Windsurfing In Punta Chame

By BobbyRica | August 23, 2010

Seventy eight kilometers from Panama City is Punta Chame. Within that area, you will find wide, sandy and easy to reach beaches. This area is usually where most of the Panamanians go to during the weekends. Well, those who can afford to go there. What’s special about the area is that it is the best site to go windsurfing and kiteboarding.

Punta Chame is a peninsula consisting of 22 miles of white, pristine, and sandy beaches. This is also where a quiet fishing village is located. In Punta Chame, the beaches are relatively deserted on weekdays, but tends to be busy during the weekends. Recently however, tourists have begun purchasing real state for beachfront weekends and as their retirement homes.

Both sides of the peninsula are two separate beaches. The north (and safe side of the) beach where it goes inlands is at Chame Bay while the south beach faces the Gulf of Panama. The north beach has an amazing view of Campana and Chame Hills. You can also see as far as Isla Taborcillo, another tourist spot where the sea is calm and inviting. The south beach is of course the less popular one as the waves are rougher. But the sands are very white.

After years of development, Punta Chame has become the popular windsurfing spot. Sailboards can be rented here. There are even some windsurfing and surfing classes within the area if you’re new to the sport. There is a kite boarding school at the Punta Chame hotel during the dry season and as annual completion is held there. By the way, don’t be confused with Punta Chame to the town Chame (which is situated further along the Interamerican Highway).

During the dry season, it is the perfect time to windsurf here as winds are strong and gusty. Imagine yourself sailing in the waves in your surfboard as you steer your sail in the bay waters. You can feel the wind in your face as you glide in the surf.

There are actually better beaches farther west, but when you want a decent place to windsurf along with proper accommodations, Punta Chame is the place to be. But always be mindful of the signs warning you not to swim during low tide. Not only is the beach craggy, it has a lot of stingrays that could do a number on your foot if your not careful.