Fishing in Sámara

A different kind of fishing town

Sámara sits on a wide, calm bay on the Pacific side of the Nicoya Peninsula, protected by a reef and a small island offshore. It isn't a marina town and doesn't try to be. There are no big sportfishing yachts here: the fishing is done from pangas and center-console boats, usually 20 to 30 feet long, that are pushed off the sand at Sámara or at Playa Carrillo, a few kilometers south.

That suits a lot of anglers. The trips are informal, the run to fish is short, and you can be back on the beach by lunchtime with the afternoon free.

What you'll catch and when

Inshore is Sámara's strong point. The rocky points and reefs either side of the bay hold roosterfish, snapper, jacks and Sierra mackerel, and roosterfish can be caught in any month. Casting poppers and slow-trolling live bait along the rocks are the usual methods.

Offshore, the continental shelf drops away fairly close to this part of the coast, so a half-day trip can reach blue water. Expect sailfish, marlin, dorado and yellowfin tuna. FECOP, the Costa Rican sport fishing federation, puts the best offshore billfish months for the northern Pacific at roughly May to December, which is the reverse of the Central Pacific's season.

From December to about March, the dry-season trade winds can make afternoons choppy along the Guanacaste coast, so morning trips are the norm then.

How to book a trip

Most Sámara fishing is booked through local captains, small tour desks on the main street or your hotel. Because boats launch from the beach, ask where to meet and whether you'll wade out to the boat (wear something that can get wet). Before you agree, check that the boat carries life jackets and a radio, that the captain has a fishing licence for the boat, and whether your personal INCOPESCA licence is included.

A typical half day

Most Sámara trips start soon after sunrise, when the sea is calm. The captain motors out through the gap in the reef and either heads for the rocky points along the coast to fish for roosterfish and snapper, or runs straight offshore to look for birds, floating logs and current lines that hold dorado and sailfish. Live bait, caught on the way out, is the usual approach for roosterfish; offshore, the crew trolls lures until fish show.

Half-day trips are the norm here, because the fishing grounds are close and the afternoon wind can pick up in the dry season. Some captains will combine fishing with snorkeling or a stop at Isla Chora, which is a good option if not everyone in your group fishes. Bring a hat, polarized sunglasses and water, and ask whether the boat has shade; many small pangas don't.

Sámara's captains are also handy guides to the coast. Ask about the bays north toward Nosara and south past Carrillo, where small boats can reach rocky points that see few other anglers, and about the best tide for roosterfish that week. If you'd like to eat your catch, many of the beach restaurants in town will cook a snapper or dorado for you.

Where to stay

Sámara has a good spread of small hotels, guesthouses and vacation rentals, most within walking distance of the beach and the main street. Playa Carrillo has a few hotels on the hill above the bay with sea views, and it's handy if your boat launches from there. Both are quiet at night compared with Tamarindo.

Getting to Sámara

Sámara is roughly 2 hours by road from Liberia's Guanacaste Airport (LIR) and about 4 to 5 hours from San José, depending on traffic and whether you cross the Tempisque River bridge. The closest airstrip is at Nosara, served by domestic flights from San José on SANSA, then a drive south along the coast. Daily buses also run from San José and from Nicoya town.

Other things to do

• Snorkeling and kayaking: paddle out to Isla Chora at the mouth of the bay, or snorkel the reef at the south end on calm days.
• Surf lessons: Sámara's gentle beach break is one of the easier places in Guanacaste to learn.
• Playa Carrillo: a long curve of palm-backed beach just south, quieter than Sámara.
• Nosara and Ostional: north along the coast, Ostional is known for its mass sea turtle nestings (arribadas) in the rainy season.