Turismo Marítimo del Pacífico

Part of our complete guide: Fishing the Nicoya Peninsula: the complete guide

A Puntarenas family business

Puntarenas is the old port on a long sand spit on the mainland side of the Gulf of Nicoya. It's better known for ferries and cruise ships than for sportfishing, but it has a working waterfront and a few local boat companies. Turismo Marítimo del Pacífico, which mostly goes by TM Tours, is one of the longest running. Captain Marco Guzmán founded it in 2010, and it's still a family company with a crew born and raised in Puntarenas.

Most of its business is boat tours: day trips to Isla Tortuga, night tours to see the gulf's bioluminescence, visits to the old prison island of San Lucas and mangrove rides. Fishing is a smaller but steady part of it, sold as a private inshore charter. The company's website was refreshed in October 2026 and the business is busy on TripAdvisor and Google, so it's clearly operating.

The boats

TM Tours names 2 boats. Doña Mary V is a 39-foot center console built by Taller Náutico del Pacífico, Captain Guzmán's own boat-repair business, to a design it calls the Wahoo CR. Don Quito I was built by a local captain, Peter Maggie. Both are large center consoles certified to local safety rules and insured by the INS, the national insurer, and both are used for tours as well as fishing, which is why they're rated for far more passengers than you'd ever fish with. A fishing charter takes up to 4 anglers, and some boats can take an extra person or 2.

What you'll fish for, and when

These are inshore trips. The crew fishes the coast and islands of the Gulf of Nicoya for roosterfish, cubera and red snapper, sierra mackerel and jacks, with tuna and mahi-mahi when they come into range, and some jigging for snapper. Live bait goes out when the crew can catch it. The gulf is shallow, mangrove-edged and sheltered, so it's usually calm, which makes it a good first fishing trip for families.

Roosterfish are a year-round target, at their best from January to April. One thing to know before you book: INCOPESCA closes the inner Gulf of Nicoya to all fishing, sport included, from 1 May to 31 July (it did in both 2025 and 2026). If you're visiting in those months, ask the crew where they can fish. Our Gulf of Nicoya fishing guide explains the closure and the gulf's other rules, including the no-fishing waters around Isla San Lucas.

The company describes its approach as sustainable and mentions catch and release. Billfish are always released under Costa Rican law, and the crew cleans and fillets the eating fish you keep.

Trip types

There's one fishing trip, a private 5-hour inshore charter, in 2 time slots: 7:00 a.m. to noon or 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Mornings are usually calmer. Captains and mates, rods, tackle and lures, live bait when possible, drinks (water, soft drinks, juice and local beer), snacks, ice, fruit and fish cleaning are included, and there's private parking at the marina. You'll need your own INCOPESCA fishing licence.

The company also runs trips timed to cruise ships at the Puntarenas pier, and it can arrange pickups from Jacó and San José for its tours, so ask if you need transport.

How to book

Book on the company's website, which uses an online booking page, by WhatsApp or phone on +506 7004 3663, or by email at [email protected]. The rate is per boat, and the company asks for a deposit to confirm. Trips leave from the Guima Frost Marina in Barrio El Cocal, about 400 m east of the Puntarenas cruise dock. For the wider area, see our Nicoya Peninsula guide and our guide to the southern Nicoya Peninsula, just across the gulf by ferry.