On Panama's Pacific coast the tide rises and falls up to about 5.7 m twice a day on spring tides, and 3.5 m or so on neaps; on the Caribbean side it moves less than 0.6 m all year. Every Pacific plan, from a fuel stop on Amador to an anchorage in Las Perlas, starts with the free tide tables published by the Autoridad del Canal de Panamá (ACP).
Two oceans, two tides
The two ends of the canal are only about 80 km apart, but the tides could hardly be more different. The ACP's 2026 tables show:
- Amador (Pacific): highs up to about 5.2 m (17.1 ft) and lows down to about −0.5 m below datum, so the biggest spring tides move roughly 5.7 m of water in about six hours. Neap tides still move around 3.5 m.
- Limón Bay (Caribbean): the highest high of the year is about 0.5 m (1.7 ft) and the lowest low about −0.06 m. Wind and pressure change the water level there more than the tide does.
The Pacific tide is semidiurnal: two highs and two lows a day, about six hours apart, each a little under an hour later than the day before. Spring tides (aguajes) come around the new and full moon; the ACP's tables call these the syzygial tides, the extremes of the month.
The ACP tide tables and how to read them
The ACP publishes free annual tide tables in PDF on pancanal.com:
| Station | Coast | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Amador | Pacific | Amador causeway, Bahía de Panamá, Taboga, a reference for Las Perlas |
| Diablo | Pacific, inside the canal entrance | Balboa and the Pacific canal approach |
| Limón Bay | Caribbean | Colón, Cristóbal and Shelter Bay |
| Balboa and Cristóbal (2014–2023 archive) | Both | Historical comparison |
How to read them:
- Times are Panama local time (UTC−5), on the 24-hour clock.
- Heights are above the chart datum, the same reference used on local charts. On the Pacific that datum is about Mean Low Water Springs, which is why ordinary lows are near zero and spring lows go negative.
- Depth at a given time = charted depth + predicted height. A negative height means less water than the chart shows: subtract it.
For anchorages far from Amador, such as southern Las Perlas or Chiriquí, timing and height differ. Use the Amador table as a guide, check your plotter's tide station, and leave a margin.
Anchoring with a 5 m range
- Depth at low water. Choose your spot for the lowest low you will see while there, not the depth on arrival. If you arrive at high water on springs, the bottom will be about 5 m closer by morning.
- Scope for high water. Calculate scope on high-water depth, and allow room for the swing when the current reverses.
- Drying anchorages. In Las Perlas, the anchorage south of Isla Taborcillo is surrounded by mudflats at low water, and sand bars appear at Chapera. The eastern shore of the Bahía de Panamá dries for a kilometre or more.
- Dinghy landings. A beach that was a few steps away at high water can be 200 m of mud at low water. Land on a rising tide and carry the dinghy above the high-water mark.
Docks, ramps and fuel stops
Floating pontoons rise and fall with the tide; the gangways to them get steep at low water. Fixed piers and ramps are the problem: the bottom of a ramp may be mud at low springs. On Amador, fuel docks and launch ramps work best in the two hours before high water, haul-outs at Flamenco's yard are done at high tide, and the Club de Yates y Pesca basin is high-water only. Up the estuary to Pedregal in Chiriquí, cruisers are told to go in on the rising tide. If you leave a boat on a fixed pier, rig lines long enough for the full range and check them at low water: a line set tight at high water can hang the boat at low. The ramps and fuel docks guide has the details for Panama City.
Currents in channels and around headlands
Moving that much water creates strong currents, fastest at mid-tide and weakest near high and low water.
- Las Perlas. More than 2 knots off Saboga, strong mid-channel at Chapera, very strong around Isla Galera, and the shallow channel between Casaya and La Miña is best taken at high-water slack.
- Amador causeway. Currents run hard along the causeway at mid-tide; fuel and launch near the turn.
- Punta Mala. Southerly current at the point can reach about 3 knots on big tides; wind against current there builds steep seas.
A boat doing 6 knots against 3 knots of current makes half its speed. Sailing boats plan Gulf of Panama passages to carry the ebb going south and the flood coming back.
Your practical starting checklist
- Download the ACP tide table for the year: Amador for the Pacific side, Limón Bay for Colón.
- Mark the day's lows and highs and note whether it is a spring (aguaje) or neap week.
- Calculate depth as charted depth plus predicted height; subtract when the height is negative.
- Anchor for the lowest low of your stay and set scope for the highest high.
- Plan fuel stops, ramps and haul-outs for the two hours before high water.
- Move through channels and round headlands near slack water.
- Land the dinghy on a rising tide and carry it above the high-water line.
Frequently asked questions
How big are the tides in Panama?
On the Pacific side, up to about 5.7 m between high and low on spring tides at Amador, and around 3.5 m on neaps. On the Caribbean side the range is under about 0.6 m all year.
Where can I get Panama tide tables?
Free from the Autoridad del Canal de Panamá (ACP) on pancanal.com: Amador and Diablo for the Pacific, Limón Bay for the Caribbean, with archived Balboa and Cristóbal tables.
Why are Pacific tides so much bigger than Caribbean tides in Panama?
The broad, shallow Gulf of Panama amplifies the Pacific tide, while the Caribbean is a nearly enclosed sea with small tides everywhere. The two coasts are only about 80 km apart across the isthmus.
What does a negative tide height mean on the ACP table?
The water is below chart datum, so there is less water than the chart shows. Subtract the figure from the charted depth.
The next question to answer
Mudflats, the canal channel and the tide in the bay. Read Bahía de Panamá boating guide.
Where the tide decides the anchorage. Read Las Perlas anchorages.
Tide windows for fuel and launching. Read Boat ramps and fuel docks in Panama City.
Official resources
Use the relevant Panamanian authority for current requirements and fees. These resources are the next place to check; a practical recommendation is not an agency determination.
- ACP: tide tables (Amador, Diablo, Limón Bay; datum and how to read) ↗
- ACP: Amador 2026 tide table ↗
- ACP: Limón Bay 2026 tide table ↗
- SAIL Magazine: Cruising the Gulf of Panama (tides, Casaya channel, drying anchorages) — secondary ↗
- noforeignland: Gulf of Panama anchorages (Saboga and Chapera currents) — secondary ↗
- Ocean Navigator: Punta Mala currents and tides — secondary ↗