# Fishing Tackle Shops in and Around San José, Costa Rica > San José and the towns around it have more than a dozen tackle shops that showed clear signs of trading in 2026, from Gilca and El Pescador downtown to Stone Mountain Outdoors in Santa Ana and Mi Pesca a few minutes from the airport in Alajuela. If you're driving to the Pacific, Barracuda Fishing in Orotina and CR Primo at Los Sueños are the last stops for anything you forgot. Source: https://sportfishing-costarica.com/fishing-tackle-shops-san-jose/ Last checked: 2026-11-15 Downtown San José: Gilca (south of the centre) and El Pescador Tackle Shop (Barrio México) Nearest the airport: Mi Pesca Alajuela and Megalodox, Alajuela centre West side: Stone Mountain Outdoors, Santa Ana, with a fishing department and nationwide shipping Online with delivery: Full Pesca (Heredia) and Angler.cr (Cartago) On the drive to the Pacific: Barracuda Fishing (Orotina), CR Primo (Los Sueños, Herradura) Fly shops: none in the Central Valley or anywhere else in Costa Rica How we checked: each shop's listing and newest reviews, plus its own site, 14 and 15 November 2026 ## The short answer Most visitors land in San José, and the Central Valley around it has the best spread of tackle shops in Costa Rica. In 2 days of checking in November 2026 we confirmed 14 shops and online stores in and around the capital that are clearly trading, plus 2 more on the road to the Pacific. Downtown, Gilca and El Pescador are the busiest. Near the airport, Mi Pesca and Megalodox in Alajuela are a few minutes from the terminal. On the west side, Stone Mountain Outdoors in Santa Ana has a proper fishing department. You may not need any of them. Almost every charter supplies rods, reels, bait and terminal tackle, as our [bait and tackle guide](/costa-rica-bait-and-tackle/) explains. These shops are for anglers who fish on their own, travel with their own outfits, or want a particular lure or line before heading to the coast. ## How we checked We started from our research file of 106 tackle shops across the country and took every one in the Central Valley. For each, we opened its Google listing with reviews sorted newest first, opened its own website or social page where it had one, and kept only those with a dated sign of life from 2025 or 2026. The table shows the newest evidence we found, so you can judge for yourself. Nobody paid to be listed, and we didn't contact any shop. Small shops change hours and move more often than big ones, so call or message before a long trip across town. Costa Rican addresses are given by landmark ("150 m north of the old station"), and the map links below drop you on the right spot. ## Every shop at a glance | Shop | Area | Best for | Newest sign of life | Link | |---|---|---|---|---| | Gilca | San José centre | Big range of rods and reels | Review, Nov 2026 | [Map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Gilca/@9.92686,-84.08043,17z) | | El Pescador Tackle Shop | Barrio México, San José | A spacious store with advice | Review, Nov 2026 | [Map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/El+Pescador+Tackle+Shop/@9.94047,-84.08706,17z) | | Borbón Marino | Tibás | Tackle brands plus kayaks and boat engines | Live website; review within the last 2 years | [Website](http://www.borbonmarino.com/) | | Stone Mountain Outdoors | Santa Ana | Fishing department, ships nationwide | Review, Nov 2026 | [Website](https://stonemountainoutdoors.com/pesca/) | | Star Archery and Outdoor | Santa Ana (Vía Lindora) | Fishing alongside camping and archery | Review, Oct 2026 | [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564925664006) | | Mi Pesca en Línea | La Bomba, Heredia | Tackle and reel repairs | Review, Jul 2026 | [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/mipescaenlinea) | | Full Pesca S.A. | Lagunilla, Heredia | Online store, big lure range | Website dated 2026 | [Website](https://www.fullpescasa.com/) | | Mi Pesca Alajuela | Alajuela centre | Rods, reels, repairs near the airport | Review, Oct 2026 | [Map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Mi+Pesca+Alajuela/@10.01739,-84.21374,17z) | | Megalodox | Alajuela | Complete tackle, including jigging rods | Review, Nov 2026 | [Catalogue](https://vercatalogo.com/megalodox_articulos_de_pesca) | | Buena Pesca CR | El Roble, Alajuela | Tackle | Review, May 2026 | [Map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Buena+Pesca+CR/@9.98651,-84.23589,17z) | | Fishing Jurel CR | Sabana Larga, Atenas | Tackle west of the airport | Review, Mar 2026 | [Map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Art%C3%ADculos+de+pesca+Fishing+Jurel+CR/@9.97860,-84.39275,17z) | | Mi Pesca Occidente | San Ramón | A wide range of quality gear | Review, Jul 2026 | [Map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Mi+Pesca+Occidente/@10.08590,-84.46893,17z) | | Angler.cr | La Lima, Cartago | Online store with delivery | Review, Nov 2026; website dated 2026 | [Website](https://angler.cr/) | | Total Fishing Store | Cartago | Rods, line, jigs and crankbaits | Review, Apr 2026 | [Map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Total+Fishing+Store/@9.84901,-83.92736,17z) | | Barracuda Fishing | Orotina | Last tackle stop before the coast | Review, Mar 2026 | [Map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Barracuda+Fishing/@9.91103,-84.52719,17z) | | CR Primo Tackle | Herradura (Los Sueños) | Full offshore and inshore tackle | Review, Nov 2026 | [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/crprimotackle) | Fly Fish In Costa Rica in Pozos de Santa Ana also appears below, but it's a guide service, not a shop. ## Downtown San José San José's two main tackle shops are both a short taxi ride from the centre, and both had reviews from the first half of November 2026. **Gilca (San José centre).** Gilca sits south of the centre, about 150 m north of the old Pacific railway station on Calle 2, between Avenidas 16 and 18. It has more reviews than any other dedicated tackle shop in the city, and reviewers keep coming back to the size of the range of rods and reels. **El Pescador Tackle Shop (Barrio México).** On Calle 20 in Barrio México, north-west of the centre, El Pescador is a spacious store that reviewers say stocks all kinds of fishing gear and gives sound advice. **Borbón Marino (Tibás).** A long-running marine dealer about 500 m west of the Clínica Clorito Picado in Tibás. Its own site shows tackle from Berkley, Rapala, Shimano, Mustad, VMC, Sufix, Eagle Claw and others, alongside Hobie kayaks and Volvo Penta engines. Its newest dated review was older than the others here, though the site is still up, so call before you make the trip. ![A saltwater spinning reel and a small baitcasting reel side by side on a polished wooden shop counter in warm light](/static/img/tsj-ai-reels-counter-800.webp) ## Santa Ana and the west side If you're staying in Escazú or Santa Ana, or heading out to the coast on Route 27, the west side is handier than downtown. **Stone Mountain Outdoors (Santa Ana).** An outdoor store with a dedicated fishing department, and one of the busiest shops in this guide by review count. Its online catalogue lists rods, reels, combos, lures, line, hooks, swivels, floats and wire leader, with brands such as Penn, Mustad, Berkley and Bass Pro Shops, and it ships nationwide by Correos de Costa Rica. A local fishing team that enters shop-run tournaments around the country carries its name, according to Coastal Angler Magazine. **Star Archery and Outdoor (Santa Ana).** In the Vía Lindora shopping centre, this is mainly an archery and camping shop, but a 2026 reviewer singles out its fishing gear. Worth a look if you're nearby. **Fly Fish In Costa Rica (Pozos de Santa Ana).** A fly-fishing guide service run from Pozos, not a shop. There's no dedicated fly shop anywhere in Costa Rica, so if you fly fish, bring everything with you; our [guide to bringing your own tackle](/bringing-fishing-tackle-into-costa-rica/) covers packing it. ## Heredia North of San José, Heredia has a couple of small shops and one of the country's two big online stores. ![The centre of Heredia at night, with its lit plaza, a Christmas tree, the white church towers and the lights of the Central Valley behind](/static/img/tsj-heredia-city-800.webp "Photo: [Centre of Heredia](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ciudad_de_Heredia.JPG) by Victor Quirós A, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons") **Mi Pesca en Línea (La Bomba, Heredia).** A tackle shop that also repairs reels and sells online. It's run by the same people as Mi Pesca Alajuela (the two share a phone number), so if one doesn't have what you need, the other may. **Full Pesca S.A. (Lagunilla, Heredia).