Twenty minutes up the road from Manuel Antonio, the Damas Island estuary hides some of the densest inshore fishing on this coast. This is a private charter, priced per boat for up to four anglers, and the dock is easy to board, so it works as well for a first-timer as for someone who packs their own leader material. From the dock your boat heads straight into the mangrove channels.
The targets are red and black snapper, Pacific snook, and mangrove grouper, with sea bass, jacks, and small barracuda showing up often enough to keep things interesting. Your guide reads the tide, weather, and water clarity and calls the technique to match: trolling, spinning, bottom fishing, and sometimes live bait. In the tightest spots the guides bring out the traditional Costa Rican handlines, el yoyo and el bolillo, which is fishing the way locals here learned it.
Because everything in the estuary moves with the water, departure time is set by the tides rather than a fixed clock. We confirm your exact start when you book. The trip is rated high difficulty, so expect a real six hours of fishing rather than a sightseeing float.
Bring sunscreen, sunglasses, a waterproof camera, hat or visor, and mosquito repellent. Price is per boat for up to four anglers. Departure time depends on the tides and is confirmed at booking.
Before you book, one honest note. Prices, departure times, and what is included move with the season here. Rivers rise and drop, tides reset the schedule, boats come out of the water for maintenance, and operators adjust rates without telling anyone first. The details on this page are what we last confirmed directly with the operator, and we go back and check them, but your booking is with the operator and their confirmation is the final word on price, timing, pickup, and what you get. If a detail matters to your trip, whether that is a dietary need, a mobility question, a birthday, or a tight flight, ask us before you book and we will confirm it with them directly rather than guess.
Traveling with kids, limited mobility, or a tight schedule? Tell us your situation and we will match you to the right day and departure.
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