Fishing Lodges in Costa Rica

The short answer

Costa Rica has only a small number of true fishing lodges, places where you sleep, eat and fish with the lodge's own crews, and the boats leave from the lodge's own dock. Most sit where the roads run out: around the Golfo Dulce and the Osa Peninsula in the far south, and on the Río Colorado tarpon grounds at Barra del Colorado on the Caribbean.

The rest of the country works differently. On the Central Pacific and in Guanacaste, anglers stay in a hotel near one of the big marinas and meet a charter boat at the dock in the morning. That's not a worse option, just a different one, with more choice of boats and more for non-anglers to do.

This guide lists every lodge and fishermen-run resort we could confirm is open and fishing in 2025 or 2026, zone by zone, plus the best bases near the marinas. For the bigger picture of when and where to go, start with our guide to planning a Costa Rica fishing trip.

How we chose these lodges

Every place below had to show recent signs of life: a working website with current information, plus dated 2025 or 2026 evidence such as guest reviews, fishing reports, package dates or news coverage. We also checked that each one offers fishing, and where its boats leave from. Nobody pays to be listed, and we don't include prices, because packages change every season. Always confirm dates and what's included directly with the lodge.

We use 3 labels throughout:

• Fishing lodge: the lodge runs its own boats and crews, usually from its own dock, and fishing is the main reason guests come.
• Lodge that fishes: a nature or beach lodge with its own boat or a long-standing in-house fishing programme alongside other activities.
• Base near the marina: a hotel or resort that books outside charters, a short drive or walk from a marina.

Lodges at a glance

Southern Pacific: the Osa, Golfo Dulce and Zancudo

The far south is Costa Rica's fishing lodge country. The Golfo Dulce is deep and sheltered, so inshore fishing carries on when the open coast is rough, and the offshore grounds for sailfish, marlin and tuna are close. Roads are long, so most lodges build the domestic flight from San José into their packages. FECOP puts the main billfish season here at about November to April, with marlin also strong from July to September; our Southern Pacific guide has the full detail.

Crocodile Bay at Botánika, Puerto Jiménez

Crocodile Bay has run sportfishing from Puerto Jiménez, on the Osa side of the Golfo Dulce, since 1999. Guests now stay at Botánika Osa Peninsula, a Curio Collection by Hilton resort built on the property, and the fishing programme carries on from its own marina beside the town's airstrip, so you can step off the plane and be near the boats within minutes.

The fleet mixes 24 and 25-foot Boston Whalers for the gulf with 33 and 35-foot Strike sportfishers for offshore, and the menu runs from inshore and offshore days to fly, kayak and surf fishing. A UK fishing travel company reported strong sailfish and tuna fishing there in February 2026. It suits anglers who want resort comfort, and partners who want resort facilities and rainforest tours while the boats are out.

The Zancudo Lodge, Playa Zancudo

The Zancudo Lodge sits on the long beach at Playa Zancudo, near the mouth of the Golfo Dulce, with its own dock on the Sábalo River behind it. Its 32-foot Contender centre consoles reach the gulf's inshore water in about 5 minutes and the offshore grounds in about 45, which means more time fishing and less time running.

The lodge says it releases all billfish and helps with satellite tagging. Its packages are built around flights to Golfito, meals and fishing. Good to know: the property has been listed for sale since August 2025. The lodge marked the start of its 21st season in August 2026, and agencies are selling packages into 2027, so it's taking guests, but check for news of an ownership change when you book.

Aguila de Osa, Drake Bay

Aguila de Osa is a rainforest and marine lodge at Drake Bay, on the wild northern side of the Osa Peninsula, with its own dock where the Agujitas river meets the bay. It says its captains have fished Drake Bay since 1992, and it was the first fishing operation in the bay.

The lodge sells sportfishing packages alongside diving, snorkelling and Corcovado hikes, using a restored 31-foot sportfisher among its boats. Guest reviews from 2026 confirm the lodge is busy, though most mention the wildlife rather than the fishing, so ask about the current boat and crew when you book. You get there by small plane to Drake Bay, or by boat from Sierpe.

