All about holidays in Cayo Santa Maria. Land excursions from Cayo Santa Maria (Ensenachos) Cayo Santa Maria Resort Cuba
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Located in the northern part, in close proximity to the islands of Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo, being part of the picturesque Jardines del Rey archipelago, which literally means “Royal Gardens”. The size of the island is amazing, limited to dimensions of thirteen kilometers in length and two in width. There is only one modern asphalt road in the resort, which runs through the Pedraplen Dam and connects Cayo Santa Maria with the main island of the republic. The length of the route is almost 50 kilometers. The rest of the roads are ordinary sandy paths, and driving along them on your own, renting a car or scooter, is very risky.
The resort's beaches have a convenient and gentle entrance to the water, which, however, ends quickly, so you need to watch children here especially carefully. It is especially pleasant to walk along the sandy coast in the evening, feeling the light breeze from the Atlantic Ocean and watching the sun set slowly behind the sea horizon. Near Cayo Santa Maria, there are several other small islands that harmoniously complement the overall landscape of the Jardines del Rey archipelago and are an indispensable destination for exciting boat trips on yachts and catamarans.
The total length of the sandy line of the island is eleven kilometers. At the same time, the entire coast is divided into conditional areas that are most suitable for one or another way of spending time. Hotels, together with the entire hotel infrastructure, occupy approximately six kilometers of this space. The rest of the area is replete with wild beaches and tropical vegetation. Each hotel has its own piece of beach area. However, this does not mean that guests of other hotels or people who came to the island for one day are prohibited from entering there. Vacationers can move freely throughout the entire coast, without worrying about which hotel owns this or that beach. One of the most secluded and at the same time beautiful beaches of the resort is Playa Perla Blanca. However, it is located at a decent distance from the hotel complex and to get there you should rent a scooter or bicycle. The Melia Cayo Santa Maria and Melia Las Dunas hotels have on their territory the beaches of the same name, which enjoy the highest reputation in the resort area. Wild beaches are the most preferable due to the fact that they are never crowded and are perfect for a secluded holiday in peace and quiet.
One of the features of the island of Cayo Santa Maria is its exposure to winds from the Atlantic. Unlike neighboring Cayo Guillermo, it is located in a somewhat more open geographical area of the archipelago, as a result of which there is almost no calm here. But those who like to ride the waves can get a lot of pleasure from swimming in the restless ocean waters. If the weather is too windy, special red flags are installed on the beaches, warning swimmers that entry into the water is limited. The most popular boat trip at the resort is the trip to the island Cayo Ensenachos and to its magnificent beaches with fine white sand. The luxury hotel Occidental Royal Hideaway Cayo Ensenachos, which has the status of the only one on this piece of land, is also located here. Just west of Cayo Santa Maria lies an island Cayo Las Brujas, which has an airport and a modern dive center, where those interested can not only rent the appropriate equipment, but also acquire the necessary scuba diving skills. Just here, the sea is very calm and allows not only comfortable diving, but also promotes favorable snorkeling.
As befits a modern, expensive resort, Cayo Santa Maria has a fairly rich entertainment program. More recently, a tourist village was founded on the island Pueblo La Estrella, located between the coast and the picturesque tropical area of the Barcelo Cayo Santa Maria hotel. The road to the village is always open to those who are partial to music, dancing and an endlessly fun pastime. In addition, here you can buy numerous souvenirs, appreciate the quality of Cuban cuisine in the local restaurants, throw balls at the bowling club, visit a massage parlor or undergo beauty treatments in an exquisite SPA salon. The tourist shops sell a variety of interesting items, items and decorations at very competitive prices. In general, you can have a lot of fun here, although you should count on significant financial losses. Every day, throughout the day, a minibus runs between the village and the hotels, transporting tourists to different points of the resort area.
Developed infrastructure and a high level of service are the hallmarks of this young resort. All hotels are equipped with taxi services that operate around the clock, and transport rental points clearly and competently monitor all formalities regarding the rental of scooters, cars or bicycles. Moreover, if the vehicle was rented out in the appropriate condition, then it must be returned exactly in that condition. In case of any non-compliance with the established rules, due to the fault of a tourist, Cubans can demand a significant amount of fine, sometimes reaching the point of absurdity, so such things should be treated with full responsibility.
Cayo Santa Maria, due to its youth, does not yet have the popularity that other island resorts enjoy, but in the very near future it may become on par with them. Magnificent natural landscapes, pristine sandy beaches and a developed tourism industry contribute to this in the best possible way.
