Mexico

Campeche / Holbox Split Trip

THE FISHING

We’ve designed this trip specifically to give our anglers a better understanding of what it takes to successfully fish for tarpon. The waters surrounding Campeche are absolutely teaming with juvenile tarpon in the 5-25 pound range and we know of no other place that consistently holds so many young tarpon throughout the year. This makes Campeche an ideal location for anglers to learn how tarpon eat the fly, how they fight, how to play them and what to do and not do in order to get a tarpon to the boat for a photograph. The Campeche fishing grounds are comprised of thousands and thousands of square acres of lush grass flats that hold untold numbers of shrimp, crabs and minnows. It is this bait that draws the juvenile tarpon to the area and keeps them there until the fish reach a certain size, where they will then head out to deeper water. Just north of the city North of Campeche, is the Reserve “Los Petenes”, which is an enormous mangrove estuary and wetland, given protective status by the Mexican Government. This untouched wilderness is a shining example of how to manage an area and its wildlife. Casting to rolling and fining fish on the grass beds, site casting along the mangrove shoreline to cruising tarpon and fishing the narrow creeks and channels that ribbon “Los Petenes” are the three areas where anglers will be fishing for tarpon in. A better tarpon nursery would be hard to find and the resulting number of hookups each day make this location an excellent destination for those who want to learn about and focus on exclusively on juvenile tarpon.

Holbox is a low key island off the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula. The island itself somewhat resembles an inverted boomerang and its shoreline is made up largely of wide sand beaches and mangrove. What makes Holbox so exceptional from an angling point of view are the large numbers of big tarpon that can be found throughout the year migrating through the island’s surrounding waters. These fish are big and will average between 60-140 pounds. These fish demand 12 weight rods and sinking lines and while the species is the same, big tarpon are a whole different kettle of fish. The Holbox tarpon fishery covers a wide area of water off the north shore of the island and how far the runs out are each day will depend entirely on where the guides have been finding fish. The guides will search for schools of rolling and fining tarpon, and once they found a school, they will skillfully maneuver the skiff into a favorable position for a cast. It’s incredibly exciting to see these huge fish rolling on the surface and when you hook into one, it is just a very special feeling. While the large tarpon are generally found in 8-20 feet of water, there is a large mangrove lagoon on the east side of the island where snook and juvenile tarpon can be targeted and this makes for a good option if the winds are blowing hard off shore. The turquoise water and beautiful sand beaches enhance the distinctly Caribbean feel to the island, even though it is technically located in the Gulf of Mexico. The skiffs are a 1 minute walk from the hotel.

This combination trip is so good because Holbox allows anglers to apply the lessons they’ve learned on the juvenile fish in Campeche to the much bigger and more challenging tarpon found in this part of Mexico. This trip is all about tarpon and becoming a better tarpon angler.

BOATS AND EQUIPMENT

Campeche – The boats used in Campeche are the traditional 23 foot Mexican high bowed pangas powered by 2 and 4 stroke 60 to 90 horse powered engines. These boats are clean and offer large forward casting platforms. The Casa Blanca skiffs are 16 foot Dolphin Flats skiffs, powered by Yamaha 40 horse powered engines. There is room for 1 guide and two guests, who sit in tandem bucket seats, which are very comfortable. Rod racks and poling platforms are standard in each skiff.

Holbox – The boats used in Holbox are the traditional 23 foot Mexican high bowed pangas, powered by 50-60 2 and 4 stroke engines. These skiffs are about 2 feet narrower than those in Campeche which makes them highly maneuverable when chasing schools of biog tarpon. The casting platforms are a good size and covered with a non slip astro-turf.

GETTING THERE

Because this trip starts in one Mexican state (Campeche) and ends up in another (Quintana Roo), the logistics have the potential to be very complicated and expensive. We like to keep it simple and cost effective, and the best way of doing this is to use Mexico City as the main hub to fly into and out of Mexico. From Mexico City, guests can fly to Campeche at the beginning of their trip. When the trip is over, guests can travel from Holbox to the Cancun Airport where they can catch a flight back to Mexico City and then fly internationally back to their point of origin. Aero Mexico flies these routes and this is the most time and cost effective route. That said, we recognize that Cancun is a major hub and that there are often many inexpensive flight to and from Cancun from most international centers. If you want to do this trip from Cancun as your gateway to and from Mexico, you need to know what that entails. Upon arrival in Cancun, it’s a 6 hour drive to Campeche, which makes for an extremely long arrival day. The cost of this trip is not included in the price and will run between $400 and $600 US depending on how many guests are doing the trip. If you’d like help with the logistics of flying in and out of Cancun, just call our office and we’ll be glad to assist in any way that we can.

Slipstream is a full service travel company that can handle a variety of services relating to your trip. For assistance, please contact us directly at 1 866 644-7703.