Golfito: marina lodges

Golfito, across the gulf from Puerto Jiménez, is the south's working harbour, and 2 small marinas there double as places to sleep beside the boats.

Fish Hook Marina and Lodge has around 20 slips for boats up to 180 feet, a handful of rooms and an open-air restaurant on the waterfront. It doesn't run its own fleet, but several local charters berth there, and guests were still leaving reviews in January 2026.

Banana Bay Marina is a small marina with 4 rooms and a suite above the bar, a diesel dock and charters on the docks below; Dos Mas Sport Fishing, for one, runs from there and had a December 2025 review. Its own website didn't load when we checked, so book through the charter or confirm by phone.

Golfito's larger marina, Marina Bahía Golfito, hosted the Battle of the Bay tournament in May 2026, with Crocodile Bay and The Zancudo Lodge among its partners. We couldn't confirm rooms there.

Nicoya Peninsula and the Gulf of Nicoya

Bahia Rica, Paquera

Bahia Rica Fishing and Kayak Lodge sits on Punta Cuchillo, about 1.5 km east of the Paquera ferry landing on the southern Nicoya Peninsula. It's a small, Norwegian-owned lodge with a few cottages and 2 fishing boats: a 25-foot super panga called Mono Congo and a 27-foot Contender called Conquistador II.

The crew fishes the gulf's islands and reefs for roosterfish, snapper, jacks and grouper, and runs offshore for sailfish, marlin, tuna, dorado and wahoo. The lodge also runs kayak and Isla Tortuga tours, which makes it a good pick for mixed groups. Its website was updated in 2026, and FishingBooker shows recent trip reviews. You get there by the Puntarenas ferry or by road from the Tambor airstrip. See our Nicoya Peninsula guide for the rest of the peninsula's crews, most of which launch pangas from the beach.

Central Pacific: bases near the marinas

The Central Pacific has the country's biggest charter fleets but no fishing lodges in the strict sense. Instead, you pick a hotel close to the marina and choose from dozens of boats.

Los Sueños, Herradura. Los Sueños is a resort community on Herradura Bay, about 1.5 hours from San José's airport, with one of the biggest sportfishing fleets in the country. Safe Harbor Marinas bought the marina in July 2025. The Los Sueños Marriott sits a short walk from the docks, and rental condos fill the hills around it. It's also home to the Los Sueños Signature Triple Crown, held from January to March; see our tournaments guide.

Quepos and Manuel Antonio. Nearly every Quepos charter boards at Marina Pez Vela, and hotels in Quepos and up the hill in Manuel Antonio make easy bases. We found no hotel there running its own fleet. Tulemar, a resort in Manuel Antonio, keeps a list of local charter boats it books for guests. Our guide to sportfishing in Quepos and the Central Pacific guide cover the fleets.

Guanacaste: resorts near Marina Papagayo

In Guanacaste, the fishing runs out of Marina Papagayo, Playas del Coco, Flamingo and Tamarindo, and the hotels book outside crews rather than running their own.

Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo sells full-day sportfishing on the Gulf of Papagayo with a local crew, and Marina Papagayo is on the same peninsula, about 30 minutes from Liberia's airport. It suits families who want a full resort and a day or two offshore. For the many independent crews in Coco, Flamingo and Tamarindo, see our Guanacaste guide. Guanacaste's best billfish months are roughly May to August, the opposite of the Central and Southern Pacific.

Caribbean: the tarpon lodges

Barra del Colorado, near the Nicaraguan border, has been a tarpon destination for decades. The lodges sit on the Río Colorado inside a wildlife refuge, there's no road, and you arrive by small plane from San José or by boat through the canals. Tarpon live in the river mouth and lagoons all year, and snook join them in season. Our Caribbean guide and our tarpon page have the seasons.

Silver King Lodge

Silver King Lodge has fished the Río Colorado since the early 1990s and changed hands in 2025; The Tico Times reports the new owner has fished Barra for about 30 years. It takes up to 24 guests in large cabins, and its guides fish custom boats for tarpon on conventional and fly tackle, plus snook, lagoon fish and offshore species when the sea allows. It has Barra's only IGFA-certified scale.

