Guardalavaca holidays

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At a glance

Expansive and verdant countryside
Playa Esmeralda beach
Sublime diving and snorkelling

Low-key beach resort in a heavenly setting

Declared by Christopher Columbus as 'the most beautiful land that human eyes have ever seen', Guardalavaca is a charming, peaceful and laid-back resort with lush emerald vegetation and fabulous white-sand beaches fringed with shady palms. The warm azure waters and beautiful coral reefs offer some of the island's best diving and a flourishing microcosm of aquatic society awaits you beneath the crystal-clear ocean.

Top hotels in Guardalavaca

Paradisus Rio de Oro

Kuoni's Guardalavaca

Hotels 1

Holiday highlights

Low-key and idyllic, Guardalavaca is surrounded by sublime countryside, flawless horse-shoe bays and coral reefs which are home to an abundance of vivid marine life. Popular yet never crowded, the resort, located in the eastern province of Holguín, is the perfect setting for those seeking an authentic Cuban experience alongside their relaxing beach escape.

Just four miles west of Guardalavaca village is the beautiful Playa Esmeralda beach, a crescent-shaped bay that is the epitome of tropical paradise. Offering seclusion and tranquillity the bay, believed by many to be the prettiest place in all of Cuba, is backed by just a couple of resorts, including the deluxe, adults-only Paradisus Rio de Oro Resort and Spa which offers both barefoot luxury and a plethora of excellent facilities. Dolphins frolic in alluring turquoise waters just beyond the talcum-soft sands while myriad fish loiter in coral gardens and caves adding vibrancy to a sleepy underwater world. . . pure bliss.

Good to know

Time difference:

GMT -5 hours

Currency:

• Peso.
• US dollars and US traveller’s cheques aren’t as widely exchanged as they used to be.
• Traveller’s cheques are mostly accepted, but not all hotels exchange them – go to an international bank instead.
• There’s a minimum fee of 8% to exchange currency and 3% on credit card payments.