In April and May many of the top sportfishing boats on the U.S. East and Gulf Coats make their way to Cap Cana’s fabulous marina as well as a large number from Puerto Rico and other Caribbean nations to enjoy the start of the white marlin season. These boats are attracted to Cap Cana because of the notoriety the area has gained as the Caribbean’s new hotspot and to compete in the prestigious International Cap Cana Billfish Shootout, known as the _Grand Prix _of billfish tournaments. It will be celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year from June 5th thru the 11th. In fact, the Dominican Republic was recently named the world’s number one billfish destination by the reputable Billfish Report.
With only the first phase completed, it offers 115 slips, Marina Cap Cana is positioned to be one of the most complete state-of-the-art marinas in the Caribbean, already providing the perfect mix of recreation and relaxation. Located only seven minutes from Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ -second busiest airport in the Caribbean), with direct flights from most major East Coast U.S. cities as well as many major European and Latin American cities.
In Cap Cana there are available long term villa and condo rentals for the entire fishing season and there are four luxurious five star hotels to choose from for short stays. The fishing season lasts into November with white marlin transitioning to blue ones in July and sailfish are added to the mix in October when many boats score multiple grand slams.
In addition to the fabulous fishing (last year resulted in an average of 7.44 billfish per boat in three days of fishing) the Shootout offers great nightly social functions culminating with the Awards Banquet to be held the night of June 10th at the elegant Al Sol Luxury Village located on the west side of the marina inlet. Part of the proceeds from each year’s event are always donated to local children’s charities.
Taking all of this into consideration it is worth quoting the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Tourism slogan, especially as it pertains to fishing . . . “DOMICAN REPUBLIC HAS IT ALL”!
For more information contact International Billfish Tournaments at [email protected] or call them at (305) 213-5521. Additional information available at the Marina Cap Cana office Tel: (809) 695-5539 ext 4264 or (829) 423-6724.