The lodge lists its prime months as February to mid-June and mid-August to November, and the flight from San José is part of the package. The Tico Times covered it several times in 2026, including a captains' meeting held at the lodge in March.

Kawé Lodge

Kawé Lodge is a smaller, locally owned lodge on the Río Colorado, with 6 casitas facing the river. It's run by Eduardo Pérez, and guests left fishing reviews on TripAdvisor through 2026, describing days on the tarpon grounds and in the lagoons and canals. It's reached only by boat.

Río Colorado Lodge

Río Colorado Lodge, founded in 1972, is one of Barra's best-known names. After a long remodel, its website now says it's booking tarpon and snook trips for 2027. We found no guest reviews from 2026, so treat it as reopening rather than open.

Tortuguero

Further south, Tortuguero is better known for turtles and canals than fishing, but Manatus Hotel books half and full-day river and sea trips for tarpon and snook with a local operator. It suits travellers who want a day or two of fishing on a wildlife trip.

Freshwater: Caño Negro and the trout valley

Caño Negro

The Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge, in the northern lowlands near Los Chiles, is a maze of lagoons and slow rivers where tarpon live far from the sea.

Hotel de Campo has been open since 1998 and runs its own sportfishing outfit, Manara Sport Fishing, from the lodge just outside Caño Negro village. Its panga-style boats go straight into the refuge for tarpon and gar on fly and spin tackle, catch and release only, and its website was updated in 2026.

Natural Lodge Caño Negro, in the village, also offers fishing on Caño Negro and the Río Frío for tarpon, snook and rainbow bass (guapote), and arranges trips further afield to Lake Nicaragua and the San Juan River.

Fishing in a wildlife refuge is only allowed under the refuge's own rules, and Caño Negro closes to fishing for part of each year. Sources disagree on the exact months, so ask your lodge before you book. Our freshwater guide and our rules guide explain more.

San Gerardo de Dota

High in the Talamanca mountains, the Savegre River runs cold and clear through the valley of San Gerardo de Dota, home to wild rainbow trout.

The valley's 2 long-standing lodges, the Savegre Hotel and Trogón Lodge, have both been linked with trout fishing in the past, but neither one's own website mentions fishing today. They make good bases for a guided trout day with an outside fly-fishing guide; ask the lodge what's on offer before you go.

Lodges we left out

These names still turn up in older guides, but we couldn't include them:

• Casa Mar Lodge, Barra del Colorado: closed. The Tico Times reported in October 2026 that it never recovered and the jungle has reclaimed much of the building.
• Tarpon Land Lodge, Barra del Colorado: no sign of activity since 2024, and its website didn't load.
• Río Parismina Lodge, Parismina: no current website, reviews or 2025-26 activity found.
• Las Islas Lodge, Puerto Jiménez: the hotel still takes bookings, but we found no recent evidence it still runs fishing trips.
• Ocotal and Bahía Pez Vela, Guanacaste: both turn up in older fishing guides, but we found no recent sign of boats of their own.

If you know one of these is fishing again, we'd like to hear about it.

How to choose a lodge

• Decide on the fish first. Tarpon means Barra del Colorado or Caño Negro; billfish and big inshore variety means the far south.
• Check the season and closing dates. Some southern lodges close for part of September to November, the wettest months, and Caribbean lodges have their own prime months.
• Ask what the package covers. Flights, transfers, meals, drinks, tackle, licences and the number of fishing days all vary.
• Ask about the boats. Size, age, engines, shade and how many anglers share a boat.
• Ask about release. Every lodge here releases billfish; ask how they handle tarpon and roosterfish too, and whether they tag fish.
• Think about non-anglers. Crocodile Bay, Aguila de Osa, Bahia Rica and the marina resorts have plenty to do ashore; the Barra lodges are built for fishing.

Most lodges will cook a fish you keep for dinner, within the rules: the regulations allow a sportfishing boat to land up to 5 fish per trip for eating, and sport catches can never be sold. Billfish, roosterfish and tarpon go back. For more on that, see our guide to conservation and catch and release.