Surf Travel Guide: Las Lajas, Chiriquí, Panama

Las Lajas is a long, easygoing stretch of sand on Panama's Chiriqui coast, better known among Panamanian families for a weekend at the beach than for serious surf, but with a gentle, consistent beach break that happens to be one of the more welcoming waves in the country for anyone still learning.

Why Las Lajas?

Las Lajas gets a real surf write up for one reason: it is a sandy beach break that is friendly for beginners and casual surfers, described independently by multiple surf guides as welcoming rather than heavy. A quick note before you pack a kite: despite some older claims linking this beach to kitesurfing, current wind data and Panama's own kite spot directories rate Las Lajas as essentially unsuitable for kiting, with only a handful of kiteable days a year. If you want to kite in Panama, Punta Chame, about an hour from Panama City, is the country's real kite destination. Las Lajas is a surf and swim beach, not a kite spot, and this guide treats it that way.

→ The wave is a sandy bottom beach break, breaking both left and right, with rides of roughly 50 to 150 meters.

↳ It is one of the more consistent beach breaks on this stretch of coast, with usually something rideable most sessions.

Getting There & Getting Around

Fly into Enrique Malek International Airport (DAV) in David, Chiriqui's main city, the closest airport to Las Lajas.
→ From David, it is about 70 to 75 kilometers east, roughly an hour's drive, following the Pan American Highway to a signed Las Lajas turnoff near Las Cruces, then on through Las Lajas village to the beach.
↳ From Panama City, budget considerably longer, over six hours by car according to one detailed guide, and longer still by bus, so this is not a realistic day trip from the capital.
By bus, take a long distance bus from Albrook Terminal in Panama City to San Felix, then a taxi onward, since no public bus runs the final stretch from Las Lajas village to the beach itself. The road in is paved but potholed, and the very last approach to some beachfront properties crosses a patch of sand, so allow for that even in a standard car.

When to Surf (and Stay Safe)

Panama runs a dry season from December through April and a wet season from May through November. At Las Lajas specifically, larger and more consistent swells tend to show up from May through December, while the cleanest offshore wind window leans toward the dry season's steadier trade wind pattern. Best swell direction is south, workable through southwest to west, with northeast, east or southeast offshore wind cleaning up the faces, and a medium to high, rising tide generally preferred.

The single most repeated warning for this beach is to avoid the river mouths at either end, where strong currents are common. Away from those river mouths, the open water is generally described as calm enough for swimming, kayaking and paddleboarding alongside the surf. The beach is also a nesting area for sea turtles, and a real local volunteer group, Amigos de las Tortugas, runs turtle season activities worth asking about. It gets busier on weekends and national holidays, especially from January through March.

Surf Breaks

Main beach break, in front of La Estrella del Pacifico restaurant: A sandy, welcoming peak, workable across a wide range of swell and tide.
Wave: Beach break, left and right.
Level: Beginner to intermediate, suitable for most levels.
River mouth sandbanks, either end of the beach: Can throw a more unpredictable, punchier wave, but come with real current hazards.
Wave: Beach break near river outflow.
Level: Intermediate and up, due to the current risk.

Where to Stay (Hotels)

→ Las Lajas has a small but real spread of places to stay, from a simple hostel to a proper beachfront resort. Prices below are approximate, in US dollars, seen October 2026.

Budget ($)

Hostal Casa Las Lajas, Las Lajas (dorm bed from about $22 per night, seen October 2026)
A straightforward hostel near San Felix and the Las Lajas turnoff.

Mid Range ($$)

Show Pony Ranchero Resort, Jobo, Las Lajas (from about $99 per night, seen October 2026)
A boutique resort with a pool, garden and kitchens in the rooms, roughly a 20 minute walk from the beach itself.

Beachfront ($$$)

Las Lajas Beach Resort, Las Lajas (from about $126 per night, seen October 2026)
A 14 room resort with direct beach access, a pool, a spa and on site surf lesson and board rental, the area's clearest true beachfront option.

Food & Drink

Beachfront Dining: Las Lajas Beach Resort Restaurant & Bar, Las Lajas
→ An open air restaurant serving breakfasts, burgers and international dishes daily. Mains run roughly $8 to $14, a figure that may be a few years old rather than freshly dated, so treat it as approximate.
Seafood and Cocktails: Johnny Fiestas, Las Lajas
→ A real, named beachfront restaurant and bar serving seafood and Panamanian dishes. We could not verify a current, dish specific price for this spot, so check on arrival; a general benchmark for the area is roughly $7.50 for a meal at a local fonda and up to about $30 at a mid range restaurant.

Photographing Las Lajas (Surf Snaps)

A long, uncrowded Chiriqui beach with a gentle peak peeling in both directions is an easy, forgiving session to shoot, especially with beginners finding their feet. If you spend a session there with a camera, upload your gallery to Surf Snaps so the surfers you shot can find and buy their own photos. If you were one of the surfers, browse Surf Snaps for shots from your session, starting at $8, no account needed to look.

FAQ: Surfing Las Lajas

Is Las Lajas good for beginner surfers?

Yes. Multiple independent surf guides describe the main beach break as welcoming for all levels, with the main hazard being the river mouth sandbanks at either end, which are better left to more experienced surfers.

Can you kitesurf at Las Lajas?

Not really. Despite its reputation as a wide open beach, current wind data and Panama's kite spot directories rate it as having very few kiteable days a year. Punta Chame, about an hour from Panama City, is Panama's real kitesurfing destination.

How do I get to Las Lajas from David?

It is about 70 to 75 kilometers east of David on the Pan American Highway, roughly an hour's drive, via a signed turnoff near Las Cruces.

What is the best season to surf Las Lajas?

Larger, more consistent swells tend to run from May through December, while the cleanest offshore wind window leans toward the dry season from December through April.

Where can I find photos of my Las Lajas session?

Search Surf Snaps by sport, place and date to see if a photographer caught your wave.

More Popular Surf and Kitesurf Spots

Keep exploring with the rest of this series and our other surf travel guides.