Costa Rica Sport Fishing in Playas del Coco

Deeply ingrained into its history, fishing and Playas del Coco have always gone together. 

The first residents of the area were subsistence fishermen in Pre Columbian times most likely a sea faring people of Chibcha origin around 500 AD. 

The fishing tradition has never been lost and is now stronger than ever.  While still maintaining a small commercial fleet, the real action in Playas del Coco is with the Sport Fisherman.  Born and raised locals who were once fishing to put food on their families tables have graduated to become the boat owners and captains of the burgeoning Sport Fishing fleet. 

Inside the famed Gulf of Papagayo, Playas del Coco lies just off the most fertile marine area on the Northern Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, an important breeding ground and frequent stop off point for a majority of the Oceans species large and small. 

Our Guest Blogger is Robert Gunselman.  He is a relatively new arrival to Costa Rica but since the day he put his feet on the sands of Playas del Coco he has immersed himself into the Costa Rica sport fishing scene.  This guy knows his fishing and really knows his way around the fishing grounds of the Gulf of Papagayo and beyond. 

Rob just wants everyone to be educated about how to get the best out of your fishing charter, have fun and of course CATCH A LOT OF FISH! 

We spoke with Rob and one of his Favorite local Captains Gerardo “Come” (pronounced KO-MAY) Reyes.  It is clear that these guys know their stuff

Everyone who has been Scuba diving in Playas del Coco, Costa Rica has their own story. 

Whether it is seeing the biggest sea turtle you have ever seen come out of a hidden canyon on the backside of the Bat Islands, coming upon a group of adolescent Humpback Whales with their mother calling in the distance out at Santa Elena Point, being engulfed by a huge school of fish only to have them instantly disappear upon the arrival of a pod of dolphins, diving with your first giant manta ray or whale shark or coming upon a friendly sea horse on one of the local dive sites…well, the list goes on.

They say once you come to this area you always come back – well they must be talking about the Divers.

Sitting on the breadbasket of the Ocean, the Gulf of Papagayo is home to just about every warm water sea creature known.  This isn’t the Caribbean baby this is the mighty Pacific Ocean.

Our guest Bloggers for this newsletter are Martin and Brenda van Gestel – The Owners of Rich Coast Diving in Playas del Coco, Guanacaste, Costa Rica.  Here’s the inside scoop on scuba diving Costa Rica.