** Full Pesca runs a large online store and appears on Shimano's list of Latin American distributors. Its catalogue covers Shimano, Daiwa, Rapala, Storm, Yo-Zuri, Williamson, VMC, Power Pro, Sufix and many more, for fresh and salt water, and it lists hundreds of lures alone. Its site doesn't say whether you can walk in, so treat it as an online order with delivery and phone ahead if you want to collect. ## Alajuela and the airport side Juan Santamaría airport is in Alajuela, which makes these the easiest shops to reach on arrival day. **Mi Pesca Alajuela (Alajuela centre).** About 75 m north of the cathedral, this branch sells rods, reels and tackle and does repairs. A couple of reviews complain about slow repair returns, so buy here but think twice before leaving a reel for service during a short trip. **Megalodox (Alajuela).** A complete tackle store with an online catalogue. Reviewers mention jigging rods, which is useful if you're heading out for snapper or tuna on your own boat. It had a review a day before we checked. **Buena Pesca CR (El Roble, Alajuela).** A small shop in El Roble, south-west of the city centre, with a review from May 2026. **Fishing Jurel CR (Sabana Larga, Atenas).** A small shop in Atenas, west of the airport, with a review from March 2026. **Mi Pesca Occidente (San Ramón).** About an hour west of the airport, 100 m east and 25 m north of the Correos office in San Ramón. Reviewers praise the range. It's on the way if you take the old road toward Puntarenas or the Northern Zone. ![The white twin bell towers of a church in Alajuela against a deep blue sky, with tropical trees in front](/static/img/tsj-alajuela-church-800.webp "Photo: [Church in Alajuela](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Church,_Alajuela,_Costa_Rica.jpg) by Donar Reiskoffer, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons") ## Cartago and the east **Angler.cr (La Lima, Cartago).** Angler.cr calls itself a 100% online store with delivery across the country, though it has a Google listing in La Lima. The range is wide: combos, reels, rods, lures, line, terminal tackle, kayaks, small outboards and fish finders, from brands like Penn, Shimano, Daiwa, KastKing, Rapala and Ugly Stik. Its site also runs a blog about 2026 tournaments. **Total Fishing Store (Cartago).** A walk-in shop whose reviewers mention rods, line, jigs and crankbaits, and an owner who knows his stuff. ## On the drive to the Pacific Most anglers driving from San José to Herradura, Jacó or Quepos take Route 27, the toll road west past the airport. Two shops along the way are worth knowing. **Barracuda Fishing (Orotina).** About 25 m east of Minisuper El Menor in the INVU neighbourhood of Orotina, roughly halfway between the airport and the coast. Reviewers describe a wide variety of fishing items. It's the last proper tackle shop before the sea, and the nearest one to the shore spots at Tárcoles and the Mata de Limón estuary, which our [fishing near San José guide](/fishing-near-san-jose/) covers. **CR Primo Tackle (Herradura).** At Ocean Plaza, just outside the entrance to the [Los Sueños](/los-suenos-marina-and-resort/) marina, about 1.5 to 2 hours from San José. El Mundo CR described CR Primo in May 2026 as the country's largest sportfishing tackle distributor, and Shimano lists it as a Costa Rica distributor. If you need offshore gear, poppers, heavy jigs or braid in big sizes, this is the shop, and it's the place most travelling anglers end up. Ask your crew about bait, since an older forum post says it doesn't sell frozen or natural bait. ## What to buy here and what to bring The Central Valley shops serve Costa Rica's own anglers first, and that shapes what's on the shelves. Expect plenty of terminal tackle, spinning combos, bass and river lures, inshore poppers and jigs, braid and monofilament. Expect much less of the specialist gear visiting anglers sometimes want. ::: triptych "Easy to find in Central Valley shops: lures, line and hooks" ![An open tackle tray of bright saltwater lures, poppers, stickbaits and metal jigs on a wooden counter in warm light](/static/img/tsj-ai-lure-tray-800.webp) ![Three plain spools of braided fishing line in blue, green and yellow beside a coil of clear leader on a wooden table](/static/img/tsj-ai-braid-spools-800.webp) ![A large steel circle hook tied to clear heavy leader, lying on wet white fiberglass](/static/img/tsj-ai-circle-hook-800.webp) ::: **Easy to buy here:** - Hooks, swivels, split rings, sinkers and floats - Braid and monofilament in common strengths - Inshore poppers, stickbaits and metal jigs in local sizes - Freshwater lures for guapote and bass (handy for [Lake Arenal](/lake-arenal-guapote-fishing/)) - Spinning combos