Cayo largo
CAYO LARGO
(originally posted 2/5/15)
With my time at Cayo Cruz over, I flew back to Havana for the night, and then on to Cayo Largo the next morning. This is a quick flight from Havana of only 30-40 minutes. Cayo Largo is a long island oriented east and west, connecting to the Canarreos Archipelago trailing off from Isla de la Juventud to the west. It is a resort island, largely visited by Canadians and Europeans wanting to find some winter sun and walk on a sandy beach.
Most guests of Avalon stay at the Sol Club Cayo Largo. This is an all inclusive resort featuring all the amenities including pool, numerous restaurants, theater and beach. For guests looking for a lower key and more solitary experience, Avalon has another great option near the marina where the flats boats are docked named Villa Marinera.
I loved Cayo Largo I have to say. It had some of the most beautiful Bonefish flats I had ever seen, and although the water had turned cold from a front that blew in, we found numerous fish pushing 6-7 pounds. My guide said his largest Bonefish landed was 12 lbs!! I like the sound of that. The Permit flats were astonishing. To say that they are huge is an understatement. You could spend all afternoon continuously poling, on the lookout for Permit in the company of Rays. My new friend Matt from Australia landed his first Permit while fishing near our boat.
During the months of April, May and June, larger Tarpon do show up in the channels around Cayo Largo. That being said, Permit and Bonefish are still the primary targets here.