El Chumical, Panama
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About El Chumical
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces SE (157°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (337°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–7 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 4.3 km out (1 in 435). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 25°C in February, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 29°C in May, its warmest (no wetsuit). For beginners the best months are usually June, July and September, with about 3 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Veracruz, 1.6 km away (about 5 min by car).
Water about 29°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
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The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.
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From Chicago: about 10 h 10 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 returnAdGetting there. 55 min from the airport to El Chumical.
Accommodation.
Stay in VeracruzAd
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.
Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).
See all places to stay in Veracruz (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Veracruz 3 min by car · rooms from £50 a night · 1 places to stay · where El Chumical stays
Places to stay in Veracruz · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Veracruz · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Veracruz · GetYourGuideAd
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El Chumical on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
The score for beginners, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Score for beginners | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 22, too small | 1 ft6 smushy | 6kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 4 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 23, too small | 1 ft11 ssoft | 15kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 7 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 20, too small | 1 ft11 ssoft | 10kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 17, too small | 1 ft10 ssoft | 8kJ | offshorewind from the west-north-west, 6 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 16, too small | 1 ft11 ssoft | 9kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 5 knots | 28°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 19, too small | 1 ft12 ssoft | 11kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 5 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 17, too small | 1 ft11 ssoft | 9kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 3 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 16, too small | 1 ft10 s | 6kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 5 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 15, too small | 1 ft9 s | 5kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 6 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 11, too small | 1 ft8 s | 4kJ | offshorewind from the west-north-west, 4 knots, offshore | 31°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 OctTravel out
Direct flight ORD to PTY, then 55 min by road. About 10h 10 door to door
- Tue 20 OctRest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
- Wed 21 OctRest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
- Thu 22 OctRest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
- Sat 24 OctRest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Direct flight ORD to PTY, then 55 min by road. About 10h 10 door to door
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.
| 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 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £135–£225 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £125–£235 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 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.
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Where to stayAd
Places to stay · Booking.com (ad)Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.