Panama Fishing Lodges Compared: Tropic Star, Paradise and Sportfish Island

Panama Fishing Lodges Compared: Location, Access, Boats and 2026 Prices

Tropic Star is the lodge for big black marlin close to home. Paradise is the largest and most resort-like of the Chiriquí lodges. Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge is a private island setup that takes one group at a time. The real differences are the run to the fish, how many anglers share a boat, and which costs sit outside the package.

Per-person prices as of November 2026. Tropic Star figures come from agent and third-party rate tables, Paradise figures from the lodge's own rate page, and Sport Fish Island figures from an agent's 2026 table. Domestic flights, tips and some taxes are usually extra.

Price depends mostly on how many anglers share a boat. At Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge, a 5-day trip costs $6,375 per person with five anglers and $9,975 with two.^[2] Paradise's two-angler tables run from $5,095 for 2 days and 3 nights to $9,397 for 6 days and 7 nights.^[3]

Tropic Star Lodge: Piñas Bay, Black Marlin and the Zane Grey Reef

Tropic Star Lodge is the reference point for billfishing in Panama. It has operated on Piñas Bay, at the edge of the Darién rainforest, since 1963, and its fishing grounds start under five miles from the lodge.^[4][5] Boats are on the fish about 20 minutes after leaving the dock.^[5]

How to Get to Tropic Star Lodge

No road reaches the lodge. A charter plane lands on an airstrip in Piñas Bay, and a ten-minute boat ride takes you to the dock. There are no roads within about a hundred miles.^[6] Flight times vary by account: one feature gives 40 minutes from Panama City, and a booking agent says just under an hour from Tocumen.^[7][8] Depending on the tide, a truck takes you from the airstrip to the beach or the riverbank before the boat leg.^[7]

Most anglers spend a night in Panama City first. After that, the trip to the lodge takes about 2-3 hours.^[8] Our guide to where to stay in Panama City compares areas for that first night. One agent lists the charter and transfer package at $745 per person plus room tax, year-round.^[8]

Rooms, Villas and Capacity

The lodge has 23 guest rooms for up to 45 guests and a staff of more than a hundred.^[4] Classic Rooms are split between Casa Grande (rooms 6-13) and Coco del Mar (rooms 1-4). Cabin villas 1-5 come as a suite or a two-bedroom unit. The Palace, the original "House on the Hill", is a three-bedroom villa with a private pool, and the Presidential is a newer three-bedroom villa with a terrace, outdoor shower and pool.^[4] Older magazine roundups give 38 guests, which reflects an earlier room layout.^[9]

Breakfast is served in the Bayview Restaurant, dinners are family-style and four courses, and the Marlin Bar sits on the edge of the bay. Anglers get their fishing orientation at the Marlin Bar.

The Fleet

The fleet is built around 31-foot Bertrams. The renovated ones have air conditioning and new Volvo diesels that make them quieter and faster. A 2024 InTheBite feature counted 22 boats: six standard Bertrams, 12 upgraded Bertrams, a 45-foot Hatteras and three 47-foot Vikings, with up to 18 fishing at once.^[7] The Hatteras, Pollyanna, fishes six people in air-conditioned comfort.^[10] Fleet counts differ from year to year, so confirm which boat class your quote is for. Rate tables price the Blackfin 32 and the Classic Bertram 31 separately.^[1]

Tropic Star Fishing Seasons

The lodge fishes from mid-November to the end of September across three seasons. Black marlin season, January to February, is the peak and can book up to two years ahead.^[5] December to February is the best window for a Grand Slam, but the weather is less predictable and the seas bumpier.^[10]

• Mid-November: the season reopens with the annual Billfish Tournament.^[11]
• January-February: black marlin on the Zane Grey Reef, plus big yellowfin, sailfish and dorado.^[10]
• March-May: the inshore season, with March the strongest month. In April, schools of 20- to 60-pound yellowfin move into Piñas Bay.^[10]
• May: the annual roosterfish tournament.^[11]
• June-September and December: blue marlin season, with the sailfish run peaking in June. July and August bring more Grand Slams and giant dorado.^[10][11]

