08/17/2021

CAYO ROMANO

– CAY0 romano –

one of the best land / hotel based fishing options in cuba. huge amount of water to cover and species to target. WHITE SAND AND CLEAR WATER! great for non-anglers too.

Factfile

Cayo Romano demonstrates all the characteristics of a recently discovered fishing area – large numbers of good sized fish along with their evident lack of exposure to flies and leaders. Add to this the natural beauty of the cays and water and you have a truly memorable place to visit and fish.

Unspoilt and protected saltwater fishing with a wonderful land based beach resort experience that is suitable for anglers and non-anglers. Just 100 meters from the fishing marina, this new private mini lodge has a swimming pool, bar, lounge, a variety of signature restaurants, bowling area, and more!

Overview

Cayo Romano (Cayo Cruz) is located on the northern shore of the eastern province of Camaguey, on the north coast of Cuba, next door to Cayo Coco. The Cayo Romano fishery is an enormous system of flats, lagoons and pristine estuaries. Located in Jardines del Rey protection area, commercial fishing within this designated area is strictly forbidden and rigorously enforced. The designated fishing area sportfish is 366 square kilometres in size, meaning that on the average day, each skiff has over 50 square kilometres! The fishing area is virtually untouched and represents one of the cleanest and most biologically diverse ecosystems anywhere. It is still largely unexplored and untouched.

The Romano Hotel is a relatively new hotel in Cayo Romano. With a privileged location, at only 100 meters from the fishing marina, this new private mini lodge has a swimming pool, bar, lounge, a variety of signature restaurants, bowling area, and more. The hotel / lodge features several activities for anglers and also for non fishing guests. Additionally, the accommodation is only one hour away from Cayo Coco airport.

The lodge is built right on the water, overlooking a beautiful channel visited daily by tarpon schools and jacks. Some of the best fishing takes place right off the marina before dark.

All rooms are spacious and well appointed with air conditioning, tile floors and nice showers. The Romano has a private block of rooms specially assigned to the Cayo Romano anglers, in a quiet area. This area offers a lodge type atmosphere to anglers who visit it, as it is remote but not disconnected.

Fishing

On a typical fishing day at Cayo Romano, the skiffs will depart from the dock near the hotel each morning and, depending on the guide rotation that day, you may be heading to any number of areas to spend the day. From Cayo Paredon Grande in the north to Cayo Guanaja in the south, there are countless islands, lagoons and bays that will keep anglers occupied. Much of the fishing takes place back towards the mainland, in and around the massive island of Cayo Romano. The average boat run to the fishing areas is about 20 minutes in length and in some areas, you can be into fish within 5 minutes of leaving the dock. It just depends on where your guide wants to take you that day and what you are interested in targeting. With 50 square kilometres per boat, the options are just about limitless.

The first thing that guests need to know about when considering this location, aside from the exceptional flats fishing that is found here is that this new fishery is still very much in its infancy. The flats are an inviting combination of hard packed white sand and a semi-firm mottled bottom that still provides good wading. There are places here where you can wade for 4 straight hours without heading back to the boat!

The average sized bonefish is a healthy 4 pounds and during the course of the week it is not unheard of for guests to land a fish or two in the 8-10 pound range. Tailing bonefish are common and guests can expect to see bonefish in singles and doubles, all the way up to schools of several hundred fish. What really sets this location apart from so many other fisheries is that guests can expect to encounter and get shots at good numbers of permit each day. There are very few places on earth where guests can fish for big bonefish each day and also get shots at tailing permit. This combination may take place in other locations but not with the consistency that is virtually guaranteed at Cayo Romano. It is a rare day when you don’t encounter and get shots at permit. The permit will range in size between about 8 and 30 pounds.

The flats at Cayo Romano are a little deeper than those found in other areas of Cuba, which means that the bonefish and permit are still found in excellent numbers throughout the year.

There are two locations within the Cayo Romano that offer very good tarpon fishing. Guides tend to save these areas for when an angler has already boated a permit and is looking for a Grand Slam. These fish will range from 30 to 90 pounds. Besides the fishing for permit, bonefish and tarpon, you will also cast for other challenging species during your stay, such as mutton snapper, snook, cubera snapper, jack crevalle, barracuda, and more!

accommodation and pricing

The Romano Hotel at Cayo Romano is a relatively new hotel in Cayo Romano. With a privileged location, at only 100 meters from the fishing marina, this new private mini lodge has a swimming pool, bar, lounge, a variety of signature restaurants, bowling area, and more. This lodge features several activities for anglers and also for non fishing guests. Additionally, the accommodation is only 1 hour away from Cayo Coco airport.

The lodge is built right on the water, overlooking a beautiful channel visited daily by tarpon schools and jacks.

All rooms are spacious and well appointed with air conditioning, tile floors and nice showers. The Romano has a private block of rooms specially assigned to the Cayo Romano anglers, in a quiet area.

In the open-air main lodge you will find comfortable lounging chairs and a fully stocked bar with an accommodating bartender. After a long day on the flats it’s nice to recount your adventures to fellow anglers while sipping an ice-cold beverage and enjoying the daily selection of snacks prepared fresh every afternoon. After a shower, make your way to the dining room to enjoy the chef’s daily specialty.

This accommodation offers a lodge type atmosphere and experience to anglers who visit it, as it is remote but not disconnected. The main lodge has wireless internet for guest use.

Cayo Romano can accommodate up to 20 anglers per week. The cost of a seven night stay with six days fishing in the high / peak season of 2022 (19th February to 16th July) is US$5,790 per angler based on a shared room and skiff. Low season is US$3,690. For single angler rates and non-angler rates please contact FishTravel and we will gladly quote your needs accordingly.