Cayo Guillermo, Cuba – The hidden jewel of The Caribbean

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.

You’ll need to have travel insurance in order to travel to Cuba. It’s actually mandatory that all travellers have insurance, and you may or may not be asked to show proof of insurance on arrival. To get a free quote from world Nomads, just enter your details below:

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 rundt $ 80 per person inkluderer vår katamaran tur 2 snorkling og 2 svømmestopp, lunsj (kylling eller hummer) og en veldig velkommen, bunnløs rombar.

Ansatte var veldig bra, vennlig og imøtekommende og båten var vakker. Selv om snorklingopplevelsen kunne vært bedre, likte vi oss selv. Vi ble brakt tilbake til vår resort rett på tid til middag!

Komme til Cayo Guillermo

Du kan fly direkte inn i Jardines del Rey flyplass som ligger på Cayo Coco, og feriestedet ditt kan ordne en overføring som tar rundt 45 minutter, avhengig av stoppene.

Hvis du planlegger å reise til Cayo Guillermo fra Havana eller andre byer, kan du enten leie en bil og kjøre her selv eller leie en taxi.

Men før du bestiller en statlig taxi, sjekk med din Casa-eier om de kjenner en lokal “drosjesjåfør” som kan ta deg dit. På tidspunktet for våre reiser (mai 2015) var det ingen lokale busser tilgjengelig for å ta deg til feriestedene i Cayo Guillermo direkte fra fastlandet.

Du vil krysse over Causeway som forbinder Cayo Coco til fastlandet og en annen bro som forbinder den til Cayo Guillermo. Det er ganske en tur, se opp for rosa flamingoer samlet i den gigantiske lagunen mens du krysser mot skjærgården.

Vi bodde i Casas gjennom hele vår tur i Cuba og fant alle eierne å være veldig ressursrike og hjelpsomme. Vår Casa-vert i Trinidad arrangert en herlig mann å ta oss til vårt drømmende øyparadis. Pass på at du har noen ekstra penger, 3,5 timers reise vil koste deg rundt $ 120 USD.

Vi har også gjort ordninger med vår sjåfør å plukke oss opp 3 dager senere og ta oss tilbake til Havana. Det tok oss rundt 7 timer til en pris på over $ 200 USD. Deling av en taxi med andre reisende er en svært kostnadseffektiv ide i dette tilfellet, så spør rundt eller la et notat i resepsjonen.

Hvis du ønsker å bestille en Casa bestemt i Cuba, sjekk booking.com!

Til tross for den kostbare og lange reisen, noen få hiccups med bilen og vår mangel på spansk, hadde vi fortsatt en strålende tid og vil anbefale å besøke Cayo Guillermo når i Cuba.

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