Welcome to the Yucatan

Location, Type of Fishing:

Located on a private island smack-dab in the middle of the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, Playa Blanca Fishing Lodge is one of the world’s foremost fly fishing lodges in the Caribbean with unequaled access to the famed estuaries of Espiritu Santo Bay and Santa Rosa Lagoon. Due in large part to the difficulty in reaching these waters from anywhere other than Playa Blanca, there is very little fishing pressure on the inshore game fish that reside there, making it feel very remote and secluded. One of Mexico’s largest protected areas, with about 1.3 million acres lying inside the park, the reserve was created to protect the many Mayan ruins that are found there and to preserve this pristine area where land and sea meet along an uninterrupted coastline. In Mayan, Sian Ka’an means, “the birthplace of the sky”, and it is easy to reflect on the great beauty of this vast and expansive setting. Most of the fishing takes place in the shallow waters along flats at the edge of the bay, among the mangroves of the shoreline, or in the massive lagoon system of the backcountry estuary that is Santa Rosa. Renowned for its stunning beauty and biodiversity, the area supports an intricate food chain built on invertebrates like crabs, shrimps and octopuses. Often referred to as the last frontier of Yucatán flats fishing, Espiritu Santo Bay is a great place to try your hand at a grand slam or super slam with permit, bonefish, tarpon, snook and barracuda present in the marine environment year-round.

 

• Species: Permit, Tarpon, Bonefish, Snook, Barracuda
• Rods: 8-11 wt. Saltwater, Fast-Action
• Rates: 7 nights/ 6 days $4,650.00

 

 

 

 

 

What Makes It Special:

It takes a little extra travel to get to Playa Blanca Fishing Lodge, but once there you will find a small, intimate lodge immersed in the sounds of the jungle and breath-taking views of the ocean. A lovely private beach awaits, perfect for swimming or just overlooking the water while enjoying an ice-cold drink from the bar at the open air palapa. Playa Blanca is about half the size of its sister lodge, Casa Blanca Fishing Lodge, and is one of the few places in Central America where guests have the opportunity to fish from Dolphin super skiffs just like the ones found in the States. On the water, it can sometimes feel like you’re the only boat out there. Occasionally, you might see a lobster boat or some of your lodge mates on the flats, but otherwise you have the run of the place all to yourself. This is in large part due to its remoteness, and the fishing pressure remains relatively light on the waters surrounding the lodge. Legitimate shots at tailing permit and bonefish on the shallow mudflats bordering the bay and rivers are frequent. In the afternoon, go in search of tarpon and snook among the mangroves and creeks that line the shore. Large barracuda can be found suspended on the flats here too. They’ll often pounce a fast-stripped perch pattern, so practice stripping really fast if you want to catch one of these awesome predators.

 

Fishing:

Bonefish are plentiful at Playa Blanca. There are a large number of bonefish averaging 2-4 lbs, with some fish in the 6-8 lbs range as well as the occasional 10-12 lbs monster lurking. Look for them tailing in very shallow water against a light-colored bottom and in schools moving across the flats. Permit is what draws the majority of anglers to the lodge from all around the world, as the fishing is some of the finest at Espiritu Santo Bay, affectionately known as eBay. Just because they are here in great numbers does not make them necessarily any easier to catch, as they are still just as skittish and unpredictable as those found elsewhere in the Caribbean. Difficult to catch, hooking and landing a permit here is still doable if you’re up for the challenge of sticking with it and grinding it out for as long as it takes until you find one willing to eat. Baby tarpon, ranging from 5-25 lbs, can be found from the flats and creeks that define the bay to the deepest recesses of the lagoon. Tarpon are another major draw for anglers lured to Playa Blanca by their aggressive and acrobatic nature. Present year-round, they can at times be difficult to find as there are endless places for them to shelter and hide among the mangroves. During the summer months, larger migratory tarpon move into the area, some ranging well up over a hundred pounds. Snook are abundant on the flats in schools during the winter, and while they can be a bit more reclusive during the other parts of the year, they are still present throughout the year.

