CAYO ROMANO - CUBA
The Travel: Travel is easier to Cayo Romano than it was in the past. Guests now fly directly to the town of Camaguey and then transfer about three hours to arrive at the resort
The Accommodations: Guests stay on land at a resort completed very recently. This is an all-inclusive stay which makes things easy. Guests enjoy the pool, small bowling area, and bar after fishing. The resort is only a few minutes away from the marina.
The Fishing: There are exterior and interior flats surrounding Cayo Romano with excellent opportunities for large Bonefish and Permit. During the Spring and Summer, Tarpon can also be plentiful in the channels and flats.
Cayo Romano (Cruz) is one of three fishing destinations located on Cuba's north shore. Located northeast of Camaguey, Cayo Romano is an island in the Jardines del Ray archipelago (Gardens of the King). The island is connected to the mainland by long causeways. There are two main routes guests use when coming here. The first is to fly directly to the town of Camaguey. After, the trip overland is about three hours to the resort. For guests coming through Havana, the transfer is very long, taking nearly eight hours.
In the past, guests stayed an hour away, in the small industrial town of Brazil. This made the days long, and ended up adding a full two hours to the time it took to go fishing. A long time in coming, there is now a resort built that houses anglers on Cayo Romano itself. Getting to the marina in the morning to meet guides now takes only a few minutes. This resort is all inclusive, so meals and drinks are part of the week-long package. There is also a pool, bowling alley, and bar for those wanting to come along, but just to relax while others are on the flats.
The fishing around Cayo Cruz can be exceptional. All months of the year provide great opportunities for larger than average Bonefish.
These can be stalked from the boat, or while wading, and many fish are seen in the 6-7 pound range. The guides, however, are fanatical about the Permit fishing. And for good reason. With the open ocean so close to these flats, Permit can comfortably go to deep water for rest and safety, but creep back to shallow water on the tide change. Often, Permit on the flats nearer the open ocean are in the company of rays. This makes them much more willing to eat the fly. There are as well many areas on the back-country, where anglers can also find Permit. In fact, guides will often ask to carry your Permit rod while wading for Bonefish, and it is not unusual to have a shot at a Permit from your feet. The Permit around Cayo Cruz are larger than average, many being in the 15-25 pound range.
Spring and early Summer provide exciting fishing at Cayo Romano. With Bonefish and Permit still abundant, adult Tarpon join the mix. This area borders the deep water of the Bahamas Channel which is a major migratory pathway for adult Tarpon. Anglers will find 30-100 pound fish cruising the flats, rolling in channels, and patrolling the ocean side reefs. These are very willing fish, and provide unsurpassed fishing action.