Melia Las Dunas

According to government statistics Melia Las Dunas Hotel in Cayo Santa Maria has become the number one option when it comes to family holidays to Cuba.

This resort is huge with over 900 rooms is the biggest hotel in the central part of Cuba. There are 5 restaurants of which one serves buffet services and the other ones are a la carte restaurants. The swimming pools are large and divided into areas for adults and kids.

You can reach Cayo Santa Maria by air flying into Santa Clara airport if you are coming from abroad or into Cayo las Brujas Airport if you are taking a domestic flight from Havana.

Melia las Dunas is one of just 3 hotels located in this island and offers an excellent 5 star service to its clients. The beach area is large enough to avoid overcrowding even on the busiest of the tourist seasons.

The food is above average and there is plenty to choose from. Mediterranean, Italian, Chinese and Cuban Creole dishes are available day in-day out. If you prefer fast food the hotel also features a Hamburger Snack bar and there is a grill bar on the beach where you can try the freshest of sea food.

Always bear in mind that this is a family oriented hotel and if you don’t want to be around kids then perhaps you should consider another option such as the adults-only Melia Cayo Santa Maria next to Melia Las Dunas.

Written by Jose Mauricio on June 28th, 2009 with no comments.
Read more articles on Cayo Santa Maria.

Holidays To Cuba. When To Book.

At this phase you might have already decided that Cuba is the destination that you want to visit for your next long hold destination but most likely require some assistance on the actual booking process. I know this could sound a bit insignificant but you should know few essential tips so you can get the best out of your holidays in Cuba.

The truth is that this Caribbean island is becoming ever more popular every year and this creates a dilemma for some travel agents . Cuba is definitely not a destination for late bookings, in particular if you are travelling in the high season.

In Cuba high season, comprises Easter period and the summer months of July and August, particularly popular for people travelling with kids . November, December, January, February and March are awfully well-liked months especially among the European tourists looking for the Tropic to escape from the cloudy skies and the cold weather .

Pretty often I get people calling asking me to sort out a package holiday for them in these particular periods, and every so often the phone call comes to close to the date of travel. This is frustrating, equally for the client and myself . For one simple thing , I can not excel recommending an itinerary for the fact that the most interesting areas and best hotels are completely sold out , leaving me with the only answer I can give . “I am truthfully sorry but at this point there are no hotels available in the areas that you are interested ”

Of course if you are looking to do something simple and relaxing like staying for a couple of weeks on a beach resort then there is not much to worry about as there are plenty of options on hand in terms of locations and hotels . The problem arises when customers want to combine in a package areas like Havana, Viales Valley, Las Terrazas, Cienfuegos, Trinidad and or Santiago de Cuba. cities like these with the exception of Havana are very difficult when it comes to hotel availabilities.

If you are thinking to arrange a tailor made holiday to Cuba in a peak season my suggestion to you is to call at least 4 months in advance in order to secure not only the rooms in your preferred hotels but also the best tariffs from the airlines . If you however did not find this article before and are thinking about a multi centre holiday to Cuba, there is always a possibility to find something available but is not going to be the kind of holiday that we wish for you.

In the case of low season months is very easy to find availabilities and good deals in terms of fares and it really does not matter much when you call. We are very confident to be able to match you exact holiday requirements.

I truly hope you have found this information a useful resource and sincerely wish you a very pleasant stay in Cuba.

Written by Jose Mauricio Maurette on June 15th, 2009 with 2 comments.
Read more articles on Cuba Holidays.

Holidays To Cuba. Things To consider.

Are you thinking about holidays to Cuba? Well, out of all the Caribbean Islands, Cuba is definitely one with more to offer than just a beach holiday. The people are extremely friendly and welcoming. The heritage of Cuba is as rich as are the monuments and palaces throughout the country. A holiday to Cuba is something you should really consider in your agenda.

These are just some of the facts to consider and places and things you should not miss in your holidays to Cuba.

Cuba is the biggest island in the Caribbean, almost as big as all the others put together. It stands at the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico, its western end only 145 km (90 miles) from Florida’s Key West. Haiti is even closer, 77 km (48 miles) to the east across the Windward Passage.

