» General Information:
Cayo Largo del Sur, also known simply as Cayo Largo, is a small resort island belonging to Cuba, in the Caribbean Sea. It is the second-biggest island in Cuba's Canarreos Archipelago. Cayo Largo is a limestone island, formed over millions of years from the remains of marine organisms, such as the ones that build coral reefs. Living coral reefs form one more attraction for tourists on this island, although coral bleaching has stressed some reef communities in the Caribbean. The northern coast of Cayo Largo consists largely of mangroves and salt pans. While the water south of the island appears clear enough to reveal the underlying ocean floor, the water on the north side of the island is cloudy. This cloudy water indicates that sediment is washing off the land surface and into the water or is being stirred up from the shallow sea floor.
The northern side of Cayo Largo, where the submarine shelf is extended, is the ideal environment for Flyfishing enthusiast's: Bonefish, Permit, Tarpon, Jack Crevalle. & you will be able to see Permits zipping and darting in and around schools of Bonefish. The fishing area of Cayo Largo is a Natural Park of 27.000 square km. Canarreos Archipelago has about 350 islets and cayos and forms marvelous oasis in the Caribbean . The northern side of Cayo Largo, where the submarine shelf is extended, is the ideal environment for the fly fishermen, it measures an average depth of 1,5 meters. The south side of Cayo Largo is protected by the coral barrier and its white beach of fine sands and the flats marks it out as a fantastic place for waders. The wide fishing area is subdivided in 38 micro-areas. The majority of Cayo Largo Flats have firm bottom and provide a good wading, most days you will have the option of either fishing from the skiff or wading. Anglers choose to take advantage of the best time to spot bonefish and permit on the flats, usually from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. earlier and later.
» Package:
The package includes 2-night accommodation in Havana; airfare Havana/Cayo Largo/Havana; 6-full days of fishing and 7-night accommodation in "Melia Sol Cayo Largo" all-inclusive Resort.
November/January: The beginning of the season from November to January is very good with plenty of bonefish (especially big ones) on the flats and mangrove areas. Fishing for tarpon and other species can also be excellent. It is a very pleasant period to plan a trip to Cayo Largo as the weather is much warmer in Cuba than in Europe or Northern America.
February/June: Peak Season is from February to June when all species are present in the area such as tarpon, permit and jack. Migratory tarpon, up to 80/100lbs (average 15/30lbs) are regularly spotted and casts to permit are very frequent. This period is the best to try the Gland Slam. Many Grand Slams are made each season and also some Super Grand Slams (Tarpon, Bonefish, Permit and Snook).
July/August: In the late season the weather gets hot but the fishing is still very productive, especially for tarpon and permit. Fishing for bonefish is also very good in the morning and in the evening. The statistics are very interesting. They show that the same number of fish are caught during the hot months, however, by half the number of rods.
» Accommodation:
The Sol Cayo Largo all-inclusive Resort is located on Cayo Largo del Sur. Cayo Largo is located in the Canarreos Archipelago, on the southwestern coast of Cuba and belongs to "municipio especial Isla de la Juventud". It is 177 km from Havana City and is 27 km of cool fine-grain white sandy beaches.
The Resort is only 5 minutes from the International Airport. It offers a total of 296 comfortable rooms with a terrace or balcony overlooking the ocean, including 8 Junior Suites and 52 deluxe rooms.
The hotel provides a broad array of services and attractions: a Club House for daytime activities, three restaurants, spanish classes, cocktail and cooking classes, party hall, karaoke night club, diving school nearby, health Center with gym, sauna, jacuzzi and steam bath, two tennis courts with artificial lighting, multi-purpose courts, bikes, ecological excursions, dancing classes, water sports center for non-motorized water sports, Cuban Club for cultural activities, and theater.
