Re: Slowly Eliminating Resorts

[Milli]

We have finally made a few decisions about our next trip and the couple who were thinking of going with us and who were wanting to go to Varadero have put travel on hold for a year.  That has made this process easier, sorry to say.  I have narrowed it down (according to what seems to be best value for money) to Sol Rio de Luna Y Mares, Grand Playa Turquesa, and possibly Blau Coste Verde in Holquin area and Bella Costa,  Iberostar Tainos, Sol Palmeras in Varadero.  I know several have been to GPT and my only question is: Is there much shade at the beach and what is it like for swimming (not necessarily snorkelling)?  Has anyone been to Luna Y Mares as that is the one I am most interested in. As for Blau my question is again --is there much shelter for the beach and how is the swimming?
   On the Varadero side my only question remaining is with the Bella Costa and whether it will be changing hands after the renovations.  I have read reviews til I am blue in the face   ;)  Most of my choices seem to be handled by Signature and so I was wondering if Skyservice is all that bad?  :confused:

[SharonAnn]

I was at GPT in January.  There is plenty of natural shade on the beach from the trees.  There are no palapas as I recall.  We never had any trouble getting a spot under a shady tree and we didn't have to be down there at sunrise to reserve a spot.  There are lots of chairs.
 As for swimming, there is alot of sea grass on the left hand side of the beach but you can walk right across it with water shoes and then it clears.  On the right side of the beach the water looked pretty clear.  We tended to stay at the far left side.  This was the end away from the activities and was less crowded.

[Gambitt]

The Blau Costa Verde, aka Maritim, aka LTI, shares the same beach as the PCV and the P. Pesquero.
 
 There is Lots of shade trees, all along the beach, so it is not a problem to find a shady spot to sit at.
 
 The beach itself, is the most diversified I've found.  There are sandy sections, there are rocky sections, and there is a coral section.  It starts off with a very shallow entry, but it gets deep enough for a nice swim/snorkel, without having to go out a long way.  
 
 Being on the southern end of Cuba, the water tends to be a bit warmer than at Verdero, but because it's on the Atlantic side, there are more waves.
 
 Hope this helps.

[flopnfly]

I don't think you can go wrong with any of the resorts you mentioned.  The differences  will be in what area you choose.
 
 Varadero has a WOW beach, it's quick and easy to get into town from any of the resorts and it's very safe and friendly to walk around the town, sit at a bar or restaurant or just sit on the beach in town.  Varadero has great markets to shop at and the prices are great.  You can jump on the double decker bus from any resort for $5 CUC and it's good for all day.  Jump on and off as many times as you want.  Or grab a cab for about the same price.  Varadero has a nice golf course as well if you're a golfer.  
 
 The Holguin area is more rural.  The beaches are nice but they have rocks and coral and seaweed.
 
 It depends what you are looking for.

[lunagirl]

I would, and have, recommended Sol Luna y Mares to anyone. In fact, a co-worker (who is very picky) went there last year on my recommendation and I was nervous the whole time - but she loved it.
 
 The beach is the best we have ever been on, there is snorkelling right there. Having 2 hotels to use seems to make it feel less crowded. We enjoyed the food, and the variety with the different restaurants. The staff was wonderful. All in all we would not hesitate to go back there.
 
 In fact, I loved it so much that I am
 
 Lunagirl    ;)

[Milli]

:)  Thanks for all the input and Lunagirl, thanks for the recommendation  ;)   Although I am hesitant to not return to the Varadero area, this resort in Holquin has really caught my interest.  I must say that it first attracted my attention with a good price but today when I checked I cannot find the deal.  I am hoping that it will show back up later in the week on the Escapes site.

[lunagirl]

We are considering trying somewhere else since we are planning 2 trips to Cuba this winter. Varadero is on our list, if only because we can fly there from Kitchener. But we are hesitant because we prefer quiet, country places and Varadero looks quite busy to us. I guess alot will also depend on prices. There don't seem to any deals yet for the December dates we want - and it is too early to book for April. We are also looking at the Cayo's. A big thing for us is snorkeling and we were wondering about that in Varadero - any suggestions?
 
 P.

[Milli]

:D  Originally, I had decided to wait for a sell off for April.  Choosing our next trip to Cuba has become a real adventure in itself.  We then decided that two weeks would be better.  Tuesday, I decided to talk with the agent at Thomas Cooke when I dropped in to get the Sunquest catalogue.  She called yesterday with a quote and informed me that I would probably find Holquin kind of quiet for two weeks but great for one.  Maybe I would be interested in one week in Varadero and one in Holquin.  She is calling back today.  I talked about this with my husband and then he started looking on the travel sites and is now thinking that maybe we should go back to the original one week sell off.  We also found a week at IV at a good price but I find Luna Y Mares sounds like THE
 place  :confused:  
   Does anyone else bounce around like this when they are choosing a vacation  :confused:

[lunagirl]

We still haven't booked our December trip - thinking about Trinidad area and will probably book in October.
 
 I noticed that you are going in April Milli. That's when we will take our second trip which we will book in the New Year. Maybe we'll run into each other!  If we can get a good deal on Luna for April there's a good chance that's where we will go.
 
   :cubadreamin: