Skip to content
Sportfishing Costa RicaN 9°56′ · W 84°05′

Fishing charters

Sportfishing boats and crews from Guanacaste to Golfito, each checked against its own website, with where it leaves from and how to reach the captain.

Charters, lodges and marinas

A blue-hulled sportfisher with a tall tuna tower running fast across calm water past green forested hills near Los Sueños
Jacó · charterAdventure Tours Costa RicaAdventure Tours Costa Rica is a licensed travel agency and tour company with an office in Jacó, and its fishing desk books a list…
A new silver Lowe aluminium fishing boat with a wooden deck, a pedestal seat and a black Mercury outboard, sitting on its trailer on a green lawn
El Castillo · charterArenal Lake Fishing with SalomónArenal Lake Fishing with Salomón is a one-man guide service on Lake Arenal, run by Capt. Gohering Salomón Rodríguez, who grew up…
A white express sportfisher with a tuna tower and outriggers at anchor on calm water in the Gulf of Nicoya, with green hills and white clouds behind
Paquera · fishing lodgeBahía Rica Fishing and Kayak LodgeBahía Rica is a small fishing and kayak lodge at Punta Cuchillo, just east of the Paquera ferry landing on the Gulf of Nicoya…
Anglers and crew lined up on the stern of the Bushwacker, a white sportfishing boat with its name and Flamingo, Costa Rica painted on the transom, with the captain on the flybridge
Playa Flamingo · charterBushwacker Fishing ChartersBushwacker is a one-boat charter in Playa Flamingo, on Guanacaste's north Pacific coast, built around a 42-foot Bertram with a…
Two smiling anglers and a crew member in a red shirt holding a big jack on board a fishing boat, with blue sea and a rocky islet behind
Playa Hermosa · charterCapitan Mendez Fishing ChartersCapitan Mendez Fishing Charters is a one-boat, captain-run charter at Playa Hermosa, just north of Playas del Coco in Guanacaste.…
The light blue sportfishing boat Capullo trolling with outriggers out on deep blue water, with a beach and dry brown hills of the Guanacaste coast behind
Tamarindo · charterCapullo Sport FishingCapullo Sport Fishing is a long-running Tamarindo charter with two boats: the 36-foot Topaz Capullo for groups of up to 8 and the…
Aerial view of a white TwinVee catamaran with a hardtop, a spread of rods and twin outboards, anglers aboard on dark blue water
Golfito · charterColio Sportfishing ChartersColio Sportfishing Charters is a one-boat outfit in Golfito built around a custom 28-foot TwinVee catamaran. Founder Mike…
La Bonita, a white walkaround fishing boat with a T-top, outriggers and a single Suzuki outboard, anchored in clear shallow water beside a rocky reef at Playa Garza
Playa Garza · charterCosta Catch NosaraCosta Catch Nosara is a small family charter on Playa Garza, south of Nosara, run by captain Marcos, who grew up in the village…
The Coyote Tres, a white 35-foot sportfisher with a tuna tower and outriggers, seen from behind with crew on the tower and anglers in the cockpit
Tamarindo · charterCoyote SportfishingCoyote Sportfishing is a family charter in Tamarindo founded in 1993 by Capt. Frank Berrocal, a Tamarindo native. It runs 3…
An angler in a yellow sit-on-top fishing kayak casting on a misty, still Lake Arenal
La Fortuna · charterDesafío Adventure CompanyDesafío Adventure Company is one of La Fortuna's long-running tour companies, in business since 1993, and one of its trips is a…
Two men standing under the T-top of a center console fishing boat, rods in holders around them, with the sea behind
Uvita · charterDiablo SportfishingDiablo Sportfishing is a one-boat charter in Uvita, on the Costa Ballena coast, run by Capt. Javier Guzmán Chinchilla, who has…
An orange-hulled Island Hopper sportfisher with a white cabin and tuna tower running fast across calm water, mountains on the horizon