The island extends some 1,300 km (over 800 miles) in length. At its widest point, it measures about 200 km (124 miles), and at its narrowest, just 5 km (22 miles) across. Cuba comprises an archipelago of around 1 ,600 isles and cayos (cays), the largest being the Isla de Ia Juventud (Isle of Youth) south of Bataban Bay. Sheltered by long coral reefs, the coastal beaches face the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean to the northeast, Jamaica and the Caribbean Sea to the south.

One in three visitors to Cuba heads straight for its biggest resort, Varadero, some 100 km (60 miles) east of Havana. Many can not tear themselves away from its magnificent beaches on the Atlantic Ocean. At the western end of the island, beyond Havana in the Pinar del Rioprovince, enjoy the quieter, slower pace of rural Cuba in the pretty country side hugging the Cordillera de Guaniguanico mountains. At Vinales, you can go horseback riding to admire the strange mogote mounds and explore the caves.

The Flora numbers no less than 8.1(00 varieties, Dense sub-tropical forest cover the humid lower mountain slopes, providing valuable timber products. Woods on the higher, drier slopes are principally pine and eucalyptus. The island boasts an astonishing assortment of palm trees, the best known being the royal palm, indigenous to Cuba.

The list of places to visit and things to do goes on and on. There are hundreds of beaches, interesting cities and amazing landscapes. Keep reading as much as you can about Cuba so that you can get the most out of your Cuba holidays.

Written by Jose Mauricio Maurette on June 13th, 2009 with 1 comment.
Read more articles on Cuba Holidays.

Holidays To Cuba. Things To Do.

Are you thinking about holidays to Cuba? Well, out of all the Caribbean Islands, Cuba is definitely one with more to offer than just a beach holiday. The people are extremely friendly and welcoming. The heritage of Cuba is as rich as are the monuments and palaces throughout the country. A holiday to Cuba is something you should really consider in your agenda.

These are just some of the facts to consider and places and things you should not miss in your holidays to Cuba.

Cuba is the biggest island in the Caribbean, almost as big as all the others put together. It stands at the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico, its western end only 145 km (90 miles) from Florida’s Key West. Haiti is even closer, 77 km (48 miles) to the east across the Windward Passage.

The island extends some 1,300 km (over 800 miles) in length. At its widest point, it measures about 200 km (124 miles), and at its narrowest, just 5 km (22 miles) across. Cuba comprises an archipelago of around 1 ,600 isles and cayos (cays), the largest being the Isla de Ia Juventud (Isle of Youth) south of Bataban Bay. Sheltered by long coral reefs, the coastal beaches face the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean to the northeast, Jamaica and the Caribbean Sea to the south.

Cuba’s heartland stretches from the sugar and coffee plantations around the Guamuhaya (or Escambray) mountains of Cienfuegos to the cattle pastures of the Camaguey plains. As the region that has traditionally separated the poor peasants of the Oriente from the wealthy land-owners around Havana in the west, it has played a significant role in Cuban history. It has witnessed the early Spanish settlers’ fleeting dreams of gold in Trinidad, the first serious campaigns for independence led by the sugar-planters and Camaguey cattle barons, and, in modern times, Che Guevara’s decisive defeat of Batista’s troops at Santa Clara in 1958, followed three years later by the debacle of the Cuban exiles’ Bay of Pigs invasion. And the Ancn peninsula offers the best beaches on Cuba’s south coast.

The Flora numbers no less than 8.1(00 varieties, Dense sub-tropical forest cover the humid lower mountain slopes, providing valuable timber products. Woods on the higher, drier slopes are principally pine and eucalyptus. The island boasts an astonishing assortment of palm trees, the best known being the royal palm, indigenous to Cuba.

The list of places to visit and things to do goes on and on. There are hundreds of beaches, interesting cities and amazing landscapes. Keep reading as much as you can about Cuba so that you can get the most out of your Cuba holidays.

Written by Jose Mauricio Maurette on June 12th, 2009 with 1 comment.
Read more articles on Cuba Holidays.

Cuban Holidays. Things You Shoud Know.

Planning Cuban holidays? Excellent, this is one island in the Caribbean where you will want to do more than just a beach holiday. The people are bright, self-assertive and handsome. The heritage of Cuba is so rich as are the monuments and palaces throughout the country. A Cuban Holiday is without a doubt one to consider.

