SUE

We stayed at Farallon del Caribe (all inclusive) for two weeks in January for less than $1000 CDN each. At that time it was a CubaCan hotel, but I believe it has been taken over as a Jack Tar Village now. The hotel is located on a lovely hillside overlooking a bay and the rooms are very pleasant. The food was ok, not wonderful, but there are masses of fresh vegetables and fruit. The staff are great very pleasant and helpful. The problem is the beach which is described as "black sand" though this translates to a rather dirty grey. I understand the "good" beaches are in the north of Cuba. However, we had an option to take a boat out each day to an island (Cayo Blanco, I think) it took about 10 minutes by bus and then 10 minutes by boat, and was all included in the deal. We did this almost every day, sometimes with only 10 other people. On less than calm days the ride out could be rather nerve racking, but worth it - I don't remember seeing any life jackets. The island was wonderful - white sand, canoes, sail boat, bar, etc., and each day we had a terrific barbeque lunch, grilled fish/chicken, rice/ salad/fruit all served under the trees - perfect. Being on the island truly felt like something out of lifestyles of the rich and famous, except for the fact that some of the beach chairs, etc., had seen better days! Take everything you might need with you, even sunscreen and toothpaste! There was absolutely no shopping, except for rum, a few rather old postcards and t-shirts with Che on them. The hotel had some very loyal clients many of whom had returned several times since it opened about 4 years ago. The area around the hotel is unspoilt and you can spend a day on horseback up in the hills or go into the nearby village by horse and buggy. Don't rent a scooter, the roads are terrible, all pot holes, and there were a number of very nasty accidents involving hotel guests during our stay. e-mail me if you have any questions and I'll be happy to answer them.