Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge

Silver King Lodge sits on the banks of the Rio Colorado River, Costa Rica's largest river in terms of mass flow. The Lodge is in the ecologically sensitive wildlife preserve known as Barra del Colorado—the second-largest (400,000 acres) rainforest preserve in Central America. Large and numerous tarpon are caught both in the Caribbean and the river itself. The Lodge is open year-round.
Silver King's best tarpon fishing months are mid-March to early May and late August thru early November. Tuna and wahoo fishing is usually excellent. Other inshore species, including snook, Spanish mackerel, Jack Crevalle, cubera snapper, barracuda, and tripletail, are also abundant.
Fish the tropical rainforest streams and lagoons for the tackle-busting guapote, plus mojarra and machaca.
Due to the Lodge's location near the mouth of the Rio Colorado, anglers have quick access to some of the most productive tarpon waters on the Caribbean coast.
Barry Lockton with monster tarpon.
"The trip was great! The food, lodging, and hospitality at Silver King Lodge were unmatched; plus, they now have Wi-Fi and free outgoing telephone calls to the U.S. The fishing was beyond incredible, exceeding all expectations. I landed around 30 Tarpon in the 90 to 200-pound range in five days on the water. The sixth day was spent touring the jungle, etc. One morning, I said, “That’s it!” out of total exhaustion after having landed seven tarpon. The fish are huge and likely getting larger year-to-year due to their catch-and-release policy,
along with the tremendous amount of food in the area." - Barry Lockton
Boats: The Lodge has 12 well-maintained 23’ closed transom deep V-hull fiberglass boats with 150 HP Yamaha motors. Boats are fully-equipped with fish finders, a 25-watt marine radio, and all necessary safety equipment. These boats are capable of crossing the river mouth in almost any conditions as well as running offshore for wahoo, tuna, and dorado. The Lodge also have four 16' aluminum Tracker skiffs with foldable Bimini tops that are set up to fish the rainforest streams and lagoons for guapote, snook, mojarra, and machaca.
Guides: Very experienced, English-speaking guides.
Gear: All spinning and casting tackle (top-notch rods, reels, and stocked tackle box) is provided. There is a limited supply of loaner fly tackle available on a first-come, first-served basis. Breakage fees apply and vary from $49.00 to $99.00.
Fishing License is not included in the package, $25.00 for a week.
A Typical Fishing Day: At 6:00 a.m., you’ll meet your guides at the dock for the day’s fishing.
At 11:00 a.m., you’ll return for a buffet lunch and siesta. You’ll return to fishing from 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
If you plan ahead with your guide (and let management know, too), you can stay out all day and fish. Instead of lunch at the Lodge, you’ll take a packed lunch.
Founded in 1992, Silver King Lodge has spectacular views of the Rio Colorado. The Lodge has a Jacuzzi, swimming pool with an eight-foot waterfall, plus Jacuzzi and sauna. Delicious Buffet-style meals. Air-conditioned, duplex-style rooms with satellite TV, free Wi-Fi (limited bandwidth), ensuite bathrooms with plenty of hot water. Each room has two queen-size beds, rod racks, and walk-in closets. Free daily laundry service. The Lodge accommodates up to 24 guests. Numerous species of monkeys and birds are in the jungle near the Lodge.
Alcohol: Open bar with local beer, local rum, and local liquors. (Call liquors are $5.00 per drink.)
From San Jose, Costa Rica, you'll take a 35-minute charter flight to the Barra airstrip. At the landing strip, you'll be met by the guides and take a five-minute boat ride up the Colorado River to the Lodge. The charter flight from San Jose to the Lodge is included in the package.
Most guests schedule a travel day before and after the trip, so a general itinerary for a 3-day trip would look like the following:
Day 1: Travel to Costa Rica. (Their Lodge representative will drive you from the airport in San Jose to your hotel.)
Day 2: Depart hotel approximately 4:30 a.m. Their representative will drive you to the small airport terminal for the group's 35-minute private charter flight to Barra del Colorado. At the Barra Airstrip, you'll be greeted by the Lodge staff, then take a short boat ride up the Rio Colorado to the Lodge. You'll arrive at the Lodge 7:30-8:00 a.m. then fish for a full day.
Day 3: Fish full day
Day 4: Fish full day
Day 5: Depart the Lodge after breakfast for the return flight to San Jose (possibly via Tortuguero). Their ground transfer service will drive you to your hotel or the international airport. Plan to depart after 12:00 noon as flight delays can occur from the Lodge, and you are responsible for any missed flights.
Two anglers per room and boat:
3-nights and 3-days guided fishing $3,385.00 per person
4-nights and 4-days guided fishing $4,070.00 per person
5-nights and 5-days guided fishing $4,755.00 per person
6-nights and 6-days guided fishing $5,440.00 per person
7-nights and 7-days guided fishing $6,125.00 per person
Extra days are $685.00 per person.
One angler per room and boat:
3-nights and 3-days guided fishing $3,960.00 per person
4-nights and 4-days guided fishing $4,705.00 per person
5-nights and 5-days guided fishing $5,405.00 per person
6-nights and 6-days guided fishing $6,195.00 per person
7-nights and 7-days guided fishing $6,940.00 per person
Extra days are $745.00 per person.
Non-Angler Companion:
3-nights and 3-days guided fishing $1,800.00 per person
Extra non-fishing days are $450.00 per day
Many package options are available.
*Due to operating environments, all pricing is subject to change without notice.
• Airport reception
• All necessary ground transfers in the San Jose area
• Roundtrip charter flight between San Jose and the Lodge
• Meals at the Lodge
• Open bar and wine with dinner
• Guided fishing
• The use of rods and reels
• Daily laundry service