Deep Sea Fishing

Costa Rica is by far the most popular fishing destination in Central America. On the west coast the main attraction is the bill fishing which is excellent all year with the exception of October and November. From December through April the sail fishing is best in the southern half including Quepos, adjacent to the Manuel Antonio National Park, Drakes Bay and Golfito. During this time of the year the northern part of the country, experiences strong northerly winds, which often doesn't allow offshore fishing, a problem that doesn't exist in the south. Boats from all over the country flock to the Quepos area to take advantage of the exceptional sail fishing that takes place there yearly. In addition there are marlin, tuna, and dorado as well as inshore species such as roosterfish, snapper, mackerel, jacks and amberjack available.

As the year progresses the main body of sailfish moves north, with the peak fishing during April and May being in the Punta Guiones area, which is accessible from Nosara. Later, from June into September, the better fishing takes place further north around Tamarindo and Flamingo.

Fishing on the east coast is for tarpon and snook, and is concentrated in the jungle rivers and just outside their mouths in the Caribbean Sea. There are three main river systems, the Parismina, Tortuguero and the Colorado, which is the largest river system. The best time of year as far as the tarpon are concerned is from January into September, and the best time to catch trophy size snook from October into January.