RATES FOR 2025

$4,750 USD DBL

  • CUN - Cancun
  • This is a year round fishery
  • Tarpon…
  • 8 rods / week guests
  • Wifi: Yes
  • Language: English/Spanish
  • Physicality: Low
  • CC Payment at Facility : Yes
Mexico

Campeche / Holbox Split Trip

Tour Location

LOCATION

4 nights and 3 days fishing from the town of Campeche on the Gulf of Mexico and 4 nights and 3 days fishing on the Island of Holbox, off the northern tip of the state of Quintana Roo.

PRIMARY SPECIES

Tarpon

SEASON OF OPERATION

This is a year round fishery.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE LOGISTICS

This trip is best suited for either a Friday or Saturday arrival with a departure the following week.

ACCOMMODATIONS

During the course of this 8 night trip, guests will be staying at two different hotels. We’ve chosen both of hotels based on several key factors: Each of the hotels has large rooms with plenty of space for gear and rods. Additionally, each of the hotels is centrally located in its respective community in terms of proximity to restaurants, shops and bars.

Campeche - The Ocean Front Hotel, as the name suggests, is located across the street from the Malecon, the long oceanfront boardwalk that runs throughout much of Campeche’s downtown core. The hotel is new, beautifully located in terms of proximity to the boats and has all the amenities one could want. Big, spacious rooms, excellent twin beds, private bath, A/C, cable and flats screen TV’s. The hotel could not be better located and all anglers have to do each morning is walk across the street after breakfast and get into their skiffs. If the wind is really ripping that day, Raul may opt to drive you to the marina (a 1 minute drive) to get into your boat. The hotel has a spa/massage service and a small pool at the back of the hotel, which gets sun for much of the day. After a hot day on the water, the pool is like an oasis and it makes for a great place to cool down with a cold drink at the end of the day. In terms of modern conveniences and proximity to the skiffs, this hotel is by far the best accommodations option in the city. That said, if you’d prefer something a little closer to the heart of Old Campeche, Raul is quite flexible and we can book you into a downtown hotel.

Holbox - The second stop on this Tarpon Tour is a visually stunning eco friendly beachfront hotel on the beautiful island of Holbox. The hotel is a fine example of the classic Maya/Mexican Caribbean style using steep palapa roofs, massive wooden post and beam construction, and handcrafted walls of textured cement stucco. The casita/bungalows are really spacious; all are air conditioned and feature paints in warm earth/sea tones, floors of Mexican tile, and furnishings made of regional hardwoods. The bedrooms have either a king canopied bed (for couples) or two double beds. Bathrooms have ample sink space with twin bowls, walk-in shower, separate toilet area, and towel rack with shelf for clothes. Facilities include air-conditioning, a hotel safe and a currency exchange facility. Guests can enjoy the reading room, the little boutique showcasing the island’s arts and crafts and a spectacular terrace where they can relish the beautiful sunny days and the ocean breeze. There is a restaurant and guests have Internet access and laundry service at their disposal (both for an additional fee).

DESTINATION CAPACITY

Angling capacity for this trip is 8 rods.
Mexico

Campeche / Holbox Split Trip

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Mexico

Campeche / Holbox Split Trip

INCLUDED IN PRICE

  • Shuttle service from the Campeche Airport to the hotel
  • 4 nights accommodation DBL in Campeche. Hotel has A/C, cable TV, private bath with hot and cold water, swimming pool
  • Breakfast and lunch each day
  • Daily transportation to and from the marina where the skiffs are kept
  • 3 days guiding from Campeche with 2 anglers per skiff
  • Fishing license
  • Shuttle service from Campeche to Chiquila (4.5 hours)
  • Private round trip water taxi from Chiquila to Holbox (25 minutes)
  • Round trip taxi service from ferry docks to the hotel on arrival and departure days
  • 4 nights accommodation DBL at Xaloc. Hotel is right on the beach, has A/C,
  • Private bath with hot and cold water, 2 swimming pools
  • 3 days guiding from Holbox with 2 anglers per skiff
  • Lunch each day (we leave too early each day for breakfast)
  • Shuttle service from the Chiquila ferry docks to the Cancun Airport

NOT INCLUDED IN PRICE

  • Dinners in Campeche and Holbox (Average price is $10-$15 US per person per night)
  • Breakfasts in Holbox
  • Gratuities for hotel staff and guides in Camapche and Holbox
  • Alcohol

TRAVEL DOCUMENTS REQUIRED

American, EU and Canadian citizens require a passport valid for at least six months after date of entry, along with a return ticket. You must supply proof of citizenship to obtain a Mexican Tourist Card and to enter the country. The Tourist Card application is issued at the ticket counter by airlines that fly into Mexico. Just fill it out while in flight and present it along with your proof of citizenship to the immigration officials when you arrive in Mexico City or Cancun. For proof of citizenship you can use only a valid passport (check expiration date). The tourist card will be checked at your first point of entry. The immigration official will retain one copy and give you the other, which you must surrender at the airline ticket counter when you check in for your return flight. Keep your copy (Tourist Card) in your possession during your stay in Mexico. No visas or inoculations are required for U.S, Canadian or EU citizens. A Mexican departure tax is payable at the airport when leaving Mexico. Some airlines include this as a prepaid part of your ticket. Please check with us or your travel agent or carrier to verify this.