There are few areas of the world where there are as many square miles of shallow water flats as there are in the Mexican Yucatan. And right in the middle of it, Pesca Maya.
It has been there for 25+ years, with a view of the Palancar reef, which is a part of the MesoAmerican barrier reef, the second longest barrier reef in the world. It stretches from southern Belize to north of Cancun to Isla Contoy. It is in and a part of the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, which consists of 1.3 million acres and a name that means “where the sky is born”.
It is surrounded by fish and fishing. To its east lies the Caribbean; to the north and northwest are the shallows of Boca Paila and its great bonefish and permit fishing and to the west and south is the world famous fishery of Ascension Bay that has it all; bonefish, permit, snook and tarpon.
It is relatively easy to get to from just about any major city on earth with numerous flights into and out of Cancun. From there you will be picked up and driven to the lodge. Pesca Maya is on a white sand beach overlooking the Caribbean and the boats are moored a very short walk west to Ascension Bay.
The lodge can accommodate fairly large groups of anglers (up to 22), but it still has a small lodge atmosphere where all of your needs are taken care of.
Your native guides are all well experienced in fishing the area. A special feature with Pesca Maya’s guide service is that in each boat, your guide is accompanied by a guide apprentice. This strengthens your success on the water. Having essentially three sets of eyes (yours and the two guides)in the boat to spot fish, plus one of the guides to coach you and the other to position the boat to your advantage, makes for a great day.
Non-anglers can also look forward to a wonderful trip at Pesca Maya taking advantage of the many tours they have to offer or just relaxing on the beach, sipping a cool drink reading a good book.
Reservations & Rates
The 7 nights/6 day package at Pesca Maya Lodge is $4,163.00 USD per person (double occupancy)
• 6 nights/5 day package is $3,575.00 per person
• 5 nights/4 day package is $2,988 per person
• 4 nights/3 day package is $2,400.00 per person
• 3 nights/2 day package is $1,813.00 per person
Additional options as well as Couple & Single Occupancy rates are available. Please call for more information.
Inclusions
Your angling package at Pesca Maya Lodge includes boat and guide, three meals each day; breakfast, lunch and dinner, accommodations with private bath & hot water, A/C in each room, transfers from and to the airport or as specified for your package, beverages, beers, wine on the table, liquor and cocktails.
Non-Inclusions
Not included in your Pesca Maya Lodge package are airplane tickets and any other related costs, fishing license $12.00 USD (approx) a day or $25.00 (approx) per week paid in cash - at the lodge, gratuities (suggested $30 - $50/boat/day, staff - $20/day/room – transfer driver $5 - $10/trip/person), tackle, cellular phone calls, laundry service ($10/bag), non-fishing tours of Tulum, birding and wildlife and manatee/dolphin trip and the entrance fee to the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve of $2.00 or 20 pesos per person per day.
Travel Insurance
The Fly Shop® is not in the insurance business, but we recommend Travel Guard coverage as a service with a desire to see your best interests protected. It is impossible to know when an unfortunate situation (loss of luggage, fly rods, illness in the family, or an accident) may occur. However, such things can and do happen, and this insurance can provide a means of recourse against non-refundable financial losses.
• Travel Insurance Information
Seasons at Pesca Maya Lodge
In Ascension Bay there are hundreds of square miles of crystal clear flats where it's common to bonefish, permit, tarpon, snook and jacks or barracuda in the same day, all year round!
That is the beauty of fishing this area. There is no bad season. It is like everywhere else in the Yucatan; if the weather is good, the fishing is
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good.
Unlike most of the Bahamas, they can fish for bonefish 365 days of the year. Of course in Tulum and all the Yucatan Peninsula, they get very windy days, from Southeast, East and North, but they can always find protected flats or lagoons where you can see and cast at bonefish and/or permit. Tarpon, snook, jacks, barracudas and other species are also available at times.
Pesca Maya operates all year round. Peak season is from March to June.
Fall:
More groups are coming during October and November to enjoy beautiful sunny days, with a nice breeze but usually low winds. Lot's of local bonefish, permit and some baby tarpon, plus bigger migrant tarpon that arrived in June and depart in December. When weather is good this is a perfect time to fish, but rain might appear for one hour or two and disappear, or stay for 2-3 days. It's also Hurricane season. In such event, if they have to evacuate, or close to repair the damage, they will reschedule your trip. 10% off during this season.
