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Costa Rica Hotels

Costa Rica hotels offer a great variety of places to stay. It is always a good idea to make a reservation in advance, especially during Easter Week or weekends in the dry season, December to April. Indeed, most beach and mountain lodges are booked several weeks in advance for popular weeks like Christmas and Easter Week, or Holy Week where all Costa Ricans go to the beaches and the main cities shut down. Accommodations can also be tight if a special event is going on in a particular town. Private lodges, all inclusive resort and expensive hotels in remote areas should always be reserved in advanced.

Most hotels will give rainy season discounts, from mid April to mid December. Be aware they do charge the mandatory tourism and sales tax, of 16.39%, so don’t feel ripped off, this is normal and don’t let this get to you. Prices are cheap compared to US or European prices and most are small and quaint and set in some of the most spectacular places the world has to offer.

Many hotels in Costa Rica are called ‘Cabinas’. They are usually large rooms with several beds and sometimes a private bath. This type of accommodation tends to be on the more budget end of the market, but some can be very nice.

Costa Rica Sportfishing

Costa Rica Sportfishing offers far more fish than fishhooks, making the country one place from which you can return home with countless tales. The sportfishing on the Pacific coast differs markedly from that on the Caribbean; in each case, however, game fish are guaranteed to give the sportfishermen a rod-bending fight to remember.

Every season you can be sure that at least one International Game Fishing Association record will be broken in Costa Rica. The nation holds the world record for sailfish and marlin catches in international tournament history. Most of the Costa Rica sportfishing outfitters operate a catch-and-release policy to ensure the continued health of the game fish population.

There are scores of lodges that cater to serious anglers with package programs. Many are using top rated boats and equipment and also have skilled guides. For the not so dedicated sportfishermen there are also a wide variety of smaller outfitters that offer half day and full day packages for reasonable prices.

On the Pacific side, game fish run offshore year-round and snagging the big one comes really easy. The big draw is the Blue Marlin – the “bull of the ocean.” They present year-round, thought he big run begins in May, with June and July the prime months. Then, too, tuna school close to shore and the Dorado begins to peak. In general, the fish move seasonally, with summer months offering the best catches in the Golfo de Papagayo (Tamarindo to Playa Flamingo), while winter months are the best in southern waters centered on the Golfo Dulce (Golfito) and Puerto Quepos.

The Caribbean side is different, with offshore sportfishing limited. Here anglers cast their lightackle lures in river estuaries, backwater lagoons, and wide rivers that extend inland from Tortuguero and Barra del Colorado, the two sportfishing centers. The fish of choice is Tarpon, which is known as the “silver bullet” and can weigh up to 150 lbs (68 kg). Costa Rica, no surprise, is the world’s premier site for tarpon, which puts up a fight like no other. Large trophy winning snook, a smaller yet aggressive adversary weighing up to 30 lbs (14kg), is also another popular catch.

Inland, the waters of Lago Caño Negro also offer superb opportunities for Tarpon and Snook, while Laguna de Arenal is renowned for its Guapote or Rainbow Bass.