Rio Parismina Lodge - Costa Rica
Large Caribbean Tarpon
Rio Parismina Lodge opened in 1990 and is situated on Costa Rica’s Caribbean Coast, where enormous schools of marauding tarpon search for baitfish to satisfy their endless appetite. We hosted trips here for 19 years in a row. The Lodge opened in 1990 and is still under the same ownership and management.
2025 Rates: Packages start at $3,450.00 per person for 3-nights and 3-days guided fishing.
Fishing at Rio Parismina
Choose between the Caribbean for abundant, large tarpon or the Tortuguero National Park jungle waterways and streams for snook, guapote, machaca, and mojarra. Two anglers per guide. Rio Parismina Lodge has four IGFA world records for snook.
Casting a plug or fly into a school of feeding tarpon is just the start of one of the greatest experiences an angler can have. Perhaps no other fish will take a lure so softly and then explode into wild, acrobatic leaps to throw the hook.
Two Seasons: The Lodge is open mid-January through May and mid-August through November. Peak fishing months are from mid-March through mid-May and September through mid-November. The rivers are clearer from January through April. Tarpon fishing is good during both seasons. Snook fishing is best in the fall. The tarpon and snook do not migrate and are here year-round.
Boats: The Lodge has 21-foot, modified V-hull, Ocean Craft boats with T-tops, a fighting chair, marine radios, fish finders, and adequately powered and well-maintained motors. Custom-designed boats for safety in crossing the bar. You'll fish the jungle rivers in flat-bottom Jon boats. Two anglers per boat and guide.
Guides: English-speaking guides. Larry often referred to Rio Parismina as having the best guides and boats in the Caribbean.
We’ve had clients land over thirty 60 to 150-pound tarpon during a seven-day stay.
Fishing Equipment: The Lodge provides good tarpon outfits--good quality reels teamed with Tiger Stiks--and ultra-light spin outfits for jungle fishing. The Lodge furnishes tackle. You’ll pay for the lures you use or lose. Tackle bill averages $15 to $25 per person. Some people bring their own fishing outfits and lures. A comprehensive tackle and gear list is included in our confirmation packet.
Fishing License: You’ll purchase a $15.00 fishing license at the Lodge.
View 5:37 YouTube video of world-record grouper.
A Typical Fishing Day:
At 5:00 a.m. each morning, you’ll awaken to a gentle knock on your door. At about 5:30 a.m., a cooked breakfast is served with fresh fruit. At 6:00 a.m., you head out to the boats.
Before noon, you’ll return to the Lodge for a hearty lunch. At about 2:00 p.m., you’ll return to your choice of fishing - tarpon or jungle streams. You’ll finish fishing right before dark and return to the Lodge to freshen up.
At 6:00 p.m., guests meet in the Clubhouse or near the pool for appetizers, a glass of wine, or a drink from the open bar.
At 7:00 p.m., delicious family-style dinners are served with wine and followed by a special dessert. After dinner, guests play cards and games, chat on their laptops in the clubhouse, or participate in the weekly crocodile tour.
About Rio Parismina Lodge
Lodge Season: The Lodge is open mid-January through May and mid-August through November.
Rio Parismina Lodge sits on 50 acres of lush jungle on the banks of the famous Rio Parismina River at the edge of the Tortuguero National Park. Wonderful meals, swimming pool, free Wi-Fi in the dining area, and free daily laundry service. Larry regarded it as one of the best-run lodges in the world. Larry and his wife, Ethel, hosted groups here for over 18 years.
Rio Parismina Lodge
The Lodge's Private Runway
You'll take a 30-minute charter flight from San Jose to the Lodge's paved runway in the small village of Parismina. While the guides take care of your luggage, you'll take a short walk through the village to the river. From here, you'll take a two-minute boat ride across the Parismina River to the Lodge.
Dining Area - Clubhouse
Meals are enjoyed in the Clubhouse. On the morning of your arrival, the group will gather to enjoy a cooked breakfast. Fernando, the lodge manager, will provide an orientation. After that, you will head to the boats for your first day of tarpon fishing.
Comfortable Bedrooms
The Lodge accommodates up to 24 guests. Spacious bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms with a large shower, screened windows with drapes, a ceiling fan, a walk-in closet with a clothing bar, and spacious shelves for all your gear. Most bedrooms have twin-sized beds, but there are also two bedrooms with queen-sized beds.
