playa flamingo — guanacaste
Beach on northern Guanacaste with a sport fishing tradition since the 1980s, near the Islas Catalinas and the open northern Pacific.
Playa Flamingo sits in Santa Cruz canton, in northern Guanacaste, in a sheltered bay about 1 hour from Liberia airport. Sport fishing has been the local specialty since the marina opened in 1983: a 2003 ICT study counted 13 sport fishing operators in the area. Boats head out to deep water after sailfish, blue marlin, mahi-mahi, yellowfin tuna and wahoo, trolling with natural and artificial baits. Closer in, the Islas Catalinas and the rocky points along the coast produce roosterfish, Pacific dog snapper and Pacific jack on poppers, jigs and live bait. To the south, from Playa Grande to Playa Langosta, lies Las Baulas Marine National Park, created to protect leatherback turtles.
best season
Fishing all year. From December to March the papagayo wind churns the sea off northern Guanacaste; from April to August the sea tends to be calmer for offshore trips.
Local rules: INCOPESCA sport fishing card for each angler. Marlin and sailfish are catch and release, with the fish kept in the water. Las Baulas Marine National Park (SINAC) has a 171 km² marine sector off Playa Grande, Ventanas and Langosta, and fishing is prohibited in national parks. Agree on the fishing location with the operator. Confirm local rules.
- getting there
- Daniel Oduber International Airport, in Liberia, about 1 hour by car. From San José, about 5 hours via the Interamericana and Santa Cruz.
- facilities
- Hotels, condos and restaurants in Flamingo, Potrero and Brasilito; fishing operators with half-day and full-day trips. Confirm the boarding point with the operator.
- country
- Guanacaste, Costa Rica
tip
During the papagayo wind season, leave early and fish in the lee of the points. For roosterfish, drag live bait slowly near the surf.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
what you can catch here
before you fish in Costa Rica
Every sport angler must carry the INCOPESCA sport fishing card (license), for nationals and foreigners alike. It can be obtained online on the INCOPESCA website or at regional offices. For boat fishing, the INCOPESCA table lists US$16.95 for 8 days, US$28.25 per month and US$56.50 per year (fees set in 2018, kept for 2025 by agreement AJDIP/296-2024, including tax). The annual card for shore or kayak fishing is for nationals and residents. Inside refuges and parks, inland-water fishing may also require a SINAC license.
- Marlins and sailfish: in sport fishing, catch and release in the water, according to INCOPESCA.
- In SINAC protected areas, the rules of each area's management plan apply (for example, at Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge fishing is only allowed with hook, rod or handline, and nets are prohibited).
- Anglers must observe minimum sizes, catch limits and closed seasons set by INCOPESCA.
The rules and closed seasons in the rest of the app are Brazilian. Outside Brazil, the regulations of the country and province apply: confirm with the official agency.
sources and references
Access, facilities and season information changes: check with the lodge, a local guide or the city hall before you travel.
- official ICT/CIMAT — Informe final sobre o impacto socioeconômico do fechamento da Marina Flamingo (2003)Marina in operation since 1983; sport fishing as the main activity, with 13 operators in the area. 2003 study: the marina's current status has not been confirmed; ask the operator where boarding is
- official SINAC — Parque Nacional Marino Las BaulasTamarindo Bay, Santa Cruz canton; 175 km², of which 171.36 km² is marine sector; Grande, Ventanas and Langosta beaches
- official ACTo/SINAC — Información turística Parque Nacional TortugueroThe SINAC website states that fishing is prohibited inside Costa Rica's national parks
- official INCOPESCA — Pesca deportivaLicense required for nationals and foreigners, including boat-based anglers; marlin and sailfish catch and release, with the photo taken in the water