Tarpons and Turtles
Sport Fishing and Eco-Adventures in Costa Rica
9 Days, 8 Nights
Captain Primo and 150 lb. Tarpon in the waters off Tortuguero
This is a combination tour for the avid sport fisherman who wants to share Costa Rica with their spouse and family members. This exciting nine day trip combines 6 full and half-days of fishing the best and less-fished waters of Costa Rica. Non-fishermen will enjoy exciting activities planned just for them. In April and May you’ll be visiting during a magical time as the tourist season winds down and the weather is cooling off.
The fishermen will fish both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts exploring inshore, offshore, river deltas, and gulf locations with top-notch, experienced and bilingual captains. Captain ‘Primo,’ a Costa Rican who grew up on the Caribbean, will guide you at Tortuguero seeking success with world-class tarpon, snook, and big snappers. In the beautiful Gulfo Dulce, created by the Pacific’s Osa Peninsula, Mike Hennessey will treat you with his first class boats and gear, experience, and passion for the sport. All techniques will be available in your quest for Blue and Black Marlin, Sailfish, Yellowfin Tuna, Dorado, Roosterfish, Amberjack, and Snook.
The non-fishermen on the trip will be treated to the best these Costa Rican destinations have to offer such as guided riverboat tours, spectacular wildlife and bird viewing, visiting small Costa Rican villages, a gulf tour scouting for dolphins, snorkeling, kayaking, hiking, a canopy cable flight through the forest, visit to a chocolate farm, and more.
During April and May, the beaches of Tortuguero are visited by the giant Leatherback Turtles to nest and lay their eggs. They don’t come into shore in the same quantity as the Green Turtles do later in the year, but if they make an appearance, we’ll organize evening turtle excursions to allow you to witness this amazing wonder of nature.
To guarantee a quality experience for all, the trip is limited to just 10 fishermen. A maximum of 15 non-fishermen can accompany the group. All comfortable jungle accommodations, transportation (comfortable motor coach, riverboat, and in-country flights), tours as described, and most meals are included.
Pizotes Adventure Tours’ Package Price
Fishermen $2,550,
Non-Fishermen $1,625
Single supplement: $250
Description of Itinerary
B – Breakfast L – Lunch D – Dinner
Day 1
Your flight will arrive at Juan Santamaria International Airport and be met by your trip planner and leader, Terri Peterson. Overnight at the quaint Hotel Don Carlos in downtown San José.
Day 2
Up and going early, we’re off to the Caribbean Coast by motor coach with Fran Watson. She and her husband, Modesto, will be our guides for the three day Tortuguero adventure. We’ll stop for breakfast on the way to the Caribbean port town of Moín where we’ll board their riverboat for a 3 hour wildlife-viewing cruise of the canals on the way to our lodge. Lunch will be ready at the lodge, after which the fishermen will meet Primo and head out for a half-day fishing trip. The non-fishers will visit the Caribbean Conservation Center. Enjoy the hotel pool, a walk on the coast, or a relaxing hammock. After dinner at the lodge, if the Leatherbacks are nesting, we’ll follow turtle guides into the Tortuguero National Turtle Refuge. Accommodations at Laguna Lodge. B,L,D
Day 3
The fishermen will eat breakfast at the lodge and board their boats for a full-day of fishing. Lunch will be on the boat and they return in the afternoon to relax at the pool and share their fish stories.
After an early morning riverboat trip up some of the smaller canals, the non-fishermen will eat breakfast at the lodge. Then we’re off to the Tortuguero pueblo to complete a community assistance project especially designed for our group. This will be a wonderful chance to interact with the local community and leave more than just your footprints behind. After lunch at the lodge, enjoy more free time to explore or relax at the lodge.
After dinner at the lodge, we’ll have an informal presentation by a Tortuguero resident on Caribbean life. Accommodations at Laguna Lodge. B,L,D
Day 4
The fishermen will eat breakfast at the lodge and board their boats for another full-day of fishing. Lunch will be on the boat and they return in the afternoon to relax at the pool and share their fish stories.
