cayo guillermo — marlin marina and canal viejo de bahamas
Trolling in the Canal Viejo de Bahamas, a few miles from Cayo Guillermo and Cayo Coco, for blue marlin, white marlin, sailfish and mahi-mahi.
Cayo Guillermo lies west of Cayo Coco, in northern Ciego de Ávila, facing the Canal Viejo de Bahamas. Deep blue water is close by: the Jardines del Rey international tournament uses a zone of up to 5 miles to the north and northwest, between the two cays. Trolling with natural and artificial baits targets blue marlin (castero), white marlin (aguja blanca), sailfish (pez vela) and dorado, with passing tuna. Boats leave from the Marlin Marina at Cayo Guillermo; Cayo Coco also has the Gaviota Marina. On the inner side of the cays, flats and shallow lagoons make it possible to combine offshore fishing with fly-fishing days.
best season
There is fishing all year when the sea allows. Spring and early summer usually bring calmer seas, and the Jardines del Rey international tournament is held in October; August to October is hurricane season.
Local rules: Recreational fishing from a boat requires a license from the Oficina Nacional de Inspección Estatal (MINAL), per seat on the boat, processed by the operator (Resolution 18/2020). For castero, aguja, dorado and tuna there is no limit on numbers (Resolution 21/2020), but fish must be landed whole or only gutted, and may not be sold. Inside protected areas, trolling and fly are catch and release only (Res. 18/2020, art. 35). The local tournament follows IGFA rules, with tag and release: do the same with billfish. Confirm local rules.
- getting there
- Via Jardines del Rey International Airport, on Cayo Coco. By land, from Morón along the causeway from Turiguanó to Cayo Coco, then by road to Cayo Guillermo.
- facilities
- Marlin Marina on Cayo Guillermo, base for the offshore boats and the tournament, and Gaviota Marina on Cayo Coco. Beach hotels on both cays.
- country
- Ciego de Ávila, Cuba
tip
Deep water is close: work the line where the water changes color, and look for sargassum and birds, which gather dorado and signal billfish. Have a bait ready to swap when the fish rises to the teaser.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
what you can catch here
before you fish in Cuba
The recreational fishing license is issued by the provincial offices of the National Office of State Inspection of MINAL, within 72 hours. It can be processed by tourism companies, which is the normal route for visitors: the fishing operator handles the license. Basis: Fishing Law 129/2019, Decree 1/2019 and MINAL Resolution 18/2020 (Official Gazette No. 11, February 7, 2020).
- Recreational fishing only allows rod, baitcasting or spinning reel, line and hook; cast net only at sea and only for bait. Nets, longlines, traps and explosives are prohibited (Decree 1/2019, art. 15).
- Tourist fishing with trolling or fly in protected areas (where the management plan allows it) is always catch and release, and this is written on the license (Resolution 18/2020, art. 35).
- Recreational catch may not be sold. At sea, the limit is up to 15 kg per outing in areas of major fishing interest (30 kg elsewhere) and up to 3 fish over 15 kg per angler (Resolution 21/2020).
The rules and closed seasons in the rest of the app are Brazilian. Outside Brazil, the regulations of the country and province apply: confirm with the official agency.
sources and references
Access, facilities and season information changes: check with the lodge, a local guide or the city hall before you travel.
- press Prensa Latina — Desarrollan Torneo Internacional de Pesca Jardines del Rey en Cuba (16 de outubro de 2025)12th edition, organized by Marlin Marina at Cayo Guillermo; zone of up to 5 miles north and northwest between Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo; IGFA rules with tag and release
- press Prensa Latina — FITCuba 2024 promocionará la náutica en Jardines del Rey (26 de abril de 2024)Marlin (Cayo Guillermo) and Gaviota (Cayo Coco) marinas; offshore and fly fishing among the cays' activities
- official Gaceta Oficial de la República de Cuba — Ordinaria nº 11 de 2020 (Lei de Pesca 129/2019, Decreto 1/2019 e Resoluções 18 a 21/2020 do MINAL)Res. 18/2020, arts. 35 and 36 (recreational license per seat and catch and release in protected areas); Res. 21/2020, items four and five (no limit for migratory species; landing whole or gutted)