Isla De La Juventud

Isla de la Juventud

General Information

Isla de la Juventud (the isle of youth) is located on the south side of the main island of Cuba. Isla de la Juventud is surrounded by flats for miles and miles. The area is divided in 6 sections and each guide takes two anglers to a diggerent section every day. Basically this means you will not see another angler all week. If you are fishing with a group of friends the guides can meet up for lunch if you let them know that's what you want. The many islands in the area will give you briljant opportunities for that. The guides know a lot of spots where you can find Snook, Tarpon and of course Bonefish. If you're lucky you might run into some Permits too.

Fishing Information

The fishing area of Isla Juventud is really huge and covered with large white flats and some of them are mixed with coral and turtle grass. You are inside a marine park, and all the surrounding cays and lagoons offer very good fishing.

Isla de la Juventud offers some of the best Bonefishing we have ever seen. The average fish is large, more than 5 lbs with a possible catch of double-digit fish every day. This is perhaps the last place in the world where you can experience a ”never seen a fisherman” bonefish population. The trophy size of Bonefish and the different types of fishing, wading and poling, will make this incredibly interesting fishing even for the most experienced fly fishermen.

Tarpon are caught from 10lbs to well over + 80lbs, in channels, on the flats, the open sea and around the mangroves. Few other areas are better suitable for Tarpon fishing. Concerning to Tarpon fishing, this is absolutetly the best that Cuba can offer!

Permit have been seen with an average of 10lbs but also many larger fish of more than 20 lbs. , Isla de la Juventud is fast becoming known as a Mecca for huge permit taken on a fly and we would not be surprised to see a record come form this location in the near future.

Other species in the area are Snook, Jack Crevalle and Barracuda. The maximum of fishermen is limited to 8 anglers only!

Seasons

The period January to March brings with it the risk of cold fronts from the north-east. The fishing at this time is good, particularly for good-sized bonefish, small and medium tarpon (20-30 lbs), and from mid-January the permit begins to appear. The period April to June is perhaps the best time both for weather and for the appearance of large quantities of huge tarpon – in addition to the bonefish and permit. July and August the fishing is the same, but hotter sometimes. September to December is a good period for bonefish and for smaller quantities of large and medium tarpon.

The Accommodation

Hotel Rancho is used for accommodation. This is a comfortable 3 star hotel. All rooms have hot water and A/C. A normal week includes six full days of fishing, starting on a Sunday. Guests may arrive Saturday morning, Saturday evening or very early Sunday morning. Flight from Havana is 25 minutes, and transfer from the airport to the hotel is only 10 minutes.

Your maids will clean your room each day and will also do laundry for you if you like. (Please leave a suitable tip for these extra services) Security at the hotel is excellent and the front desk is open on a 24 hour basis.

Anglers staying at Hotel Rancho have their own private dining room, exclusive from the other hotel guests as well as their own private chef and wait staff. The dining room is air-conditioned and used not only for meals but also as a place to relax before dinner with that perfect Mojito and perhaps a classic Cuban Cigar. Meals are superb, with a combination of classic Cuban dishes like smoked pork, chicken, black bean soup, rice and beans. Fresh fish like mutton snapper and grouper are also available and the French Fries are out of this world. Salads with fresh tomatoes and other vegetables are served with olive oil and Balsamic Vinegar dressing. Our chef is always happy to prepare sashimi from freshly caught fish of the day. Evening meals feature several different entrees, and our chef has often been accused of preparing enough food for twice the number of people we’ll have at the table. We can promise you that no one will go hungry while staying at Hotel Rancho!

Travel Schedule

Guest fly to Havana. After one or two nights in Havana you will be picked up and you fly from Havana to Isla de la Juventud with a short flight (25 minutes). On Isla de la Juventud you will be picked up and brought to Hotel Rancho where you can spent a day preparing for the fishing days to come.

Fly Fishing Safari with the Perola, Isla Joventud

This luxury yacht will take you to the most remote and pristine flats off the Isle of Youth (Isla de la Juventud). This is an exceptional and exclusive destination. The Perola is a classy 75-foot luxury live-aboard yacht that we utilize for weekly trips to the most remote areas of the Canarreos Archipelago, the world famous chain of islands that runs eighty miles from the Isle of Youth to Cayo Largo. Fishing at selected anchorages like Cayo Campo, the Cantilles islands and finally Cayo Rosario, which is renowned for some of the most outstanding flats fishing in all of Cuba. The Perola is a beautiful yacht, recently refurbished, and perfect for a group of six anglers. There are five very comfortable air-conditioned cabins below deck, most having their own private bath, with good showers and plenty of hot water. Anglers will really appreciate the large amount of storage space available in each of the rooms.

Guests that stay on the Perola will travel to Isla de la Juventud but will get on the Perola there and head for open water for the week. At the end of the week you get back to Isla de la Juventud and travel back to Havana.

Package Rates

Hotel El Rancho *** Double Occupancy (shared boat/guide), 7 nights 6 fishing days Starts from€3,500 per person
Single Occupancy (private boat/guide) available on request

Perola - Fly Fishing Cruise Price for the yacht Perola starts from€30.750,- Max. 6 fly fishermen with 3 skiffs, full charter exclusivity

Included:

Airport reception, 2 nights Havana double room, transfers, single room in hotel El Rancho, sharing guide & boat for 6 full fishing days, beverages on board, meals, Fishing license.

Not Included:

Tips, visa, airport tax, personal expenses in Havana, departure tax, first & last taxi transfer to and from the Airport of Isla de la Juventud.

Location: Isla de la Juventud, Cuba

Capacity: 12 anglers per week

Best Time: Isla de la Juvenyud can be fished year round. April to June are the best months.

Target species: Bonefish, Permit, Tarpon and Snook.