The Central Pacific region of Costa Rica is home to some of Costa Rica’s most popular beaches. Not only are they beautiful, these beaches are also the most easily accessible from San Jose. With just a quick 2-3 hour drive over the mountains then down the coast you’ll arrive at Jaco and Manuel Antonio. White sand beaches, lush green rain forests, and some of the best Pacific sunsets you’ll ever see are what draw Costa Ricans and foreigners alike here every weekend.
Along with the beautiful beaches and some of Costa Rica’s most amazing hotels, this area has traditionally been the most popular region for deep-sea fishing as well. The rain forest covered coast line and deep blue Pacific waters provide great off-shore fishing year round. So good in fact, there are annual fishing tournaments held each year in both Jaco and Manuel Antonio.
Jaco is a vibrant beach town and is known to have wildest nightlife of all the beaches here, so much in fact that is often referred to as the ‘Daytona Beach’ of Costa Rica. Part of the reason it has such an active night life is it is the closest beach to San Jose as it’s just two hours away. The best fishing in Jaco is off-shore which is why this is one of the most popular spots for bill fishing. The run out to deep water is only 40 minutes and sailfish are found year round here. The sport fishing has been so good and so consistent here that the Los Suenos property holds two very popular international billfish tournaments every year. If you aren’t interested in going after sailfish or marlin there are several hot spots for inshore fishing as well. There are always roosterfish along the rocky shoreline here and one of the best spots in the country to fish is across the Golf of Nicoya along the underfished southern coast line of the Nicoya Peninsula. There are several beautiful islands here that are government protected biological reserves like Isla Negritos, Isla Guayabo, and the gorgeous Isla Tortuga.
Manuel Antonio is generally referred to as the fishing capital in Costa Rica. Only three hours from San Jose and home to some of the country’s most beautiful beaches, Manuel Antonio is the most visited destination in Costa Rica year after year. The 1,700 acre national park is home to white faced monkeys, white sand beaches, and beautiful views of the Pacific. The entire area of Manuel Antonio is actually located in a huge bay so the sea conditions are always calm and ideal for fishing. Sailfish are so abundant that there are several billfish tournaments held each year in Manuel Antonio. While famous for it’s year round billfishing, Manuel Antonio also has outstanding in-shore fishing as well. With several rocky islands and rivers emptying from the national park this is a prime spot for roosterfish, wahoo, dorado, and snapper. Trolling with live bait along the Islas Gemelos and Isla Grande is always a sure bet for great in-shore action.
