Guardalavaca is a summer resort on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean 40 km north from Holguin, East Cuba. “Guardalavaca” literally means “protect the cow”.
You will see no cow in Guardalavaca, but you will get to sunbathe on the best beaches in East Cuba, or as Cubans call this part of the country – Oriente. The coastline in the region is not very long, however, it is covered with fine white sand and surrounded by reefs starting 100-150 m off the shore. The high-class hotels in the area are Las Brisas and Sol Rio de Luna y Mares. They are the only ones having their own coastline at their disposal. 20 km west from the resort, you will find the town of Gibara – the spot in Cuba where Christopher Columbus laid food for the first time before proceeding to his great discoveries in South America and today’s Peru.
Nearby you can find the Old Bahama Channel which used to be the route for many flotillas and pirate ships during the colonial period. The underwater sports lovers will be pleased to enjoy coral reefs and vertical walls. You can get equipped on the spot for diving, and if you want to swim with dolphins, you can simply visit the dolphinarium located in the Bahia de Naranjo Nature Park. You can book a tour of the park at the local hotels’ reception desks. The Nature Park is 8 km away from Guardalavaca and is very suitable for ecotourism. Once there make sure you also visit Cueva Siboney where you can see paintings by Indians – the native inhabitants of Cuba. Unlike Varaderо the summer here lasts as much as all year since the cold front of frente frio is a rarer occurrence in comparison with West Cuba. Find out more about the weather in Cuba here.
