hemingway marina — havana
Billfish trolling in the Straits of Florida, off Havana, from the marina that hosts the aguja fishing tournament created in 1950.
Hemingway Marina is in western Havana, in Santa Fe, in Playa municipality, and is the capital's main recreational marina. The shelf is narrow and the Gulf Stream runs close to the coast, through the Straits of Florida. That is where the billfish run: blue marlin (castero), white marlin (aguja blanca) and sailfish, targeted with trolling of natural and artificial baits, plus dorado and wahoo (peto). The marina is home to the Hemingway International Nautical Club and the Ernest Hemingway International Billfishing Tournament (Torneo Internacional de la Pesca de la Aguja Ernest Hemingway), created in 1950 with the encouragement of the writer himself; since 1997 the tournament has used tag and release.
best season
Billfish pass along Havana's coast mainly from late spring into summer, and the Hemingway tournament is traditionally held in May. In winter, cold fronts bring north winds and rough seas.
Local rules: Recreational fishing from a boat requires a license from the Oficina Nacional de Inspección Estatal (MINAL), paid per seat on the boat and processed by the marina or the operator (Resolution 18/2020). Rod, line and hook only, and the catch may not be sold. For castero, aguja, dorado and tuna there is no limit on numbers (Resolution 21/2020), but fish must be landed whole or only gutted. In the Hemingway tournament, billfish are tagged and released. Confirm local rules.
- getting there
- It is in Santa Fe, western Havana, at the end of Quinta Avenida, which leads to Miramar and downtown. José Martí International Airport is south of the city.
- facilities
- Marina with canals and berths for pleasure boats, chartered fishing boats, and the headquarters of the Hemingway International Nautical Club, founded in 1992.
- country
- La Habana, Cuba
tip
Work the line where the green coastal water meets the blue of the current. With the teaser in the water, keep a bait ready to swap quickly when the billfish comes up.
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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.
- 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, processable by tourism providers); Res. 21/2020, items four and five; Decree 1/2019, arts. 15 and 18
- technical EcuRed — Torneo Internacional de Pesca de la Aguja Ernest HemingwayFirst edition in May 1950; tag and release since 1997; held off Havana's north coast, based at Hemingway Marina
- press Prensa Latina — Club Hemingway de Cuba celebra 32 años de náutica recreativa (21 de maio de 2024)Club founded May 21, 1992, based at Hemingway Marina, in western Havana; aguja tournament founded in the 1950s by the writer