How the Surfhouse was created
At the start of our project, we had the idea of building our own house. After staying for four months, however, we noticed that we lacked social contact. That's why we started building three cabanitas to create a community space. The construction of our Rancho, the hangout area, ushered in the next project: two larger apartments supported by friends. In order to be able to offer our guests dinner as well, we integrated a kitchen into the Rancho. This is how a small idea turned into a surf house that we would like to share with pride.
Since our first visit to Panama in 2011, it was clear to us that we no longer wanted to leave this country. First, we had the idea to build a house to live a life that takes place half in Switzerland and half in Panama. Thanks to the support of our families and friends, our dream developed into a small paradise — our surf house.
Planning was a challenge. We had to deal with natural conditions, materials and culture. During the construction period, we experienced both positive and difficult moments. Today we can proudly say: “We did it!” Our little paradise is ready to be shared with you. We met in 2006 doing gymnastics. Bettina already had the surfing bug and persuaded me to accompany her to France. After the first surf trip, I was also infected.
We spent every vacation by the sea, but with just three weeks of vacation, we quickly realized that we had to start over and over again. The desire to spend a year at the seaside led us to Panama. In 2011, we traveled the country for two weeks and immediately felt at ease. In July 2012, we decided to live in Panama for a year. After this stay, we knew we couldn't live without the sea anymore. We decided to spend six months in Panama and six months in Switzerland. After two years in this rhythm, we wanted to build our own existence. Although we had concerns, we knew: “If you don't dare, you won't win!” In July 2015, we began building our own home, which we completed in January 2016. Due to financial reasons, we paused construction for a season and started the first part of the surf house newly married in summer 2017.
In 2019, we were able to rent out our cabanas, which encouraged us to expand our project. At the beginning of 2021, we began building Rancho's, a place for yoga, relaxation and shared dinners. From the end of 2021 to the end of 2023, we worked on the last phase, the construction of the third house. Now, in 2024, we are looking forward to sharing our little paradise with as many people as possible. A special miracle happened on September 27, 2019: Our daughter Kim was born. It enriches our surf house and always puts a smile on the faces of our guests. We are grateful for the privilege of living a life by the sea in the tropics and would like to share this experience with as many people as possible. We hope to see you soon — “SEA YOU SOON”!
Our Surf House does everything it can to make your dream of surfing and unforgettable beach adventures a reality!
Immerse yourself in Panama's vibrant surfing culture and experience the breathtaking waves of the Pacific Ocean just steps away from our accommodation.
Enjoy the diversity and simplicity of our lives with us and other guests.
Feel at home and let time go more slowly for a while.
Since we are generally not people who are struggling with thoughts about the future, but are trying to live in the moment, it is important for us to enjoy every moment.
What is currently important is to host happy guests who want to spend an unforgettable time with us. It is also a privilege to enjoy the family and spend a lot of time with our daughter and to be able to watch her grow up.
