The Mayan Riviera that stretches south from Cancun all the way to the Mexican border with Belize is one of the fishiest stretches of Caribbean coastline there is, but escaping the throngs of tourists can be a real challenge. A decade ago, a short drive to Tulum was all it took to get away from the craziness and into some really great fly fishing. These days, though, Tulum can be just as chaotic as Cancun and Playa del Carmen, and there are more and more anglers plying the green Caribbean waters for bonefish, permit and tarpon. It pays to venture even a bit further. 

If you could survey every fly angler for their bucket list of fly fishing trips, you’d end up with a cornucopia of diverse, coveted, fishy destinations. And, chances are, a small handful of locales would get scribbled down far more often than any others:  Alaska, Patagonia, and New Zealand. Each of these world-class destinations has undoubtedly earned their countless appearances in the restless dreams fly fishers.