These are just some of the facts to consider and places and things you should not miss in your holidays to Cuba.

Cayo Largo: This major beach resort 115 km (71 miles) east of the Isla de Ia Juventud is a favourite destination for SCUBA divers and bird- watchers. Cranes, pelicans, flamingos and bee-hummingbirds abound here along the flats.

Most international flights serve Havana’s Jos MartI Airport, Varadero and Santiago de Cuba. The terminals provide banking, car- hire and tourist information office services, in addition to duty-free shop, restaurant and snack bar facilities. There are bus and taxi links to town.

Caressed by the prevailing north east trade winds, the island’s climate is agreeably sub-tropical, most often around 25C (77F), rising to an average 28C (82F) in July and August and “dipping” to 22C (71F) in the coolest month, February. The east, especially the mountains, gets more rain than the west. The hurricane season is from June to November, most likely in September and October and more often in the west around Havana and Pinar del Rio than in the east. Storm winds can reach 250 kph (156 mph). Swimmers take note: Caribbean waters are slightly warmer than the Atlantic.

The island’s population is just over 11,000,000 and a fifth of them is living in Havana, the largest city in the Caribbean-in addition to some 700,000 exiles, mostly in Miami. Other major cities are Santiago de Cuba (440,000), Camagiiey (294,000) and Holguin (242,000).

The facts about holidays in Cuba go on and on. The information is immeasurable for your holidays to Cuba. Keep reading as much as you can about Cuba so that you can get the most out of your Cuba holidays.

Written by Jose Mauricio Maurette on June 11th, 2009 with no comments.
Read more articles on Cuba Holidays.

Package Holidays to Cuba.

This article is intended for those looking to spend some relaxation holidays in Cuba. Cuba has a great deal of options in terms of beach holidays and this is the specialty of big tour operators like Thomas Cook, MyTravel, Thompson Holidays and so many others.

There are plenty of alternatives in terms of beach destinations in this Caribbean island and the vast majority of them have international arriving point close by. To take an example, let us look at Cayo Santa Maria, this heaven of turquoise color beaches and white sand is a preferred among vacationers and has a small international airport located in Santa Clara province only 1 hour far from resorts.

In this location you can find pure relaxation and accommodation standards that range from 3 to 5 star hotels. There are few hotels in the area so you will never feel crushed by the crowds that can be found on any popular beach destination in the world. If you are traveling with your family Cayo Coco offers the possibility of accommodating kids but if you are looking for a hotel for adults only this resort can also suit your demands.

All of the hotels in this little island are all inclusive so you do not need to go finding restaurants or entertainment outside the resort. Excellent shows are presented by the staff of the hotels in their outdoor theaters at night or in the swimming pools during the daytime. Fishing, diving and all sorts of excursions are also available from the reservation desks in the lobby of each hotel.

Lots of table games, aerobics, pool games, archery, salsa and Spanish introduction lessons and water sports that do not need fuel are incorporated within the cost you paid for you package holiday. You will not need to pay out a penny while staying in your resort. All of them have one buffet restaurant and at least 2 or 3 a la carte restaurants. A la carte restaurants have to be booked though through the reception of the hotel you are staying in.

But it is a real shame if you take such a long flight top visit Cuba and end up only staying on a beach resort. Cuba is a mystic, romantic destination with lots of other attributes other than beautiful beaches. I strongly recommend you visit Havana the Capital of Cuba. Now in this case it is a lot better to contact one of the specialists in holidays to Cuba.

Say for instance that you want to spend few nights in Havana and then go to any of this beach resorts. Well in this case maybe is better to contact any of the smaller tour operators which have a great deal of experience in organizing tailor made holidays. They will arrange the international flights to Havana, the transfers and/or domestic flights and the accommodation in any of these beach locations.

If you don’t come across any tailor made holidays specialist I still suggest you book overnight excursions to any of the Cuban major cities from the excursion desks in your hotel. So you can have a good feeling that you have been to Cuba this is a must. Having said this I will leave you hoping your trip to Cuba will be an unforgettable experience.

Written by Jose Mauricio Maurette on June 10th, 2009 with 1 comment.
Read more articles on Cuba Holidays.