Costa Rica Sports Guide, Football, Surf, Fishing

GUIDES · COSTA RICA

Costa Rica sports life runs on club football, Pacific surf and billfish caught and released offshore. For a US visitor, this guide sets out the teams, the waves, the fishing rules and the yearly calendar. It also covers what changed after the national team missed the 2026 World Cup.

Costa Rica is small, but its sporting calendar is full all year. Fishing licences are priced in US dollars, which makes planning simple for American visitors.

Football Comes First: Saprissa, Alajuelense and Herediano

Football is the national passion. The top tier, the Primera División, plays two short tournaments a year. The Apertura opens in July and the Clausura ends with a final in May.

Three clubs dominate. Deportivo Saprissa, the purple club from Tibás on the edge of San José, is the record champion with 40 league titles. Liga Deportiva Alajuelense, the red-and-black club from Alajuela, is its fiercest rival.

Club Sport Herediano, from Heredia, overtook Alajuelense in May 2026. It beat Saprissa 2-0 in the second leg of the Clausura final on Saturday 16 May, winning 2-1 on aggregate. That gave Herediano 32 titles, one more than Alajuelense, according to the broadcaster Teletica.

The Saprissa and Alajuelense match, known simply as the clásico, is the derby that defines Costa Rican club football. Saprissa entered the Apertura 2026 chasing its 41st title. The women’s game is growing too: Saprissa’s women’s team won the national title in May 2026, ending a long title drought.

The National Team After the 2026 World Cup Miss

Costa Rica has played six men’s World Cups: 1990, 2002, 2006, 2014, 2018 and 2022. Its debut in Italy in 1990 reached the round of 16. The 2014 tournament in Brazil remains the high point.

In 2014, coached by Jorge Luis Pinto, Costa Rica beat Uruguay 3-1 and Italy 1-0, then drew 0-0 with England. It beat Greece on penalties after a 1-1 draw. On Saturday 5 July 2014 it lost a quarter-final shoot-out 4-3 to the Netherlands after a 0-0 draw, going home unbeaten.

The 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, went ahead without Costa Rica. On Tuesday 18 November 2025 a 0-0 home draw with Honduras at the Estadio Nacional in San José ended its campaign. Costa Rica finished third in its qualifying group on seven points, behind Honduras on nine, while Haiti qualified.

Mexican coach Miguel Herrera left after the elimination. His successor, Argentine Fernando Batista, was dismissed in late September 2026 after Nations League defeats by Curaçao and Haiti. Former national captain Bryan Ruiz took over as interim coach and called up goalkeeper Keylor Navas, a three-time Champions League winner.

Under Ruiz, Costa Rica won 3-0 away to Nicaragua and 2-0 at home to Haiti in early October 2026. The Haiti win kept the team in League A of the Concacaf Nations League. That is the regional competition for North and Central America and the Caribbean.

The Costa Rican Football Federation (FCRF) is led by its president, Osael Maroto. On 9 October 2026 it was still negotiating a permanent contract with Ruiz, the newspaper La Nación reported.

Surfing Spots on Two Coasts

Surfing is the sport many foreign visitors try for themselves. The Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT) lists breaks on both coasts and notes that conditions are good almost all year. It names June to October as the main surf season.

North Pacific: Guanacaste

Witch’s Rock, inside Santa Rosa National Park, is known for fast, tubing waves. Potrero Grande is reached by boat from Playas del Coco and has no services. The ICT list for Guanacaste also includes Tamarindo, Avellanas, Playa Negra, Junquillal and Nosara.

Central Pacific: Jacó and Playa Hermosa

Jacó is the main surf hub of the Central Pacific. Playa Hermosa, just south, is known for consistent waves, and Boca Barranca offers a ride of about 950 metres. Costa Rica hosted the ISA World Surfing Games in 2009 and 2016, the second time at Jacó.

In August 2026 the World Surf League (WSL), the professional circuit, returned after eight years. The Garabito Surf City Pro ran at Playa Hermosa from 13 to 16 August. It was a QS2000 qualifying event for men and women.

South Pacific and Caribbean

The ICT lists Pavones, in the South Pacific, among the world’s best waves. Rides there can run for about one kilometre.

On the Caribbean coast, Salsa Brava at Puerto Viejo breaks strong and hollow and suits experienced surfers only. Cocles nearby has lifeguard posts.

On the competitive side, Brisa Hennessy finished fifth at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and fourth at Paris 2024.

Sport Fishing: Seasons, Licences and Catch-and-Release

The ICT calls Costa Rica a major sport-fishing destination with five Grand Slam events a year. Marlin is caught all year off Guanacaste, from Playas del Coco, Ocotal, Tamarindo, Sámara and Flamingo.

The Central Pacific has two big marinas. Los Sueños at Playa Herradura has 250 berths, and Marina Pez Vela in Quepos has room for 100 boats.

Further south, boats run from Drake Bay, Puerto Jiménez, Zancudo and Golfito on the Golfo Dulce. The north Caribbean canals at Barra del Colorado and Parismina are known for snook. Inland, Lake Arenal holds the native guapote cichlid and Caño Negro holds tropical gar.

What a Licence Costs

Everyone fishing from a boat needs a personal licence from INCOPESCA, the state fisheries and aquaculture institute. Prices on its official site, VAT included, are:

• 8 days from a boat: US$16.95.
• 30 days from a boat: US$28.25.
• One year from a boat: US$56.50.
• One year of spearfishing: US$56.50.

A separate annual licence for fishing from shore or a kayak is priced in local currency. Licences can be bought online at incopesca.go.cr or at regional offices such as Quepos, Golfito, Playas del Coco and Puntarenas. Charter captains often arrange them in advance.

