Panama surf guide
Surfing Morro Negrito
Boat-access island reefs, P-Land, Nestles and the surf camp
- Spots5
- LevelsAdvanced, Beginner, Intermediate
- Best seasonApr-Oct
- RegionSouthwest Panama
The waves at Morro Negrito
P-Land
- Reef Break
- Advanced
- 3-8 ft
- Apr-Oct
- Crowd 2/5
P-Land wraps around the south-western tip of the Morro Negrito surf-camp island, peaking on a tabletop reef that creates fast, tubing lefts and pinching rights in equal measure. Usually bigger than the other spots, it's best at higher tides, and the tight take-off zone doesn't handle a crowd, get it right and it's the standout wave of the zone.
Further down the reef is the much easier ride at Leftovers, a good back-up when P-Land's peak is too tight or too heavy. The whole set-up is reached by boat as part of the Morro Negrito camp, which keeps numbers low.
Come on a solid south-west swell at higher tide, board up for fast, hollow sections and respect the shallow tabletop. P-Land is the jewel of the Morro Negrito reefs, a punchy, tubing peak that rewards experienced surfers who can slot into a tight take-off, in a remote island setting few travellers ever reach.
8.05, -81.55 · Swell S-SW, marea alta
Nestles
- Reef Break
- Advanced
- 2-8 ft
- Apr-Oct
- Crowd 2/5
A 10-minute paddle to the east of P-Land is Nestles, an explosive but short peak where experts will get tube time after the sucky drop on the favoured rights before emerging onto the fat shoulder. The lefts head straight for some rocks, so the right is the play, a fast, hollow take-off that rewards precise, committed surfing over a shallow reef.
Part of the Morro Negrito camp's boat-access reefs, it's an intense, high-quality wave that suits confident surfers looking for a quick barrel rather than a long ride. The camp is close to two rocky left-handers as well, for competent surfers or better.
Come on a solid south-west swell, favour the rights and be ready for a sucky, critical drop. Nestles is an experts' wave, short, sharp and hollow, one of the cluster of quality reefs around the Morro Negrito island that make the remote trip out from Remedios so worthwhile.
8.05, -81.54 · Swell S-SW
Emily's
- Reef Break
- Intermediate / Advanced
- 2-6 ft
- Apr-Oct
- Crowd 2/5
Emily's is right in front of the accommodation and peels over some sharp reef and barnacle-encrusted rocks at variable speed, flicking between whackable walls and a few tight tubes. Its convenience, you can watch it from the camp and paddle straight out, makes it the everyday wave at Morro Negrito, with enough variety to suit solid intermediates through to experts depending on the day.
The sharp reef and barnacles mean it pays to know your positioning and wear protection, but the reward is a fun, rippable wave on your doorstep that changes character with the tide and swell.
Come on a south-west swell for a mix of workable walls and the odd tube, and mind the barnacle-crusted reef. Emily's is the reliable home break of the Morro Negrito camp, right out front, endlessly surfable and varied enough to keep everyone busy while the bigger reefs nearby wait for the right conditions.
8.04, -81.54 · Swell S-SW
The Point
- Point Break
- Advanced
- 3-8 ft
- Apr-Oct
- Crowd 1/5
Twenty minutes' walk south of the Morro Negrito camp, The Point needs a sizable swell to build some fast, pitching lefts at lower tides. It's a swell-up option rather than an everyday wave, but when a solid south-west pulse arrives and the tide drops, it throws quick, hollow left walls for confident surfers willing to make the short trek.
Being off the beaten path even by Morro Negrito standards, it stays empty, giving you a fast reef point largely to yourself when it's on. The walk and the fickle nature keep it a reward for the committed.
Come on a solid south-west swell at lower tide, board up for fast, pitching lefts and be ready for a critical wave. The Point is one for the surfers happy to wait for size and walk for their waves, a punchy, uncrowded left that completes the varied menu of reefs and points around the remote Morro Negrito island.
8.04, -81.53 · Swell S-SW grande, marea baja
Sandbar
- Beach Break
- Beginner / Intermediate
- 2-6 ft
- Apr-Oct
- Crowd 1/5
For length of ride, the rivermouth south of the Morro Negrito camp is unbeatable, sculpting a sandbar that offers 200-400m rides down both sides of the triangle depending on swell direction. Soft, forgiving shoulders and faster, crumbling sections offer something for all levels, and it's fairly consistent despite being shadowed by Coiba island offshore.
That combination, long rides, gentle shoulders and reliability, makes Sandbar the friendliest wave in the zone, a place where beginners and improvers can log endless mellow walls while the experts hit the reefs. The rivermouth setting, in a wild island landscape, is beautiful.
Come on a south-west swell and pick the side of the triangle that's working with the direction. Sandbar is the mellow all-rounder of the Morro Negrito set-up, long, soft and consistent, the ideal complement to the sharper reefs nearby and a wave that genuinely suits every standard of surfer.
8.03, -81.53 · Swell S-SW
Where to stay near Morro Negrito
- Morro Negrito Surf Camp — Surf Camp: The island's only stay, full-board bungalows with boat access to P-Land, Nestles, Emily's and the reefs. All-inclusive.
- Remedios guesthouses — Guesthouse: Simple mainland rooms in Remedios for a night either side of the boat transfer to the surf island.
Beyond the surf
- Isla Silva de Afuera: The Morro Negrito camp's private surf island, jungle, empty reefs and total isolation, 30 min by boat from Remedios.
- Gulf of Chiriquí islands: A scatter of uninhabited islands, coral and clear water off this coast for snorkelling and fishing on flat days.
- Remedios & the mainland: The mellow mainland town and jump-off for the surf island, a glimpse of rural Pacific Panama.
Best time to surf Morro Negrito
Morro Negrito works best around Apr-Oct. See the full month-by-month breakdown for Panama.
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