Source: Jeremy Shorenstein / Republic of Panama Visitor’s Guide
URL: http://www.republicofpanama.net/Main/Ask_Panama_Jack/Black_Jesus_of_Isla_Grande/

Day Trip to Isla Grande: Culture and Surf

Isla Grande: Home to Cristo Negro, ethnic food, and unbeatable surfing. A trip to this island off the Caribbean coast seemed like a perfect way to start my return to Panama. I was invited to take this journey to Isla Grande by my friend Carlos who has been surfing there for over twenty years. Similar to the journey out to San Blas, four-wheel drive is definitely helpful when making the hour and a half trip out to Isla Grande. However, the recently installed highway which connects Panama City and Colón has made this drive smoother and more convenient.

Despite the long drive, I was quite surprised when we quickly approached the outskirts of La Guaira, a town just past Portobello. Here we paid a local boatman three dollars to take us to the island of Isla Grande. With our surfing gear in hand, we arrived at Isla Grande, where I was humored to be greeted by a floating statue of ‘Cristo Negro’ (Black Jesus). Once docked, we took down the boatman’s cell phone number so we could call him when it was time to leave and made our way to the local surf spot. From the dock we took a right turn and walked through what seemed like the backyards of half built houses. After following the path for roughly 100 yards, we reached our destination.

Looking into the morning horizon, tranquil crystal clear waves crashed slowly to shore, creating a beautiful location for world traveling surfers. Similar to the infamous Pipeline surf break in Hawaii, one thing to be careful of is the sharp reef bottom; doing a nose dive here is not a good idea. After several hours of amazing surf, we took an hour nap on a deck close to where we paddled out. Following our rejuvenating nap under the palm trees, we walked back to the boat dock where there was a restaurant with a pleasant view of Cristo Negro and the surrounding scenery. The seafood was excellent, but a little expensive compared to Panama prices; for two people it cost around thirty dollars.

After our meal, we walked back to the deck and took another quick nap while soaking in some sun. Carlos told me to be careful with the sun because the UV rays are pretty strong being this close to the equator. After the nap, we reluctantly said our goodbyes to Cristo Negro and called the boatman who took us back to La Guaira for another three dollars. For gas, a delicious meal, fun surf, and a nap surrounded by picturesque scenery we together only spent Fifty-five dollars, a fair price for a fun and relaxing day on beautiful Isla Grande.