Playa Venado, Panama

No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Pedasí, 22 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: CTD (CTD), 66 km.

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About Playa Venado

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

The spot faces S (176°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (356°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 200 m out (1 in 18). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 26°C in February, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 29°C in May, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually April, May, June and July, with about 6 good days in 7; in January and December, about 3. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Pedasí, 22 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: CTD (CTD), 66 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.

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From Chicago: about 13 h 05 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to PTY, direct.
See flights ORD → PTY · Skyscanner from about £265 returnAd
Getting there. 3 h 50 from the airport to Playa Venado.
Car hire · Discover CarsAd
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this site yet: Pedasí, 22 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: CTD (CTD), 66 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Playa Venado · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in Playa Venado · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Playa Venado on Google Maps · Directions

Surf spot

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Forecast

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

Forecast and score for intermediate surfers at Playa Venado, each day
Day	Score for intermediates	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	73, good	4 ft15 shollow	677kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 3 knots, offshore	29°C
Mon 19Oct	68, good	4 ft11 shollow	375kJ	wind from the west-north-west, 1 knot	29°C
Tue 20Oct	65, good	4 ft11 shollow	314kJ	wind from the west-south-west, 4 knots	27°C
Wed 21Oct	58, good	4 ft10 shollow	252kJ	wind from the south-east, 2 knots	27°C
Thu 22Oct	70, good	4 ft12 shollow	400kJ	wind from the south-east, 4 knots	28°C
Fri 23Oct	61, good	4 ft12 shollow	386kJ	wind from the north-west, 2 knots, offshore	28°C
Sat 24Oct	69, good	4 ft11 shollow	317kJ	wind from the north-west, 4 knots, offshore	27°C
Sun 25Oct	54, good	3 ft11 shollow	193kJ	wind from the east-north-east, 4 knots	27°C
Mon 26Oct	42, fair	3 ft9 shollow	110kJ	wind from the north, 2 knots, offshore	28°C
Tue 27Oct	26, too small	2 ft8 shollow	40kJ	wind from the east-north-east, 0 knots	28°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

Mon 19 Oct
Travel out
Direct flight ORD to PTY, then 3h 50 by road. About 13h 05 door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Surf Playa Venado
Best 16:00 to 19:00 local time: 4 ft at 11 s, wind 4 kn (7 km/h).
Wed 21 Oct
Surf Playa Venado
Best 07:00 to 10:00 local time: 4 ft at 10 s, wind 2 kn (4 km/h).
Thu 22 Oct
Surf Playa Venado
Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, wind 4 kn (8 km/h).
Fri 23 Oct
Surf Playa Venado
Best 07:00 to 10:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, offshore wind.
Sat 24 Oct
Surf Playa Venado
Best 07:00 to 10:00 local time: 4 ft at 11 s, offshore wind.
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Direct flight ORD to PTY, then 3h 50 by road. About 13h 05 door to door

Rough cost

About £535–£1,040 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book. No town nearby, so no stay is in it.

Rough cost per person for this trip
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	£265–£550
To the UK airport	parking or the train, there and back	£35–£65
Hire car	6 days, shared	£55–£95
Food	7 days eating out	£125–£235
Board and wetsuit	5 days, or about £85 to fly your own	£55–£95
Total		£535–£1,040

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

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Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

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Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

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