🎣 Fishing Spot: Quepos / Manuel Antonio – Central Pacific Coast, Costa Rica

🏞️ About Quepos

Quepos is Costa Rica's undisputed billfish capital — a legendary sportfishing destination perched on a narrow strip of rugged Pacific coastline where jungle-covered mountains plunge into crystalline tropical seas. Located in Puntarenas Province on the Central Pacific Coast, just 60 minutes by air from San José, Quepos has been putting Costa Rica on the world sportfishing map since the 1980s when pioneering captains discovered the incredible concentrations of sailfish just offshore.

At the heart of this fishing paradise is Marina Pez Vela, one of Central America's finest marina facilities, featuring 195 wet slips, world-class boatyard services (including the country's largest 200-ton Travelift), luxury condos, restaurants, and shops. The marina serves as home port to some of the most professional fishing crews in the world and hosts the Offshore World Championship — the largest billfish tournament on the planet, where 60+ teams routinely release over 2,500 sailfish in just four days of competition.

But Quepos is no one-trick pony. Adjacent to the pristine Manuel Antonio National Park (one of the world's most biodiverse protected areas), the town offers exceptional inshore fishing for roosterfish, world-record Pacific snook, and reef species, all while white-faced capuchin monkeys swing through the trees and scarlet macaws soar overhead. Combine slick-calm seas, consistent year-round action, family-friendly eco-tourism, and some of the most productive billfish waters in the world, and you have a destination that satisfies both hardcore anglers and families seeking a tropical adventure.

🌟 Why Quepos Is Special

• Sailfish Nirvana
  From December through April, massive schools of Pacific sailfish concentrate offshore in numbers that rival anywhere on Earth. Multiple-sailfish releases (10-35+ per day) are common during peak season on flat-calm seas.

• Home of the Offshore World Championship
  The world's largest billfish tournament happens here every April, with 60+ teams releasing an average of 42+ billfish each over four days — testament to the extraordinary fishing productivity.

• Marlin Diversity
  Quepos offers shots at blue marlin, black marlin, AND striped marlin — with blue marlin available year-round and blacks prowling the nearshore reefs during green season. Overnight trips to the seamounts 80-150 miles offshore produce 10-25 marlin bites per day.

• Roosterfish Paradise
  The rocky points and river mouths produce trophy roosterfish, with the all-time Central America Fishing record of 34 roosterfish in a single day set here in January 2024.

• Inshore AND Offshore in One Day
  Short runs to fishing grounds (22-45 miles, 60-90 minutes) allow anglers to target billfish offshore in the morning and roosterfish inshore in the afternoon — maximum variety in a single charter.

• Year-Round Productivity
  Unlike many destinations with narrow seasons, Quepos delivers world-class action 12 months a year. Peak billfish season (Dec-Apr) transitions seamlessly into dorado runs (Oct-Dec) and black marlin action (Jun-Aug).

• Marina Pez Vela Excellence
  World-class facilities, professional Costa Rican captains, modern sportfishing yachts, and convenient amenities make this one of the most angler-friendly destinations anywhere.

• Calm Pacific Waters
  Protected by coastal geography, Quepos enjoys flat-calm conditions most of the year — perfect for families, first-timers, and anglers prone to seasickness.

🐟 Target Species in Quepos Waters

OFFSHORE / DEEP SEA (20-150+ miles):

INSHORE / NEARSHORE (0-25 miles):

🌤️ Seasonal Fishing Overview

☀️ Dry Season / Peak Billfish Season (December – April)

• THE SEASON for Quepos — this is why anglers come from around the world
• Sailfish packs arrive around Thanksgiving and stay through April
• Peak numbers January–March: 25-35 sailfish releases per day common
• Blue marlin highly active; multiple-marlin days possible
• Black marlin present on nearshore reefs
• Perfect conditions: sunshine, 90°F, 1-2ft seas, clear blue water
• Roosterfish excellent along rocky points and beaches
• Pacific snook in river mouths during dry season (can't access rivers as easily)
• All major tournaments run December–April
• Book early — this is high season for lodging and charters
• Weather: Dry, sunny, hot; occasional brief showers

🌧️ Green Season / Rainy Season (May – August)

• Sailfish numbers lower but still catchable daily
• Black marlin action heats up, especially June–August on deep reefs
• Blue marlin available; seamount trips productive
• Dorado fishing picks up as season progresses
• Bottomfishing for cubera snapper and grouper excellent (25 miles out)
• Snook move into rivers as water levels rise — harder to target
• Roosterfish still available but more scattered
• Weather: Daily afternoon rain (mornings often clear); seas remain calm
• Green season advantages: Lower prices, fewer boats, fish less pressured

🍂 Dorado Season / Fall Transition (September – November)

• Peak dorado run late October through mid-December (best of the year!)
• Mature adults 30-50 lbs, with 60+ lb trophies possible
• Dorado Derby tournament held in November at Marina Pez Vela
• Marlin transition: Blue marlin good, black marlin Sept–Nov
• Sailfish numbers building as peak season approaches
• Yellowfin tuna abundant (benefits from 2022 commercial fishing restrictions)
• Inshore action remains solid
• Weather: Rainy season continues through November; December starts dry season

❄️ Holiday Season / Tournament Season (December – January)

• Billfish bite "turns on" as sailfish schools concentrate
• Pelagic Rockstar Offshore Tournament every January
• Blue water pushes closer to shore as dry season begins
• Excellent all-around fishing as dry season establishes
• Peak tourism season — book well in advance
• Combine fishing with family activities at Manuel Antonio

🎣 Fishing Techniques in Quepos

OFFSHORE / BILLFISH TECHNIQUES:

INSHORE TECHNIQUES:

⚖️ Regulations, Permits & Charter Info

Fishing Licenses:

⚠️ Important: Purchase your fishing license at Marina Pez Vela office or through your charter service BEFORE departing. Most charter packages include the license in pricing.

