Jose and his first mate were amazing!

It was the last day of our 3 1/2 weeks in Costa Rica and my son wanted to go fishing.  Jose sacrificed his sleep and started extra early for us so we could fish and spend time at the Manuel Antonio National Park before heading to the airport. 

More importantly, Jose was just super kind, knowledgeable and helpful.  He helped arrange a taxi pickup for our early morning adventure and ensured my son had a blast fishing and of course, catching fish!  To top it off, he supplied drinks and delicious pineapple and snacks.  His shipmate was amazing as well. 

If it wasn’t our last day it would have been an extra special treat to eat some of the fish for dinner! 

Let Jose know what you want for your group and he will do his best to accommodate and customize your trip for you :)

Jose is a stellar captain, he helped us coordinate a shared charter, went above and beyond any other captain to help us reduce costs and get out on the water! We didn’t catch a lot. Overall a very slow day but you can do everything right and still not have any luck! But Jose is a great captain and put us on a few small blue runners and ended up on a decent Jack! If conditions were different I’m sure it would have been better. That’s sort of the risk you take when booking these trips, there’s no guarantee. The fruit was stellar, and beer was great, and no day on the water is a bad day. If I get the chance to come down here, I would give it another try.

Jose and Mike were great! While Jose expertly guided us to multiple spots, Mike kept the conversation going and was so fun to chat with! We had a couple of missed bites but caught enough Amberjack to take back for fish tacos for 14 plus lots of leftovers. It was awesome to catch, cook and eat the fish the same day and enjoy the ocean to table experience! We would highly recommend Jose and Mike to anyone wanting a fun excursion while in the area - be it a rookie or veteran fisherman/woman!

We had an amazing day fishing with Hidalgo Sportfishing! While getting on the boat was a bit chaotic due to security at the dock (they didn’t speak English, and directions weren’t very clear), once we were on the boat, everything went smoothly. The crew worked hard the entire trip to get us on fish while we relaxed. In addition to the great fishing effort, they provided excellent sandwiches, plenty of drinks, great company, and fresh fruit snacks throughout the day. To top it all off, they let us snorkel and relax at the end of the trip — a perfect way to wind down after a fun day on the water.
The only downside was that I wasn’t super satisfied with the pictures taken of our catch, and I felt a bit rushed to get the fish back in the water. But at the end of the day, we’re there to fish, not to take photos. Overall, I’d highly recommend Hidalgo Sportfishing for anyone looking for a top-notch fishing adventure in Costa Rica!

Hidalgo Sportfishing gave me one of the best fishing experiences of my life. From start to finish, this was a white glove, top-tier trip. I came in with a dream list — mahi-mahi, triple tail, snapper — we landed every single one, and then some.

From the moment we set out, the crew was dialed in. Big shoutout to Jose, Mike, and Jeff — these guys made the trip not only successful but genuinely enjoyable. They knew where to go, how to work the lines, and were all-around great company.

Best fishing charter in Costa Rica!