Costa Rica Fly Fishing & Diving Guide: Papagayo Fishing Charters + Summer-Salt Dive Center Review

Costa Rica is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. It features lush rainforests, clear Caribbean waters, and sprawling open ocean all in one country. Its situation in the middle of Central America makes it perfect for people with a variety of interests.

I recently visited the Playas del Coco area in Costa Rica with a group of 14 friends. Playas del Coco is in the Guanacaste Province, approximately 22 miles west of Liberia.

Everyone in the group had their own agenda, whether it involved lounging on the beach, jungle touring, ziplining, diving, or, of course, fly fishing.

My focus lay in fishing and diving. It has been a goal of mine for many years to get my PADI Open Water certification. I wanted to fit that in with several days of fishing as well. Boy, was I able to.

I fished with Papayago Fishing Charters and dove with Summer Salt Dive Center. Both entities featured incredibly knowledgeable, nice, and fun staff members.

Papagayo Fishing in Playas del Coco

Day One

My week began with a ¾-day trip on board the Bahamas boat. The Bahamas boat is a 25-foot Mako that holds four anglers, although a fifth can be added for an extra $100. It boasts a solid bow, perfect for casting a fly rod without having to worry about tangling. Best of all, a second angler can cast a spinning rod off the stern.

The boat picked us up right at Playas del Coco. The main contact at the company sent us a very accurate pin. All we had to do was step into ankle-deep water and up onto the boat. It was about the easiest process I have ever had on a fishing charter.

The fishing was a bit slow inshore, but we were still able to pull a few bonita, blue runner, and a needlefish. Our boat featured two fly anglers and two spin anglers, and the bonita provided an excellent fight on both types of tackle.

The captain and mate brought sandwiches, water, beer, and snacks such as nuts and chips on the boat. Everyone was comfortable, especially the ladies, because the Bahamas boat features a toilet. Toilets on fishing charters on boats this size are rare in my experience. It is quite a nice feature for all female anglers.

Another Round of Fishing

After a couple of days of diving, my partner, Amanda, and I jumped back on the Bahamas boat for a full day of fishing. Fishing was lights out in the morning. Amanda pulled a bonita on her third cast. I followed her not long after and managed to hook a second one later in the morning. We even had a couple of shots at yellowtail jacks.

The guides were very respectful of our desire to exclusively use fly gear. They were quite good at slowing the boat down and cutting the motor to give us a chance for multiple shots without spooking the fish. I was quite pleased with their acumen.

Unfortunately, our success was short-lived. The topwater action completely died around 11 am as we spent the next four hours blind casting with just a few follows by big-eye jacks. Still, the guides worked hard for us that day, moving from spot to spot in search of any fish sign.

Additionally, the guides went all out for lunch. They cut fresh avocados and fruit and made fresh sandwiches for us. Usually, fishing charters bring a packaged lunch, so this was a nice surprise.

Papgayo Fishing and Barbecue

Our trip with Papagayo fishing culminated in their fishing and barbecue special. Under this special, anglers can hire boats to take them fishing in the morning, and stop on a beach for lunch midday. Papagayo Fishing hires a cook and server to set up a wonderful beach spread filled with games, music, tents, hammocks, snorkeling gear, fresh fruit, and fresh coconuts.

My group hired three boats for a total of 12 people. We planned to fish for three hours and hang out on the beach for an additional three hours.

The trip began with a member of our group catching a roughly 80 lbs sailfish while trolling. That fish made everyone’s day. I was not present on the boat that pulled the fish, and I am quite jealous that I did not get to see it. My boat (Bahamas once again) featured one of our group members catching her first fish ever, a bonita. The guides cut the bonita for us and prepared sashimi using one of the filets.

Beach Time!

The time on the beach was the real high point of the day. The staff opened coconuts for us to drink directly from while we gorged ourselves on pineapple and watermelon. After an hour or so, we were called to a table where the chef had prepared Pico de Gallo, mango salsa, guacamole, beans, tortillas, chicken, and the rest of the bonita.

We had an immaculate lunch, complete with capuchin monkeys in the trees above us. After lunch, we snorkeled a nearby reef nursery with multiple turtle sightings and an abundance of fish.

On the ride home, the same boat that caught the sailfish earlier in the day pulled another three bonita. We took two home, and I prepared ceviche and grilled bonita for the whole group. Overall, Papagyo Fishing gave us a great day. In the case of many in our group, the outing was the highlight of their trip.

Summer-Salt Dive Center

Now onto the diving. Five individuals in our group were interested in getting certified in Costa Rica. A sixth was already certified and joined us at Summer-Salt.

For a very affordable price of $575, Summer-Salt was able to have us do our e-learning in the United States and complete our confined water dive and four open water dives over the course of three days in Costa Rica.

Located minutes by foot from Playas del Coco, Summer-Salt was right in the hub of every activity we wanted to do.

Confined Water Dive

We arrived at Summer-Salt in the afternoon after fishing on the Bahamas boat on the first day. The dive staff fitted us for our gear, gave us a quick rundown, and soon we were on our way to Playa Ocotal for our confined water dive.

After an hour orientation on the beach, the dive master got us in the water. We worked on the same skills that you would work on in a pool, but we got to do so in a real environment, albeit at just 3 m deep. I believe immersion in the saltwater with real wave action better prepared me for the open water dives.

Open Water Dives

The next morning, we dove two sites as we continued to work on our skills and become comfortable in the water. Our divemaster worked hard to ensure that each student was comfortable, and he would pay extra attention to any skill that any individual had trouble with.

In between dives, the boat captain would cut a fresh pineapple for us that would be ready as soon as we stepped back onto the boat. It made our surface interval quite comfortable.

We rinsed and repeated on our second day of open water diving, except that we were able to enjoy our fourth dive without having to do any skills. Given how hard our dive master had worked for us to refine our skills, I felt very comfortable and able to enjoy the fourth dive.

For the More Experienced Among Us

Our friend, who was already certified, completed two days of two-tank dives at sites similar to the ones we were diving. However, he was also able to complete a three-tank dive at the Catalina Islands.

He described the experience as very incredible, complete with large manta rays and a huge school of devil rays. Summer-Salt leads these outings at 0630 am to ensure that they beat the boat traffic so as not to scare away the mantas. By all accounts, it was well worth it.

Overall Grade

In summary, I would give both companies an A for the experience they gave us. Playas del Coco as a whole has a lot to offer for both fishing and diving.

Although the fishing was slow, that is the way fishing goes. The guides described the couple of weeks before we arrived as much better. Anyone who has ever gone fishing knows that there can be a lot of variability in success. I was happy to have plenty of shots at fish I never get to fish for.

As for the diving, I could not have asked for a better instructor. He blended a casual, laid-back attitude with seriousness for important moments. His demeanor kept us all calm as we learned about the world of diving.

If you ever find yourself in the northwest corner of Costa Rica, check out these two companies for some serious fun.