The Rules for Sailfish

Sailfish are legally declared a species of tourist and sport interest. Directed fishing for them with live bait is banned under the rules of Fisheries Law 8436.

Their export has been banned since 2014 under INCOPESCA agreement AJDIP/280-2014. A 2023 rule capped sailfish taken as bycatch at 10 percent of a commercial boat’s catch.

Sport boats practise catch-and-release for sailfish and marlin, which INCOPESCA and the coastguard promote. FECOP, the Costa Rican sport-fishing federation, says crews are trained to photograph fish in the water before release. The 2026 Los Sueños Triple Crown series champion logged 111 sailfish releases.

Other Costa Rica Sports: Cycling, Swimming and Bulls

Road cycling has a deep following. The Vuelta a Costa Rica, organised by the Costa Rican Cycling Federation (Fecoci), runs its 60th edition on 11–20 December 2026. Its ten stages cross all seven provinces.

Mountain bikers know La Ruta de los Conquistadores, a three-day stage race from the Pacific to the Caribbean. The 2026 edition starts in Jacó and climbs above 3,000 metres before descending towards Limón. The organiser’s page lists its dates inconsistently, as 29 to 31 October and as 6 to 8 November.

In the Olympic pool, Costa Rica owes all four of its medals to two sisters. Sylvia Poll took silver in the 200 metres freestyle in 1988. Claudia Poll won the same event in 1996, the country’s only Olympic gold, and added two bronzes in 2000.

Bulls are part of the holiday season. The Zapote festivities in San José, run by the city council, held daily bullfights at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. from 25 December 2025 to 4 January 2026. Two local television channels broadcast them.

Major Annual Sports Events by Month

Dates move a little each year, so confirm with the organiser before booking. The pattern below follows the most recent editions and published schedules.

• January to March: the Los Sueños Triple Crown billfish series. The 2027 legs run 18–23 January, 22–27 February and 29 March to 3 April.
• February: the Quepos Billfish Cup at Marina Pez Vela.
• April: the Offshore World Championship at Marina Pez Vela.
• May: the Clausura football final. Herediano won the 2026 edition on 16 May.
• July: the Apertura football season and the Supercopa curtain-raiser.
• June to October: the main surf season, according to the ICT. The WSL Garabito Surf City Pro ran in mid-August 2026.
• Late October or early November: La Ruta de los Conquistadores mountain-bike race.
• December: the Vuelta a Costa Rica, 11 to 20 December 2026, and from 25 December the Zapote festivities in San José.

What It Means for US Readers

Travellers. Guanacaste’s surf and marlin grounds are reached through Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia, according to the ICT. The State Department’s Level 2 advisory of 2 April 2026 cites crime. It also says rip currents kill dozens of US citizens in Costa Rica every year.

Most beaches have no lifeguards; the State Department lists only 19 with limited lifeguard cover. Swim only in designated areas, never alone, after drinking or at night. Book surf lessons and fishing trips with licensed operators who include the INCOPESCA licence.

Anglers. Budget the licence separately, from US$16.95 for eight days. Expect to release every sailfish and marlin. Book early for January to April, when the big Pacific tournaments fill the marinas.

Football fans. A clásico in Tibás or Alajuela is the most authentic ticket in the country. The national team rebuilds toward the 2030 World Cup cycle, having kept its place in League A of the Nations League.

What Is Not Known

Whether Bryan Ruiz will sign as permanent national coach was unresolved on 9 October 2026, with salary reported as the sticking point. La Nación named 14 October as a key date.

The 2026 dates of La Ruta de los Conquistadores are not settled on the organiser’s site. Sport-fishing charter prices are set privately by each operator. They vary by boat size and season, and no official benchmark exists.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most popular sports in Costa Rica?

Football is the most popular sport by far, led by Saprissa, Alajuelense and Herediano. Surfing and sport fishing are the main sports for foreign visitors, and road cycling has a large following.

Which Costa Rican football club has won the most titles?

Deportivo Saprissa, with 40 league titles. Herediano moved to second with its 32nd title on 16 May 2026, one more than Alajuelense with 31.

Did Costa Rica play at the 2026 World Cup?

No. A 0-0 home draw with Honduras on 18 November 2025 ended its qualifying campaign. Its best World Cup remains 2014, when it reached the quarter-finals unbeaten.

Do I need a fishing licence in Costa Rica?

Yes. Everyone fishing from a boat needs an INCOPESCA licence: US$16.95 for 8 days, US$28.25 for 30 days or US$56.50 for a year, VAT included.

Can you keep a sailfish in Costa Rica?

Sailfish are declared a species of tourist and sport interest, and their export has been banned since 2014. Sport boats practise catch-and-release, and crews photograph the fish in the water before release.

When is surf season in Costa Rica?

The Costa Rica Tourism Board names June to October as the main surf season, though it says both coasts have surfable conditions almost all year.

When is the Vuelta a Costa Rica?

The 60th edition runs from 11 to 20 December 2026 over ten stages through all seven provinces, organised by the Costa Rican Cycling Federation.

Sources: INCOPESCA licence fees; Costa Rica Tourism Board, surfing; Costa Rica Tourism Board, fishing; US State Department advisory; Teletica, Clausura 2026 final; La Nación, Ruiz appointment; La Nación, 2014 World Cup; Trivisión, 2026 qualifying; Radios UCR, sailfish rules; FECOP, licences; Los Sueños Triple Crown; Delfino, Vuelta 2026; Delfino, WSL Playa Hermosa; La Ruta; Olympedia, Costa Rica; CRHoy, Zapote. All accessed 11 October 2026.