The Rock, Panama

No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Pedasí, 21 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: CTD (CTD), 67 km.

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About The Rock

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

The spot faces SW (226°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (46°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 1–6 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 26°C in February, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 29°C in May, its warmest (no wetsuit). For beginners the best months are usually January, February and December, with about 7 good days in 7; in June, September and October, about 3. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Pedasí, 21 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: CTD (CTD), 67 km. Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.

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 The Rock.
Car hire · Discover CarsAd
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this site yet: Pedasí, 21 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: CTD (CTD), 67 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in The Rock · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in The Rock · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

The Rock on Google Maps · Directions

Surf spot

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Forecast

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

Forecast and score for beginner surfers at The Rock, each day
Day	Score for beginners	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	0, too big	4 ft15 shollow	677kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 2 knots	29°C
Mon 19Oct	0, too big	4 ft11 shollow	375kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 2 knots	28°C
Tue 20Oct	14, poor	3 ft10 shollow	186kJ	wind from the north, 4 knots	27°C
Wed 21Oct	22, poor	3 ft10 shollow	204kJ	wind from the south, 6 knots	27°C
Thu 22Oct	0, too big	4 ft12 shollow	396kJ	wind from the east-north-east, 2 knots	27°C
Fri 23Oct	0, too big	4 ft12 shollow	386kJ	wind from the north-west, 2 knots	28°C
Sat 24Oct	0, too big	4 ft11 shollow	317kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 5 knots	28°C
Sun 25Oct	52, good	3 ft11 shollow	193kJ	wind from the east-north-east, 5 knots, offshore	28°C
Mon 26Oct	64, good	2 ft8 shollow	70kJ	wind from the south-west, 4 knots	29°C
Tue 27Oct	66, good	2 ft9 shollow	45kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 2 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 beginner 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 The Rock
Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 3 ft at 10 s, wind 4 kn (8 km/h).
Wed 21 Oct
Surf The Rock
Best 13:00 to 16:00 local time: 3 ft at 10 s, wind 6 kn (11 km/h).
Thu 22 Oct
Rest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.
Fri 23 Oct
Rest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.
Sat 24 Oct
Rest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.
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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Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

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