Guardalavaca 2023
Oct 1st, 2023, 07:37 PM
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Guardalavaca 2023
Guardalavaca is just one of the many tourists enclaves in CUBA. It is not as busy or condensed as Varadero and more accessible to everyone than any of the Cayos, being that it is part of the mainland, just an hour away from the city of Holguin.
I have stayed in many parts of Holguin province over the years and three times in Guardalavaca proper that I can recall. The last time being earlier this year in the winter of 2023. Also, I rode out Hurricane Sandy in 2012 at PCV just down the road to the east, which I am not sure whether it is considered part of Guardalavaca or not.
I don’t usually go to resorts but because I had not been to Cuba since the beginning of the pandemic, I did not want to take any chances going the independent travel route because of all the shortages that I was hearing about. Taking a trip to the city of Holguin for a few days for some relief from resort life, I found the city to be quite open for business in every respect. No apparent noticeable shortages that I could see but the city seemed a little less active than from what I remembered.
Another side trip to the smaller city of Banes produced different results and ended with me not staying for very long there and having to scavenge for any ride I could get heading back to Guaradalavaca.
I found the small town of Guardalavaca to be less lively as well than I remember it being a dozen years before. I am sure this is all a result of the pandemic, just as any other part of the world has been affected.
The somewhat new mammoth Gran Muthu Almirante resort is in place of the old La Roca discotheque and the shabby Islazul hotel that previously sat on that site. Casa particulars are available in town and plenty of the public beach is still available after Gran Muthu Almirante resort took a portion of it. The craft market that sits between resorts is still going strong but some of those small snack bars around looked closed when I was there in high season.
What have been your experiences in Guardalavaca? Any questions or comments?
Photos to follow………….
I have stayed in many parts of Holguin province over the years and three times in Guardalavaca proper that I can recall. The last time being earlier this year in the winter of 2023. Also, I rode out Hurricane Sandy in 2012 at PCV just down the road to the east, which I am not sure whether it is considered part of Guardalavaca or not.
I don’t usually go to resorts but because I had not been to Cuba since the beginning of the pandemic, I did not want to take any chances going the independent travel route because of all the shortages that I was hearing about. Taking a trip to the city of Holguin for a few days for some relief from resort life, I found the city to be quite open for business in every respect. No apparent noticeable shortages that I could see but the city seemed a little less active than from what I remembered.
Another side trip to the smaller city of Banes produced different results and ended with me not staying for very long there and having to scavenge for any ride I could get heading back to Guaradalavaca.
I found the small town of Guardalavaca to be less lively as well than I remember it being a dozen years before. I am sure this is all a result of the pandemic, just as any other part of the world has been affected.
The somewhat new mammoth Gran Muthu Almirante resort is in place of the old La Roca discotheque and the shabby Islazul hotel that previously sat on that site. Casa particulars are available in town and plenty of the public beach is still available after Gran Muthu Almirante resort took a portion of it. The craft market that sits between resorts is still going strong but some of those small snack bars around looked closed when I was there in high season.
What have been your experiences in Guardalavaca? Any questions or comments?
Photos to follow………….
Oct 2nd, 2023, 02:14 PM
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First went there about 18 years ago.
Boy does time fly!
Was working my way back to Habana after getting as far away as Baracoa and arrived via Moa and Banes.
Stayed initially in villas across the road from Club Amigo Atlantico and then finished with a few nights at Amigo as I wanted to try the full all inclusive experience.
Still remember how bad the vino tinto was!
Loved how the beach was a mixture of locals and tourists.
Been back a few times since staying at resorts further west along the coast.
A tad more upmarket than Amigo but always spent a day or so in Guardalavaca itself for that beach experience including once doing a day trip along the coast from Gibara.
Thanks for the memories CW!
Boy does time fly!
Was working my way back to Habana after getting as far away as Baracoa and arrived via Moa and Banes.
Stayed initially in villas across the road from Club Amigo Atlantico and then finished with a few nights at Amigo as I wanted to try the full all inclusive experience.
Still remember how bad the vino tinto was!
Loved how the beach was a mixture of locals and tourists.
Been back a few times since staying at resorts further west along the coast.
A tad more upmarket than Amigo but always spent a day or so in Guardalavaca itself for that beach experience including once doing a day trip along the coast from Gibara.
Thanks for the memories CW!
Oct 2nd, 2023, 02:51 PM
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Correction. I should have wrote that PCV is to the west of Guardalavaca. There are no resorts east of Guardalavaca that I know of.