Winter:
December, January and February are dry months, offering many hours of sun. Plenty of local bonefish, with permit, a few tarpon and barracuda around. Snook fishing can be very good during the late fall and winter months. Winter makes a perfect time to run away from the cold weather and be fishing in the Caribbean. This time of the year might be windy, when cold fronts coming from the north pass through the Caribbean. They also offer 10% discount during these months.
Spring:
March, April, May and June make up the peak season. In general, during this time of the year weather is better with lots of sun and lower winds, but sometimes they do have heavy winds and rain. So, always bring rain gear, no matter what season you visit. More and bigger permit are around and migratory tarpon start moving in. The bones are numerous and the other shallow-water species are present at this time.
Summer:
If you want to fish without wind, summer is the time to do it. Flat and crystal clear water is more likely at this time than at any other time of the; plenty of migrant tarpon and hungry fish are around. Average temperature is higher than the rest of the year, but not too much. Summer is rainy season, so you might have some clouds and rain, but they usually come and go in short amount of time. But you might want to take advantage of their 20% discount during this season. Those who fish this area a lot usually consider this their favorite time to fish for a number of reasons; fewer anglers and more fish to name two. Give some serious thought to this season.
Getting to Pesca Maya Lodge
It is really very easy to get to Pesca Maya Lodge. Most major airlines have flights into Cancun from just about every major city in the world.
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 Pesca Maya Lodge, you need to arrive in Cancun before 2:00PM for a
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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.
Upon arrival in Cancun, you will first clear Mexican Immigration where you will present your passport and have your Tourist Card stamped (which is provided by your international carrier). You must then fill out Mexican Customs Declaration Form (available at counters in the terminal), which you will need to present before departing the terminal. Next you will claim your luggage and clear Mexican Customs. As you leave customs proceed to the arrival lobby. The Pesca Maya Representative will be in this area holding a sign with "Pesca Maya" written on it. If, for some reason, the representative is not there, be patient, they may have been delayed a few minutes due to Cancun traffic.
The drive from the Cancun Airport to the lodge takes approximately 3 hours. The ride is a pleasant one-hour drive to Tulum, one of the most beautiful Mayan excavations in the world, then South along the rough, unimproved beach track for another couple of hours.
Anglers arriving early (11:00 a.m., for example), may have to wait for other guests to arrive before making the transfer. If there are no other later arrivals that day, you will depart Cancun immediately. However, guests arriving in Cancun after 2:00 p.m. may be charged a special transfer surcharge, if the normally scheduled Pesca Maya transfer has already departed for the lodge. If there are no other earlier arrivals on your arrival day, Pesca Maya will try to schedule the transfer to accommodate your late arrival time.
The current special transfer surcharge is $200 per vehicle trip, divided by the number of late arriving guests. The special transfer cost also applies if a flight delay causes you to miss a scheduled transfer. It would be helpful, if it is possible, for you to attempt to contact Pesca Maya to alert them to any flight delay.
If your arrival in Cancun is after 2:00 PM, or your departure before 1:00 p.m. you will need to overnight in Cancun. Lodging and meals in Cancun are not included in the package price. If you are going to overnight in Cancun the night prior to going into the lodge, pick-up time in the lobby of the hotel will be between 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. on lodge arrival day, unless otherwise arranged.
Upon arrival at the lodge you will meet your host will assign you to your room, give you a tour of the facility and give a brief orientation. The afternoon is yours to swim and snorkel, arrange your tackle, or relax.
Lodging at Pesca Maya Lodge
Pesca Maya Lodge has 12 boats with the best guides in the area and they are located just a short walk from the lodge.
Pesca Maya Lodge can host up to 22 anglers in the lodge, sharing rooms and a beautiful beach where you can relax while not fishing. There are 11 rooms in 3 buildings, all with A/C and private bathrooms with walk-in
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showers, most with an ocean view. Located on a solitary white sand beach, they have an outstanding view of the turquoise water and a magnificent coral reef, which is only 90 yards from the beach. The spacious Seaclusion house is the center of their activities: serving exquisite meals and cold drinks; tying flies and telling fishing stories. Serious fishing, beautiful location, nice and comfortable accommodations, good food and personal attention are Pesca Maya's missions.