For a single visit, one veteran in a 2024 feature recommends mid-July to the end of August for blue marlin offshore and for wahoo, tuna, roosterfish, cubera snapper and grouper.^[7]

How Much Tropic Star Lodge Costs in 2026

The lodge prices each trip by season, length and boat, and its own rates page asks you to select all three before it shows a figure.^[12] One agent's 2026 table lists peak black marlin weeks at $8,590 for a Bertram 31 with two anglers and six fishing days.^[8] A third-party comparison based on the 2026 rate card gives $17,300 per person for a solo angler on a Blackfin 32 in January-February, and $7,900 per person for four anglers sharing a Classic Bertram 31.^[1]

Inshore trips cost less. In March-May, a 4-day, 5-night Blackfin 32 trip for five anglers is $5,150 per person, and the lowest listed price is $4,150 per person for 3 days and 4 nights split five ways. Blue marlin season prices fall between the two. Room upgrades start at $250 a night for a single-room supplement and reach $1,600 a night for a five-bedroom residence.^[1] As of November 2026, 2027 rates have not been posted.^[8]

Packages usually cover lodging, meals, non-alcoholic drinks and tackle. International flights, Panama City hotel nights and gratuities are extra. Some packages include the round-trip charter from Panama City, while one agent sells it separately, so check which kind of quote you have.

World Records and Catch-and-Release

Every source agrees that Tropic Star has a long record history, but the totals differ. The IGFA itself credits the lodge with 43 world-record dorado.^[13] Marlin magazine says the IGFA has approved more than 300 records from the Tropic Star area, InTheBite says over 350, and a booking agent says over 250.^[14][15][16] If a record matters to you, check the catch against the IGFA database, because certificates handed out at a lodge are not the same thing as IGFA approval.

The lodge was one of the first to require circle hooks to reduce billfish deaths. It emphasizes catch-and-release and lobbied for gamefish status for roosterfish.^[11] Yachting magazine notes that Zane Grey never actually fished the reef that carries his name.^[17]

Who Owns Tropic Star Lodge

Ray Smith built the lodge in 1963 as Club de Pesca de Panamá on a 14,000-acre parcel. After the July 1976 earthquake damaged it, the Kittredge family bought it and reopened that December. The Andrews family then ran it for about 40 years before handing control to a group of Panamanian investors.^[7] The tourism authority's records link the lodge to a company called TSL Developers, S.A.^[18]

For Non-Anglers

Partners who don't fish can kayak or paddleboard in the bay, hike, snorkel, join guided trips to a waterfall, kayak the mangroves or visit a village. The spa offers a wellness package with treatments, wellness-focused meals and sessions with an onsite trainer.^[4] From April to June 2026 the lodge sold a "Discover Panama" package: three nights in Panama City with guided tours, then four nights at the lodge with three days of inshore fishing.^[19]

Paradise Fishing Lodge & Marina, Chiriquí: Prices and What's Included

Paradise Fishing Lodge & Marina is a mainland lodge with a private marina on the Gulf of Chiriquí. It has 10 cabins on 25 hilltop acres and can host up to 26 anglers.^[20] The marina sits at Quebrada de Piedra in the Tolé district of Chiriquí.^[21]

Paradise Fishing Lodge Is Not Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge

The names cause most of the confusion around this lodge. An older Sport Fishing magazine roundup lists a "Paradise Lodge (Propiedad de Paradise)" on Isla Parida, about an hour by boat from the David marina, working with one group at a time since 2006.^[9] That island property is the one now marketed as Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge, and an old captain's blog is titled "formerly Propiedad de Paradise". Paradise Fishing Lodge & Marina is a different place, on the mainland with its own marina. The two lodges publish their rates separately, so make sure reviews and prices you read refer to the right one.

