Golfito, Costa Rica, has it all. Sportsfishing, ecotourism and culture
These days, the words Banana Republic are more likely to conjure up an image of neatly stacked chinos and v-neck sweaters than they are a place like Golfito. But when United Fruit built this town on the southwest coast of Costa Rica in 1939, there was nothing here but wilderness and Boruca, the region’s indigenous tribe. Fleeing a rash of banana disease. like what happened to Quepos, that was sweeping through their Atlantic coast plantations, United Fruit surveyed this deepwater bay sheltered within the Golfo Dulce and found untamed perfection. They built a massive dock, immaculate houses, schools, roads, a hospital-even a bowling alley-and they brought in workers from around the world. Most of all, they brought money and influence to a region that became their virtual fiefdom for nearly half a century.
That era ended a long time ago, with the last vestiges of Mama Chiquita (as United Fruit was called by its employees) pulling up stakes in the eighties. They left behind a company town without a company; Golfito is no longer immaculate but it is, once again, wonderfully Costa Rican. Read more... (1257 words, 2 images, estimated 5:02 mins reading time)
Mike Jones displays this 100lb plus trophy Rooster Fish, but not after a 45 minute battle, out of Playa del Coco
Fishing often seems to take its cue from the Longfellow poem/nursery rhyme that most Americans and Canadians growing up in the 1950s and 1960s (and before) know: ‘… when she was good, she was very, very good, but when she was bad she was horrid’.
The final spring months off most of Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, especially the Central Pacific (Quepos/Manuel Antonio, Los Sueños/Jacó) and North Pacific (Tamarindo, Flamingo, Papagayo) was exactly like that, either really up or really down. During one of the up phases, for example, Jamie Casey, owner of the 38ft Macushla out of Los Sueños with Captain Johnny Cerpas, called me to enthusiastically report that her clients raised an incredible 47 sails on a full day charter, releasing an arm-wrenching 25.
Playas del Coco
Mike Jones fishing with Captain Jimbo Lopez from Albacora Sportfishing Tours caught this huge Rooster fish weighing over 100lbs. He was using a PowerRod by Shakespear, Daiwa Spinning Reel (model 4500BL Regal Z), with 20 pound test line and it took him 45 minutes to bring it in. Read more... (737 words, 2 images, estimated 2:57 mins reading time)
Mild earthquake hits outside of Golfito on late Saturday, early Sunday.
An mild to moderate earthquake estimated at 4.5 magnitude took place at 11:02:46, Saturday on 9.5.09 in Costa Rica.
According to the U.S. National Earthquake Center said the epicenter was about 5 miles east and north of Golfito in the southern end of the Puntarenas Region of Costa Rica.
This is the second earthquake to hit the southern zone. On March 11 of this year, one registered 6.3 on the Richter Scale, with an epicenter near Golfito as this one was.
The quake, which had a duration of about two minutes, was felt in San José and along the Pacific coast. Almost all the seismographs at Universidad Nacional’s Observatorio Vulcanológico y Sismológico de Costa Rica (UOVSCR) recorded the temblor.
According to one of my friends in the Golfito region, who emailed me this early morning, when she was awaken by it and that there was some minor damage at her house and one of her friends said, the store down the street, also had some minor damage.
Some products fell off of shelves and a some window cracking, she had a vase walk off the table. She did say, her shower head now leaks. Read more... (253 words, 1 image, estimated 1:01 mins reading time)
Coronado, Costa Rica - Is it the new hot spot for eco-tourism, development and wellness?
Not to be confused with the mountainous region north of San Jose, about half way between the Pacific side cities of Uvita (South of the Dominical) and Puerto Cortes, lies the growth-targeted natural wonderland of another, Coronado.
While tourist and retirees were flocking to Costa Rica’s northern Pacific Coast which has been perceived as the country’s first hot spot, further South (about 240 km from San Jose) on the Puntarenas province, and among the mist-shrouded mountains, cascading rivers, and vast tropical forests of the southern zone remained a secret that for years has been maintained by adventure-tourists, eco-gurus, and local Costa Ricans. It is warm and humid year round, average temperature: 83°. It’s rainiest season from May through October.
Needless to say, Costa Rican Government has anticipating the potential of this region first starting with President Oscar Arias who has finalized plans for a new international airport in the area that is to be built by 2010. Read more... (498 words, 2 images, estimated 1:60 mins reading time)
Americana SportFishing's Richard Krug (top middle) and his buddies fished in Golfito with Bobby McGuinness in late June, 2009.
My freezer is full after a great Golfito fishing trip!
At least once or twice a year I extract my butt from my comfortable chair in my Americana Sportfishing office in San José and go fishing.
I hadn’t been in Golfito for a dog’s age, so I rounded up buddies Dan Corcoran, a retired Dade County firefighter on one of his four/five trips down here each year, primarily to golf; George Wright, a Phoenix trust lawyer who divides his time between there and San José trying to do as little as possible in both places; and Josh Moore, the baby of the foursome, who is now building what he hopes will become the premier gringo watering hole in Santa Ana where I live, just outside San José, once it’s completed by football season.
This will fill Richard's freezer with meat, and keep him happy for the next few months. Read more... (528 words, 2 images, estimated 2:07 mins reading time)