» Tackle and Equipment:
Complete saltwater fly fishing tackle: # 8 Wt; # 10 Wt and # 12 Wt. It is advisable to take at least two tackles for line #8 and # 10; 1 (one) spare line WF8 F and WF10 S. Sinking and Intermediate line for tarpon is highly recommended.
Flies for Bonefish: Crazy Charly; Gotcha; Bonefish Special; any kind of Shrimp; Clowser Minow.
Flies for Permit: Avalon´s Special Shrimp; Merkin´s Crab; Rag Head Crab;Nick´s Casablanca; Mc Crab; Perminator; etc.
Flies for Tarpón: Cockroach; Stu Apte; Seaducers; Sea Streamers; Tarpon Bunnies; etc.
Some poppers.
Others: Leaders for Bonefish 9 feet and 13,2 lbs. shock tippet); leaders for Tarpon 50 or 60 lbs. and 80 or 100 lb. fluorocarbon schock tippet. Spools with 12, 20, 40 y 60-pound fluorocarbon tippets. Silicone to clean the lines. A pair of pliers to remove hooks and pincers to cut steel. Steel line stretch for Barracuda and Shark. Hook sharpener. A wide-brimmed hat, with neck protection. Polarized glasses. Neoprene boots with rubber soles for sea-wading. A light water-proof jacket. Sun block, SPF 40 or higher. Medicine for headaches, stomach aches, anti acids, etc. Insect repellent.
» Additional Information:
A tourist visa is necessary to enter Cuba. It costs U$S 25.- and you can apply for it on your own. For the ones who travel from countries that do not maintain diplomatic relations with Cuba, the visa could be issued in Cancun with the assistance of a travel agency ( please ask in advance).
American dollars and other European currencies are not acceptable to pay any kind of service, you must change your money in tha airport x CUC. You can use credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, etc) for shopping, hotel and other services, but they are NOT accepted it they have been issued in the United States.
The weather is usually drier and slightly cooler from December to March. During September, October and November, it is usually rainy and there might be occasional tropical storms or rain showers. All the months are good for fishing, but there is more abundance of bonefish and tarpon from March to July.
The average annual temperature in the area is 26°C and humidity reaches an average of 74%. A breeze from the Caribbean blows during the day and light winds from the land blow at night. Cuban people are polite, friendly and well-mannered. It is a safe country as regards crime; however, keep your valuables in a safe place.
Rates include:
VIP reception in Havana airport; all transfers inside Cuba; 2 nights in Havana in a 5-star Hotel. 7-night accommodation in "SOL CAYO LARGO" Hotel all inclusive. 6 full fishing days. Marine Park Licence.
Rates do not include:
Airport taxes; Cuban visa; personal insurance; transfer OUT Hotel/airport; fishing equipment and flies; gratuities.
Notes:
Skiff in single basis add U$S 1,500.-
Non fishing companion U$S 1,850.-
» Rates / Febr. 1st - May 2nd , 2011
Ask for special offers and rate for groups
Double basis, sharing boat and room.
Rates include:
All transfers inside Cuba. 2 night accommodation at the NH Parque Central, 7 night accommodation in the Hotel Sol Club "all inclusive". 6 fishing days with guide in modern skiff. Fishing licence.
Rates do not include:
Transfers Intl. airport/hotel/Intl. airport. Personal health insurance, Cuban visa, gratuities, fishing equipments and flies, boarding taxes, other personal expenses
Notes:
Skiff single basis + U$S 2,000.-
Single room + U$S 600.-
Non fishing companion U$S 2,250-
» Rates / May 2nd - June 26th 2010
U$S 5,900.-
Per person double basis.
Rates include:
VIP reception in Havana airport; all transfers inside Cuba; 2 nights in Havana in a 5-star Hotel. 7-night accommodation in "SOL CAYO LARGO" Hotel all inclusive. 6 full fishing days. Marine Park Licence.
Rates do not include:
Airport taxes; Cuban visa; personal insurance; transfer OUT Hotel/airport; fishing equipment and flies; gratuities.
