# Vacation in Cancun



## ksong (Jun 30, 2004)

I am in Cancun with my family. 
Some people might be jealous of me, but I wish I were in NJ now going after big bluefin offshore. Eating, resting and sleeping. That is not my style.
I am going to visit Puerto Juarez to check fishing boats there. I don't think I can go fishing because it is windy for a few days. But I'd like to get fishing info for other fishermen who visit in Cancun in the future.

I am going to meet Roberto in Isla Mujeres on Dec 23. I don't know we have enough time to fish, but it is OK even we don't fish together. I like to get some fishing info in Isla Mujeres for other fishermen.

Nice view from a hotel.









You don't need a car in Cancun. Buses are coming very often and it cost only 8 peso (70 cent US).









After arriving at a hotel, we went to famous Surfin Burito place for lunch.
It is very tiny place, but Burrito and tacho are very tasty.









View from Le Blanc hotel









Views from Beach Plaza hotel where we are staying.


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## ksong (Jun 30, 2004)

I went to Puerto Juarez by bus. Puerto Juarez is a small fishing town. There are many pangas and I didn't see any modern boats there. I talked with a Capt of a panga. He said he had to go far to catch fish as there are not many fish close to the town. when I showed big yellowfin tuna caught out of PV, he said they catch those size tuna offshore. 
They charge $150US for 4 hour fishing. It looks it is waste of time if you try game fish here.



















Pangas in Puerto Juarez.









I took a ferry to Isla Mujeres at Puerto Juarez. It cost 70peso ($6US).



























Isla Mujeres









street near the ferry


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## ksong (Jun 30, 2004)

After spending some time in downtown, I took a ferry to Hotel zone (Plaza Tortugas)
Round trip is $17 and one way is $11.50.
There were some nice fishing boat near the ferry, but I couldn't get any fishing info.
It looks Isla Mujeres is much better place for fishing than Cancun or Puerto Juarez.



















Here is fishing boats offered at the ferry dock in Plaza Tortugas.


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## ksong (Jun 30, 2004)

*Chichen Itza*

It took about 3 hours from Beach Palace Hotel to Chichen Itza









We had lunch at a restaurant adjacent to shops for tourist.




































Finally we arrived at Chicken Itza about which I read from my childhood.

Different faces of El Castillo.


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## ksong (Jun 30, 2004)




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## ksong (Jun 30, 2004)




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## ksong (Jun 30, 2004)

*transportation from Cancun Playa Del Carmen*

You can take taxi or take bus.
Tax fair is about $40 - $50 one way. 
There are nonstop buses from Ado Bus terminal at Cancun's City Center.
You can take Bus R-1 to get to the Ado Bus Terminal from Hotel zone. The fare is 80 Peso (70 cents). Most buses running through Hotel Zone are pretty clean and comfortable. And they come very often. (you rarely wait more than 10 minutes.

R-1 Bus









Ado Bus Terminal at Cancun's City Center.









You can purchase a ticket at Playa Del Carmen ticket counter and buses to Playa Del Carmen are right behind the ticket counter. The fare is only 48 Peso ($4US) one way. 









The bus is very roomy and comfortable. There is van service to Playa Del Carmen across street of Ado Bus Terminal. Some says he prefer van instead of Ado bus to go to Playa Del Carmen because the fair is same and it is faster. But I'd rather take Ado bus as bus has roomy and comfortable.









It takes about one hour from Cancun to Playa Del Carmen.

I think public bus service in Cancun is one of the best in resort areas of the world. 
The fair is very cheap, but buses are clean and run very often.
I didn't wait buses more than 10 minutes from Cancun to Playa Del Carmen and from Playa Del Carmen to Cancun.


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## ksong (Jun 30, 2004)

*Playa Del Carmen*

Playa Del Carmen is very lively town with many tourists.
Streets are clean and there are many things to see.


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## ksong (Jun 30, 2004)

I didn't bring a long rod case on this trip. Instead, I carried on a carry-on rod case in which I put three 80g, 250g and 450g Black Hole Cape Cod Special two-piece jigging rods. I took the rod case from Cancun to Playa Del Carmen.
It was so convenient to walk or take a bus with it. I just love it.

carry-on rod on a bus


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## ksong (Jun 30, 2004)

I finally met Roberto in Playa Del Carmen. Even I met him for the first time, I l felt like to meet an old friend.
we fished only a couple of hours to check a few spots before we went to a local restaurant for dinner.














































I used Black Hole Cape Cod Special two-piece 80g rod and JM PE3 filled with Black Hole PE4 line.



























Black Hole 300g Taifun jig is used as we fish 300 ft deep.


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## ksong (Jun 30, 2004)

Right after I caught a almaco Jack, Roberto hooked up a fish, but it acted very strangely. When it came up to the surface, Roberto shouted Wahoo !!!








































































Roberto uses metal instead of kevlar for assist line because wahoo or king mackerel are frequent here.


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## ksong (Jun 30, 2004)

I wanted to see how and where Roberto fishes on this trip So even we had only two hour fishing, I asked to show several different location for different species. Surproberisingly all fishing for different species can be done within a few miles. We fished not far from the beach and it was already 300 ft deep. Roberto said it is 1500 ft deep a few miles from where we fished. This deep Cozumel Channel work as a highway for pelagic game fish like sailfish or marlin.

Roberto said they catch mutton not far from where we fished. It is not surprising Beliz also has world class mutton fishery. Then Roberto said they catch lots of cubera snapper as the same area where they catch mutton. 
Cubera snapper ? He got me interested. 

I asked him when is the best time to catch sailfish. He said they start to catch big number of sailfish from March and it last to June. Most charter boats catch sailfish on trolling here, but I know popping is working for them because many fishermen visit Malaysia to catch sailfish on poppers.

After talking with Roberto, I am already thinking about visiting Playa Del Carmen just for fishing with Roberto for a few days for various species like AJ, grouper, mutton, cubera snapper on jigs and sailfish, blackfin tuna or mahi mahi on poppers. I even think about swordfish or oilfish in deep.

After fishing Roberto invited me for dinner at a local restaurant.
I ate good food at many different restaurants in Cancun, but the food at the local restaurant is the best.
Thanks Roberto for your hospitality. 
Fortunately I don't have any fishing schedule in April. In fact April is the only month I don't have fishing trips in 2013.
If I go, it is around April 25. You know why I prefer around 25. 
April is a good month because it is off season in Playa del Carmen and hotel and airfare prices get cheaper.










shrimp cooked in two different styles


















Fresh scallop. It was like raw scallop which I eat at Japanese sushi restaurant. 









tuna


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## CKALLTHEWAY (Sep 8, 2012)

awesome report


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## El Carnicero (Aug 27, 2009)

Nice!!!!


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## Hotrod (Oct 11, 2006)

Great report with pics! Thank you, I enjoyed them and the report


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## Marcos Domingues (Mar 10, 2013)

love kils food reports LOL


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