FISHING GUIDE · SOUTHERN CUBA
Cuba: Jardines de la Reina & Zapata Fishing Guide
Cuba's south coast has some of the least-pressured flats in the Caribbean, with bonefish, permit, tarpon and snook. Jardines de la Reina and the Zapata flats are fished through licensed operators on a catch-and-release fly-fishing basis, with a small number of anglers each week. Visitors fish under Cuban authorizations, and U.S. travelers face U.S. travel rules.
📍 Jardines de la Reina is an archipelago off Cuba's south coast in Camagüey and Ciego de Ávila provinces; most of the fishing area is 40-50 miles offshore. The Ciénaga de Zapata is on the south coast of Matanzas province; the Las Salinas / San Lázaro flats are on its west side.
Map: spots, ramps and marinas
★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)
Quick facts
- Jardines de la Reina National Park covers 2,170 sq km and has more than 600 cays; it became a national park in 2010 after a marine reserve was set up in 1996.
- Inside Jardines de la Reina only catch-and-release fly fishing and a limited, regulated lobster fishery are allowed.
- The Ciénaga de Zapata (452,000 hectares) became a Ramsar wetland on April 12, 2001 and is described as the largest and best-preserved wetland in the Caribbean.
- Cuba's Fishing Law (Ley 129, published February 7, 2020) says both Cubans and foreigners need an authorization to fish.
- U.S. law prohibits travel to, from or within Cuba for tourist activities (U.S. State Department).
What you can catch
- Tarpon
Present all year in Jardines; prime spring run about mid-March to early June, often 45-80 lb. - Bonefish
Main flats target in both areas. - Permit
Best on higher tides in Jardines. - Snook
Targeted in Zapata and Jardines. - Barracuda
Common on the flats. - Jack crevalle
Flats and channels. - Mutton and cubera snapper
Caught around the flats and reefs.
Month by month
| January | Cold fronts can bring strong fishing before or after them (Zapata). |
|---|---|
| February | Cold fronts; grand slam possible any month in Jardines. |
| March | Zapata high season starts; Jardines tarpon prime from mid-March. |
| April | Tarpon run in Zapata and Jardines; high season. |
| May | Prime tarpon; bonefish and permit. |
| June | Tarpon still good in early June; Zapata high season. |
| July | Zapata tarpon run ends; high season ends. |
| August | Low season in Zapata. |
| September | Low season in Zapata. |
| October | Some of the year's best weather in Zapata. |
| November | Good weather in Zapata; bonefish and permit. |
| December | Cold fronts begin. |
Tips
- Book through a licensed operator; access to Jardines and the Las Salinas flats is limited to a few anglers per week.
- Bring fly tackle; fishing in these areas is catch-and-release fly fishing.
- In Jardines, fish the windward north-side bonefish flats in the morning.
- U.S. citizens and residents: read the State Department Cuba page and OFAC rules before booking.
- Budget for a Cuban tourist visa, which is often not included in fishing packages.
Rules and license
Ministerio de la Industria Alimentaria (MINAL), Cuba; U.S. Department of State and Treasury (OFAC) for U.S. travelers · Official rules page ↗
- Cuban Fishing Law 129: recreational and sport fishing need an authorization (licence or permit) from MINAL, for Cubans and foreigners alike. Fees: check current rules.
- Jardines de la Reina National Park: catch-and-release fly fishing only; no commercial fishing in the operator's area.
- San Lázaro reserve (Las Salinas, Zapata): commercial fishing prohibited; sport fishing is catch-and-release fly fishing.
- U.S.: tourist travel to Cuba is prohibited; travel must fit one of 12 OFAC general-licence categories or have a specific OFAC licence (State Dept page updated May 27, 2025).
- U.S. travelers may not stay at hotels on the Cuba Prohibited Accommodations List and generally may not deal directly with entities on the Cuba Restricted List.
Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.
Boat ramps and marinas
The map above shows 1 boat ramps and 3 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.
- Base de Pesca Deportiva Casilda
- Marina Júcaro
- Marlin Marina Trinidad
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jardines_de_la_Reina
- https://www.aardvarkmcleod.com/destination/jardines-de-la-reina/
- https://www.flyfisherman.com/editorial/fly-fishing-in-cuba/152347
- https://www.theflyshop.com/travel/saltwater/zapata.html
- https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/1062
- https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/6750
- https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/cub194444.pdf
- https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Cuba.html
Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.