getting to casa blanca

Like other places in the Mexican Yucatan, you will need a passport and you will need to get from your home to Cancun and arrive there before 2:00 PM to get to the lodge in the same day.

If you cannot arrive before 2:00 pm, you will need to arrive a day or more earlier and spend the night(s) in Cancun until the day you are to arrive at the lodge. Upon arrival at the airport, you will go through customs and make your way outside the terminal. There, look for the Casa or Playa Blanca representative. He will be holding a sign with a bonefish and the name Casa Blanca on it. If you do not see him right away, DO NOT leave the area. He is probably transporting other lodge guests to the General Aviation Airport, 5 minutes away. Stay in the area just out side the terminal and he will return shortly and find you. Part of your package price is the air charter flight between the lodge and Cancun. This flight is definitely the way to get to the lodge. Otherwise it is a 4 – 5 hour drive to Punta Allen and a long, possibly rough, wet boat ride across the mouth of Ascension Bay to Punta Pajaros where the lodges are located. The boat ride could take between 45 minutes and 1 1/2 hours depending upon the weather. The charter flight is a comfortable 50 minutes and a short 5 minute boat ride.

After arriving on the island, your luggage will be delivered to your room. Relax, have a cool drink and de-compress. You are in the heart of a tropical paradise.

Returning, is just the opposite of the above, but you need to schedule your departing flight out of Cancun after 11:00 AM.

There is no guided fishing on arrival or departure day but you can feel free to wade the flats around the lodge or along the shoreline.

From the lodge

1. In order to best service the arriving anglers they need to LAND in Cancun NO LATER than 2:00 PM. The traffic in Cancun has significantly increased and we are having more instances were clients scheduled to arrive 1:50 or 2:00 PM are in fact landing up to 3 hours later and thus missing their scheduled charter flight to the lodge(s). If the scheduled charter is missed, the client is responsible for paying for a private charter. It is far less stressful to arrive the night before and thus avoid the risk of having to purchase an extra charter flight and /or still have to overnight in Cancun.

2. The flight schedules to the lodge are done on a weekly basis on the Thursday prior to every Saturday. Therefore, we cannot know in advance at what time the client's charter flight will depart to / from the lodge. Also keep in mind that since these flights are outsourced and paid in advance if the client cancels, the client cannot recoup the cost of their charter flight , and if they have a flight change less than 72 hours before their scheduled arrival time they may need to purchase an extra charter flight (not included in the package price).

3. We also have clients who show up with more luggage than the amount allowed and imposing, therefore, an unfair burden on those that abide by the limitations. These luggage limitations are in place to insure your safety which is and has always been the highest priority. Our "Luggage Guidelines" are clearly outlined below.

4. If a flight delay causes you to arrive in Cancun later than mid afternoon, it is likely that you will miss all the scheduled air charters to Casa Blanca & Playa Blanca and will be required to spend the night at a hotel in Cancun. If this is the case, please contact Casa Blanca's & Playa Blanca's Cancun offices as soon as you check-in to your hotel. Delays that require an overnight stay in Cancun will cause you to incur a substantial air charter surcharge in addition to the hotel charge.

Luggage guidelines and restrictions
In order to continue to provide SAFE and EFFICIENT transfer flights between Cancun airport and the lodges (Casa Blanca / Playa Blanca) please make sure that you comply with the guidelines below:
1. - Pack lightly
2. - Favor the soft-sided luggage to hard sided or hard bottom luggage
3. - Is best to have two small pieces of luggage rather than 1 big one.
4. - Limit your luggage weight to 45 pounds
5. - No non-collapsible rods/rod cases; especially long bazooka type cases

Due to the burden that over the limit luggage causes, not to mention the lack of SAFETY, those with luggage not able to fit in the charter planes will have the option to either:
a) Pay a surcharge of $200 for the ground transfer of your luggage, same day, daylight / weather permitting. (To be divided amongst those with luggage not able to fit in the charter planes).
b) Wait for the next supply truck run to the lodge and pay nothing.
c) Leave your excess luggage behind and Casa Blanca will store it for you at our Cancun office also at no charge.
Some examples of what luggage NOT to bring are: (bags that will NOT fit in charter planes)

• Extra-long Hard Bottom Rollaway bags.
  
• Bags measuring: 38”X 16”X 18” or over.
  
• Manufactured by: Jansport, Fishpond, Eaglesport (to name a few).

Please be aware that bags that must be shipped by land FROM the lodge will most likely NOT make it to the airport in time for the commercial departure time. Neither Outdoor Travel nor Casa Blanca / Playa Blanca will be responsible for any liability, monetary or otherwise caused by excess luggage.

Please remember:
These guidelines are for the SAFETY and COMFORT of you and your fellow passengers.

THANKS FOR YOUR COOPERATION!