Sportfishing on the Papagayo Peninsula

The northernmost fishing on the Pacific

The Papagayo Peninsula curls out into the Gulf of Papagayo, just south of the Nicaraguan border, in the driest corner of Guanacaste. The whole peninsula is a private resort development, and on its sheltered side, on Culebra Bay, sits Marina Papagayo. The marina's own site lists 180 serviced berths for yachts up to 250 feet, fuel, and a charter fleet that runs deep-sea fishing trips.

It's the most convenient base in Costa Rica if you're flying into Liberia: the marina says it's about 30 minutes from Guanacaste Airport.

What you'll catch and when

The gulf is full of rocky islands, reefs and headlands, and that structure makes it one of the best places in the country for roosterfish. Roosters, snapper, jacks and Sierra mackerel are caught inshore all year.

Offshore, FECOP, the Costa Rican sport fishing federation, gives roughly May to December as the most productive months for sailfish and marlin on the northern Pacific. Dorado, yellowfin tuna and wahoo round out the list. Larger boats sometimes make multi-day trips north and offshore when the weather is settled.

From about December to March, the Papagayo winds funnel across Lake Nicaragua and down onto this coast. They can blow hard for days, roughening the sea and cooling the water. Inshore fishing in the lee of the peninsula often carries on, but offshore days can be cut short. If bluewater fishing is the main reason for your trip, plan for the calmer months.

Where to stay and fish

The peninsula's resorts are the Four Seasons Resort Peninsula Papagayo, the Andaz Peninsula Papagayo and Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, along with Marina Suites at the marina itself. Four Seasons and the other hotels can arrange fishing through the marina.

You don't have to stay on the peninsula to fish here. Charters at Marina Papagayo take outside guests, and the beach towns of Playa Hermosa, Playa Panamá and Playas del Coco, all nearby, have their own boats and a wider range of places to stay.

When booking, ask whether the boat is based at the marina, whether the INCOPESCA licence is included, and what the crew does with fish (billfish are released; some crews allow you to keep a dorado or tuna).

A typical day from the marina

Inshore trips here are some of the most scenic in the country. Boats leave Culebra Bay and work north along the peninsula's rocky shore and out to the islands of the gulf, slow-trolling live bait or casting poppers for roosterfish, with snapper, jacks and amberjack around the reefs. In the windy months, the peninsula itself blocks some of the wind, so crews can often find calm water close in.

Offshore trips run west and north into the open Pacific for sailfish, marlin, dorado and tuna. The crew trolls a spread of teasers and lures, then pitches a bait on a circle hook once a billfish shows. Marlin are released alive, as are sailfish; ask before the trip if you'd like to keep a dorado or tuna for the resort kitchen to prepare.

The marina's larger yachts also run trips that combine fishing with snorkeling, beach stops and sunset cruising, which works well if not everyone aboard wants to fish all day.

If you're staying on the peninsula, ask the resort concierge to book through the marina, and confirm the boat's size, the trip length and what's included. Boats and packages vary widely between the marina's yachts and smaller boats, so it's worth comparing a few before you commit.

Getting to the Papagayo Peninsula

Liberia's Guanacaste Airport (LIR) has direct international flights, and the marina is about 30 minutes away by road. Resorts arrange transfers; otherwise, take a taxi or rental car. Access to the peninsula is through a staffed gate, so tell your charter or hotel you're coming.

Other things to do

• Diving: dive boats from Coco and Papagayo visit the Catalina Islands and the Bat Islands.
• Santa Rosa National Park: dry forest, historic La Casona and remote beaches, about an hour north.
• Rincón de la Vieja National Park: volcanic hot springs, mud pots and waterfalls, inland from Liberia.
• Golf and spas: the peninsula has its own golf course, and the resorts have spas.