Golfito · charterDos Mas Sport FishingDos Mas Sport Fishing is a single 30-foot Island Hopper express sportfisher based at Banana Bay Marina in Golfito and run by…
A small unmarked white fishing boat anchored off a rocky dry-forest point on calm turquoise water in morning light
Playas del Coco · charterFishing Adventures Costa RicaFishing Adventures Costa Rica is a Playas del Coco charter company with 3 boats, running private fishing trips in the Gulf of…
Quepos · charterFishing Charters Costa RicaFishing Charters Costa Rica is now a booking service rather than a single charter: it lists about 31 private sportfishing boats…
A white center console fishing boat with a canvas T-top, outriggers and twin outboards, moored in calm green water off Playa Herradura with forested hills and the Los Sueños hotel behind
Playa Herradura · charterFishing HerraduraFishing Herradura is a small charter run by Capt. Randy Delgado, who grew up fishing the waters off Playa Herradura and has taken…
Stern of a dark blue sportfishing boat named Guerrero del Mar with outriggers up and a captain on the flybridge, on clear water near a green headland
Playa Flamingo · charterFlamingo Sport FishingFlamingo Sport Fishing is a Costa Rican family charter business in Playa Flamingo whose family has fished these waters since…
A smiling angler in a blue sun shirt kneeling in a jungle river and holding a big silver tarpon at the surface
San José · charterFly Fish in Costa RicaFly Fish in Costa Rica is a fly-fishing outfitter based in San José that says it's been guiding since 1972, making it the oldest…
Sol de Oro, a white 28-foot center console with a T-top, a Bimini shade and a Suzuki outboard, moored on clear turquoise water with green headlands behind
Sámara · charterGladiator SportfishingGladiator Sportfishing is a small private-charter outfit on Playa Sámara, on the Nicoya Peninsula's Pacific coast, owned by…
A white center console with a blue stripe and a T-top full of rods idling on grey-blue water off the Osa, 3 people aboard
Puerto Jiménez · charterGolfo Dulce Tour OperadorGolfo Dulce Tour Operador is a small Puerto Jiménez outfit run by Capt. Rommel Quintero, who lists 11 years on the water. He…
Nauti Ventures, a white 40-foot Luhrs sportfisher with a flybridge and tower, tied stern-in at a floating dock in Marina Pez Vela
Quepos · charterGone Fishing QueposGone Fishing Quepos is a sportfishing company at Marina Pez Vela in Quepos, founded by Carlos Rojas, who has worked in the town's…
A red center console with a white T-top and a full rack of rods running fast through a choppy sea, 4 people aboard
Drake Bay · charterGood Catch Costa RicaGood Catch Costa Rica is a 2-boat charter in Drake Bay, on the Osa Peninsula's north coast. Its center consoles, the 30-foot Mako…
Crush Em, a white 48-foot sportfishing yacht with a flybridge, motoring past a rock breakwater with anglers and crew on the stern deck
Jacó · charterJaco Tour SportfishingJaco Tour Sportfishing is a booking office in Plaza Coral, central Jacó, that puts anglers on boats leaving from Los Sueños…
A classic white Bertram sportfisher with a flybridge, tuna tower and outriggers on a mooring buoy in Garza Bay, with a green headland behind
Playa Garza · charterJuan Mora SportfishingJuan Mora Sportfishing is a one-boat, family-crewed charter at Playa Garza, just south of Nosara, run by a captain who has lived…
The Kingfisher, a sportfisher with a tall tuna tower and outriggers, on its mooring in a calm bay at sunset, with a rocky islet and headland on the horizon
Puerto Carrillo · charterKingfisher SportfishingKingfisher Sportfishing is a one-boat charter in Puerto Carrillo, just south of Sámara on the Nicoya Peninsula, owned and run by…
Anglers with spinning rods on a covered turquoise and white boat in a wide brown estuary channel lined with mangrove forest
Isla Damas · charterMangrove Fishing ToursMangrove Fishing Tours is a Quepos guide service that fishes the mangrove channels and river of the Isla Damas estuary, just…