Rooms, Food and the Marina

Every room has air conditioning, a smart TV, an en suite bathroom with a hot shower, fiber-optic internet and panoramic Pacific views. Most cabins sleep two in queen or king beds, single rooms are available, and a separate house with five large private rooms can be booked as a deluxe suite for a family or small group at extra cost. The pool has a waterfall and a swim-up bar.^[20]

The stay starts with a welcome cocktail. After that come made-to-order breakfasts, boat snacks, coolers with water, soda and beer, a packed lunch, hors d'oeuvres and bar drinks when you return, and a four-course family-style dinner.^[20] The marina, built in 2021, takes boats up to 228 feet long with a 30-foot draft.^[22]

The Paradise Fleet

The fleet includes six Contender center consoles from 27 to 32 feet, two 33-foot World Cats, a 31-foot Bertram with an air-conditioned salon, and a Contender 39ST with a Seakeeper stabilizer, mezzanine, marlin tower and triple Yamaha 300 engines.^[22] Hannibal Bank and Isla Montuosa are the main big-game targets from the marina, with 50-pound-plus roosterfish and cubera snapper inshore.^[22]

Paradise Fishing Lodge Prices for 2026

The lodge publishes per-person rates by group size and boat. For two anglers, the base packages are $5,095 for 2 days and 3 nights, $6,079 for 3 and 4, $7,095 for 4 and 5, $8,493 for 5 and 6, and $9,397 for 6 days and 7 nights.^[3] Upgrading to the 31-foot Bertram or a World Cat, or to the Contender 39ST, raises the price.^[3]

Per person, from the lodge's rate page as of November 2026. The page doesn't label its tables with a season year.

The same page also shows lower tables, for example $3,995 for two anglers or $3,422 for three anglers on a 2-day, 3-night trip, without saying which boat or season they cover.^[3] Ask which table your dates fall under before you compare it with another lodge.

The lodge describes its packages as all-inclusive: three meals, daily happy hour, a full open bar, live bait, Wi-Fi, laundry, tackle, lures, fuel and private ground transportation to and from the lodge.^[23] For the 2026 season it adds VIP lounge service at Tocumen, unlimited live bait and 80 pounds of frozen sardine for tuna.^[3] Not included are international airfare, the domestic flight between Panama City and David, Panama City hotel nights and tips.^[3]

A Vrbo listing for "Paradise Lodge" at Quebrada de Piedra shows rooms from $323 a night for two adults, taxes included, for a November 2026 date.^[24] That is a room-only booking, not a fishing package.

Getting There and What Anglers Report

Fly from Panama City to David, about an hour, and the lodge's driver takes it from there. The domestic flight has been quoted at around $120 each way. By road, the trip from Panama City takes about five hours. If you want to add a few highland days, David is also the airport for Boquete; our Panama City to Boquete guide compares the flight and bus options.

Angler trip reports consistently praise the views, food and service. Some also describe weeks when offshore tuna were scattered and crews ran and gunned on porpoise schools, while the inshore roosterfish and cubera fishing stayed reliable.

Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge on Isla Paridas: Prices and Access

Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge is a small private-island lodge on Isla Paridas, the largest island in the Gulf of Chiriquí National Marine Park.^[25] It sits 12 miles off the coast and takes only one group of anglers at a time.^[26][27]

How to Get to the Island Lodge

The lodge describes the route as about an hour from the David area (the port of Pedregal) to Boca Chica, then a 30-minute, 12-mile boat ride to the island.^[25]

Guest Houses and What's Included

The lodge has three private guest houses, two with three bedrooms and one with two. All have ocean views and come with kayaks. The island is off the grid, but the houses have air conditioning, Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs and stocked drinks fridges.^[25] The main building was originally a family vacation home.^[28] Bring your own snorkeling gear.^[25]

Capacity figures differ. Marlin magazine describes two cabins for 14 guests, and a booking agent describes three villas and four boats.^[27][2] The lodge's own description mentions groups of up to 18 anglers. Captain Shane Jarvis runs the operation. Gourmet meals, all drinks including alcohol, Wi-Fi and laundry are covered in the package.^[27]