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1. Mototura - Micronatura Mototura - Micronatura
This is a new excursion offered by Gaviota Tur:
This adventure that unlocks the key to the island of Cayo Santa Maria begins with a scooter ride to explore the habitats of birds, animals and insects, followed by a walking tour and time for swimming in an exclusive area on the island's headland.
Cost per adult 27 CUC
Cost per child 21 CUC
2. Aventura en la Montana Adventure in the mountains
Departure from the hotel at 07-30 (first hotel)
Arrival in "Guanayara" - the most beautiful natural park in the large reserve of Topes de Collantes. Descent from the mountain by truck to the start of the "Centinelas del Rio Melodioso" trail, which leads to the "El Rocio" waterfall with the option of walking or boating along the river - this last section is the most difficult. At the end you will find the natural pool "El Venado", where you can cool off in the cool water. You will continue with lunch at the La Gallega restaurant. Return by truck to the bus.
Return at 18-30
- Comfortable shoes and clothes
Cost for children 48 CUC
3. Topes Overnight Topes de Collantes overnight stay
First day. Departure to the city of Trinidad with a visit to the TorreManaca Iznaga tower. City tour of Trinidad, called the best city-museum of Cuba in the country. Visiting museums and the "Alafarero" house. Dinner. Free time in the historical center to buy souvenirs. Drive to the Topes de Collantes mountains, where you can see views of Trinidad and the coastal Caribbean.
Accommodation at the hotel "Los Helechos"
Second day. Arrival in "Guanayara" - the most beautiful natural park in the large reserve of Topes de Collantes. Descent from the mountain by truck to the start of the "Centinelas del Rio Melodioso" trail, which leads to the "El Rocio" waterfall with the option of walking or boating along the river - this last section is the most difficult. At the end you will find the natural pool "El Venado", where you can cool off in the cool water. You will continue with lunch at the La Gallega restaurant. Return by truck and visit the Coffee House, where you will learn traditional methods of growing and processing coffee and taste a typical Cafe Colado.
- For active and physically fit tourists
- Comfortable shoes and clothes
Cost for children 74 CUC
4. Dos Cuidades coloniales Two colonial cities
Departure by bus at 07-30 (first hotel)
Welcome cocktail at Sancti Spiritus at the 4* Villa hotel founded by the Imperial colonialists. Visit to "Casa del Alfarero" where you will see the manufacturing process in a ceramic factory. Dinner. Walk around Trinidad, a unique colonial city visiting museums.
Free time to buy souvenirs.
Return to the hotel at 19-00.
Cost for adults 73 CUC
Cost for children 55 CUC
5.Jeep Safari Jeep Safari
Departure by bus to Caibarien at 8-00 (first hotel)
Continuation of the road in jeeps with a sightseeing visit to a Cuban farm, where you will see the life of ordinary Cubans. Criol lunch in a restaurant. Time to observe nature.
Return to Caibarien by road. Transfer by bus to the hotel.
Return at approximately 18-00
Cost for adults 70 CUC
Cost for children 53 CUC
6. Santa Clara Remedios Santa Clara Remedios
Check-out from the hotel at 7-30 (first hotel)
A short journey by train from the early 20th century to the colonial city of "San Juan de los Remedios". The colonial city has preserved 8 villas where the Spanish Volonizers lived in Cuba. A walk through the central park and a visit to an old church with an altar made of natural gold. Visit to a tobacco factory. Dinner. Visit to the Revolution Square with the Ernesto Che Guevara memorial, which became not only a revolutionary platform, but also the place of Che’s last burial. Free time to buy souvenirs in the central park and boulevard in the center of Santa Clara, stop to photograph the site of a train crash during the revolution.
Return to the hotel at 18-30
Cost for adults 75 CUC
Cost for children 56 CUC
7. Habana por Avion To Havana by plane
Departure by bus at 6-00. Flight at 8:30 to Havana 50 minutes.
Visiting the most interesting places in the Cuban capital: Revolution Square with the Jose Marti Memorial, Malecon, Prado Boulevard, Park Central with the Grand Theater and the Capitol. Lunch and a walk through Old Havana, protected as a heritage of humanity with its main squares: Plaza de Armas with the Palace of Capitals, where the government of the Spanish colonialists met and "El Templete", where the decision to found Havana was made. San Francisco Square with a church. Time to buy souvenirs.
Return to the hotel at 19-30
Cost for adults 170 CUC
Cost for children 150 CUC
Plus airport tax
Photo report from Cayo Santa Maria
Cayo Santa Maria Island is an island in the Atlantic Ocean located in the northern part of Cuba near the island resort of Cayo Coco and its neighboring resort of Cayo Guillermo opposite the province of Villa Clara. The island of Cayo Santa Maria is connected to the mainland by a 48.6 km long causeway.
