Havana

For anglers coming to Cuba to fish, the city of Havana can be pretty intimidating, particularly if you don’t speak Spanish. Where to go, what to do? What about a decent restaurant? Not to worry. We have it covered! One of the managing partners in Cuba On the Fly, Richard French, has been fishing in Cuba for the past 10 years and has lived in Havana on and off for the past 3 years. His familiarity with the city means that all Cuba On the Fly angling guests have access to the very best that the city has to offer.

One thing that most visitors never get to fully comprehend about Cuba, and specifically Havana, is that this city is all about having the right connections and knowing the right people. This is simply a by products of 50 years of socialism, where in theory, everyone is supposed to be equal. The reality is very different and the right connections can open up a world in Havana that is otherwise closed to everyone but Cuba’s political and economic elite.

We have specifically tailored our Cuba On the Fly Havana Itineraries to take advantage of our familiarity and strong friendships throughout the city. By doing so, we think we’ve created an experience that is at least equal to the quality of the fishing that awaits our angling guests when they leave Havana for any of our six fishing locations located throughout the country.

As the capital of Cuba, Havana is the cultural and economic hub of the country. When you consider that 2.5 million of Cuba’s 11 million people live in Havana, it’s not surprising that the city is so vibrant and bustling with activity. Part of what makes the city so unusual and appealing, are the unique, hybrid conditions that 50 years of Socialist policy has created in the city. There is like nowhere else like it on earth! Think giant Latin cultural, economic, and political melting pot and you’re about half way there.

The city was established in 1519, on the North West coast of Cuba, due in large part to the quality of the natural harbor found in this location. Spain used Havana as a stopping off point on the way back from its expeditions to Mexico and Peru, and in 1607, the city officially became Cuba’s capital. Old Havana is much the same as it was then and it offers a fascinating glimpse into a time long before North America was settled by Europeans. It’s an amazing place and walking through the narrow alleyways and visiting the open air markets is a great way to spend an afternoon.

The architecture is stunning and while the densely packed streets and dilapidated houses of this section of the city have clearly seen better days, it is nonetheless riveting history. The city also boasts a variety of excellent museums and galleries and one of the most interesting of these is the Muse de la Revolution. Filled with artifacts from the Cuban Revolution, the museum is a kind of outdoor exhibit where many objects, like the yacht which brought Fidel Castro back to Cuba in 1956, are displayed in glass cases.

For those who prefer a more modern or lively form of entertainment, this is where the city really shines. Night time in Havana is an eclectic pulse of salsa, jazz and carnival music and we have access to all the best clubs in the city. As soon as it gets dark, Havana really comes alive and it’s with great pleasure that we get to show our anglers the nighttime version of the city that we both know and love. The food, the music, the refreshing taste of a cool margarita served on a beautiful roof top patio overlooking the city at dusk. It’s all just waiting for our Cuba On the Fly Angling guests.

We understand that time constraints don’t always allow anglers the opportunity to see and do everything they might want to. However, if time does allow for it, we highly recommend coming in a day or two early or tacking an extra couple of nights on the back end of the trip to enjoy this fantastic city. Our full time office staff in Havana can set everything up and both Marlene and Sandra are highly skilled in getting that reservation for the sold out concert, tickets to the baseball game or to the Cuban National Ballet. We can book you a day of marlin fishing or provide an interpreter for an architectural walking tour. We’ll be happy to provide a list of options from which to choose from if some extra time in Havana is on the agenda?

Havana is your city when you fish with Cuba On the Fly.