Notes:
Single basis skiff add U$S 2,000.-
Single basis room add U$S 600.-
Non fishing companion U$S 2,250.-
» Fishing
Report
August 2010
Excelent bonefish and permit fishing, with few very good tarpon also. During the month many Grand Slam have been done.
» Fishing Testimonials
» In Cayo Largo the fishing was excellent in every way. by: Juan Dumas - June 22nd 2010
The fishing was excellent in every way. The quantity, variety and quality of the fish were everything a fisherman could dream of. By the first morning, two anglers from the group had achieved a Grand Slam, making the guide even prouder than the angler himself. On the following days, the number of Grand Slams continued to rise reaching six.
We kept precise record of the catches we landed, but what prevailed above all was the overwhelming sense of having experienced the best fishing ever. We cant wait to go back!!!
.
» Cayo Largo, Cuba. The fishing was great ! by: Raul Pinochet Herrera - August 13th, 2009
Dear Daniel,
After returning to my homeland in Chile and sharing a trip with an amazing group of 8 anglers from different parts of the world, I hold lovely memories of my trip to Cayo Largo, Cuba. I must admit that I had thought it would be quite similar to other places in the Caribbean Sea. However, I found something entirely different, starting from the professional organization that took every single detail into account, to the distribution of the guides according to each angler's personality, comfortable boats, and customized service, among others.
With regard to the logistics of the operation, everything turned out perfect: reservations, schedule, useful advice, donation of items we had forgotten or were not available there, etc.
The fishing was great too. My boat was one of the 6 boats at the time, and we achieved 3 Grand Slam out of the 6 ones of the week. Personally I truly believe that this excellent result was due to the perfect team work. Both the guide and my fishing partner showed great commitment to reach our goals.
I´d like to thank FlyFishingCaribe, my guide Rigoberto, and specially my fishing partner Daniel Beilinson for offering me the chance of achieving 2 Grand Slam.
A hug,
Raul Pinochet Herrera
» Cayo Largo offers great fishing !!!!! by: Michael Kearney - March 10th, 2009
4-8 February 2009, Cayo Largo
The day we arrived at Cayo Largo the weather was cool with cloud and a gusty breeze, not ideal for sight fishing on the flats. Roger still managed to land a few bonefish and I caught a nice mutton snapper. The temperatures began to rise the next day until the weather was warm and settled for our last 2 days on the islet. With increasing temperatures more fish came on to the flat and the fishing improved dramatically. On occasion we were casting to schools of at least 80 bonefish and pods of 30 tarpon. We both caught lots of good bonefish, some tarpon and we had shots at permit but didn´t catch this most elusive quarry. Beyond the grand slam species, Cayo Largo offers great fishing for other sportfish including jack crevalle, snapper and barracuda. The fishing operation is first class: Mauro from Avalon does everything he can to ensure guests have a wonderful experience and the guides are excellent and friendly.
We booked our trip with Daniel from Fly Fishing Caribe. Daniel is fortunate to be very experienced in fishing around the Caribbean and offers sound advice on when and where to fish throughout the calendar. Daniel is also a frequent visitor to Havana and his guidance ensured we had a night to remember in this beautiful and lively city.
Michael Kearney and Roger Walker
» Cayo Largo (Cuba). The fishing was great !!!!! by: Javier Solis - September 2nd, 2008
Daniel, the fishing was great. The key is full of permit, tarpon and even bonefish. I did get two Grand Slam and failed to achieve a double Grand Slam because the snook unhooked itself. There were big-size permit ( the ones I landed weighed 16 and 14 pounds), but I lost a 30-pounder, according to the appreciation of the guide. I hooked up about 30 tarpon and succeeded in landing 13, weighing between 15 and 75 pounds. In my opinion, Cayo Largo is the best saltwater fishing destination by far. Besides, the hotel has all the facilities to fulfill the needs of a family.
Kind regards,
Javier
