Kawé Lodge

Part of our complete guide: Fishing Lodges in Costa Rica: Every Lodge and Fishermen-Run Resort, by Zone

Who runs it

Kawé Lodge belongs to a Barra del Colorado family. Its hosts are Melania, who runs the kitchen, and Eduardo Pérez. A May 2026 report by FECOP, the Costa Rican sport fishing federation, tells Eduardo's story: he started out on the water at 9, processing sharks, left, and came home about 10 years ago to lead the lodge and offer sport fishing. FECOP names him among the people building the north Caribbean's future around catch-and-release tarpon rather than nets.

The lodge's website was last refreshed in 2023, but it's still open. In October 2026 a British angler who fished with Tarpon Sport Fishing wrote that his trip included a stay at Kawé, and the lodge keeps a phone line and an email address on its site.

The lodge

There are 6 rooms, which the lodge calls casitas, in tropical gardens facing the Río Colorado, about 1 km from the village of Barra del Colorado Sur. Each sleeps 1 to 4 and has air conditioning, hot water, a closet and free Wi-Fi, with daily cleaning. The refuge starts a few metres away, so howler monkeys and river birds come with the stay.

Meals are an add-on. You can choose a traditional Costa Rican menu or the "Kawé menu" of fresh fish, seafood, meat and pasta, cooked in a local Caribbean style, and the kitchen will work around allergies and diets if you say so in advance.

The fishing

Tarpon are the reason to come, and the lodge says they're in the river all year. Its own advice is that March to May and August to October usually bring the best weather, which lines up closely with the coast's best tarpon months: about February to April and September to October. Fish can top 60 pounds, so it suggests a strong, flexible rod, fly or spinning.

The lodge's boats fish the sea and the river, and its list of species goes well beyond tarpon: snook, tripletail, snapper, jack crevalle and blue runner in salt water, and guapote, machaca, mojarra and gar in the lagoons and canals. The site describes its team as experienced, and every half or full day comes with a bilingual guide.

• Full day. 8 hours of fishing with drinks on the boat, including the boat ride from and back to Puerto Lindo, the river landing at the end of the road.
• Half day. 4 hours of fishing with drinks on board.
• Packages from 4 days. Built to order, with road transfers from the airport or your San José hotel, the room, 3 meals a day, the fishing, and tours of the refuge for anyone who'd rather not fish.

Tackle and what to bring

This isn't an all-tackle-supplied lodge. It asks guests to bring their own gear where possible, keeps a small stock of basic spinning tackle for those travelling light, and sells lures, caps and sunscreen. For tarpon it suggests white, red or yellow bucktail jigs of 1.5 to 3 ounces, and red, black, yellow or white flies on 3/0 to 6/0 hooks. Pack light sun-protective clothing, water shoes and a rain jacket.

Release and the rules

FECOP describes Kawé's fishing as catch and release, and Costa Rican law requires every tarpon to go back alive. One rule is local: Laguna Kawé, which gives the lodge its name, is one of more than 20 inner lagoons in the refuge that close to fishing from October 1 to January 31. Inside the refuge's rivers and lagoons you need a SINAC licence on top of the INCOPESCA one; ask the lodge to help you sort both out. Our Caribbean lodges guide has the full refuge rules.

How to book

Email [email protected] for a quote, or call +506 7081 8013. The site also has an online booking page for rooms. Since the website hasn't been updated in a while, confirm boats, guides and dates before you pay. For seasons and the other places to fish on this coast, see our Caribbean fishing guide and the Caribbean tarpon season.