Paradise Lodge

Since its destruction by Hurricane Dean in 2007, it has been rebuilt, remodeled and reinstated as a first class fishing lodge. It is now a much better lodge than before Dean. It offers wilderness saltwater fishing that is uncrowded and the best it has ever been. It is located on the Caribbean Coast near the border with Belize. It looks out over the sea and its part of the second longest barrier reef in the world. It is small, catering to only 8 anglers at one time, with 4 rooms. The whole idea behind the rebuild was to make individual attention the first priority of the lodge and staff. The meals are served taking advantage of the chef's expertise in preparing Mexican and international cuisine. All of the drinks are on the house and the bar is always open.

It is located where it is on purpose. It was originally built by Dial Duncan about 20 years ago and he chose its foundation to be laid smack dab in the middle of the many tarpon and snook lakes just inland from the sea and connected to the ocean by cenotes (pronounced say- no'-tase) and the two bays, Chetumal (to the south of the lodge) and Espiritu Santo (to the north). He and subsequent owners, along with lodge guides have been exploring those waters ever since.

It is probably the best destination in the Yucatan to seek the hard won goal of a Yucatan Slam. This is landing a bonefish, tarpon, permit and snook in one day. Easy to say but extremely difficult to achieve.

Including the two bays and the nearly dozen lakes between them, there are 3 distinctly different waters to fish in which to fish 4 distinctly different fish. In addition to the fishes mentioned above, there are jack crevalle, barracuda, snapper and others to talk into eating your fly offering.

The guides are all experienced, they know the

To answer any questions you may have about a trip to Paradise Lodge, give our travel department a call (800-669-3474) or email. We will then help you determine the best time to fish there fitting your fishing needs and schedule.

Paradise Lodge is small, insuring maximum flexibility and first-class service. The lodge can accommodate eight anglers maximum at one time.

We have instantaneous access to the Paradise guest calendar, so we can reserve your dates as soon as you are ready. Then we will

Package Cost:
The cost of the week-long Paradise Lodge package is $2,595 per person (double occupancy)

•  Non-anglers sharing a room with a single angler may accompany their partners in the boat for one or two days, but limited to non-fishing activities.
•  Two couples (two anglers and two non-anglers sharing one boat and two rooms) - Double occupancy rate for the anglers and $1,395 for each non-angler.

Inclusions:
Your angling package at Paradise Lodge includes transfers from Cancun to lodge and return (Saturdays only), lodging, all meals at the lodge, limited alcohol (see alcohol section), daily guided fishing, snorkeling, and kayaking.

Non-Inclusions:
Not included in your Paradise Lodge package are transfers on any day other than Saturday arrival or departure - $300 each way for one or two persons and $450 each way for three or more (divided among the total number of passengers) gratuities for staff, drivers, guides and selected non-angling activities (Mayan

There are many reasons to choose one time frame over another. Considerations include; vacation schedules, winter relief from cold northern climates, business commitments, best fishing times, etc. No matter when you choose to go to Paradise Lodge, the weather, more than any other factor will influence your success in shallow water and flats fishing. Ideally, 90 – 100% of the fishing at Paradise is sight fishing. Weather or water conditions may necessitate blind casting, especially in the lakes. This method,

Spring (Mid-February - May):
This is one of safest and most productive times at Paradise especially as it reaches towards April and May. The cold fronts have all but disappeared and if they do show up, they are short lived and may not affect the fishing that much. The warm south-east trade winds are the norm with sunny, clear-sky days. Perfect for sight fishing. All of the flats fishes are fat and sassy by now. The lakes should be clear with excellent fishing for snook and tarpon. There could even be some migratory tarpon moving into the bays and along the Oceanside between the shore and the reef.

There will be windy days. In fact, plan on all days being windy. If this is your first time to the flats, you would be doing a great service to

Summer (June, July and August):
This season probably offers the best fishing of all year, but it is more difficult making the personal argument to go to Mexico during the summertime. The bonefish and permit are roaming the flats with far fewer anglers casting to them so tend to be less spooky during this time. The lakes are clear and the tarpon and snook are at their peak.

