Fishing Charters Costa Rica

How it works today

When we wrote about Fishing Charters Costa Rica in 2014, it was pitched as a Quepos charter with its own fleet and holiday packages bundling hotels, airport transfers and fishing. That's not what you'll find now. Today the website is a booking service that puts private boats from 3 Central Pacific ports side by side, with photos, lengths and guest limits, so you can shortlist a few and ask which are free on your date. The team then confirms the boat, the total and where to meet. The holiday packages from our old post aren't offered any more, and the old email and phone number no longer appear on the site.

Every trip is private, so the captain, mate and boat are reserved for your group.

The three ports

• Los Sueños: about 12 boats from 32 to 50 feet, based in the full-service marina at Herradura Bay. These are the larger sportfishers, suited to long offshore days. Our page on Los Sueños Marina has more on the marina itself.
• Jacó: about 13 boats from 28 to 58 feet, the widest range of sizes, from small boats for a couple to a large yacht for a group of 12.
• Quepos: about 6 boats from 30 to 52 feet, all leaving from Marina Pez Vela, a short drive from the hotels of Manuel Antonio. Overnight and FAD trips run from here.

All 3 ports sit within about an hour of each other, so the usual advice is to book from whichever is closest to your hotel.

The fishing

• Inshore: rocky points, reefs and river mouths close to port, for roosterfish, cubera snapper, jacks and grouper. A half day is usually enough.
• Offshore: a full day trolling bluewater for sailfish, blue and black marlin, yellowfin tuna and dorado.
• FAD trips: long runs to anchored buoys far offshore where tuna and marlin gather, usually on bigger boats and sometimes overnight.

The site shows a full-day rate for many of its boats. We don't publish prices, so check there for current figures.

Who it suits

It's a good fit if you're not sure which port or boat size you need, if you're booking for a group that might need more than one boat, or if you simply want to compare before you commit. If you already know the captain you want, booking directly with that boat is just as easy. For a wider look at fishing this coast, see Costa Rica Journeys' guide to fishing charters in Costa Rica.

Good to know

• Every angler needs a Costa Rica sport fishing license.
• Sailfish and marlin are released; dorado, tuna and snapper may be kept for eating.
• On the Central Pacific, sailfish are at their best from roughly December to April, according to the service.