John, I never did go to Baracoa even though I meant to a few times! So I have never been on that famously bad road to Baracoa from Holguin or the famously good one from Santiago through Guantanamo. Farthest east I have been is Banes.
Yes a wine connoisseur friend of mine from Canada wouldn’t touch the resort wine until he was numb enough from the rum!
I’ll try to upload some pics tonight.
John, I never did go to Baracoa even though I meant to a few times! So I have never been on that famously bad road to Baracoa from Holguin or the famously good one from Santiago through Guantanamo. Farthest east I have been is Banes.
Yes a wine connoisseur friend of mine from Canada wouldn’t touch the resort wine until he was numb enough from the rum!
I’ll try to upload some pics tonight.
Oct 3rd, 2023, 04:52 PM
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Last time I was in Guardalavaca was in October 2021, when a hotel quarantine was still needed when entering Cuba. It was the first week that we could quarantine in Guardalavaca. it was great because the quarantine was 7 days instead of 14, and we could enjoy the full resort and beach rather then to be stuck in our rooms.
The food (all à la carte) was average for Cuban standard but ok. The service was terrible. And not because they were understaffed. But just because they did not care and also
because they were not prepared it seemed.
Still had a lot of fun with the 40 other clients. But I swore never to go back to that hotel.
over the years, I have been to the Sol, the Paradisus, the "always name changing hotel" (I think it's the Aston?) and had pros and cons about all of them. But the Sol/Paradisus have an amazing small beach with great snorkelling. And except for Brisas, I found that the people from Holguin are nicer and a bit less interested by what they can get from the tourists.
and in Holguin, I found people generally nice and polite.
The food (all à la carte) was average for Cuban standard but ok. The service was terrible. And not because they were understaffed. But just because they did not care and also
because they were not prepared it seemed.
Still had a lot of fun with the 40 other clients. But I swore never to go back to that hotel.
over the years, I have been to the Sol, the Paradisus, the "always name changing hotel" (I think it's the Aston?) and had pros and cons about all of them. But the Sol/Paradisus have an amazing small beach with great snorkelling. And except for Brisas, I found that the people from Holguin are nicer and a bit less interested by what they can get from the tourists.
and in Holguin, I found people generally nice and polite.
Oct 3rd, 2023, 06:50 PM
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Oh my stars Gen, sure glad I didn't have to go through that quarantine stuff. I missed it all by staying home from Cuba for tres años.
I am surprised that the coastal road that JA mentioned was not smoothed out and polished up when they figured that they wanted Gibara to become a tourist town. A good coastal road from Guardalavaca to Gibara would sure produce lots of traffic, one would reckon.
**As a person with an invested interest in photography, I do not put my best shots on the internet.
Let's see if the old photo uploader is working.........(Guardalavaca 2023)
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Fishing boats afloat - along the shore east of Guardalavaca.
Deserted public beach - along the shore east of Guardalavaca.
The fourth floor Rum bar at Brisas was a good spot to have a sundown drink.
Sundown - Guardalavaca looking west towards Gibara.
I am surprised that the coastal road that JA mentioned was not smoothed out and polished up when they figured that they wanted Gibara to become a tourist town. A good coastal road from Guardalavaca to Gibara would sure produce lots of traffic, one would reckon.
**As a person with an invested interest in photography, I do not put my best shots on the internet.
Let's see if the old photo uploader is working.........(Guardalavaca 2023)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fishing boats afloat - along the shore east of Guardalavaca.
Deserted public beach - along the shore east of Guardalavaca.
The fourth floor Rum bar at Brisas was a good spot to have a sundown drink.
Sundown - Guardalavaca looking west towards Gibara.
Last edited by CubanWaters; Oct 3rd, 2023 at 06:54 PM.
