Banana Bay Marina

Why anglers stay here

Golfito sits on a deep, quiet inlet off the Golfo Dulce, and Banana Bay is one of the few places in town where you can roll out of bed, walk down the dock and step onto a fishing boat. The marina has been around for more than 20 years. It started as a stop for cruising yachts passing between Panama and the rest of Costa Rica, and it still does that job, but it also runs a sportfishing operation of its own.

The setup is simple: a wooden dock system on the bay, a fuel dock, a small hotel, and a restaurant and bar over the water where crews and anglers end up in the afternoon.

The fleet and the fishing

Banana Bay's charter boats come in three sizes. There are 25 and 28 foot single consoles, 32 and 35 foot Contenders, and sportfishing yachts from 38 to 53 feet. The smaller boats make sense for inshore days in the gulf, while the bigger ones are built for long offshore runs.

That run matters. The marina says the marlin water is about 30 miles out, so an offshore day starts with a good stretch of travel past the mouth of the gulf. Inshore fishing is much closer: the marina says some of it is within a few miles of the dock. The Golfo Dulce is known for roosterfish, snapper and other inshore species, and offshore crews work for marlin, sailfish, tuna and dorado.

When you book, ask which boat you're getting, whether the day is inshore or offshore, what the crew's catch-and-release practice is, and whether your fishing license is included. Costa Rica requires a fishing license for sportfishing, and sailfish and marlin are released by law, so a good crew will talk you through both.

Fuel, bait and the marina side

If you're bringing your own boat, the marina offers dockage for boats up to 120 feet, mooring buoys and anchor-out packages. The services page lists a diesel fuel dock open daily, a repair shop, outboard and electronics service, laundry and a government-approved bonded area for parts shipped in. Golfito is the southernmost Pacific port of entry in Costa Rica, and Banana Bay says it helps with entry and exit paperwork.

For live bait, ask your captain the day before. Most Golfo Dulce crews catch or buy bait on the way out in the morning, and the plan changes with the tide and the season.

Rooms and food

The hotel has 4 standard rooms with 2 queen beds each and 1 waterfront suite with a kitchenette, all with air conditioning and breakfast included. They're plain, practical rooms, and the location is the point: your boat is a short walk away. The restaurant serves Costa Rican and American food with plenty of local seafood, and it has a full bar.

Getting there

Golfito has a small domestic airstrip about 5 minutes from the marina, with short flights from San José. You can also drive, but it's a long day on the road from the capital. Across the gulf lies the Osa Peninsula, and our profiles of Crocodile Bay in Puerto Jiménez and The Zancudo Lodge near the gulf's mouth cover two other ways to fish these waters. Fish Hook Marina is a separate marina just up the road.