# How we check listings

> Every charter, lodge and marina on Sportfishing Costa Rica is checked against its own website and recent independent listings before we publish it, and its contact details are rechecked at least once a year. Nobody pays to be listed or ranked.

Source: https://sportfishing-costarica.com/editorial-policy/
Last checked: 2026-11-14

## Before a listing goes up

We confirm the business is operating now. That means a working official website or active official social pages, plus a recent sign of life from an independent source, such as reviews or booking listings from the last year or two. If we can't find both, we don't list it.

We then note what the business is (a charter boat, a fishing lodge, a marina), where the boats leave from, what kind of fishing it offers and who it suits, using only details we can confirm. If something can't be checked, we leave it out rather than guess.

## Contact details

Phone numbers, WhatsApp, email, websites and social links come only from the business's own website or its official social pages, never from directories or old copies of this site. Each listing shows the date we last checked its contact details. Phone numbers are written in international format so they work from abroad.

## Fish facts and rules

Seasons, species and fishing rules come from reliable sources: Costa Rica's Fishing and Aquaculture Law, INCOPESCA (the national fisheries institute), FECOP (the national sport fishing federation), and scientific references such as FishBase, NOAA and the IGFA. Seasons are general patterns, not promises; the fish don't read calendars.

## What we don't do

- We don't publish prices. They change with the season, the boat and the group size, so ask the operator.
- We don't publish ratings or rankings, and we don't accept payment, free trips or commissions in exchange for a listing or a better position.
- We don't copy text from operators' websites. Every profile is written in our own words.

## Keeping it current

Every page shows when it was first published and when we last checked it. We recheck every listing at least once a year, and sooner when a reader tells us something has changed. When a business closes, we take its profile down and send its address to the closest section, so old links still lead somewhere useful.

## Safety

Sea conditions on both coasts can change quickly. Our guides describe general seasons and patterns, not forecasts. Check the marine forecast, wear a life jacket and follow your captain's instructions.

## Spotted a mistake?

Write to [editor@sportfishing-costarica.com](mailto:editor@sportfishing-costarica.com) and we'll look into it.