Cayo Santa Maria is uniquely located: here you can not only relax quietly on the beach, but also combine relaxation with active culture and entertainment. The climate on the island is temperate-tropical with an average air temperature of +27-28°C.
Near the island of Cayo Santa Maria there are two more islands: Ensenchos and Las Brujas. All three islands have wonderful beaches with soft white sand and clear water. These stunning surroundings provide excellent fishing, diving and other water sports and boat trips. The underwater world of the Cayo Santa Maria resort amazes scuba diving enthusiasts with many species of coral fish.
Another feature of the island of Cayo Santa Maria is its exposure to winds from the Atlantic. Due to the more open geographical location of the archipelago, there is almost no calm here. But those who like to ride the waves will have a lot of fun here. If it is too windy, special red flags are placed on the beaches to warn swimmers that entry into the water is limited.
The Cayo Santa Maria resort is still very young, so it is not yet as popular as other island resorts in Cuba, but soon it may become on par with them. Amazing natural landscapes, pristine sandy beaches and a developed tourism industry - all contribute favorably to this.
Not only developed infrastructure, but also a high level of service are a distinctive feature of this resort. All hotels have a taxi service that operates 24 hours a day, and transport rental offices take care of all formalities regarding the rental of scooters, cars and bicycles.
The Cayo Santa Maria resort has a complex of tourist hotels, mainly of the Spanish group, which provide their clients with all-inclusive accommodation and provide European level service. All hotels have quite comfortable rooms, there are also bungalows, bars, restaurants, swimming pools, jacuzzi, water sports centers and animation. There are also many sports games, for example, tennis, billiards, beach soccer and volleyball, basketball, ping-pong, mini-bowling, water polo, you can also ride bicycles and do archery. There are specially equipped mini-clubs and playgrounds for children. In the evening, Cayo Santa Maria offers a variety of entertainment programs.
The beaches of the Cayo Santa Maria resort have a gentle entrance to the water, which ends quickly, so children should not be left unattended. In the evening, it is especially pleasant to walk along the sandy coast, feeling the light breeze of the ocean, and watch the sun set as it slowly sets over the sea horizon.
The length of the sandy line of Cayo Santa Maria is 11 km. The hotels occupy about six kilometers of sandy line, and the rest of the area is occupied by wild beaches and vegetation. Playa Perla Blanca is one of the most secluded and beautiful beaches in the resort, but to get to it you need to rent a scooter or bicycle. Wild beaches are most preferable because they are always few people and are ideal for a secluded holiday.
Recently, a tourist village was founded at the resort of Cayo Santa Maria, which is located between the coast and the picturesque tropical area. The village is always open to those who love music, dancing and endless fun. In addition, here you can buy various souvenirs, as well as try high-quality Cuban cuisine in the local restaurants, play bowling, visit a massage salon or SPA salon. During the day, a minibus runs between the village and the hotels, transporting tourists to different points in the resort area.
60 km from the island of Cayo Santa Maria is the historical center - the city of San Juan de los Remedios, which was declared a national monument. You can also visit the city of Santa Clara, which is famous for its extensive historical and cultural heritage, monumental
Cayo Santa Maria is one of the most precious jewels in the necklace of islets in Cuba's north-central Villa Clara region, an archipelago that has earned the name Gardens of the King, where Hemingway's stories are set.
Santa Maria is a small island and despite its relatively small size, it has everything that can attract tourists to a typical Caribbean island. Comfortable hotels built in recent years make Cayo Santa Maria one of the most important beach holiday destinations in the region.
Cayo Santa Maria took its place in the Atlantic Ocean next to the island of Cayo Guillermo. It is connected to the continent by a 48 km long causeway. The islands of Las Brujas and Ensenchos are located nearby. The island of Cayo Santa Maria is the last big project of the Cuban state in the development of tourism in Cuba. In the 2000s, Cuba discovered a new pearl in the necklace of the Cuban islands for tourists from all over the world - the island of Cayo Santa Maria.
Cayo Santa Maria is a tiny island thirteen kilometers long and two kilometers wide. It is included in the archipelago with the romantic name “Royal Gardens”. These gardens are under the care of UNESCO as an important biosphere reserve. The island has the newest hotels and infrastructure, do not forget, the resort was opened only at the beginning of 2000, and now there is only one 4 and eight 5 * hotels on the island, and three of them are new, offering truly royal service.
