Cuba - Lonely Planet [297]
In the early 20th century this region was an important cattle-rearing area and the site of a small rural village (Guardalavaca means, quite literally, ‘guard the cow’). The tourism boom moved into first gear in the late 1970s when local Holguiñero Fidel Castro inaugurated Guardalavaca’s first resort – the sprawling Atlántico – by going for a quick dip in the hotel pool. The local economy hasn’t looked back since.
The resort area is split into three separate enclaves: Playa Pesquero (Click here), Playa Esmeralda and, 7km to the east, Guardalavaca proper, the original hotel strip that is already starting to peel around the edges. Guardalavaca has long allowed beach access to Cubans, meaning it is less snooty and flecked with a dash of local color.
Information
EMERGENCY
Asistur (Map; 43-01-48; Centro Comercial Guardalavaca; 8:30am-5pm Mon-Fri, 8:30am-noon Sat)
Canadian Consulate ( 43-03-20; Club Amigo Atlántico – Guardalavaca, Suite 1)
MEDICAL SERVICES
Clínica Internacional (Map; 43-02-91) A 24-hour pharmacy on the same site as Villa Cabañas.
MONEY
Euros are accepted in all the Guardalavaca, Playa Esmeralda and Pesquero resorts. Additionally, all the big hotels have money-changing facilities.
Banco Financiero Internacional (Map; 43-02-72; Centro Comercial Guardalavaca) In the complex just west of Club Amigo Atlántico – Guardalavaca.
TRAVEL AGENCIES
Cubatur (Map; 43-01-71; 8am-4pm) Just behind the Centro Comercial Los Flamboyanes.
Ecotur (Map; 43-01-55; Centro Comercial Guardalavaca) Runs trips with a nature bias to places such as Cayo Saetía, Baracoa and Gran Piedra.
Havanatur (Map; 43-02-60; Centro Comercial Los Flamboyanes)
Sights & Activities
You can arrange horseback riding ( 43-01-17) at the horseback-riding center opposite Club Amigo Atlántico. You can rent mopeds at all the hotels for up to CUC$30 per day. Most all-inclusive packages include bicycle use, but the bikes are basic. The road between Guardalavaca and Playa Esmeralda, and on to Playa Pesquero is flat and quiet and makes an excellent day excursion. For a bit more sweat you can make it to Banes and back (62km round-trip).
Paracaidismo Guardalavaca ( 43-06-95), aping Varadero, offers tandem skydiving for CUC$150 per person, including hotel transfer (a video of your jump is CUC$45 extra). You can also soar in Zodiac hang-glider rigs called ‘ultralights’ for CUC$45. There’s no office as such. It’s best to enquire through the hotels. There’s a two-person minimum.
Guardalavaca has some excellent diving (better than Varadero and up there with Cayo Coco). The reef is 200m out and there are 32 dive sites, most of which are accessed by boat. Highlights include caves, wrecks, walls and La Corona, a giant coral formation said to resemble a crown. Guardalavaca has two diving centers: Eagle Ray Marlin Dive Center (Cubanacán Náutica; Map; 43-01-85), on the beach behind Disco Club La Roca; and Center Coral Reef (Map; 43-07-74), beside Brisas Guardalavaca Hotel. There’s another outlet in Playa Esmeralda (it’s called Delphis; ask at the hotels). All the outfits offer generic prices and facilities. There are open-water certification courses for CUC$365, resort courses for CUC$40 and dives for CUC$35, with discounts for multiple dives.
Many other water-based excursions leave from the Marina Gaviota Puerto de Vita (Map; 43-04-45) and can be booked through the hotels. There’s the ubiquitous sunset cruise (CUC$69), deep-sea fishing (CUC$270 for up to six people) and – the highlight – a catamaran trip to Cayo Saetía in the Bahía de Nipe with snorkeling and lunch (CUC$79).
BAHíA DE NARANJO
The Parque Natural