My fishing Partner and I were at Tarponville in April of 2011 and we are going back agin this year. The people who rate this place as poor are either not fishermen or must need 5 star accomodations. The lodging is more than adequate and the food is typical Carribean fare. The staff is very friendly and accomodating. My friend and I both landed Tarpon on a Fly and jumped at least 20 fish. the coast is exceedingly beautiful as is the jungle setting. This year we are gong to take a day off from fishing and do a jungle tour in the middle of the trip. I would highly recommend Tarponville as a fishing lodge. The creek you have to wade is very shallow and is little price to pay for a stay in a natural wonderland.

I am an experienced angler and traveller, so I was shocked to see a review of this property that was so negative. My experience there was fantastic!! The fishing was great, and the guides more than competent. But, the accomodations were spectacular. All native hardwoods and a really nice "homey" atmosphere. The food was all home cooked in an Afro-Caribe .style. Every meal was from a family recipe and was delicous. Every night the Howler monkeys serenaded us and we saw lots of sloth and other animals, including a fairly rare dolphin. Since being there I have recommended this place to friends and all have raved about it. Is it possible that the negative review was a competitor? If you want to catch a 100+ pound Tarpon on a fly rod Tarponville should be right at the top of your list!!

In my opinion, Tarponville is a family house in Manzanillo, Costa Rica where the owners poorly added some rooms and call it a lodge of some kind. I had a bad experience in dealing with the management and have no intention of going back. One thing that I would like to point out is that the Tarpon fishing in the Manzanillo Village is indeed magnificent but to make your trip worth shop around for a hotel. There are plenty in the area.

Where to begin… Tarponville disappoints is so many ways that it’s hard to count them all. First, make sure you buy industrial-grade bug juice, cortisone anti-itch cream, and any other medication you’re going to need in the jungle. Getting there wouldn’t be so bad – it’s a long drive over potholed roads – if the place wasn’t such a letdown. The road ends at a mudflat in the middle of nowhere. That wouldn’t be so bad if the lodge were nearby. But it isn’t – you have to wade across a stream that can be filled with water that looks a little suspect. Then you walk along an unlit trail to the lodge, which was little more than a lean-to with a couple of bedrooms upstairs and an unclean outdoor kitchen-bar downstairs. I wasn’t sure I wanted to eat anything prepared there because of all the insect life that seemed to be everywhere.