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.For omkring $ 80 pr. Person vores katamaran tur inkluderet 2 snorkling og 2 svømning stop, frokost (kylling eller hummer) og en meget velkommen, bundløse rumbar.
Personalet var virkelig stor, venlig og imødekommende og båden var smuk. Selv om snorkeloplevelsen kunne have været bedre, nød vi virkelig os selv. Vi blev bragt tilbage til vores udvej lige til tiden til middag!
Kom til Cayo Guillermo
Du kan flyve direkte ind i Jardines del Rey lufthavn, der ligger på Cayo Coco, og din udvej kan arrangere en overførsel, der tager omkring 45 minutter afhængigt af stoppestedet.
Hvis du planlægger at rejse til Cayo Guillermo fra Havana eller andre byer, kan du igen leje en bil og køre her selv eller ansætte en taxa.
Men før du bestiller en regering taxa, skal du tjekke med din Casa ejer, om de kender en lokal ‘taxachauffør’, der kan tage dig der. På tidspunktet for vores rejser (maj 2015) var der ingen lokale busser til rådighed for at tage dig til feriestederne i Cayo Guillermo direkte fra fastlandet.
Du krydser over Causeway, der forbinder Cayo Coco til fastlandet og en anden bro, der forbinder den til Cayo Guillermo. Det er en ret tur, kig ud for pink flamingoer samlet i den kæmpe lagune, mens du krydser mod øgruppen.
Vi holdt i Casas i hele vores tur i Cuba og fundet alle ejere at være meget ressourcefulde og hjælpsomme. Vores Casa vært i Trinidad arrangerede en dejlig mand til at tage os til vores drømmende øparadis. Sørg for at have nogle ekstra kontanter, 3,5 timers rejse vil koste dig omkring $ 120 USD.
Vi har også lavet arrangementer med vores chauffør for at hente os 3 dage senere og tage os tilbage til Havana. Det tog os omkring 7 timer til en pris på over $ 200 USD. Deling af en taxa med andre rejsende er en meget omkostningseffektiv ide i dette tilfælde, så spørg eller efterlad en note i receptionen.
Hvis du søger at booke en casa, især i Cuba, skal du tjekke Booking.com!
På trods af den dyre og lange rejse, et par hikke med bilen og vores mangel på spansk, havde vi stadig en strålende tid og ville anbefale at besøge Cayo Guillermo, når i Cuba.
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