Sharing a border with Mexico and at the very northeast corner of Belize is Ambergris Cay.

Situated on a private 40 acres on the Caribbean coast of this island is El Pescador Resort, named by Forbes Traveler as one of the top ten luxury Eco-Resorts in the world. In addition to this title goes one that would give it top marks as a saltwater fishing and diving lodge. This is one of the most family-friendly resort/fishing lodges that can be found anywhere. Guests find El Pescador treating divers, non-anglers and anglers with equal attention. One area of service does not suffer at the benefit of the other. As good as the fishing is, a non-fishing family member or companion will have an equally good time.

Belize is an English-speaking country that boasts of rainforests, mountains, rivers, Caribbean coastline, numerous cays (islands) and shares the 600 mile long Mesoamerican Reef (2nd longest in the world) with Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico. Its diversity extends to its fishing and especially flats fishing for bonefish, permit, tarpon and snook. It is easy to get to from the US flying into Belize City from, Houston, Dallas, New Orleans, Miami, Atlanta or LA. Then, Ambergris is a short commuter flight (about 20 minutes) to San Pedro, Ambergris.

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Reservations & Rates

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Seasons at El Pescador Resort

El Pescador is in a neo-tropical climate, the temperature varies less than 10 degrees Fahrenheit year round.

So rather than seasons, we have micro climate changes, where we are subject to the occasional cold front in the winter months. Wind is part of our tropical environment; some days are windy, some are not. We are

semi-arid and get less than 25 inches of rain annually.

Our fish reside here 12 months of the year, plus the addition of a major tarpon migration in late summer. Any day of the year you can be assured that the fishery is diverse and abundant. Months tend to blend into one another. If our "best" month is a 10, then our "worst" month is an 8 1/2 or a 9. Again, it's the vagary of a passing front that has more impact than the time of year. These fronts possess two common characteristics: they are unpredictable and they tend to be short-lived.

January:
On calm days you should see as many as 50-75 tarpon, 20-90 pound range. Generally bone and tarpon fishing are good; reef fishing good to excellent on calm days.

February:
Fish are plentiful on the flats if the wind isn't too strong. Tarpon in the 20-90 pound range. Bones, Permit and Tarpon fishing are good, but weather-dependent. Reef fishing is excellent. Plenty of 20-90 pound tarpon on the calmer days. Plenty of bonefish. Tarpon in lagoons. Reef fishing good to excellent. Permit schooled up in good numbers.

March:
Plenty of 20-90 pound tarpon on the calmer days. Plenty of bonefish. Tarpon in lagoons. Reef fishing good to excellent. Permit schooled up in good numbers.

April:
Lots of tarpon, 40-100 pounds, and they are more aggressive. Migrating tarpon start coming onto the reef. It's a good month for permit too. Usually large schools of small permit, and plenty of bones. Reef fishing excellent.

May:
Generally our hottest month, with calm-to-light breezes. It's not uncommon to see huge schools of 200-300 bones. Tarpon on both flats and the reef. Reef fishing is good to excellent.

June:
Bonefishing is excellent as it always is from April through October. Tarpon on both the flats and reef. Reef fishing good to excellent.

July, August, & September:
Usually calm and warm. Great fishing. Lots of bones, lots of tarpon to well over 100 pounds. We consider this the best tarpon season of the year. The most and the largest tarpon have been caught in August and September. We also find some of the largest permit of the year during tarpon migration.

October:
Lots of tarpon, large and aggressive. Bones are larger and more aggressive too. Big schools of jack crevelle are also on the flats now and it is a good month for the larger permit. Reef fishing fair to good. If there is a lot of rainfall on the mainland, snook arrive on the flats in large numbers. The lodge record for the most tarpon landed in a single day was had in October by Dick Smith with 7 tarpon landed and another 5 jumped.

November:
There are plenty of 60-100 pound tarpon on the flats. Jack crevelle and bone fishing are also good. Reef fishing good to excellent.

December:
If the sun stays out there are plenty of barracuda, bones, and tarpon (40-80 pounds) on the flats. Jacks and ladyfish too. Full moon brings grouper and snappers to the reef to spawn. Reef fishing good to excellent.

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Getting to El Pescador Resort

The lodge is easy to locate and, once you have arrived in Belize City, all transfers are included in the price of the package.

Arriving in Belize:
When you arrive at the Belize International Airport, proceed through Immigration, collect your bags and continue through Customs.

Local Transfer Flight to San Pedro:
After clearing Customs please continue into the Main Terminal and to the Tropic Air counter. You will find your tickets waiting for you under both "El Pescador" and your last name. Your adventure begins with a quick, scenic 20-minute flight to San Pedro, Ambergris Caye where a representative from El Pescador will meet you at the San Pedro Airstrip.

Water Taxi to our Resort:
After greeting you at the San Pedro airstrip, the representative will transport you and your luggage to our boat for the seven minute ride to El Pescador. Your room and guide are pre-assigned to you and once you've been shown around, you are free to swim, snorkel, or relax at the casual, well-stocked bar. You might want to warm up your casting arm in front of the lodge. There is an old barge on the beach/flats just down from the lodge. Bonefish feed on the flats from the point, to the barge. You may want to try fishing here. Watch the bottom, as it's a little soft.

Note:
If you miss your connection, you will automatically be placed on the next available shuttle. If your International flight has been very delayed and you are not scheduled to arrive until after 5:00pm, please call El Pescador at 226-2398 (Internationally 011-501-226-2398) and we will reschedule your flight.