Beautiful Lodge Setting
Every morning at 5:00 a.m., you will hear a gentle knock on your door. A cup of tea, coffee, or orange juice will be delivered outside your room for you to enjoy on the covered porch. Take a moment to listen to the birds singing in the early morning and savor the floral-scented air.
The Swimming Pool and Sun-Heated Jacuzzi
While the anglers are out fishing, non-anglers have the pool to themselves.
Fleet of 21-ft. V-hull Ocean Craft Boats
There is a raised, paved walkway from the dock to the Lodge.
"Bow to the King" is a common phrase here.
You'll want to be in good shape for tarpon fishing.
Photo Opportunities Abound
Judy feeds the monkeys each morning at the Lodge.
Large Caribbean Tarpon
Handled with care. A quick picture of an XL tarpon.
Covered Hammock Pavilion
The covered hammock pavilion is the perfect resting spot after a day of fishing.
Getting to the Lodge:
You'll arrive in San Jose, and a lodge member will greet you at the hotel and drive you to the DoubleTree Cariari Hotel. (The package does not include the hotel night.) The next morning, at 5:00 a.m., a lodge representative will drive you to the local airport in San Jose. You'll take a 30-minute charter flight to Rio Parismina airstrip (the roundtrip charter flight is included in the package). You’re limited to one 30-pound bag and a rod case for the charter flight to the Lodge. Judy, the Lodge owner, and Lodge staff will meet you at the landing strip and transfer your luggage to the dock. You'll walk through the village of Parismina, and then take a short boat ride across the Parismina River to the Lodge.
Meals, Alcohol, Communications:
Delicious Meals: Breakfast is typically eggs cooked-to-order, bacon or sausage, “fresh fruit,” and a choice of cereals. Lunch and dinner are served family-style and are a combination of local cuisine and Tex-Mex. If desired, your fresh-caught snook can be cooked for dinner. Delicious desserts such as flan, brownies with ice cream, and more. The Lodge works with dietary restrictions.
Alcohol: The package includes an open bar (open throughout the day) with sodas, beer, and domestic liquors. Wine is served with lunch and dinner.
Communications: There is Wi-Fi and cell service in the dining area. Service can be spotty at times. Guests need to contact their own cell service provider beforehand and know what their plan is.
2025 USD Rates:
Our advice is free.
We never charge more than the Lodges we represent.
When there are two clients, and one is non-fishing, the angler pays the single-occupancy rate.
Two Seasons: Mid-January through May and mid-August through November.
Two anglers per room and boat:
7-nights at Lodge and 7-days guided fishing $7,050.00 per person
4-nights at Lodge and 4-days guided fishing $4,300.00 per person
3-nights at Lodge and 3-days guided fishing $3,450.00 per person
One angler per room and boat:
(The Lodge does not pair single-occupancy guests with other anglers.)
7-nights at Lodge and 7-days guided fishing $7,500.00 per person
4-nights at Lodge and 4-days guided fishing $4,500.00 per person
3-nights at Lodge and 3-days guided fishing $3,700.00 per person
Non-angler sharing room:
7-nights at Lodge and 7-days $4,000.00 per person
4-nights at Lodge and 4-days $2,800.00 per person
3-nights at Lodge and 3-days $2,500.00 per person Request a Rio Parismina
Information Packet.
The Packages Include:
• Airport reception in San Jose
• Ground transfers between the international airport and the hotel
• Ground transfers between the hotel and the local airport
• Regularly scheduled roundtrip air service between
San Jose, Costa Rica, and the Lodge
• Lodging
• Wi-Fi in the Clubhouse
• Meals at the Lodge
• Open bar at the Lodge
• Wine with lunch and dinner
• Guided fishing
• Use of rods and reels for all species
• Daily laundry service
• Taxes for the total package.
The Packages Do Not Include:
• International flights• First and last night hotel stay in San Jose
• Gratuities at the hotel
• Meals and shopping while in San Jose
• Fishing license
• Gratuities for guides and lodge staff
• Terminal tackle and fishing lures, you pay for what you lose or abuse – tackle bill averages $20 to $25
• $15 per day to fish or visit Tortuguero National Park
(does not apply to tarpon fishing)
• Global Rescue
• Travel insurance
• Anything not mentioned under inclusions.
• All prices are subject to change.