Fishing, Grounds and Seasons

The fleet is made up of 33-foot catamarans.^[29] The lodge says its island base puts it 45 minutes closer to Isla Montuosa and Hannibal Bank than mainland lodges.^[25] An older guide puts Hannibal Bank and Isla Montuosa at about 40 miles from the island and Islas Ladrones at 15 miles.^[9] Target species are roosterfish, cubera snapper, yellowfin tuna, black and blue marlin, sailfish, dorado and wahoo.^[30]

The lodge is open year-round. The most productive months are November through August, marlin peak from December to February, and tuna peak from April to July. Book 9-12 months ahead for the tuna peak.^[2] Marlin magazine adds that July through September is prime time for black marlin from 500 to over 1,000 pounds on Hannibal Bank.^[27] In the wet season, rain usually falls in the late afternoon and clears by morning. Seas are often calm, and porpoise pods with yellowfin push into the gulf.^[31]

Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge Prices for 2026

The rate grid below comes from the booking agent Central America Fishing and is priced per person by group size.^[2] The lodge doesn't post its own figures in a form you can compare, and the agent's table doesn't list inclusions, so confirm what's covered beyond meals, drinks and laundry.

Per person, agent's 2026 rate table, as of November 2026.

Don't confuse this lodge with Panama Sport Fishing Lodge in Boca Chica, a separate operation. That lodge takes up to 30 anglers, runs 3- to 6-day packages and a mothership anchored off Isla Coiba, and splits its year into a December-June peak and a July-November green season.^[33]

Other Fishing Lodges in Panama: Boca Chica, Coiba, Pedasí and Kayak Camps

Beyond the big three, Panama has a spread of smaller lodges, motherships and camps. Most are around Boca Chica in Chiriquí, with others at Coiba, on the Azuero Peninsula and in Bocas del Toro. Much of the detail below comes from an older Sport Fishing magazine roundup, so confirm that each operation is still running and that its season and capacity haven't changed.^[9]

Panama Sport Fishing Lodge

Boca ChicaUp to 30 anglersMothership option

Mainland lodge with a pool, bar, pier and floating dock, and boats from 26 to 36 feet. Its mothership stays anchored off Isla Coiba to cut running time.

Best for larger groups wanting Coiba

Coiba Adventure

Coiba IslandUp to 8 guestsJune-Dec preferred

Listed as the only operation based on Coiba Island, reached by a one-hour charter flight from Panama City. It has two cabins and is open year-round.

Best for small groups wanting Coiba

Come Fish Panama

Boca ChicaUp to 28 guestsDec-Aug

A 20-room lodge near David, 45 minutes by air from Panama City or about a 6.5-hour drive. It fishes the same Hannibal Bank and Montuosa grounds as its neighbors.

Best for mid-size groups

Hooked on Panama

Open all yearUp to 24 guestsSince 2005

Twelve ocean-view bungalows for two each. Late November through April is listed as best for billfish and April through August for yellowfin.

Best for split billfish and tuna trips

• Panafishing, near Pedasí: on the Azuero Peninsula. In the older roundup, flights to Pedasí ran three days a week, with a five-hour van ride as the alternative, and the season ran October-July. If you're combining fishing with surf, see our guide to Playa Venao and the Azuero coast.
• Panama Kayak Adventure, Cambutal: a five-hour drive from Panama City, then an hour by panga to a camp with four bungalows sleeping two each. It specializes in kayak angling from December to June, and the older roundup listed Shimano Saragosa rental outfits at $25 a day.^[9]
• Pêche Panama, Boca Chica: three rooms for up to six anglers, December-June, with a base camp option on Isla Montuosa.^[9]
• Bluewater Fishing Panama, Boca Chica: sold through UK operator Sportquest Holidays, with ocean-view cabañas, an infinity pool, and popper, jig and live-bait tackle supplied.^[34]
• Selva Terra: builds all-inclusive packages with private charters around the number of fishing days you want, and is set up for non-anglers too.^[35]
• Tranquilo Bay, Bocas del Toro: six cabañas reached by a 50-minute flight to Isla Colón and a short boat ride, with a short May-June and September-October fishing window.^[9] It's more of a nature lodge than a fishing lodge; our comparison of Panama's eco and jungle lodges covers it.