The trade winds are really settling down, now and while still windy, it isn’t as volatile as during the spring. There can be some summer storms with violent winds, rain and clouds, but unless the storm has a name attached to it

Fall (September - Mid-November):
This can be the most pleasant time of the year to fish. The weather is usually very comfortable, especially in the first 6 to 8 weeks of this season. Some time in the later part, mid to late October, the weather will start to change and cool off some. The lakes and the bays are a joy to fish. There have been

•  a = Fair/ A = Good / AA = Very Good / AAA = Excellent

Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta and Miami, all, have non-stop flights to Cancun. Unless you plan to spend a few nights in Cancun before you go to Paradise Lodge, you need to arrive in Cancun before 2:00PM for a transfer on the same day. If you do arrive a day or two earlier and want to be picked up at your hotel, it is no problem. We will just need to know where you will be staying. You'll need a passport. An expiration date of at least 6 months beyond your travel dates is always a good idea when traveling abroad. As with any international travel, check with your family doctor for health updates for the region you are visiting for any vaccines or special medicines you might want or need.

When you arrive at the airport in Cancun and after proceeding through customs, a Paradise Lodge representative will meet and drive you and any other guests arriving at the same day in an air-conditioned van through the southern Mexican Yucatan directly to the lodge to arrive in time for dinner.

It is an interesting drive starting at first in the touristy region of Cancun, then traveling south through the heart of the Mayan country and further south to more rural and farm areas

The main structure is a two-story stucco building facing east and placed a short distance from the shore. One can observe tropical sunrises from its picture windows looking out across the sandy beach, past the reef and over the Caribbean Sea. Mornings don’t start much better than this. The main floor of the building is the great-room with dining area, bar and lounging area with comfortable couches and chairs. Behind a wall at the back of this room is the chef’s domain, completely rebuilt with all new and modern culinary appliances and necessities.

There are three separate guest rooms directly upstairs of the great-room. Each room is furnished with double beds, air conditioned and has an overhead fan for those nights when the breeze through the windows from the ocean is just right without A/C. Every room has a coffee maker for those early risers who need that jolt of caffeine first thing in the AM and a refrigerator filled with drinks, water and snacks. Guest rooms are comfortable with plenty of room for storage and all have private bathrooms with a shower, hot and cold water. Rooms are cleaned daily (there is no laundry service available).

There is a detached cabana (called the "Casita") that is a little more private than the

After dinner on the first night of your arrival, you will be given a chance to familiarize yourself with the schedule for your stay and what to expect in the way of fishing.

Every night of your stay, you will discuss the following day's fishing along with the options available to you. The lodge capacity is very small (6 anglers) so it can deliver individual attention and provide you with the best time ever. Maybe you would like to try for permit tomorrow. You've never caught one and want to see what it is all about. Be sure to discuss this with the lodge manager and if it is at all possible, you and your fishing partner will find yourselves hunting this elusive fish the next day.

The day usually begins around 6:00 AM with coffee and breakfast. You'll enjoy fruit, cereal, and/or a hot breakfast cooked to order. On some mornings when a long drive (almost 1 1/2 hours to Espiritu Santo or Chetumal) is anticipated, your guide will be ready just as soon as you've finished breakfast. So, have your gear ready to go so you can get under way to the Bay and arrive there around 8:00 AM to begin your day of fishing.

Each fishing day will include 7 – 8 hours on the water, conditions permitting. Road time to get to the different fishing waters varies from 20 minutes to around 1 1/2 hours. Lunch each

Espiritu Santo Bay:
This is the farthest away from the lodge and probably the most remote fishery in the Yucatan. There are only two lodges with legal permits (from the Sian Kaan preserve) to sportfish with guests and Paradise is one of them (Playa Blanca is the other). Considering

Chetumal Bay:
It shares its shoreline with Belize on the south and Mexico on the west and north. It is about a 1 ½ hour drive south and west from the lodge to the wind-protected boat launch. Both Espiritu Santo and Chetumal are a little bit of a drive, but you are traveling the miles in a comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle instead of pounding waves in a boat. If these places and the lodge were easy to get to, they would not