After breakfast at the lodge, the non-fishermen will board the riverboat for a day boat cruise to the wildlife-rich Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge. This remote northeast corner of the country is accessible only by boat and plane and is the second largest refuge in Cost Rica. Dinner will be at the lodge after which there will be an option to take a second turtle walk. Accommodations at Laguna Lodge. B,L,D
Day 5
After breakfast at the lodge the group will board the riverboat one last time for our trip back to Moín. A bus will transfer us to Hotel Don Carlos with a lunch stop on the way. The afternoon is your time to explore San Jose on your own. Choose one of the many diverse dining spots in downtown; Italian, Peruvian, Thai, or a classic Costa Rican experience. Recommendations will be provided. B
Day 6
The group boards a bus to Pavas Airport for an early morning flight to Puerto Jiménez. We enjoy a breakfast in the bustling pueblo. The fishermen will be met by Mike Hennessy and his crew and set out for a half-day of gulf fishing. Lunch, fishing gear, and of course the best fishing tips provided.
The non-fishermen will be transferred to the hotel to settle in. They’ll then depart for their choice of a canopy cable tour, kayak tour of the mangroves, or hike in Matapalo. Lunch will be provided on tour.
After the day’s adventures, travelers can explore the sleepy town of Puerto Jiménez and its waterfront.
Accommodations at Cabinas Jiménez B,L
Day 7
After breakfast at the lodge, the fishermen head out for a full-day with Mike and crew. As Mike states, The Golfo Dulce and the Pacific Ocean in front of Cabo Matapalo offer an almost unique combination of in- and offshore fishing. The gulf with its existing reefs and numerous river deltas is an inshore paradise for Roosterfish, Cubera Snapper, Amberjack, Snook and many other species of world-record size. At the exit of the gulf the seabed goes down to over 1,000 fathoms within just a few miles. This is the area where Blue and Black Marlin, Sailfish, Yellowfin Tuna and Dorado can be found.
Buena suerte! Lunch included.
The non-fishermen will board a comfortable tour boat to spend the day in the pristine Golfo Dulce, a gem in Costa Rica’s natural treasure chest. You’ll enjoy scouting for dolphins, whales, turtles, and maybe even the group’s fishermen at work. And count on time for snorkeling, a warm swim and a visit to a remotely located wildlife rescue facility. Lunch included.
For dinner, we’ll dine at one of the finest restaurants in all of Costa Rica, Jade Luna. After a delicious meal, we’ll hear from a local researcher on their work to preserve the magnificent Osa Peninsula., proclaimed by National Geographic as “one of the most biodiverse places on earth!”
Accommodations at Cabinas Jiménez B,L,D
Day 8
The fishermen will eat an early breakfast so they can hit the water and get in their last opportunity to hook ‘the big one’.
The non-fishermen will take a drive up the peninsula to visit (and sample) an organic chocolate farm. Cacao is grown in this zone and the folks at Kobe Chocolate Farm have mastered it in many forms.
The group will return to the lodge in time to have lunch and pack up for the 45 minute afternoon flight back to San José. Do your last minute shopping. (HINT: Hotel Don Carlos has one of the best gift shops in all of Costa Rica). Dinner will be of your choosing. Enjoy one of the restaurants you missed on day 5.
Accommodations at Hotel Don Carlos. B
Day 9
Enjoy Hotel Don Carlos’ outdoor breakfast buffet once more before you board the bus for your transfer to the airport. You’ll arrive two hours before your flight home. Buen viaje! B
Trip Includes:
- Group accompanied by guide and Costa Rican resident, Terri Peterson, from arrival to departure
- 3 nights in a lodge on the Tortuguero canals
- 2 nights in Osa Peninsula accommodations
- Adventurous, fun, and educational tours that include river and canal boat trips, forest hikes, bird watching, zipline jungle canopy rides, river boat canal trips
- In-country bus transport by comfortable motor coach
- In-country flights with Nature Air
- Local, expert bi-lingual guides
- 18 meals, most tips (Fishermen responsible for tipping fishing boat crews)
8 Breakfasts
6 Lunches
4 Dinners
18 meals