The meals are home-style, with breakfast buffet and box lunch for fishermen. For non-fishermen, their Chef will prepare a traditional Mexican Lunch at the lodge. Daily changing dinner menu, barbecues and other specials.
Fishing at Pesca Maya Lodge
The staff and guides will do everything in their power to provide you with a fishing and lodge experience of a lifetime.
Pesca Maya Fishing Lodge opened its doors in January 1996 and has quickly become one of the Yucatan's most popular fishing destinations and with good reason. The lodge is located 90 miles south of Cancun in
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the 1.3 million acre Sian Ka'an (Mayan for "where the sky is born") Biosphere Reserve. Situated on a long, narrow strip of barrier beach, the lodge is virtually surrounded by water. To the east lies the blue Caribbean and a few hundred yards off shore, the Palancar Barrier Reef which stretches from southern Belize to north of Cancun. On the western side lies the vast "El Rio" system of flats, channels and mangrove. 10 miles to the north is the famed inlet through the barrier beach known locally as the "Boca". And, 4 miles to the south lies the incomparable Ascension Bay. The entire area boasts some of the Caribbean's greatest flats fishing for bonefish, permit, snook, tarpon and other species, as well as reef and offshore fishing (in season).
Boats:
Their boats are local made, fiber glass "pangas", with Yamaha 40 HP outboard motors. Boats are well suited for fly-fishing, with a spacious and clean casting deck. They are comfortable in the deeper waters of Ascension Bay (even on the rougher days) and equally at home in just 6 inches of water. All boats are equipped with VHF radios and safety equipment.
Pesca Maya Guides:
Pesca Maya started the guiding school 8 years ago. David Aimes from Montana and Vincent Grillo from Florida put together a Fly Fishing Guide Seminar, guides and apprentices participated. They recruited some of the old "Pez Maya Lodge" guides and the best Punta Allen guides from the village. All are professional native guides, with years of experience, who know Ascension Bay and Boca Paila well. Some speak fairly good English and others speak international "fishing English", good enough to spot the fish and direct your casting.
At Pesca Maya, they use a head guide and a young apprentice. Both have very good eyes. This formula helps very much when wading, each angler has an extra set of eyes helping to spot fish, and when you don't want to wade all the way back to pick up the boat the guide is glad to do it. This program does not apply to summer time or with special discount rates.
Anglers get full days on the water. The runs to the fishing can be as short as 10 minutes to much longer runs up to an hour or more reaching to the south shores of the bay depending upon the weather. Even with windy days, the guides can find decent water to sight cast to fish on the flats.
What Makes This Destination Special and Unique?
• Flying to Cancun is easy, with direct, daily flights from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Atlanta, Dallas, Miami and other major U.S. cities. You’ll be met by a Pesca Maya representative, and transferred to a van for the ride south to the Mayan town of Tulum. The last leg of your journey is a scenic boat ride to the lodge through the Boca Paila Lagoon. With efficient travel to Cancun, and a scenic journey to the lodge, your vacation travels are simple from beginning to end. Easy travel makes for a better fishing vacation, right from the beginning.
• Pesca Maya operates year round, making it an ideal destination, every month of the year. February can be a fantastic month for permit in Ascension bay, and the larger migratory tarpon typically show up in the warmer months of summer. When you have time to fish, Pesca Maya is waiting.
• With a secluded white sand beach in front, Boca Paila Lagoon in back, and Ascension Bay to the south, you’ll have easy access to a huge and diverse fishery with thousands of flats, back bays, lagoons and creeks while fishing with Pesca Maya. With the opportunity to catch a tarpon, permit, bonefish and snook in one day, this is super grand slam country.
• Pesca Maya is located within Sian Ka’an Preserve, home to more than 345 species of birds, including over one million wintering migratory songbirds. Non-angling activities include Mayan ruin visits, snorkeling, beachcombing, and the opportunity to add some rare and beautiful birds to you list, like the bare-throated tiger heron.
• Fishing with Pesca Maya, you’ll benefit from the experience of their highly skilled guides, many with a decade or more fishing the area. These guys know the surrounding water like their own backyard, when to be where on the tide, and getting you shots at a wide variety of species. Whether its snook, bones, permit, or tarpon on your list; the Pesca Maya guides will put you on the fish.
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