Support the locals!! Best captain you can get. It doesn’t matter how big or expensive the boat is.. he knows what he’s doing out there. An awesome experience. Food, drinks, and great fishing. Caught Rooster fish, Tuna, Red Snappers. Cooked us the fish we caught after and sashimi the tuna on the boat. Lots of snacks and drinks. Also let us cool off in the ocean after and snorkel. He really puts everything into his charters to make a great experience. Not a 9-5 job like most charter companies. The ocean is his life. 10/10. Will be back.

My Fiancée and I had a great time fishing with Captain Juan Carlos and his crewmate. They made the trip, convenient, memorable, and fun! We caught a large sailfish and celebrated with some beers and fresh fruit. We also saw dolphins and a sea turtle while taking in the scenic Costa Rican coast. I highly recommend booking with Capitan Mendez Fishing Charters.

We booked a half day AM trip with Captain Juan Carlos out of Playa Hermosa with short notice in October. He communicated well and was detailed about what we needed to bring, what time to arrive and where to meet. He also was flexible on payment method (Cash vs Card).

Our fishing trip started at 6:30 AM and we were picked up on Playa Hermosa beach by Juan Carlos and his son who was the first mate for the trip. They were both friendly and welcoming and the boat was ready to go with fuel, bait and snacks when we boarded. We ended up targeting Mahi Mahi (Dorado) for our trip, as that was the species that Juan Carlos suggested for the best success.

We had an amazing time actively fishing with Juan Carlos and his son and ended up hooking 4 fish in a quick span once we got to where the fish were biting. Both Juan Carlos and his son were great on the boat and helped us with the catch and were as stoked as we were when the fish came on board!!

Bumping Reggaeton music back to the beach, Juan Carlos prepared some fresh local pineapple for us and some fresh sashimi to share and we talked about our plans for the rest of the evening. The Captain recommended getting our fish cooked for us at a local Soda (Costa Rican Restaurant) ran by his family steps away from the surf. We wisely followed his recommendation and not only had a fantastic day of fishing but a wonderful Costa Rican meal.

Gracias y Pura Vida Juan Carlos!!

The trip was awesome. We caught some Bonita and lady fish in the morning then set out for a big rooster. My only goal this trip was to catch a rooster on top water and it happened! I asked the guys if I could bring my rod and a few lures which they had no problem. Most other guided trips I have been on frown upon you using any kind of artificial lures. Other guides usually just want you to sit back and wait, which to me is way to boring. They let me cast off the front deck while we slowly trolled with live bait. We hooked into a rooster almost right away and my wife was able to reel it in. Shortly after I had a big top water blow up and and reeled in another nice rooster! We then trolled in deeper water on our way back and caught a tuna. The boys had us fresh fruit, beer, water and other snacks for us the whole time. Overall it was a great trip. Will book again

Gran experiencia con el Capitán Juan Carlos Méndez.
Un experimentado pescador, muy conocedor de la zona, que lo da todo para conseguir satisfacer a los clientes.
Intentamos un buen rato capturar algún pez vela / dorado / atún, pero no era el día a pesar de que atravesamos varias pajareras, sin éxito. Pero el capitán supo prever un plan B y nos acercamos a uno de los lugares que conoce y pudimos sacar 3 groupers (4-5 kilos cada uno) y un pez margarita que nos preparó el capitán como sashimi.
Luego nos fileteó los groupers (o cabrillas o meros) y nos los cenamos con el grupo de 9 personas con los que viajamos.
Llegamos a entrar hasta 27 millas y el capitán no dudó en extender el viaje de 8 horas para maximizar los resultados.
Muy recomendable.
Volveremos a vernos Juan Carlos.