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.Za približne 80 dolárov na osobu naša catamaran výlet v súčasnosti 2 šnorchlovanie a 2 plávajúce zastávky, obed (kurča alebo homár) a veľmi vítané, bezodné rum bar.
Zamestnanci boli naozaj skvelí, priateľskí a ubytovaní a loď bola krásna. Hoci skúsenosť s šnorchlovaním by mohla byť lepšia, naozaj sme sa tešili. Boli sme vrátili do nášho strediska hneď na večeru!
Dostať sa do Cayo Guillermo
Môžete lietať priamo do Jardines Del Rey Airport, ktorý sa nachádza na Cayo Coco a vaše stredisko dokáže usporiadať prevod, ktorý trvá 45 minút v závislosti od zastávok.
Ak plánujete cestovať do Cayo Guillermu z Havany alebo iných miest, opäť si môžete prenajať auto a jazdiť tu alebo si prenajať taxík.
Ale skôr, ako si rezervujete vládne taxík, skontrolujte si vlastník Casa, či poznajú miestny ‘Taxi vodič’, ktorý vás tam môže vziať. V čase našich ciest (máj 2015) neboli k dispozícii žiadne miestne autobusy, aby ste sa dostali do stredísk v Cayo Guillermo priamo z pevniny.
Prejdete cez Causeway, ktorá spája CAYO COCO na pevninu a iný most, ktorý ho pripojil k Cayo Guillermu. Je to celkom jazda, pozrite sa na ružové plameniaky zhromaždené v obrovskej lagúne, keď idete smerom k súostrovi.
Zostali sme v Casas po celej našej ceste na Kube a našli sme všetci majitelia, aby boli veľmi vynaložené a užitočné. Náš hostiteľ Casa v Trinidade usporiadal krásny muž, aby nás vzal na náš zasnený ostrovový raj. Uistite sa, že máte nejaké náhradné peniaze, cesta 3,5 hodiny vás bude stáť okolo 120 USD USD.
Urobili sme aj dohody s naším vodičom, aby sme nás vyzdvihli o 3 dni neskôr a vezmi nás späť do Havany. Trvalo nám približne 7 hodín za cenu viac ako 200 USD. Zdieľanie taxíkov s ostatnými cestovateľmi je v tomto prípade veľmi nákladovo efektívna myšlienka, takže sa opýtať alebo opustiť poznámku na recepcii.
Ak hľadáte rezervovať Casa, konkrétne na Kube, skontrolujte Booking.com!
Napriek nákladnej a zdĺhavej ceste, niekoľko šokov s autom a naším nedostatkom španielčiny, stále sme mali brilantný čas a odporučili by návštevu Cayo Guillermo, keď na Kube.
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