Oct 3rd, 2023, 08:05 PM
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Honestly, being at the Brisas, despite the poor service, that was the best quarantine hotel ever!!! We had a small "village vibe" going on, we karaoked half of the nights we were there. It was great. Except for the staff. The rest was great!
but yeah... Cuba during the pandemic was a hole other story. Been there from January 2020 to September 2029, then could take a "repatriation flight" to Mexico then Montreal in September, then went back in November (with an 11 days quarantine in house) then January again with the quarantine. Then stuck again in Cuba until July... Then going back in October trough Brisas quarantine!
by then, I had done 3 quarantines (14 days) at home in Canada and 2 quarantines (10-11 days) in at home in Cuba and doing the "quarantine" at the Brisas was a bliss!!! ☺️
but yeah... Cuba during the pandemic was a hole other story. Been there from January 2020 to September 2029, then could take a "repatriation flight" to Mexico then Montreal in September, then went back in November (with an 11 days quarantine in house) then January again with the quarantine. Then stuck again in Cuba until July... Then going back in October trough Brisas quarantine!
by then, I had done 3 quarantines (14 days) at home in Canada and 2 quarantines (10-11 days) in at home in Cuba and doing the "quarantine" at the Brisas was a bliss!!! ☺️
Oct 5th, 2023, 05:09 AM
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I got a great deal to go to Sol Luna y Mares years ago and would bike into Guardalavaca on the hotel's free bikes.
For a couple of years just before Covid, I started going to Don Lino which is a small 2.5 star AI 10-15K west of Guardalavaca. I found the buffet food there the best of all the food I have had in Cuba, with the caveat that I stay in 3 stars hotels and not the fancy ones.
DL is out in the country with a small beach but a much nicer beach 1 K away. The nearest town is Santa Lucia (Rafael Freyre) about 8K away. It is a good sized town with a Saturday market, ball fields, a hospital and bus station. DL also has (or maybe had) free bikes and I have done a lot of rides on the roads and trails within about a 20K vicinity of the hotel including down around the Hotel Holguin and Playa Verdi. One of my favourite things to do on my rides was to stop at a little restaurant (Restaurante Entrada a Freyre) on top of a little hill by the intersection of the main street and Carretera Guardalavaca (CG is the road the tour buses take to Guardalavaca and the intersection is where they have the old train engine and car). I would sit in the restaurant and have a beer or two on a nice sunny day and watch Cuban life go by at the very busy intersection.
For a couple of years just before Covid, I started going to Don Lino which is a small 2.5 star AI 10-15K west of Guardalavaca. I found the buffet food there the best of all the food I have had in Cuba, with the caveat that I stay in 3 stars hotels and not the fancy ones.
DL is out in the country with a small beach but a much nicer beach 1 K away. The nearest town is Santa Lucia (Rafael Freyre) about 8K away. It is a good sized town with a Saturday market, ball fields, a hospital and bus station. DL also has (or maybe had) free bikes and I have done a lot of rides on the roads and trails within about a 20K vicinity of the hotel including down around the Hotel Holguin and Playa Verdi. One of my favourite things to do on my rides was to stop at a little restaurant (Restaurante Entrada a Freyre) on top of a little hill by the intersection of the main street and Carretera Guardalavaca (CG is the road the tour buses take to Guardalavaca and the intersection is where they have the old train engine and car). I would sit in the restaurant and have a beer or two on a nice sunny day and watch Cuban life go by at the very busy intersection.
Last edited by Drgdrg; Oct 5th, 2023 at 05:14 AM.
Oct 5th, 2023, 07:01 PM
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Drg, for a long time, I have noticed the Don Lino resort popping up first or second for cheapest Holguin resort. Never been but if you say that the buffet is that good, then I might consider giving it a try. 
Whenever I have gone to a resort in Cuba, I have always taken advantage of the free bikes (and anything else that was free for that matter). Last time around I had to teach the guy a thing or two about proper tire pressure. I made it out to the highway and the bus drivers were honking away at me.
Loco Tourist!
I also attempted to ride to the east of Guardalavaca along a dusty trail through a small village that soon became very rocky as it swerved into the bush. It soon became impossible to ride the bike and I stubbornly got off and pushed it hoping the trail would lead back to the ocean which it never did. Out of nowhere, appeared a guy on a horse with a stupfied look on his face. He muttered something and disappeared down a trail and I figured it was time to turn around and head back.
To keep from being bored at the resort, my friends and I took advantage of the entertainment provided.
A Rock concert complete with John Lennon statue at the Brisas resort.
The gals of the animation team showing the tourists how to REALLY dance!
Whenever I have gone to a resort in Cuba, I have always taken advantage of the free bikes (and anything else that was free for that matter). Last time around I had to teach the guy a thing or two about proper tire pressure. I made it out to the highway and the bus drivers were honking away at me.
Loco Tourist!
I also attempted to ride to the east of Guardalavaca along a dusty trail through a small village that soon became very rocky as it swerved into the bush. It soon became impossible to ride the bike and I stubbornly got off and pushed it hoping the trail would lead back to the ocean which it never did. Out of nowhere, appeared a guy on a horse with a stupfied look on his face. He muttered something and disappeared down a trail and I figured it was time to turn around and head back.