Drone view of the Osprey, a white sportfisher with a tuna tower, and a smaller center console with twin outboards, anchored in turquoise water off a green headland at Playa Garza
Playa Garza · charterMonkey Head AdventuresMonkey Head Adventures is a Costa Rican-run charter company in Playa Garza, just south of Nosara, with 2 boats: the 32-foot…
Montezuma Crew's center-console boat with twin Yamaha outboards, scuba tanks and pool noodles on deck, anchored off a green headland
Montezuma · charterMontezuma CrewMontezuma Crew is a small boat outfit on the southern Nicoya Peninsula that runs sportfishing, scuba trips, dive courses and…
FantaSea, a white Boston Whaler walkaround with a hardtop, outriggers and twin Suzuki outboards, at anchor on clear turquoise water
Playa Garza · charterNosara Sea Saw ToursNosara Sea Saw Tours is a small crew based on the beach at Playa Garza, just south of Nosara, led by Italian owner and captain…
A smiling angler in a cap holding a roosterfish with its tall comb raised, on a boat in calm turquoise water with hills behind
Puerto Jiménez · charterOsa TourismOsa Tourism is a local information and booking office in Puerto Jiménez that sets anglers up with the town's independent…
A woman in a pink jacket and a man at the bow casting from a bass boat on mirror-calm water, with a grassy shore and mountains behind
El Castillo · charterOsprey Fishing ToursOsprey Fishing Tours is a Lake Arenal guide service run by Capt. Bryan Rodríguez, who grew up a stone's throw from the lake. His…
A white sportfishing boat with a tuna tower and outriggers running fast across blue water, with dry wooded hills behind
Playas del Coco · charterPapagayo FishingPapagayo Fishing is a family-run charter company in Playas del Coco, started in 2010 by Capt. José Méndez, a former dive boat…
The Pez Loco, a large white Viking sportfisher with a tuna tower and outriggers, tied up at Marina Pez Vela with green hills and a hotel behind
Quepos · charterPez Loco SportfishingPez Loco Sportfishing is a Quepos charter built around one of the biggest boats in the Marina Pez Vela fleet, a 60-foot Viking…
Three Brothers, a white 34-foot custom express sportfishing boat with a tuna tower, leaving its slip in a marina with anglers in the cockpit
Quepos · charterQuepos Fish AdventureQuepos Fish Adventure is a Quepos charter company that owns all six of its boats, from a 28-foot inshore boat to a 40-foot…
Isabella, a white 28-foot Rampage sportfishing boat with a blue canopy and tall outriggers, tied up at a marina dock under a cloudy sky
Quepos · charterQuepos FishingQuepos Fishing is a small charter company at Marina Pez Vela in Quepos, on Costa Rica's Central Pacific coast. It runs three…
Stern view of the Rhino Charger, a white sportfishing boat with a flybridge and outriggers, riding at anchor in a calm bay with green hills behind
Tamarindo · charterRhino Charger Sport FishingRhino Charger Sport Fishing is a one-boat charter in Tamarindo, on Guanacaste's Pacific coast, built around a 34-foot Island…
A white center console fishing boat with a T-top and outriggers moored in a calm bay under grey clouds, with a green shoreline behind
Tamarindo · charterSea Breeze Fishing & AdventuresSea Breeze Fishing and Adventures is a small Tamarindo charter founded in 2018 by Capt. Noah and his partner Darcy. It runs 2…
A yellow and white center console named Sea Star I with a black T-top, rod holders and a Yamaha outboard, crew aboard, on calm water at golden hour
Playas del Coco · charterSea Star CRSea Star CR is a family charter in Playas del Coco with 2 boats: the Sea Star I, a 26-foot Robalo center console, and The Big…
Snook, a white 28-foot center console with a canvas T-top, outriggers and twin outboards, at anchor in calm Herradura Bay with green islands behind
