An Amazing Weekend Fishing in Jaco Beach Costa Rica

I still remember my father waking me up at the crack of dawn on Sundays, his fishing gear all ready, wearing that big, enthusiastic smile of his – “Time to seize the day, there are only so many fish in the sea!”, he used to say. Fishing on Sundays, every Sunday, during any season – that was our thing, and I can only think back at the memories fondly as I get that same smile on my face, today, when I go fishing. One morning, my friends and I were out fishing at the lake, beers in hand, enjoying the early sunshine, and complaining about all the stress we were all in due to our jobs and families and responsibilities. We realized we needed a Vacation, some time off, a weekend away from everything – preferably somewhere hot and sunny – some far-off Tropical Paradise – so we decided to go Sport Fishing in Jaco Beach, Costa Rica!


On a cold Friday morning in February, ten over-worked and exhausted men, we made our way to the airport, enthused and excited by the idea of a Vacation at a Tropical Paradise; the beach, the rainforest, the ocean, and of course the fishing. I could barely keep it together thinking about all the big, exotic fish we would come across there in the wild Pacific waters, sipping on cold beers in the sun all day, not a worry in the world, nor a responsibility in mind. After a comfortable but long 7-hour flight to Costa Rica, we finally landed and exit the airport to find an Air-Conditioned Mercedes Benz Sprinter van and our very own Concierge there to pick us up and take us to the Vacation Home in Jaco Beach that we had rented for the weekend. Prior to our arrival, we had contacted and hired a full-service agency that would be taking care of the details of the whole weekend for us, including transportation, a personal Concierge, private Chefs and Bartenders! Boy, were we excited, and boy, did we need this!


After an hour and a half drive, we arrived at the Beach House which was gorgeous – 10 bedrooms and bathrooms, games rooms, living rooms, a large fully-equipped kitchen, TVs and Air-Conditioners, stocked bars, and a beautiful pool deck with a BBQ and an outdoor swimming pool facing the beach. We went to our rooms, unpacked all our fishing gear, and went for a refreshing dip in the swimming pool. Bartenders appeared with cocktails, which we enjoyed in the pool as we stared out into the ocean, thinking about the potential wonders of the Pacific. The plan was to relax that day, and on the next day, bright and early we would be driven over to Los Suenos Marina, 10 minutes away from Jaco Beach, from where our Fishing Charter would take us on our long-anticipated fishing trip. That evening our Chefs cooked us up an amazing meal upon request: Ribeye steaks, potatoes, green beans – and for a local twist on the menu, they were served with freshly-made corn-tortillas. After a delicious dinner, we went for a walk on the beach where we enjoyed the endless star-lit sky, and headed to bed early.


The next morning, we woke up at the crack of dawn and had a delicious breakfast prepared by our Chefs consisting of pancakes, eggs, bacon, corn-tortillas, fried plantain, and Gallo Pinto (black beans and rice, a local delicacy). We were picked up and driven to Los Suenos Marina within the hour, where we went aboard the Fishing Charter we had booked for the day. The captain and the first mate, experienced fishermen, were really cool, and after a brief introduction, we sailed off into the blue of the Pacific, the early morning sun on our backs, the sea breeze in our faces. After some brief instructions about the boat itself, we cracked open a few cold ones and got things rolling. We sailed into the beautiful, blue waters of the Pacific; we rode over the waves; sailed on and on, until we reached a calm spot in what seemed the middle of the ocean. Beers in hand, talking smack, slowly getting sunburnt, we got things ready and started our fishing expedition. As the hours passed, the fish started biting. We first caught a few small ones, not worth the catch, which we released. Before long, half the boat was occupied by fish, amongst them a 6-foot Blue Marlin I had caught! Aside from my Blue Marlin, we had in storage a large Yellow-fin Tuna, a couple of medium-sized Mahi-Mahi, and seven lobsters! After a couple of hours of relaxing on the boat, we sailed back and made it home by sunset, and gave the fish we caught to the Chefs. Not only had it been an awesome fishing trip in terms of worthy catches, but it would also result in providing us with an amazing dinner that night! The Chefs created a whole dinner menu out of our catches – grilled Marlin steaks and Lobster Tails, Tuna Tartare, Mahi-Mahi ceviche – delicious! Tired but satisfied, none of us lasted past 10PM.


Our flight back home the next day was not as melancholic as you’d think. After all, the fishing trip weekend away at this Tropical Paradise had by all means been a success. We had caught fish, eaten delicious food, experienced a little bit of much-deserved luxury, and most important of all, we managed to get some rest and blow off some steam, leaving behind all our adult responsibilities for a whole, entire weekend. Jaco Beach, Costa Rica is the place to go fishing!