Fishing in Costa Rica's 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 sport fishing 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 your first day of your Osa deep sea sport fishing 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 up on the viewing deck where you can watch the sun set 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.

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 dream land 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.

Natural beauty of the Costa Rica rain forest and the Osa Peninsula offers picturuesqe views that you must capture on film to carry home for other s to see.

The Osa Peninsual 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 is 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" tourist’s 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 sport fishing paradise, Outside Magazine calls it... "The last best peninsula!"

Puerto Jimenez

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, 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 investment are the main source of income for this area and the great Costa Rica sport fishing 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 most 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 it's 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 is 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" 60's 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.