Cayo Santa Maria is the youngest Cuban resort, soon promising to overtake the popular Varadero and Cayo Largo in popularity. So far there are very few hotels on the island, mostly owned by Spanish chains. All hotels are located on the first line from the sea, operate on an all-inclusive basis and offer guests a lot of entertainment: animation programs and evening shows, all kinds of water and other sports, spa centers, fitness rooms, equipped playgrounds and mini clubs for children.
How to get there
From Havana to the island of Cayo Santa Maria is a 395 km journey, about 5 hours by car or 50 minutes by plane. Flights to the island from Havana require a round-trip overnight transit in Havana.
Only thirty kilometers separate this island from the island of Cayo Guillermo, which can be reached in thirty minutes via a causeway. The nearest airport is Santa Clara.
Las Brujas Island has a small airport where local airlines fly from Havana.
Transport
The dam is the only road on the entire island; all others are sandy paths. You can ride a scooter or jeep on the island, but you need to be very careful, especially if you want to walk to the eastern beaches.
The island government charges 2 CUC per vehicle to use the dam. In addition, when entering the road, you may be asked for a document indicating that you are vacationing in one of the hotels on this island.
There are 24-hour taxis available at all hotels on the island, however, for long trips it is better to book a taxi. A taxi ride to the village of Caibarien will cost you 35 CUC, and a round trip 65 CUC. If you go to Remedios you will have to pay 40 CUC, the cheapest trip to Ensenachos will be 5 CUC.
To the famous shopping village - Pueblo Estrella, which is popular for its restaurants, disco, bars, massage parlors and bowling alleys, special buses run throughout the day. This village is separated from the Hideaway Ensenachos hotel by six kilometers, Sol Cayo - four kilometers, Melia Cayo - three and a half kilometers.
Car rental
You can rent a scooter on the island - it is designed for 2 people, however, it is advisable to choose a vehicle designed for one person: the power of the scooter is small, the roads are all sandy and if the scooter is heavy, it will slip.
Many hotels provide bicycles to their tourists; rental points should be looked for in the same place where scooters or cars are rented. Don't expect chic, shiny cars with chrome-plated figurines of animals - climatic conditions and salty air work to their advantage - everything rusts, so bicycles are the most popular transport in this country.
But if you wish, of course you can rent a car; the most popular are jeeps with a manual transmission. Cars are rented with a full tank, and they must be returned in exactly the same condition. The only gas station on this island is located at the airport called Las Brujas. The cost of renting a car per day, including insurance premium, is: jeep 47 CUC per hundred kilometers, then you will pay 0.35 CUC for each additional kilometer.
Beaches of the island
All beaches, as well as hotels on Santa Maria are located on the northern side of the island. At the same time, the eleven-kilometer coastline can be divided into six sections, ideal for leisurely evening walks, swimming in the sea and just for a good tan. The hotels are stretched for about eight kilometers along the edge of the sea, each of the hotels has its own private beach.
However, all the beaches on the island are public, meaning no one is prohibited from swimming or sunbathing, even near the hotel. To get to distant beaches such as Playa Perla Blanca, you will need to rent a scooter, but be aware that the road leading to the beach is not in perfect condition.
The entrance to the water is very gentle, besides this, there are almost no calms on Cayo Santa Maria. The winds always blow here, and sometimes even small storms occur, about which tourists are notified in advance on the beach.
All hotels on the island operate mainly on an “all inclusive” system, which includes, in addition to free food and alcohol consumption, the use of non-motorized water sports equipment. All hotel beaches are separated by natural dunes and mangroves, sometimes up to 3 meters in size. In this interesting way, the dunes protect the island from hurricanes and various storms.
Entertainment and excursions
There is an unusual village on Cayo Santa Maria; most often, tourists come to this place solely to spend money and, of course, have fun. On the territory of Pueblo la Estrella there are a variety of restaurants, cafes, shops, bars, discos, bowling clubs, massage parlors and souvenir shops, we assure you that you will not be bored.
A relaxing holiday on Cayo Santa Maria can be combined with a cultural program: there is a dolphinarium on the neighboring island of Cayo Ensenachos, and you can also choose excursions to the revolutionary city of Santa Clara and the ancient city of San Juan de los Remedios.
Activities on the island undoubtedly include diving, fishing, and sailing on a catamaran. Excellent daytime and evening animation programs in hotels, a mini-village common to all hotels, where there is a walking area and shops, will diversify your stay on the island.
In 2009, on Cayo Santa Maria, next to the Barcelo Cayo Santa Maria hotel, the Pueblo La Estrella shopping and entertainment center opened, offering all kinds of services for tourists. So, here you can attend a real Cuban party, relax with a massage, dine in a restaurant or go shopping. There is even a literary bar, a disco, a banquet hall, conference rooms and a 6-lane bowling alley.