Charter Options & Pricing:

Pricing Notes:

• Prices vary by boat size (27ft panga to 60ft sportfisher)
• High season (Dec-Apr) = higher rates
• Luxury yachts with A/C and amenities cost more
• Tips for captain/mate: 15-20% customary
• Most charters are all-inclusive (gear, bait, lunch, drinks)

Catch & Release Regulations:

• Billfish (sailfish, marlin): Catch and release ONLY — it's the law and cultural practice
• Dorado, tuna, wahoo: May keep for consumption (check daily limits)
• Roosterfish: Mostly catch and release (photo opportunities)
• Snook: May keep within size/bag limits
• Snappers/groupers: May keep for consumption
• Circle hooks required for billfish
• Use proper release techniques; many crews are trained in billfish conservation

Booking Your Quepos Charter:

Marina Pez Vela Boats:

• Over 40 professional sportfishing yachts
• Boats range from 27ft center consoles to 60ft+ luxury sportfishers
• Most captains are local Costa Ricans with 15-30+ years experience
• Many specialize in fly fishing or specific techniques

How to Book:

• Direct through Marina Pez Vela: www.marinapezvelaquepos.com
• Through fishing agencies: Central America Fishing, Costa Rica Fishing Experts
• FishingBooker and similar platforms
• Book 3-6+ months ahead for December–April (peak season)

🧭 Summary

Quepos / Manuel Antonio represents the ultimate big game tropical sportfishing destination — where legendary Pacific sailfish bite intersects with world-class marina facilities, calm tropical seas, and one of the planet's most biodiverse rainforest ecosystems. This is Costa Rica's sportfishing epicenter, home to the Offshore World Championship, where 60+ boats release thousands of billfish in a single tournament week, proving what local captains have known for decades: these are some of the richest billfish waters on Earth.

From December through April, enormous schools of Pacific sailfish blanket the offshore grounds just 22-45 miles from the Marina Pez Vela docks. Multiple-sailfish days (10-35+ releases) are the norm, not the exception, as professional Costa Rican crews work plastic teasers and pitch circle-hooked ballyhoo to acrobatic sails racing through slick-calm Pacific swells. Add blue marlin prowling the same waters, black marlin on nearshore reefs, and the legendary offshore seamount trips producing 10-25 marlin bites per day, and you have marlin diversity found nowhere else.

But Quepos offers far more than billfish glory. The inshore and nearshore waters explode with roosterfish crashing live sardines along rocky points, world-record Pacific snook in river mouths, and cubera snapper on deep reefs. The flexibility to target sailfish offshore in the morning and roosters inshore in the afternoon — both in the same day — is a Quepos signature that keeps anglers coming back year after year.

Off the water, Manuel Antonio National Park delivers sloths, monkeys, scarlet macaws, and pristine beaches. Marina Pez Vela offers luxury condos, excellent restaurants, and infrastructure rivaling anywhere in Central America. The combination of world-class fishing, family-friendly eco-tourism, consistent calm seas, and year-round productivity makes Quepos the complete package.

Whether you're chasing your first sailfish on fly, targeting trophy roosterfish, or competing in world championship tournaments, Quepos delivers the quintessential Pura Vida sportfishing experience under the Costa Rican sun.

📍 Quick Reference

Location: Quepos / Manuel Antonio, Puntarenas Province, Central Pacific Coast, Costa Rica
Nearest Airport: Quepos La Managua Airport (domestic); San José SJO (international, 1 hr flight or 3 hrs drive)
Base of Operations: Marina Pez Vela (world-class marina facility)
Peak Season: December – April (peak billfish/dry season)
Secondary Seasons: Oct-Dec (dorado run); Jun-Aug (black marlin, calm seas)
Target Species: Sailfish, Blue Marlin, Black Marlin, Dorado, Yellowfin Tuna, Roosterfish, Pacific Snook, Wahoo, Snappers
Best Methods: Pitch bait to teasers, slow-troll live bait, fly fishing, live bait casting (inshore)
Typical Runs: Offshore 22-45 miles (60-90 min); Inshore 0-15 miles
Sea Conditions: Calm year-round (1-3ft most days)
Special Features: Home of Offshore World Championship, 10-35+ sailfish days in peak season, roosterfish paradise, Manuel Antonio National Park, year-round productivity, family-friendly
Notable Events: Offshore World Championship (April), Pelagic Rockstar Tournament (January), Pescadora Billfish Championship (February), Dorado Derby (November), Rooster Rodeo (February)