Clean water, white sand, great breaks – does a surfer need more?
For many years, the surfing community has known that Panama's La Punta Break is one of the best places to surf and one of the toughest breaks around, as the rollers crash from the left or right with no particular rhyme or reason. Even the locals who work at Rancho Estero, and who help outfit you with the right board to take on La Punta, really can't tell you whether the break will be to the left, right or center. Instead, they offer their best advice and, in some cases, suggest that you take on another break on another island that is just as good as La Punta, but which is more predictable.
They can tell you that the Playa Estero, a small river delta on Santa Catalina Island where two rivers meet the tide, is a good place for body-surfing or learning how to surf, as the rollers are predictable, as is the break. Or, they can find you just the right one of the many islands with a break that equals the Punta Break on Santa Catalina.Santa Catalina provides great surfing and great beaches for those who are looking for a special surfing experience. In this, the Rancho Estero staff is more than happy to help you out with your needs, whether just hanging out and relaxing or something a little more strenuous, such as taking on La Punta.