World-Class Fishing, Surfing at Playa Zancudo
Remote Beach near Golfito, Costa Rica a Great Trip for Adventurers
Feb 18, 2009
Cushy, all-included fishing resorts at Playa Zancudo charge about $1,000 a day, which includes connecting flights from San Jose, meals, rooms, swimming pools and some of the best big-game saltwater fishing on the planet.
Adventuresome travelers can stay in beautiful, beachside cabina resorts for about $60 a day - and make their own arrangements for travel, fishing and surfing.
Either option puts travelers onto Golfo Dulce, a huge, beautiful bay on the southern Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. The tropical jungle, warm, clear waters and unspoiled beaches looks like Maui - without the big hotels and tourist traps.
Surfers flock to the area for the many famous waves, such as Pavones, a long, left break that is a 45-minute taxi ride from Playa Zancudo.
Anglers revel in lights-out fishing for sailfish - most anglers catch several of the billfish each day.
Playa Zancudo the Easy Way
Travelers booked into an all-inclusive fishing resort breeze into Playa Zancudo. A representative of the resort meets guests at the airport in San Jose, Costa Rica's charming capital city.
Guests are taken to a hotel to spend the night and are picked up early in the morning for the 45-minute connecting flight to the small town of Golfito - and a short, beautiful boat ride to Playa Zancudo.
Most resort guests are hooking sailfish, marlin, dorado and roosterfish within two hours of leaving San Jose.
Playa Zancudo the Budget Way
Budget travelers have some decisions to make. The connecting flight from San Jose to Golfito on Sansa Airlines is about $190 round-trip.
A bus leaves San Jose each day and arrives at Golfito about eight hours later. This trip is about $10 and is total immersion into Costa Rica's Pura Vida - Pure Life - culture.
One-way taxi rides from San Jose to Golfito cost about $250.
The boat ride from Golfito to Playa Zancudo is about $20 a person. Many small hotels will arrange your transportation to and from San Jose and boat rides from Golfito.
Fun in Playa Zancudo
All travelers find themselves in a tropical paradise. Thick jungle borders the long, pristine beach.
Monkeys, sloths and thousands of tropical birds - including the gorgeous red and blue Scarlet Macaw - rattle around in the trees.
Land crabs scuttle on paths, roads and beaches.
The sunsets are stunning, and local restaurants - many of them at small hotels - serve up fresh, delicious seafood and chicken dishes.
Local Weather
The dry season in Costa Rica is November through April, and travelers can expect days into the 90-degree range and plenty of humidity. The wet season is also warm, more humid - and it usually rains every day.
Visitors should bring bug spray, sunscreen, hats and sunglasses.
Playa Zancudo Fishing
Anglers staying at fishing resorts board boats at 6 a.m. to fish for sailfish, marlin, yellowfin tuna, dorado and hundreds of other species. Golfo Dulce, which is fed by several rivers, pours millions of baitfish into the warm Pacific Ocean, and big-game fish swarm the area.
It is not unusual for anglers to see schools of 100-pound sailfish charging their baits. Golfito is one of the best places to catch sailfish on the planet.
Many cabina resorts will book fishing trips for bargain travelers.
Playa Zancudo Surfing
Surfers love Pavones, a classic rivermouth reef break near the small town of Pavones. Punta Banco is a nice reef break near Pavones - and a good option when Pavones is crowded. Playa Zancudo has a nice beach break with small waves.
There are other great breaks near Cabo Matapalo, which is the northern cape of Golfo Dulce. Many surfers hire boats to visit these spots.
Visitors can spend a lot of money - or find bargains - but Playa Zancudo is a beautiful, unspoiled Costa Rican spot worth time and trouble!
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