To keep from being bored at the resort, my friends and I took advantage of the entertainment provided.
A Rock concert complete with John Lennon statue at the Brisas resort.
The gals of the animation team showing the tourists how to REALLY dance!
Last edited by CubanWaters; Oct 5th, 2023 at 07:08 PM.
Oct 13th, 2023, 12:00 PM
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Or is it a misunderstanding of "watch the ship" - Guardalabarca.... ?
Interestingly (maybe) the Guadalajara of Mexico doesn't seem to be a warning/instruction of minding a jug, but the significance is from a word metamorphosed from Arabic to Spanish - the Guada is from Wadi, the valley.... I wonder if Guardalavaca - albeit with its additional r, was meant to be Guada, Wadi, valley.. of the cows.. were there a lot of cows, down a slope, in the environs? Does anyone know?
Interestingly (maybe) the Guadalajara of Mexico doesn't seem to be a warning/instruction of minding a jug, but the significance is from a word metamorphosed from Arabic to Spanish - the Guada is from Wadi, the valley.... I wonder if Guardalavaca - albeit with its additional r, was meant to be Guada, Wadi, valley.. of the cows.. were there a lot of cows, down a slope, in the environs? Does anyone know?
Oct 13th, 2023, 06:57 PM
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No idea on that one. I tend to go with Drg's definition in post #8.
Welcome aboard Yinkx!
I do remember some eastern Europeans playing a game of Guardalavodka but that's about all I can remember...
I have some countryside pics to post when I re-locate them. Maybe some vacas in them.
Welcome aboard Yinkx!
I do remember some eastern Europeans playing a game of Guardalavodka but that's about all I can remember...
I have some countryside pics to post when I re-locate them. Maybe some vacas in them.
Oct 15th, 2023, 08:01 PM
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Banes is a small city to the southeast of Guardalavaca. Not a place with much tourist traffic at all although former Thorntree member Simon_yyz told me that he spent a good chunk of time there during the pandemic. The highlight of my visit there was drinking a cold Coca-Cola. I didn't stay very long.
A peak through the bushes reveals a farmers field near Guardalavaca.
An hombre motorcycles past the main square of Banes.
Between Banes and Guardalavaca in a vintage auto.
GUARDALAVACA - Fodor's
A peak through the bushes reveals a farmers field near Guardalavaca.
An hombre motorcycles past the main square of Banes.
Between Banes and Guardalavaca in a vintage auto.
GUARDALAVACA - Fodor's
Oct 18th, 2023, 09:56 PM
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My experience in the Guardalavaca area is limited to a few stays at the Paradisus Rio De Oro. Last time there was about 5 years ago during New Years. My girlfriend at the time wanted to get away and I spent an ungodly amount of money to go away that week. Holguin City is one of my lesser preferred larger Cuban cities and Gibara was a little too quiet for me. As CW pointed out, I did spend an awful lot of time in Banes in 2021. At that time there was talk of restricting inter-provincal travel and I had a flight booked to Holguin. Since I had already spent a good chunk of time in both Gibara and Holguin City I looked at Banes. It was hard finding a place to stay anywhere in the province. I found a guy in Banes willing to open his casa back up for a 2 month commitment from me. I ended up being there for 3 months before convincing another guy to let me stay at his house in Las Tunas. Spent another 3 months there. Last Cuban trip was 2.5 months earlier this year split between Remedios and Caibarien. Not sure when I'll go back. Currently enjoying Santa Ana in El Salvador.
Oct 20th, 2023, 04:36 PM
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Simon, you have really put some time in on the dusty trail in Cuba. Especially Banes and Caibarien. Those are not well known places for tourists in general to Cuba at all!
3 months in Banes, I can not imagine. I only spent the better part of an hour there. Lol! You must know the hombre riding on the motocycle in the picture that I posted!
Have a great time in El Salvador!
Welcomeaboard!
3 months in Banes, I can not imagine. I only spent the better part of an hour there. Lol! You must know the hombre riding on the motocycle in the picture that I posted!
Have a great time in El Salvador!
Welcomeaboard!
Dec 9th, 2023, 09:46 PM
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Holguin it is.....
I would imagine that most hotels have an excursion to Santiago if you want to visit there for a day. It is probably a 3 hour ride each way - keep that in mind.