Playa Herradura · charterSnook SportfishingSnook Sportfishing is a one-boat charter run by Capt. Jorge Fernandez, who was born near Herradura and has fished these waters…
Drone view of the Spicy Tuna, a small white center console with a T-top, running across deep blue water with a few anglers aboard
Cabuya · charterSpicyTuna CabuyaSpicyTuna Cabuya is a small local charter in the fishing village of Cabuya, at the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, about 15…
A blue and white center console named El Gato III with a Suzuki outboard and rods in the holders, the captain at the console, off a beach with hillside buildings behind
Playa Flamingo · charterSport Fishing El Gato IIISport Fishing El Gato III is a husband-and-wife charter in Playa Flamingo, Guanacaste. Capt. Luis Sandi, licensed since 2004…
A white Luhrs sportfishing boat with a tuna tower and outriggers anchored off Puerto Jiménez under a cloudy sky, crew on the bow
Puerto Jiménez · charterSportfishing MaestroSportfishing Maestro is run by Capt. Oscar Villalobos, known around Puerto Jiménez as Maestro, who lists 28 years of fishing…
A white center console fishing boat with a T-top idling on the wide brown Río Colorado, with low green riverbank and a cloudy sky behind
Barra del Colorado · charterTarpon Sport FishingTarpon Sport Fishing is a small guide service in Barra del Colorado Sur, run by Capt. Daniel Solís, who has 14 years on the Río…
Top Notch, a white Viking sportfisher with a flybridge, tuna tower and outriggers, tied up at Marina Pez Vela under a sky of small white clouds
Quepos · charterTop Notch Fishing Costa RicaTop Notch Fishing Costa Rica is a one-boat charter at Marina Pez Vela in Quepos, built around a custom 45-foot Viking with twin…
A pale blue center console with a T-top and a Yamaha outboard moored on a calm brown river, with mangroves and lodges in the trees behind
Sierpe · charterTour Sierpe CRTour Sierpe CR is a one-boat charter in the river town of Sierpe, run by Edgardo since 2017 on a 26-foot Mako center console.…
A smiling angler in a sun hat holding up a sierra mackerel on a boat in the Gulf of Nicoya, with blue water and a rocky islet behind
Puntarenas · charterTurismo Marítimo del Pacífico (TM Tours)Turismo Marítimo del Pacífico, also known as TM Tours, is a family boat-tour company in Puntarenas founded in 2010 by captain…
Chorotega, a white sportfishing boat with a tuna tower and outriggers, at anchor in a calm bay at dusk with other boats and a small island behind
Playa Flamingo · charterYellowfin Sportfishing ChartersYellowfin Sportfishing Charters is a Playa Flamingo company, founded in 2002, with a big mixed fleet that runs from a 27-foot…

Guides

A white, red and blue SANSA Cessna Grand Caravan taxiing at San José's domestic terminal with green mountains behind
Fishing chartersBringing Your Own Rods and Tackle into Costa Rica: Airlines, Customs and What's Worth PackingYou can bring your own rods and tackle into Costa Rica as ordinary luggage, as long as it's for your own use: travellers arriving…
Sportfishing boats tied up along the floating docks of the marina at Quepos on Costa Rica's Central Pacific coast
Fishing chartersHow to Get a Costa Rica Fishing Licence, Step by StepBuy your Costa Rica sport fishing licence on INCOPESCA's own website: add each angler's name, passport number, email, country…
Steep forested hills of Cocos Island dropping into a deep blue bay, seen from a helicopter
Fishing chartersCosta Rica's No-Take Zones and Protected Waters, Coast by CoastSport fishing is banned in every national park, biological reserve and absolute reserve, which on the water means places like the…
The ornate pale-yellow central post office building on a sunny street in downtown San José, Costa Rica
Fishing chartersFishing Tackle Shops in and Around San José, Costa RicaSan José and the towns around it have more than a dozen tackle shops that showed clear signs of trading in 2026, from Gilca and…
