one of our most precious, if not the most luxurious (and costly) experiences in Cuba, was definitely our visit to Cayo Guillermo.
Located on the northern coast of the country between the Bay of Dogs and the Atlantic Ocean, the place is a true paradise. think perfectly blue hues, fine white sand beaches, sunsets, Cuba libres and cigars. It’s a truly magnificent coastline and a rightful star of the Caribbean.
Cayo Guillermo was the place that made us realise we want more of this and sparked the plan to create our travel lifestyle. It was a major flashpoint in our lives, which has since changed dramatically after we stepped on one of the most amazing beaches we’ve seen so far.
Idyllic Cayo Guillermo
Even though it’s not such a backpacking destination, it’s well worth visiting for some chill time. The idyllic coastline is studded with resorts and the only way to enjoy it is to stay in one. However, we can’t stress enough how worth it is to spend a few dollars more from your Cuba budget and chill by the pristine waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
Especially if you are thinking of Varadero instead. Cayo Guillermo, in our humble opinion, is a 100% nicer destination in terms of accommodation and beach quality.
We stayed at the all-inclusive Iberostar Daiquiri resort and couldn’t really fault it. The staff were friendly and helpful plus the freshly prepared breakfast, lunch and dinner was delicious. but the best part of the resort, aside from the great food and beaches, were the bar staff, restlessly shaking Mojitos, Pina Coladas and mixing up wicked Cuba libres.
Just don’t ask us how many of those we had during our stay, we just couldn’t resist.
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The hidden Playa Pilar beach
If you find yourself in Cayo Guillermo, you must visit the stunning, 500 meter long Playa Pilar beach. It’s a true white sand and crystal clear water paradise.
The water here is so clear that you don’t even need snorkeling equipment. As soon as you stop moving, a school of colourful fish come to investigate you, pure bliss. We spent a whole day here enjoying the beach, swimming, and chilling out.
Mesmerized by the beauty of this seacoast we even missed the last bus back to our resort. luckily we were picked up by two friendly Spaniards or it would have been another long walk, doh! Don’t forget to check the timetable for the last bus back as there aren’t any taxis hanging around either.
The beach was located around 7km from our resort, but as adventurous and money savvy as we are, we decided to walk there along the coast. We checked out the map and on paper it seemed easily accessible, in reality, it wasn’t. We do not recommend this option.
While it was fun to explore, it was blazing hot and at times we had to cross construction sites, which wasn’t that nice. The winding coastline stretched into a much longer distance than 7km. Eventually, we had to get back on the main road as the shore turned into the prickly woods. Miraculously we caught a cab on a deserted road and finally reached the hidden beach.
So please don’t waste your time and energy, get a local bus from your resort or hail a cab and spend more precious time enjoying the diamond dust-like beach. There are 4 hop on hop off buses per day, going between the resorts and stopping at Playa Pilar.
Foodwise there isn’t much around, but you will find a cosy bar-restaurant built in the dunes, right on the beach. prices range from 20 CUC to 40 CUC (1 CUC = $1 USD) per main course so you might want to have a hearty breakfast at your resort.
Cruising around Jardines del Rey
Visiting one of the most amazing coastlines in Cuba calls for a tiny bit of luxury lifestyle. Jardines del Rey, an archipelago off the northern coast of Cuba is well-known amongst snorkeling and diving enthusiasts for its stunning 200 km long coral reef.
One of the easiest ways to experience this magnificent part of the world is by taking a catamaran cruise. We booked a catamaran trip via an agent at our resort but you can always check out the Marina Cayo Guillermo directly.
They offer a wide selection of all-day tours from snorkeling to deep-water fishing. We, however, were taken to the marina in Cayo Coco a bit further away but hindsight is a wonderful thing.Noin 80 dollaria per henkilö meidän katamaraani-matka sisälsi 2 snorklausta ja 2 uimapaikkaa, lounas (kana tai hummeri) ja erittäin tervetullut, pohjaton rombaari.
Henkilökunta oli todella hieno, ystävällinen ja majoitus ja vene oli kaunis. Vaikka snorklauskokemus olisi voinut olla parempi, me todella nautimme itsestämme. Meidät takaisin lomakohteemme heti illalliselle!
Hanki Cayo Guillermo
Voit lentää suoraan Jardines del Reyn lentokentälle Cayo Coco ja lomakeskus voi järjestää siirron, joka kestää noin 45 minuuttia pysähdyksistä.
Jos aiot matkustaa Cayo Guillermolle Havannasta tai muista kaupungeista, voit joko vuokrata auton ja ajaa täällä itseäsi tai vuokrata taksilla.
Mutta ennen kuin varaat julkisen taksin, tarkista Casa-omistajaltasi, tiedätkö paikallisen “taksinkuljettajan”, joka voi viedä sinut sinne. Matkamme aikana (toukokuu 2015) ei ollut paikallisia busseja, joilla voit viedä sinut Cayo Guillermon lomakohteisiin suoraan mantereelta.
Voit ylittää Cayo Cocon Cayo Cayo Cayo Cayo Cayo Guillermoon. Se on melko ratsastaa, varo, että vaaleanpunaiset flamingot kokoontuivat jättiläisen laguuniin, kun ylität kohti saaristoa.
Pysyimme Casasissa koko matkamme Kuubassa ja löysimme kaikki omistajat olla erittäin kekseliä ja avulias. Casa-isäntä Trinidad järjesti ihastuttavan miehen, joka vie meidät unelmaiseen saaren paratiisiin. Varmista, että sinulla on varaosa, 3,5 tunnin matka maksaa noin 120 dollaria USD.
Teimme myös järjestelyjä kuljettajamme kanssa valitsemaan meidät 3 päivää myöhemmin ja vievät meidät takaisin Havanalle. Se vei meidät noin 7 tuntia yli 200 dollarin USD: n kustannuksella. Taksin jakaminen muiden matkustajien kanssa on tässä tapauksessa erittäin kustannustehokas idea, joten kysy tai jätä huomautus vastaanotosta.
Jos haluat varata Casa erityisesti Kuubassa, tarkista Booking.com!
Huolimatta kalliista ja pitkästä matkasta muutamia hikkauksia autolla ja espanjalaisilla, meillä oli vielä loistava aika ja suosittelemme vierailevia Cayo Guillermo Kuubassa.
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