WHIPRAY CAYE FISHING LODGE
Why should I consider staying at Whipray Caye Fishing Lodge on our Belize vacation? Whipray Caye Fishing Lodge is for the serious salt water fisherman, who wants to get away from the everyday stress and step into a pure, natural, tranquil environment, where everything comes to a splashing halt. Surrounded by some of the finest permit waters found anywhere, guests come in (from a full day of fishing) at the end of the day, eat dinner and share fishing tales till till the stars come out. Whipray Caye Fishing Lodge is where the Cabral Family share their vacation home with you, making this a top vacation fishing destination spot for Belize.
It’s located nine miles off the coast of Placencia, Belize on the island of Whipray Caye. Placencia has been known for its world class permit and tarpon fishing for many years. The Cabral family have been guides working from Whipray Caye for over thirty years and are some of the finest, most experienced saltwater guides in Belize.
When your fly fishing guides are some of the best in the business you can’t help but become a better fly fisher – a week fishing from Whipray Caye is like taking an advanced course in saltwater fly fishing. One of the benefits of staying at Whipray Caye Fishing Lodge is that you won’t have to make the 30-40 minute boat ride from Placencia every day just to get where you can start fishing – outstanding fishing starts just a few minutes from you cabana door. This increases your time on the water giving you many more opportunities to get those much anticipated shots at both permit and tarpon.
Owned and operated by Daniel Cabral. Whipray Caye Lodge is custom made for serious salt-water fishermen and the independent traveler wanting to step away from everyday stress into a pure and natural world - where the fast pace comes to a splashing halt. This is a very remote and unspoiled area - one of the few remaining in the Western Hemisphere. With warm smiles and ice cold Belikins at the ready, Daniel and his staff make it very easy to unwind and adjust to the slow rhythms of island life.
A charming little island getaway, Whipray Caye (Whippari on some charts) is surrounded by some of the finest permit waters found anywhere as well as an abundance of snorkeling-worthy coral and sea life. Nine miles off the coast of the Placencia, a fishing village in southern Belize that's becoming a popular vacation destination, the Whipray Caye Lodge attracts anglers who want to forget their lives back home—at least for a few days. Though this private island hideaway caters to a high-end clientele. "Guests come in at the end of the day, have dinner and talk about—fish," says Daniel Cabral, a well know guide, who owns the lodge. It doesn't take long for guests to get in the groove. "Everyone gets on 'caye time' very quickly: They're up just before dawn… fish all day, eat dinner and go to bed usually well before 9 p.m."
When your fly fishing guides are some of the best in the business you can’t help but become a better fly fisher – a week fishing from Whipray Caye is like taking an advanced course in saltwater fly fishing. One of the benefits of staying at Whipray Caye Fishing Lodge is that you won’t have to make the 30-40 minute boat ride from Placencia every day just to get where you can start fishing – outstanding fishing starts just a few minutes from you cabana door. This increases your time on the water giving you many more opportunities to get those much anticipated shots at both permit and tarpon.
Owned and operated by Daniel Cabral. Whipray Caye Lodge is custom made for serious salt-water fishermen and the independent traveler wanting to step away from everyday stress into a pure and natural world - where the fast pace comes to a splashing halt. This is a very remote and unspoiled area - one of the few remaining in the Western Hemisphere. With warm smiles and ice cold Belikins at the ready, Daniel and his staff make it very easy to unwind and adjust to the slow rhythms of island life.
A charming little island getaway, Whipray Caye (Whippari on some charts) is surrounded by some of the finest permit waters found anywhere as well as an abundance of snorkeling-worthy coral and sea life. Nine miles off the coast of the Placencia, a fishing village in southern Belize that's becoming a popular vacation destination, the Whipray Caye Lodge attracts anglers who want to forget their lives back home—at least for a few days. Though this private island hideaway caters to a high-end clientele. "Guests come in at the end of the day, have dinner and talk about—fish," says Daniel Cabral, a well know guide, who owns the lodge. It doesn't take long for guests to get in the groove. "Everyone gets on 'caye time' very quickly: They're up just before dawn… fish all day, eat dinner and go to bed usually well before 9 p.m."
ROOM DESCRIPTIONS
Very Basic
Two double beds in each room, ceiling fans and cross-through ventilation from windows on every outside wall, clear and natural rainwater fit for drinking or a nice warm shower on those rare chilly days, with 12v and generator-supplied current in every room - that's the fun of island life. Clear clean waters sparkle with sunlight right outside your door, as you lie in bed watching the incredible Belizean sunrise. The accommodations: 2 unique 2-room cabanas (private entry and bathroom for each bedroom), 8 full-size beds total, are basic and CLEAN. At the end of the day relax before dinner, in a comfortable hammock on your veranda, and enjoy the view of the glorious Caribbean Sea, contemplating your day with a nice cold Belikin beer at hand. |
Whipray Caye had been a vacation home to the Cabral family for over 30 years, a fishing camp operated solo by Julian off and on for over 15 years, and finally, after Hurricane Iris leveled the caye in 2001 and destroyed much of the mangroves and vegetation and ALL of the buildings, Julian and his soon-to-be wife Beverly decided to take over the family lease and start over. What a way to start a marriage!
They began rebuilding the first cabana after many months of clearing away the hurricane debris with helping hands from friends and family. When the first cabana was livable, Julian and Beverly moved in and greeted their first fishing guests who also happened to be dear friends who have returned to Julian year after year for the last 15 years. They officially opened as a fully operational lodge in December 2002, and married in January 2003.
Julian began his fishing career when he was a young man of 6 years old, traveling out in fishing dories with his dad George, and later with some of the ‘older heads’ in the fishing village, doing commercial fishing and learning the art of cooking for the crews while camping on various cayes, coming in to sell their catch and renew the ice supplies, and heading right back out again for more of the same.
When fly-fishing was starting to catch on as a tourist attraction, Julian trained himself through experienced visitors from the fly-fishing areas of the states, fishing and camping with them for weeks or months at a time. The skills he picked up from them: casting and tying his own flies, led to a full-fledged career that he carries with him to this day.
They began rebuilding the first cabana after many months of clearing away the hurricane debris with helping hands from friends and family. When the first cabana was livable, Julian and Beverly moved in and greeted their first fishing guests who also happened to be dear friends who have returned to Julian year after year for the last 15 years. They officially opened as a fully operational lodge in December 2002, and married in January 2003.
Julian began his fishing career when he was a young man of 6 years old, traveling out in fishing dories with his dad George, and later with some of the ‘older heads’ in the fishing village, doing commercial fishing and learning the art of cooking for the crews while camping on various cayes, coming in to sell their catch and renew the ice supplies, and heading right back out again for more of the same.
When fly-fishing was starting to catch on as a tourist attraction, Julian trained himself through experienced visitors from the fly-fishing areas of the states, fishing and camping with them for weeks or months at a time. The skills he picked up from them: casting and tying his own flies, led to a full-fledged career that he carries with him to this day.