Playa Venao

Venao is a horseshoe of dark sand between two headlands on the southern Azuero coast, facing directly into the Pacific swell, and the bay shape means it works across a wide range of conditions: gentle inside for beginners, heavier at the ends. It has gone from an empty beach with one hostel in the 2000s to a strip of hotels, surf camps and restaurants, with a music festival scene attached, and the pace of that has been rapid enough to worry people. Behind the beach the dry forest of the Azuero has been badly cleared, and turtle nesting beaches at Isla Cañas are half an hour east.

What you actually see

• The beach break - working across a range of conditions in the bay.
• The headlands - framing the horseshoe at either end.
• Sunset - straight into the Pacific from the sand.
• The surf schools - the beginner end of the bay.

When to go

December to April is the dry season, with the biggest swell from April to October, which overlaps with the wet season. The bay works most days of the year. Christmas, Easter and carnival fill the accommodation.

Honest expectations

Development has run fast and infrastructure has not kept up; water supply and waste are ongoing issues. Rip currents at the ends of the bay are strong and there is limited lifeguard cover. The sand is dark and gets very hot. Prices have risen sharply and the beach is no longer the empty one in older accounts.

Nearby

Pedasí is half an hour east; Isla Cañas is beyond it.