Crocodile Bay — Hotel in Puerto Jiménez

This is the first time I've had the pleasure of visiting Costa Rica- what a beautiful country! How lucky I am that my first journey here was to Crocodile Bay Resort! We purchased this vacation package at auction all the way up in snowy Ann Arbor, Michigan, and we loved it so much that we added seven extra days. As a (borderline) fluent Spanish speaker and having visited a few other Spanish-speaking countries, I can tell you with confidence that my experience here has been by far the most memorable.

Being the lifelong, avid fisherman that I am, I'll have to start there. I have fished in oceans, rivers, lakes, and streams all over the United States and I can say with confidence that NOTHING in the U.S. compares to the fishing here at Crocodile Bay. We went out for four total excursions, spaced out over eleven days, with the veteran Captain Johnny. The first three of these days we spent "in-shore fishing", during which you are close enough to photograph the amazing coastline, flush with jungle and mountains. Looking at it from the boat, you can barely even tell it's inhabited by humans; they take ecological preservation very seriously here. During these three days of in-shore fishing, we caught a total of 21 enormous roosterfish (see photo), 2 colossal snappers (see photo), 4 jacks, 4 devil fish and a couple other species I can't remember. As with all fishing, I'm told it can be hit and miss, but with the help of our knowledgeable captain we always managed to find the fish!

For our fourth day we rolled the dice and decided to go "off-shore", and let me tell you, they do mean OFF-shore. We were so far out onto the water that we could no longer see land in any direction. The sea was calm, the sun was shining, and we saw a pod of dolphins and several sea turtles along the way. During the course of the day we "raised" three total sailfish and one blue marlin. The first three fish didn't take the bait, but Captain Johnny was genuinely determined to hook us the catch of a lifetime. In the last half-hour, the fourth and final fish (a sail weighing almost 100 lbs), took the line and I brought it to the boat! It is the biggest, heaviest, strongest fish I have ever caught, and I was proud to release it back into the sea from whence it came. (You don't keep sails or marlin, but if you land a tuna or dorado, get ready to eat!)

We visited the resort spa and were treated to 2 hours of massage, salt polish and relaxation. We went on a combination surf expedition/ecotour and saw all four local species of monkey, as well as a variety of exotic birds including scarlet macaws, in their natural habitat. My friend rode waves until his legs hurt while I took a rod and tackle-box and fished from a nearby outcropping of rocks. Fishing by myself without Captain Johnny, I didn't even get a bite; this goes to show how important it is to have a good captain to guide you.

Let's move on to the food. I have one word- WOW. I work in the restaurant industry and as such I am in a unique position to tell you how excellent the Crocodile Bay kitchen is. Every day that we caught fish suitable for eating, the in-house kitchen prepared them for us that same night, in a style of our choosing; it doesn't get any fresher than that! Some of the other fishing boats caught tuna, and so we also had the best sashimi of my life. For those of you who prefer "turf" to "surf", the beef here is fantastic. We saw the farm where they raise the cattle during our ecotour! The bread is baked fresh, the soup changes every day, and the salads are to die for.

Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't include some enthusiastically kind words about the Crocodile Bay staff. From the moment we walked in the door and were greeted with smiles and mango-rum "welcome drinks", our experience with the staff here was universally positive. Everyone here is genuinely kind, warm and helpful, and we never had an interaction with an employee who was...

Our family had an amazing time at Crocodile Bay in early April 2021. We were extremely impressed by the service (wonderful staff), and the quality and quantity of accommodations at this cool little place. Special thank you to all the staff who were incredible hosts, guides, servers, and friends during our stay there.

In addition to the awesome staff, our highlights were: The rooster fishing was incredible. On our best day, we had 4 of us fishing and caught 25 rooster fish (plus many others to keep and have them prepare us for dinner). All of the eco tours we did (wildlife tour, ziplining, kayaking, chocolate farm, snorkeling, etc.) were a ton of fun and the guides were incredibly knowledgeable and fun to spend the day(s) with. The food was outstanding. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner - we loved every meal. The wildlife on the property was like nothing I've ever experienced before. Macaws, monkeys, sloths, butterflies, and yes, crocodiles - all right there! We loved the swimming pool and swim-up bar, especially after a day of fishing. The rooms were perfectly cozy, comfortable, cool, and clean.

So many great memories made. I would definitely go back and I know my family feels the same way. Thank you Crocodile Bay for a vacation we will...

To remove any confusion I am reviewing the Crocodile Bay Eco tours. (Crocodile Bay is an older resort property that is now part of the Hilton Botanika resort. In addition to the amenities at Botanika, you can still use the pool, restaurant, walking trails that were a part of Croc Bay. Additionally, this is where the Evo Tours are run from.) The tour desk is located in the reception area of Botanika, however, I booked our tours weeks of not months in advance. The tours run directly from the resort, therefore, making it EASY!. We did the zip lining, chocolate making, fishing, and Sirena station (Corcovado National Park) by boat tours. All were exceptional!!!! Each your was a private tour starting with Jose as our guide for the Zipline and chocolate tours. Great guide and person. Recommend the zip lining for ages 8 and up. The chocolate tour for any age, however, this is more of a "plantation, nature tour" the chocolate part is a very small part of the tour. The fishing charter (half day) was amazing and Eduardo, made the Corcovado tour unforgettable. Recommend teens or above for both fishing and Corcovado tours. A good 4-5 miles of walking for the latter. However, slow paced. DO NOT miss out on these tours. Best I've ever...