If your group also dives, Coiba's marine park offers both from the same coast; our guide to diving Coiba National Park covers trips from Santa Catalina.

What a Fishing Lodge Week Really Costs Beyond the Package

Expect to add about 10-15% to a lodge's package price once you count the domestic flight, tips and the license, before international airfare. Tips are the biggest extra. Paradise's own guidance is $200-250 per boat per day for the crew and $65-80 per person per day for lodge staff.^[3]

Example built from published figures as of November 2026. Tropic Star and island-lodge trips follow the same pattern, with the charter flight replacing the David flight for Tropic Star.

Panama charges 7% ITBMS on most services and 10% on lodging.^[36] Paradise's rate page doesn't say whether its prices include that tax, and one agent lists Tropic Star's charter transfer as $745 plus room tax, so ask for a tax-inclusive total in writing.^[8] At Tropic Star, solo anglers also pay from $250 a night extra for a single room.^[1]

Panama Fishing License and Billfish Rules for 2026

Yes, anglers need a license. Under Executive Decree 10 of June 10, 2026, everyone over 12 who sport fishes must carry a personal carné issued by ARAP, Panama's aquatic resources authority.^[37] The decrees take full effect on December 10, 2026, after a six-month adjustment period.^[38]

License cost for foreigners

Temporary licenses run from $20 for 7 days to $150 for 180 days. You need the official form, your passport and the fee.^[38]

Where to get it

ARAP's Ventanilla Única, its regional offices or its online platform. The license is personal and can't be transferred.^[39]

Lodge guests

One charter operator says passengers on a boat authorized for tourist sport fishing are covered by the captain's license.^[39] That isn't official confirmation, so ask your lodge whether it handles licenses or you need your own.

Captains

Commercial tourist-boat captains need a special $100 carné plus valid maritime and tourism authority licenses.^[38]

Billfish and protected species

Eleven species, including blue, black and striped marlin, sailfish, swordfish and roosterfish, are catch-and-release only. Each boat may keep one swordfish or tarpon a day for eating, never for sale.^[38]

Fines

Reports disagree. Some publish fine amounts, while Infobae says the decree sets no new fines and relies on existing fishing law.^[37]

Gulf of Chiriquí National Marine Park

The park's management plan restricts fishing tournaments and spearfishing.^[32] A travel blog gives park entry for foreigners as $10 per person, so check whether your package covers it.^[40]

Coiba

Coiba's management plan allows at most four rod-and-line licenses for foreign vessels, on a one-year trial decided jointly with ARAP.^[41]

How to Choose the Best Fishing Lodge in Panama

For black marlin, pick Tropic Star in January or February. For yellowfin and inshore popping with a group, the Chiriquí lodges usually give more fishing per dollar. Decide on your target species and dates first, then compare group size and boat class. The "best" lodge is the one whose peak months match your dates.

Season windows as published by each lodge and its agents. Paradise doesn't publish a month-by-month calendar, but it fishes the same Gulf of Chiriquí grounds as the island lodge.

• Choose Tropic Star if you want the shortest run to big-game water, the deepest record history and a full resort for non-anglers. Accept the higher price and book black marlin weeks well ahead.
• Choose Paradise if you're bringing a larger group, want an open bar and pool, and prefer transparent published rates with a choice of boat class.
• Choose Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge if your group wants the island to itself and plans to fill a boat with four or five anglers, which brings the per-person price down sharply.
• Choose a Boca Chica lodge or mothership if you want Coiba, a smaller budget or a solo-traveler week.

Weather matters as much as the fish. December to February brings the dry season but bumpier seas off Darién, while the wet season often means calm mornings in Chiriquí. Our month-by-month guide to the best time to visit Panama covers rain by region. For day charters out of Boca Chica or Panama City instead of a lodge stay, see our guide to fishing in Panama.

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