Fishing in Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula
Unspoiled Costa Rica beach on the Osa Peninsula
Cobalt blue waters and the natural rain forest line this unspoiled beach of the Osa Peninsula.
There are many things that make the Osa Peninsula in the southern region of Costa Rica worth visiting. We would say that Osa deep sea sportfishing would have to be hands down the number one reason for visiting the Osa Peninsula, at least for anglers and sportfishing enthusiasts. Just imagine being at your lodge the night before the first day of your Osa deep sea sportfishing trip. A slight breeze is blowing, you can hear the famous Costa Rica surf pounding the beach and you have already seen white-faced monkeys staring at you from their perch in a nearby tree of the lush rain forest.
You are tucked away in the rain forest away from the hustle and bustle of the city you left at home. Your dinner is served upon the viewing deck where you can watch the sunset over the Pacific Ocean, exactly where you will be cranking in powerful blue marlin or feisty dorado the very next morning. The excitement starts to build, you are about to go sportfishing in this tropical fishing paradise as soon as the morning arrives. Now all you have to do is overcome all the anticipation and go to sleep so the morning and your first day of Costa Rica fishing will get here faster.
The Osa Peninsula, Southern Costa Rica Information
In the southwestern corner of Costa Rica, there is a quiet little piece of tropical paradise called the Osa Peninsula. This is an outdoor adventurers dreamland and is the country’s most spectacular region for Pacific Ocean sport fishing and marlin fishing. Whether you want to go hiking in the rain forest, visit unspoiled beaches, or go Costa Rica sportfishing you can expect Osa to have everything you would want in your dream vacation.
The Osa peninsula which is located on the Pacific Ocean along the southwestern Costa Rica coast is undoubtedly one of the best fishing hot spots for deep sea fishing in all of South America. The Osa Peninsula is nearly 30 miles to the north of Panama and is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and the well known Golfo Dulce to the east. The Osa Peninsula is more remote than other parts of the country like Quepos to the north but has more unspoiled rain forests, cleaner beaches, and better sportfishing which usually produces bigger fish.
Costa Rica rain forest on the Osa Peninsula
The natural beauty of the Costa Rica rain forest and the Osa Peninsula offers picturesque views that you must capture on film to carry home for others to see.
The Osa Peninsula is accessible by road, an eight-hour drive from San Jose along the Pan American highway, or 50 minutes by one of the daily commuter flights. It is more lush and tropical here than in northern Costa Rica with spectacular wildlife, deserted beaches, and virgin forests. The population of the entire area is about 5,000 people with approximately 100 foreigners, mostly Americans, living here on the Osa Peninsula at least part of the year. For the natives and other folks that live here, the Osa Peninsula is what Costa Rica and Costa Rica fishing are all about. Not only in terms of landscape and outdoor adventure but also the rich culture and the Costa Rican people.
The Osa’s unique bio-diversity is made up of eight different habitats including cloud forest and the largest and most exuberant lowland wet tropical forest remaining in all of Pacific Central America. Species density and geographical location make it totally unique. The Osa is home to Corcovado National Park, the crown jewel of Costa Rica’s National Park system and habitat where many endangered animal and plant species still thrive. The largest trees in Costa Rica are found in the forests of the Osa.
Corcovado and the surrounding area has been called one of the most biologically diverse places on earth by none other than National Geographic. Truly a paradise lost, it is a place where jaguars still roam the jungles, Scarlet Macaws fly freely around the towns, and monkeys are found in numbers unmatched in all of Costa Rica and most of Central America. Non “mainstream” tourists have discovered this previously little known, rugged paradise and come from around the world to experience the “wild side” of Costa Rica and sample some of the world-class fishing, surfing and exploring. The Osa Peninsula is without a doubt Costa Rica’s best-kept secret! An outdoor adventurer’s dream and a sportfishing paradise, Outside Magazine calls it… “The last best peninsula!”
Puerto Jimenez
A beautiful sunset on the Osa Peninsula
Imagine yourself sitting here and snapping this picture. Quiet and relaxing beaches with clear pristine blue water help make the Osa Penisula a vacationers paradise.
The main town near Osa is Puerto Jimenez which was at one time an old frontier town for gold mining and cattle ranching and could only be reached by boat. Ten years ago, the road came in connecting Jimenez to the Pan American highway. Seven years later, the main-grid power made the same connection. During those years, tourist began arriving. Many flying in to visit the more remote lodges. Today, tourism and foreign investments are the main sources of income for this area and the great Costa Rica sportfishing is at the top of the list.
Puerto Jimenez, with it’s improved airport with daily commuter flights from San Jose plus two busses makes getting here no problem these days. There is a daily passenger ferry to Golfito, previously Central America’s Mecca for banana exportation and home to Chiquita Banana. Costa Rica’s largest and best-equipped National Parks Service operates out of Puerto Jimenez. Jimenez has a small hospital and a handful of businesses that sell groceries, hardware and building supplies, shops, and restaurants. Four-wheel drive taxis can take you almost anywhere in the peninsula. Today, Internet service, cellular phones and even Direct TV are all available.
