How to choose · 3 min read
Half-day or full-day fishing in Manuel Antonio: which should you book?
Short on time, or planning a day built around fishing? Here is how the half-day charter compares with the three-quarter and full-day options from Marina Pez Vela, with real hours, departure times and prices.
Updated October 2026
Quick answer
Book the Half-Day Inshore (4 to 5 hours, $950 per boat) if you have kids, first-time anglers or only a morning or afternoon free. Choose a 3/4-day or full-day charter ($1,150 to $1,550) if fishing is the main plan, and go offshore if sailfish or marlin are the goal.
The four charters at a glance
All four trips use the same private 31-foot boat for up to six anglers, and the price is per boat, not per person.
When a half day is the better choice
The Half-Day Inshore stays close to the coast near Manuel Antonio, which keeps the ride short and the pace relaxed.
- Children or first-time anglers are coming along
- You want a flexible start: it leaves at 6:00 AM or 1:00 PM
- You want to fish and still enjoy the beach or the park the same day
- You want the lowest price: $950 per boat, about $238 each for four
When a longer day pays off
Extra hours mean more spots and more time at each one. They also open the door to blue water, which a half day does not reach.
- 3/4-Day Inshore (6 to 7 hours, $1,150): the same coastline with more time, leaving at 7:00 AM or 1:00 PM.
- 3/4-Day Offshore (6 to 7 hours, $1,300): the shortest way to fish for sailfish, marlin, tuna and mahi-mahi, leaving at 7:00 AM.
- Full-Day Offshore (8 to 9 hours, $1,550): the most time in blue water, leaving at 7:00 AM.
What the extra hours cost
Each step up adds time, a change of water, or both. Split across four anglers, the difference per person is smaller than it looks.
- +$200 per boat
About 2 more hours on the coast
Half-Day Inshore to 3/4-Day Inshore: about $50 more each for four anglers.
- +$150 per boat
Blue water instead of coast
3/4-Day Inshore to 3/4-Day Offshore: the same hours, about $38 more each for four.
- +$250 per boat
About 2 more hours offshore
3/4-Day Offshore to Full-Day Offshore: about $63 more each for four.
The simple rule
If the day is about the family and the beach, book the half day. If the day is about fishing, book longer, and choose offshore when billfish are on your list.
Still deciding?
See all four charters side by side, with prices for your group size.
Questions
Half-day vs full-day questions
Keep reading
-
How to chooseInshore vs offshore fishing in Manuel Antonio: what's the difference?Where each trip goes, which fish it targets and who it suits, from first-timers to anglers after billfish.
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PricesHow much does a fishing charter cost in Manuel Antonio?Prices per private boat for all four charters, and what they work out to per person for groups of two, four and six.
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PlanningMorning or afternoon fishing charter: which is better?Which charters leave at 6:00, 7:00 or 1:00 PM, and how to fit a fishing trip around the rest of your holiday.
Marina Pez Vela · Quepos
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