A young girl wading at the water's edge with a small net on a Costa Rican beach at sunset, the sea glowing orange
Fishing chartersFishing with Kids in Costa Rica: Ages, Trips, Safety and Where to GoCosta Rica is an easy place to take children fishing: a half-day inshore trip in warm, sheltered water, a stocked trout pond in…
A sportfishing boat's outrigger arching against a cloudy blue sky above a forested headland in Costa Rica, with seabirds overhead
Fishing chartersFly fishing for sailfish in Costa Rica: the bait and switch, step by stepSailfish on fly in Costa Rica is done by bait and switch: the crew raises a sailfish on a hookless teaser, pulls it away as the…
The white two-storey shops and restaurant building at Marina Pez Vela in Quepos under a blue sky, with palms and a white event tent
Fishing chartersHow to fish a tournament in Costa Rica as a visitorYou don't need your own boat: most Marina Pez Vela tournaments in Quepos accept visiting teams on chartered boats, and the…
The lawn and white chairs above the docks at Marina Pez Vela in Quepos, with rows of sportfishing boats behind and the Pacific beyond
Fishing chartersLos Sueños and Pez Vela tournaments explained: formats, the Triple Crown, scoring and releaseThe Los Sueños Triple Crown is a 3-leg series for boats based at Los Sueños, scored at 100 points a sailfish and 500 a marlin…
A silver-blue roosterfish lying on wet sand, its long comb of dorsal spines fanned out
Fishing chartersPopping and jigging in Costa Rica: roosterfish, cubera snapper and the rocksPopping means casting big surface lures at rocky points for roosterfish, cubera snapper and jacks; jigging means dropping metal…
Sportfishing boats moored in the marina at Quepos, seen from the waterfront lawn on a clear blue morning
Fishing chartersWhat to Bring on a Costa Rica Fishing Charter: The Complete Packing ListThe boat brings the tackle, bait and ice, so your job is to protect yourself from the sun and the sea: a hat, polarised…
A blue and white Costa Rican fishing boat heading out across the Gulf of Nicoya from Puntarenas
Fishing chartersBait and Tackle in Costa Rica: Shops, Live Bait, Ice and What to PackMost Costa Rica charters supply rods, reels, bait and ice, so the average angler needs very little. If you fish on your own or…
A hammerhead shark swimming through a school of fish in blue water off Cocos Island, Costa Rica
Fishing chartersCosta Rica Fishing Rules: Licence, Release Laws and Protected AreasAnyone fishing from a boat in Costa Rica needs an INCOPESCA sport fishing licence, sold online for 8 days, a month or a year.…
A bright green and gold dorado leaping beside a sportfishing boat off Costa Rica
Fishing chartersFishing Techniques in Costa Rica: Trolling, Live Bait, Jigging, Fly and MoreOffshore, Costa Rican crews troll teasers, dredges and rigged ballyhoo to raise sailfish and marlin, then switch to a bait or fly…
Herradura Bay seen from Los Sueños, with boats at anchor between the forested headlands
Fishing chartersCosta Rica Fishing Tournaments: The Yearly Calendar and Past WinnersCosta Rica's big billfish tournaments run from January to April out of Marina Pez Vela in Quepos and Los Sueños in Playa…
A long floating pier running out between rows of sportfishing boats at the marina in Quepos, under a clear blue sky
Fishing chartersPlanning a Fishing Trip to Costa Rica: Zones, Charters, Boats and SeasonsStart with the fish and the month, then pick the coast: Guanacaste for summer sailfish and marlin, the Central and Southern…
Angler leaning over the side of a boat to release a sailfish caught in Costa Rica
Fishing chartersSportfishing in Costa Rica: Where and When to Fish, Licences and RulesCosta Rica has two very different fisheries: the Pacific, with sailfish, marlin, dorado, tuna and roosterfish, and the Caribbean…