Pavones

Pavones is a left-hand point break at the southern end of the Golfo Dulce, and on a solid south swell the wave wraps around the point and runs for a very long distance, with rides of two or three minutes reported and the break routinely listed among the longest lefts anywhere. The swell that produces it comes from the far southern Pacific and arrives mainly between April and October. The village behind is small, a scatter of cabinas, a few restaurants and a store on unsurfaced roads at the end of a long rough drive, and outside the surf season it is very quiet. The gulf water is warm and calm between swells.

What you actually see

• The left point - the long wave wrapping around the headland.
• The village - the cabinas and small services behind the beach.
• The Golfo Dulce - the calm gulf water between swells.
• The surf lineup - the crowd the wave draws when it works.

When to go

April to October for the south swell, with the biggest and longest waves usually from May to August. The dry season has small surf and a nearly empty village. Roads are worst in the wet months.

Honest expectations

The wave is for experienced surfers and the lineup is crowded and localised when it works. Getting there is a long rough drive from Golfito with river crossings. Facilities are minimal and there is no bank. Outside the season there is little to do.

Nearby

Golfito lies north; the Panamanian border is south.