 

Lodge:

The main lodge at Playa Blanca is a large, open building where you can gather at mealtime in the restaurant complete with gourmet kitchen. A spacious dining room and welcoming bar offer guests a comfortable area to sit, perfect for socializing and having a beer or cocktail before dinner. A wrap-around, covered porch equipped with loungers provides an easy place for patrons to hang-out, and a roof-top patio is the perfect haven for quiet reflection at the end of the day where you can sit and watch the sunset. This upper sanctuary is also an excellent space to reserve a massage from the lodge’s Certified Massage Therapist after a day on the water. Seven large, duplex suites are neatly spaced around the grounds of the property. Each luxurious suite has a spacious interior with its own private, en-suite bathroom and walk-in shower equipped with hot and cold running water. Air-conditioning comes standard in all of the rooms, and each one has a covered porch with hammock that is ideal for relaxing and taking-in the scenery of the grounds. Ocean-front rooms have a view of the beach with sea breezes that continually emanate off of the ocean. Sand paths lead from the main lodge to a large, thatched-roof palapa that sits right on the beach not far from the water’s edge. There is a rustic bar and charming sitting area here, where you will be served appetizers and cold drinks not long after returning from fishing. Feel free to cool-off with a dip in the ocean, as there are large beach towels available for drying-off when you want to get out.

 

Dining:

Meals at Playa Blanca are skillfully and artfully prepared by Chef Demetrio. Three course dinners feature a revolving menu with an emphasis on seafood and traditional Mayan pork dishes. Always made from scratch, Meche’s kitchen utilizes fresh produce grown in gardens right on the island and never ceases to amaze and delight. All meals are served family-style at a beautiful, large table in a waterfront dining room, attended to by a warm, professional staff of servers. Breakfast is prepared to order, with fresh fruit, juices and coffee.

 

How to Get There:

Full-week fishing packages at Playa Blanca begin on a Saturday and end on the following Saturday with 6 full days of guided fishing on the days in between. Partial week packages are not available. We recommend you plan on arriving at the Cancun International Airport (CUN) the day before your package is scheduled to begin. That way, you can enjoy a nice dinner in Cancun, get up early in the morning with enough time to eat breakfast before departing on your flight from the domestic terminal to the airstrip at Casa Blanca. If you cannot make it to Cancun a day early, plan on arriving in Cancun no later than the early afternoon, and a representative of the lodge will be there to meet you after you collect your bags and clear customs. You will then transfer to the domestic terminal to make the jump to the island via private air charter, about 45-55 minutes in the air. After landing at the air strip, guests of both Casa Blanca and Playa Blanca will board a skiff to transfer to the pier at Casa Blanca, a few minutes away. At the pier, guests are welcomed with a moist towelette and a cold lime-aid or Margarita for your refreshment. Playa Blanca guests will then board a modified flatbed, affectionately known as the Gringo Express, for the 30-minute ride to the lodge, about 10 miles to the south. Note: please do not book your return flight at the end of the week any earlier than 11:30 am EST or you may risk missing your connection.

 

Typical Day:

A typical day starts before sunrise with a fresh-brewed cup coffee or Bloody Mary delivered to your room as a gentle wake-up call. Breakfast is served for an hour beginning at 6 am with your order being taken by servers in the dining room. Breakfast can be served hot and made to order. Some of the house-specials include Huevos Rancheros, Breakfast Tacos and French Toast. There is orange juice and fresh fruit available, as well as cereal and milk for a lighter-fare. For anglers heading out to fish, an extensive lunch buffet is laid-out each morning. Selections change daily, and include assorted sandwich makings, salads, seafood dishes, fruit, chips and cookies for dessert. Place your lunch in Tuperware containers that correspond with the container of the guide that you’re scheduled to fish with that day. Anglers will prepare to depart by loading up for the short drive in the Gringo Express to the boats at Santa Rosa Lagoon first, and then on to Sacrificio flat, where the boats fishing Espiritu Santo will depart. Lunch will be taken aboard the boats or on a nice beach, if available. After returning from fishing, many guests choose to cool-off with a dip in the ocean in front of the palapa. There will be servers on-hand at the palapa bar shortly after you return from fishing, and you may expect delicious appetizers to be served with cold beers or cocktails beginning about 5:30 pm. There is even time for a hot shower before dinner, which starts about 7 pm.

 

What’s Included:

Private air charter to/from Casa Blanca, 7 nights lodging, 6 days guided fishing, all meals and soft drinks, bottled water, fishing license, and ground transfers in Cancun. Not included: Airfare to/from Cancun, alcohol (you can bring your own), and gratuity for the staff and guides.

 

Non-angling Activities:

There are 25 miles of beaches to explore, snorkeling, kayaking, ecotours, bird-watching, Mayan ruin tours, massage and many places to relax and reflect while enjoying a good book or contemplating the view. All activities can be custom tailored to fit your personal needs, just ask the staff to help.