El Pescador

My wife and I had a short weekend available, just two days of fishing, but we made the most of it. The "Family" at El Pescador Resort made the stay a fun filled weekend ....we WILL be back...Its a fishing lodge type of resort, but upon your arrival we were welcomed "Home"... a big smile and handshake...the office staff was so nice and helpful and Ken and Anne ( the GM's) were always around and great company. Dinners were fantastic and are family style, the kitchen and Bar staff always had a smile and enjoyed talking with you, the operative word around here is "Family"... you also meet such nice people and families from all around the world.... On to the fishing my wife and I were a little rusty but our guide Caesar was just so great, he helped us so much on improving our casting and we learned so much. We never had a no fish day, the wife hooked into what looked to be about an 80 lb 5' Tarpon ( my wife is 5'2" and 110 lb) fought it for about 30 min and 10 feet from the boat it jumped one last time and was gone....but my wife was so excited it mad her day ....We landed Bone fish well over 10 landed one 45 lb Tarpon and saw Permits but that was it haha...landed a bunch of reef fish as well. Well our trip was way to short .....really have no Cons to say, I thought the cost of the trip and what you get for the money was a very good bargain...but that's me ......we are already looking forward to our Longer return trip... Jeff and Flinta

This is a sprawling fishing Lodge that accommodates 75 people. There are 3 pools, a busy bar, a dining hall, a pro-shop, etc. It sounds terrific, right? Be advised that the boats are completely open to allow fly rods and casting. But there is not a speck of shade for a full day on the water. The sun is brutal. The Guides are all out sourced and are hit and miss. Some of the fishing equipment should be retired or may have already been. You will also be charged for your Jigs and Lures. Get one wet and you own it. The accounting system with that is loose and inconsistent. Keep a close watch. The Bar/Restaurant Staff are great. All eager as puppies they are genuinely happy to make you happy. The food is family style and on a good day it rises to the level of MEH. Its' basically fuel. Breakfast is decent but lunch on the boats hovers between horrid to inedible. Dinner was well intentioned but consistently missed the mark. The rooms are comfortable. The beds (I stayed in 3 different rooms) were really nice. The water pressure was adequate in each room. However in 2 of the 3 rooms it was impossible to turn off the A/C. You could cure a Ham in there. Is this an intimate, charming Lodge? Nope. Not really, but then you came here to bag the Big 3 Bone Fish, Permit and Tarpon on a fly rod. Good luck with that. (The Tarpon are an hour and half away).

Just returned from a week at El Pescador - definitely one of the best trips of my life. My husband and I do not fish but were with a group of friends who do. We went with them on an awesome reef fishing excursion, did some snorkeling, and took a trip to the Lamanai Mayan ruins. All outings were easily set up with El Pescador staff, and we received an itinerary the night before so we knew exactly what to bring and what time to be ready. One of our favorite things was to just hang out at the lodge, though - the views are spectacular and we did a lot of reading on the beach and poolside. Next time we plan to take advantage of the on-site kayaks and bikes. The staff treats you like family and are so friendly and helpful. The food was delicious and fresh, and from day one they remembered our specific dietary needs. I loved the family-style dinners; this place feels so homey rather than touristy. We plan to return as soon as we can!

Just returned from five fabulous days at El Pescador Lodge and Villas. From the first step onto the white sand to the water taxi back to the airport, the land staff took care of everything on a 5 star bases. The greetings from the office staff, the bartenders and the kitchen staff were amazing; everyday eager to make your day better. Friendly, and always with a smile on their face, was how they greeted you in the morning for breakfast and continued at the pool side and into serving dinner. The meals were amazing and the pork chop dinner was the best I have ever eaten. The hidden staff cleaning and room maid service, went on like invisible worker bees. Our room upon returning from our day was clean, bed crisp, fresh towels upon request and the marble floor was clean of any sand I brought in from the previous day. FLY FISHING I was there to fly fish. The daily dock lesson I received made me feel like an Orvis guide with a perfect double hall 90 feet ….. Then I slept and my poor guide had to suffer with my dismal casting falling short about 10 feet from the permit or bonefish. My guide worked with me to improve my casting and helped with pointers – I appreciated their encouragement and patience with my casting. However, despite my shortcomings casting my guide gave me two solid chances with Permit and caught close to 80-100 Bonefish in multiple locations over the 5 days. I called this very successful due to the excellent guides. The day would go by much too fast! My wife and I had a great adventure one day on the Reef Fishing Trip with an amazing shore cooked lunch of our catch a few hours before. Cannot get fresher than this. The snorkel trip was a great couple break after lunch in the Reef to see all the wonderful aquatic life. I can’t wait to get back. Chip and Lisa Fort Worth TX

El Pescador had the most amazing staff I have encountered on a vacation. Everyone was so friendly, attentive, and took care of all of my bookings for diving. All I had to do was show up at the end of the dock at the specified time and wait for a water taxi to take me where I needed to go. The rooms were great and the views were spectacular. I would definitely consider going back for a slightly longer trip in the future!