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Lodging at El Pescador Resort

On September 4th 1974, the first guests checked into the newly finished lodge to start a long history of world renowned fishing. In 1997, it was purchased by brother and sister Logan and Ali Gentry.

In 2004 Ali's parents, Chris and Steve Spiro, joined her in Belize. The recently constructed one, two and three bedroom luxury villas add a

completely new and unique dimension to the El Pescador experience for travelers seeking privacy with all the amenities of the original lodge. El Pescador's fame as a flats fisherman's paradise, as well as resort for all adventures Belize, continues to grow and improve with time. The hosts live at the lodge to assure quality service around the clock. The lodge has three fresh water pools for the guests enjoyment.

Each of the thirteen guest rooms in our main lodge face the sea and are just steps away from our swimming pool adjacent to the beach. All have private baths, overhead fans and air-conditioning.

Upgrades are available to El Pescador's lovely villas which have stunning views of the beach and the Belize Barrier Reef across an open expanse of turquoise Caribbean Sea. They are two story, 3-bedroom, 3-bath homes, designed in a lock-off configuration, which enables you to rent a 1, 2 or 3 bedroom villa to perfectly match your individual needs, while ensuring your complete privacy.

Meals are served in the dinning area or outside on the deck next to the office and gift/fly shop. On premise you will find a tour office, fly shop, gift and sundry shop and the bar.

The house specialty is tropical rum punch, but they also offer a full selection of top shelf liquors, wine and beer. Many international cigars are available in San Pedro and are sold upon request. The local beer, wine and rum drinks taken at the bar are included in the fishing package. There is a charge for specialty brands of liquor and certain mixed drinks.

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Fishing at El Pescador Resort

Some of Belize's most experienced fishing guides can be found at El Pescador.

All El Pescador guides were born and raised on the island. The lodge prides itself on having some of the most experienced guides in Belize. Many of our guides have been with El Pescador for over 20 years, and

now the second generation of El Pescador guides is in full swing! Most of them have been trained by their fathers and uncles with whom they typically spend several years learning the craft before captaining their own flats boat.

The guides' encyclopedic knowledge of this fishery comes from a lifetime dedicated to learning where the fish are and how they behave. El Pescador guides are excellent technical fishermen and will be happy to provide instruction during your fishing day.

El Pescador has created a teaching environment. When you arrive they make sure you have the gear you need, describe the current fishing conditions, and generally get a feel for what you hope to achieve during your fishing with them. Each day your guide will assist with casting and fishing instruction, and when you return to the lodge you may choose to join their evening casting workshops, where they work on the tools needed to succeed in fishing the flats.

Bonefish:
The bonefish grounds are only minutes from the lodge. Most of the bone fishing is done from the bow of the boat, but there are flats that can be waded as well. The bones run from 2 - 5 lbs and are plentiful.

Tarpon:
The El Pescador fishery has year round resident tarpon over 100 lbs. The fish are spread out over our 250 square mile fishery. In the late summer (July, August, September), we have the added bonus of a large migratory population, which doubles our tarpon numbers. Moon phases tend to effect tarpon more than other species. The guideline is to fish around the new moon. Remember, this is only a guideline, not a hard and fast rule. We land fish during full moon weeks all the time!

Permit:
Permit are found on the bonefish flats, and on many of the tarpon flats as well. Our permit are found in large schools and range from 4 - 30 lbs, with the majority running about 8 - 10 lbs. Jack crevalle, barracuda, cobia and snook are also found on the flats and in the surrounding mangrove lagoons.

Non-Guided Fishing:
El Pescador maintains kayaks and canoes which provide access to an extensive system of lagoons behind their property, where you can fish for bones for a couple of hours in spectacular solitude. These boats are available at no charge to El Pescador guests. You will get some basic guidance and directions, and then you are off for your own bonefish and nature adventure!

Catch & Release Fishing:
Permit, bonefish and tarpon are always released; some snook, snapper, barracuda, & grouper are kept for the table.

Approaching four decades of serving avid anglers, El Pescador offers world class diving, snorkeling, majestic Maya ruins, cave tubing, zip lines, and eco-adventures galore. So bring the whole family or group and explore the mystic beauty of the Caribbean and Central America.

What Makes This Destination Special and Unique?

• El Pescador offers daily opportunities to target a variety of fun and exciting flats species, including year round tarpon action, miles upon miles of bonefish flats, and some reliable permit hot-spots. Anglers here can choose their favorite species to fish for, or try for them all with the elusive saltwater Grand Slam.

• The guides at El Pescador are among the best in Belize. Many are certified casting instructors, and they’re all local with an intimate knowledge of the myriad flats, channels, and lagoons surrounding Ambergris Caye. Spending a day with any of these great guides will typically result in not only a fun and productive day on the water, but an education on fly fishing in this part of Belize.

• El Pescador is recognized as one of the best non-angling eco resorts in Belize. If you’re traveling with a non-angler or family, they will enjoy the deluxe accommodations, 3 resort pools, and a broad variety of daily eco-tour options. Both anglers and non-anglers will have a wonderful holiday here!

• El Pescador prides itself on its amazing staff and high standard of service. Everyone you encounter at El Pescador is smiling, warm, and welcoming, and by the end of your trip you’ll feel like you’re saying goodbye to family.

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Making Reservations to El Pescador Resort

To make a reservation, please give us a call at 800-669-3474 during business hours (Monday - Friday • 7:30 AM - 6:00 PM), or email us at travel@theflyshop.com anytime. We can give you the answers you need, detailed explanations to questions you might have, or check on availability and confirm your reservation in minutes.