Fishing in the Golfo Dulce
The Golfo Dulce is an inshore tropical sportfishing paradise in its own right. With waters rich in mineral content the Golfo Dulce attracts a very large quantity of baitfish which in turn attracts many record big game fish anglers target. Because of the rich marine food source and because sporting anglers tend to practice catch and release more often the Golfo Dulce seems to produce a new record fish every year. Situated on a small harbor facing the Golfo Dulce, the waterfront provides good anchorage and has a public pier where you board your Osa sport fishing charters each morning.
You can also catch Yellowfin tuna, Wahoos, Giant Dorados, Pacific Sailfish and three kinds of Marlin. Near the shore, the 1000 ft. deep waters of the gulf are full of a variety of fish as well. Rain-forested hills provide a scenic background as you fish for Sierra Mackerel, Snook, Pompano, Amber Jack, 4 types of snapper and other exotic species.
Southern Costa Rica Climate
CLIMATE…How’s the weather? Warm all year, of course… it’s the tropics! However, being a peninsula of land surrounded by water creates a more favorable climate. More so than Guanacaste and even south Florida in the summer for example. The land is green year-round with December through April being our “summer”. Daytime temperatures are usually in the 90’s with little or no rain. The rainy season starts around May in the form of afternoon showers or rain at night. This weather pattern continues until September and October when the heavy rains begin. Daytime temperatures during the rainy season are normally in the 70’s and 80’s but can dip into the “chilling” ’60s at times.
Aside from being prime time for Costa Rica fishing, the winter also happens to be the migratory season for whales, and this is the dry season in Costa Rica when you will find warm perfect weather and blue skies. Whale sharks, Blue and humpback whales can all be seen on a tour. 3 different types of porpoises live here year-round, so you are sure to see them as well. Sea snakes and sea turtles are other creatures you can see on land and in the water as well.
Southern Costa Rica Sport Fishing – Tours and Activities
Day off from Costa Rica sport fishing?? Take a surfing tour.
Got a day off from Costa Rica fishing? Maybe you’d like to take a surfing lesson and ride down the face of a Costa Rica wave.
In addition to the great Costa Rica sportfishing, whether it is offshore charter fishing or fly fishing for sailfish there are many other activities and tours for you and your family. All our Costa Rica sport fishing packages have two days off from fishing which means you have time for a few of the fun tours or other activities that are offered at your lodge. With the wide variety of tours and activities, there is almost always something that will appeal to everybody. Don’t want to challenge the ocean on a surfboard? Then you could try looking at some beach scenery from a horse on your horseback riding tour.
Climbing to the top of the rain forest on a zipline sound good to you? If not maybe you want to try something that you likely have never ever tried before – if so then get ready to try a little panning for gold. That’s right! Panning for gold. And that’s not it, there is scuba diving, water skiing, swimming with the dolphins, whale watching, river and wildlife refuge excursions, bird watching, waterfall rappelling, and so much more. Some items may depend on what package you select as location may determine if some tours or activities are available. So if you think fishing in Costa Rica is the only thing to do while on your Osa fishing vacation then you would miss out on some other great activities. Of course, you take a Costa Rica fishing vacation to catch exotic big game fish but on your nonfishing days, there is always plenty to do other than sit at the lodge.
Costa Rica waterfall rappelling
When you aren’t on your Costa Rica fishing charter you can spend the day on a waterfall rappelling tour like the one pictured here.
Costa Rica Tours and Activities
What kind of tours do you offer? What activities besides deep-sea fishing are there in Costa Rica? Those are the main two questions. Well, there is a long list of tours and activities to fit every personality, all physical abilities, and all ages.
Some of the Tours and Activities Include everything from swimming with dolphins to climbing 100′ high trees of the Costa Rica rain forest. Some of the tours and activities available include:
Waterfall Rappelling
Rain forest hikes
Bird watching tours
Ocean kayaking
Repelling from 100ft trees – from the canopy of the rain forest
Checkout Everyday Adventures for more information.
More Costa Rica Tours and activities…….
Another tour guide we use is Escondido Trex
If that’s not enough we have more tour guides we use like OSA Adventura that offer some great activities.
Kayaking
Snorkeling
Tree Climbing
Rappelling Down Waterfalls
Tree Climbing & Rappelling Down Waterfalls
Forest Horseback Riding
Horseback Riding & Forest Hike
Beach & Mangrove Horseback Riding
Gold Mining – Panning for gold
Bike Riding
Beach Exploration
Surfing Lessons
Botanical Garden Tour
Herrera Botanical Garden
There’s more…..
There are dolphin and whale watching tours and for the really adventurous person, you can even swim with the dolphins. Other items offered include:
Zipline canopy tours.
ATV rentals to go exploring on your own
Animal refuge tour – 30min boat ride across the gulf to a refuge that releases injured animals back into the wild with lots of animals to see.
Horseback riding on the beach and in the rainforest.