for a family day at a trout farm or the river mouth **Bring from home:** - Any fly tackle, flies and fly line - Your favourite reels, and spare spools already filled - Fluorocarbon leader in the exact strengths you like - Specialist items like a particular brand of popper or a big offshore reel Circle hooks matter here: Costa Rica's regulation requires them when you fish natural bait for billfish. Every shop sells them, but the exact pattern you like may not be in stock, so carry a few. Our [fishing rules guide](/costa-rica-fishing-rules/) has the details, including the INCOPESCA licence, which you buy online rather than at a shop. ## Shopping tips - **Call or message first.** Most small shops list a mobile number and answer on WhatsApp. Check they have the item before crossing town in traffic. - **Bring cash or a card.** Many small shops take SINPE Móvil, the local phone payment, but it needs a Costa Rican bank account. Larger stores take cards. - **Show a photo.** A picture of the lure, hook or line on your phone beats any amount of explaining. - **Avoid rush hour.** Central Valley traffic is heavy at the start and end of the working day. - **Order ahead online.** Stone Mountain, Full Pesca and Angler.cr all deliver nationwide, so if you're staying a while, you can have tackle sent to your hotel or rental. ![A saltwater spinning rod and reel resting on a weathered wooden dock beside calm teal water at sunrise](/static/img/tsj-ai-spinning-reel-dock-800.webp) ## A short Spanish tackle glossary Shop staff in the Central Valley often speak some English, but not always. These words will get you most of the way. | English | Spanish | |---|---| | Rod | Caña | | Reel | Carrete | | Rod and reel combo | Combo | | Lure | Señuelo | | Hook | Anzuelo | | Circle hook | Anzuelo circular | | Fishing line | Línea (or nylon) | | Braided line | Línea trenzada | | Leader | Líder (fluorocarbon: fluorocarbono) | | Wire leader | Reinal | | Swivel | Sacavueltas or destorcedor | | Sinker | Plomo | | Float | Boya | | Bait / live bait | Carnada / carnada viva | | Repair | Reparación | ## Shops we left out Some names in our research file didn't make the cut. Topfishingcr in San Rafael de Heredia, Fishingdaycr in Santo Domingo and Edge Fishing Shop in Palmares have listings with reviews, but we couldn't see any review dates, so we couldn't confirm recent trading. Bucaneros Fishing Store in Turrialba and Distribuidora Hermanos Alpízar in Alajuela had nothing newer than about a year. Armería Alexander in Tibás (a gun shop) and Maxindustrias in Jardines turn up under fishing searches, but we couldn't confirm they stock tackle. Deportes Keko Jr's website no longer works, and Decathlon's Costa Rica site shows no fishing section. ## Where to go from here For shops on every coast, the big distributors, live bait and ice, see our complete guide to [bait and tackle in Costa Rica](/costa-rica-bait-and-tackle/). If you're flying in with your own rods, read our guide to [bringing fishing tackle into Costa Rica](/bringing-fishing-tackle-into-costa-rica/), and for ideas on what to fish once you have the gear, try [fishing near San José](/fishing-near-san-jose/) or our [planning guide](/planning-a-costa-rica-fishing-trip/). ## Frequently asked questions ### Where's the best tackle shop in San José? For range, Gilca south of the centre and El Pescador in Barrio México are the two busiest downtown shops. On the west side, Stone Mountain Outdoors in Santa Ana has a full fishing department. ### Is there a tackle shop near the San José airport? Yes. Mi Pesca Alajuela and Megalodox are both in Alajuela, a few minutes from Juan Santamaría airport, and Barracuda Fishing in Orotina is on Route 27 toward the coast. ### Can I buy fly fishing gear in San José? Not really. There's no dedicated fly shop anywhere in Costa Rica. Bring your fly rods, reels, lines and flies from home. ### Do San José shops sell bait? The city shops sell tackle rather than bait. On a charter, the crew catches or buys bait for you, and our [bait and tackle guide](/costa-rica-bait-and-tackle/) lists bait sellers near the coast. ### Can I order tackle online in Costa Rica? Yes. Full Pesca in Heredia, Angler.cr in Cartago and Stone Mountain Outdoors in Santa Ana all sell online and deliver nationwide. ### Can I buy my fishing licence at a tackle shop? The INCOPESCA sport fishing licence is bought online, and many charters will arrange it for you. See our [fishing rules guide](/costa-rica-fishing-rules/).