Playa Venao is definitely good for surfing, but there are a lot of other impressive waves to ride in the region. We had the chance to interview Jose Broce, a professional surfer and local native resident of the Venao area that knows all the hidden gems any surfer would love to discover. Thanks to our local guide, we listed a few interesting surf spots and discovered more about the unique services that he offers through La Tro K Surf : the way to surf like a local.
About Jose Broce, founder of La Tro-K Surf
Jose spent most of his life in Cañas, the next small town to Playa Venao on the way to Tonosi. Living in the area since 1999, he started to surf in 2002, leading him to more than 21 years of experience to this day. After only 1 year of surfing, he started to compete and represented Panama in the ISA world for many years. Other than his career as a pro surfer, he has been working in the surf and tourism industry. He traveled around Mexico and found there the inspiration for his unique business offer, La Tro-K surf. Then he traveled to Chile, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and more, always looking for the best waves and to experience the surf life in different contexts. When the pandemic happened, he decided to start his own surf business, La Tro-K Surf, to keep living the surf lifestyle while offering a unique service on the Pacific side of the country.
La Tro K surf : a privileged experience
The concept of La Tro-K surf is to provide people with an authentic panamanian surf experience, built uniquely for every client. La Tro-K Surf aims to make accessible surf spots and adventures that are usually reserved for locals only, because they happen in places that are well kept secret or difficult to reach. The experience designed by Jose to each and every surfer is not a regular surf session : it is a complete immersion in the surf lifestyle, where connection to nature is a central aspect and to get to know the richness that Panama, its culture and environment has to offer. All this, in a healthy way to make sure that the magic of those surf zones is preserved and not spoiled. An adventure with La Tro-K Surf is a complete experience where you get to meet the community, taste typical panamanian food, discover secret waterfalls or hikes, and more!
A surf itinerary on the Azuero peninsula
Since Playa Venao is easier to reach and the waves are good year-round, it is obviously the top place on the list for surfing. With that being said, our surf guide Jose listed which waves are great to surf in the area, and some reasons why.
1. Playa Cambutal
Recognized for having giant and wild waves, the point break in Playa Cambutal makes it a great surf spot for intermediate to advanced surfers. A specific area of the beach called Corto Circuito has the best right-hand waves of the Pacific coast of the country. Jose also mentioned that the beach area that is very close to the small village itself is good and accessible at walking distance. Cambutal provides a variety of waves : right, left, bigger, stronger or easier for beginners.
2. Guanico
The waves have always been good all year round in Guanico, but now the small village is growing and there are more things to do around. This makes Guanico a great destination to enjoy surfing but also to enjoy the beach lifestyle with local restaurants and activities. Playa Guanico provides waves for every level : from beginner that never surfed to professionals. Jose mentions that there is some secret place in Guanico where you can find the perfect right-hand wave, but most chances are that you would need the help of a local guide to get there!
3. El Ciruelo
Very close to Venao, located at about a 7 minutes drive, is the beach of El Ciruelo. It is possible to surf in El Ciruelo, but the waves are not good all the time during the year. It comes by season depending on different factors.
4. Pedasi – Playa Toro o Destiladeros
If there are too many people in the water in Venao during high season, the beaches in Pedasi are a good alternative. There, the waves are a bit stronger. For example, in Playa Toro there is a place called Punta Mala where intermediate and advanced surfers can find suitable waves. Jose commented that the waves there are very big and good for bodyboarding.
In Playa Los Destiladeros, the majority of the spots are point breaks. Jose explains that there are a lot of good surfable areas, but you have to be able to recognize them because not all the beach superficie provides good waves for surfing. This stresses the importance of getting the help of a local surf guide that knows the corners in which it is good to go in and most importantly, according to your level.
In conclusion, the Azuero peninsula is full of good surf opportunities and some of the best of them are kind of secret! You might see pictures on social media of people surfing amazing giant waves in secret places, yet very close to Playa Venao and wonder where this is. Plan your trip to our beautiful remote beach, and let La Tro-K Surf take you out to surf paradise!
