29°C
Sat 24Oct81 ft11 scrumbling10kJ28°C
Sun 25Oct51 ft10 s6kJ28°C
Mon 26Oct51 ft9 s5kJ28°C
Tue 27Oct5under 1 ft8 s3kJ27°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight ORD to PTY, then 1h 50 by road. About 11h 05 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to PTY, then 1h 50 by road. About 11h 05 door to door

The plan picks the best of 6 spots near San Carlos each day: Costa Esmeralda, El palmar point, Jeffreys's (San Carlos Point), Punta del Palmar, Riomar, Tetas.

The trip from San Carlos, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £670–£1,265 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to PTY, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag£265–£550
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£55–£95
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£135–£225
Food7 days eating out£125–£235
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£55–£95
Total£670–£1,265

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near San Carlos

  • Restaurante El ParqueChinese · 0.1 km from the centre
  • La Petita De San CarlosBar and grill · 0.5 km from the centre
  • Carlitos PizzasPizza · 0.7 km from the centre

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.