Island of saint mary cuba. All about holidays in cayo santa maria. Entertainment and excursions

Cayo Santa Maria in Cuba is the perfect place for those who want privacy and tranquility. "Royal Gardens" - this is literally translated the name of the Jardines del Rey archipelago, which includes the island. The vegetation here is truly royal: lush jungles and mangroves create a feeling of incredible unity with nature. Couples in love come here to celebrate their wedding and spend their honeymoon, because a romantic vacation on Cayo Santa Maria is without exaggeration beyond praise: the azure expanse of the ocean, snow-white soft sand and the bewitching beauty of the surrounding landscapes create all the conditions for this.

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In fact, the resort of Cayo Santa Maria is not one island, but three. Very close to the main one there are two very tiny islands - Cayo Las Brujas and Cayo Ensenachos, as well as Santa Maria, famous for their wild beaches and rich underwater fauna. In addition, one of the main features of this resort is that it is perfectly blown by winds from the Atlantic, which creates excellent conditions for windsurfing.

History and modernity

Like many other islands of Cuba, Cayo Santa Maria has gained wide popularity among tourists after the construction of a bulk dam, allowing you to get here from the main island of the country. Once an ordinary fishing island, now Cayo Santa Maria is the youngest Cuban resort with excellent infrastructure and everything you need for a great holiday.

What to see, where to visit

A measured, relaxing holiday offers its guests the resort of Cayo Santa Maria, but Cuba is also famous for exciting excursions. After sunbathing enough on the amazing beaches of the island, you can go to San Juan de los Remedios, a colonial city whose historical center has been declared a national monument. Only sixty kilometers and you can enjoy all its architectural splendor.

Fans of entertainment should head to the newly built tourist village of Pueblo La Estrella, which means "Star" in Spanish. It is located between the coast and the territory of the Barcelo Cayo Santa Maria hotel. There is everything here not to get bored: all kinds of shops, bars and restaurants, a disco, a SPA center and a massage parlor, bowling and much more.

Beaches

The entire northern coast of the island was created in order to experience a real relaxation vacation, because it is here that people come to the Cuban islands for the sake of it - beaches. And on this island there are as many as eleven kilometers of them, conventionally divided into six sectors. It is hardly possible to find a bad beach in Cuba, and Cayo Santa Maria is proof of this - every coast here is a piece of paradise! And despite the fact that all the beaches here are municipal, not private, they are all in excellent condition and equipped to the highest standard. Well, if you want absolute privacy, then you should choose Playa Perla Blanca beach, however, in order to get to it, you will have to rent a scooter or a bicycle.

Entertainment and active recreation

As elsewhere on the Cuban islands, water sports flourish here - from catamarans to windsurfing. Each hotel necessarily has the possibility of scuba diving and snorkeling - diving and snorkeling are held in high esteem here. You can try yourself as a canoe or kayak paddler, and for fans of a more relaxed pastime, fishing is suitable.

Local cuisine and wines

Restaurants on the island offer dishes from Cuban cuisine, as well as international, Mediterranean and even Japanese cuisines. Here you can enjoy plenty of tropical fruits, seafood and, of course, cocktails based on rum - the national drink of Cuba. Cayo Santa Maria is famous for its wonderful restaurants inside and outside the hotels.

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History and modernity

What to see, where to visit

Beaches

Entertainment and active recreation

Local cuisine and wines

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It is located in the northern part, in close proximity to the islands of Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo, being part of the picturesque Jardines del Rey archipelago, which literally means "Royal Gardens". The size of the island is amazing, limited to dimensions of thirteen kilometers in length and two in width. There is only one modern paved road in the resort, which runs through the Pedraplen dam and connects Cayo Santa Maria with the main island of the republic. At the same time, the length of the route is almost 50 kilometers. The rest of the roads are ordinary sandy trails, which are very risky to drive on your own by renting a car or scooter.

The beaches of the resort have a convenient and gentle entrance to the water, which, however, ends quickly, so you need to look after the children especially carefully. It is especially pleasant to walk along the sandy coast in the evening, feeling a light breeze from the Atlantic Ocean and watching the sunset slowly setting over the sea horizon. Near Cayo Santa Maria, there are several more small islands that harmoniously complement the overall landscape of the Jardines del Rey archipelago and are an indispensable object for exciting boat trips on yachts and catamarans.

The total length of the sand line of the island is eleven kilometers. At the same time, the entire coast is divided into conditional sections that are most suitable for one or another way of spending time. Hotels, together with the entire hotel infrastructure, occupy approximately six kilometers of this space. The rest of the area abounds with wild beaches and tropical vegetation. Each hotel has its own piece of beach area. However, this does not mean that guests of other hotels or people who came to the island for one day are not allowed to enter there. Vacationers can move freely within the entire coast, without worrying about which hotel this or that beach belongs to. One of the most secluded and at the same time beautiful beaches of the resort is Playa Perla Blanca. However, it is located at a decent distance from the hotel complex and to get there you need to rent a scooter or a bicycle. The Melia Cayo Santa Maria and Melia Las Dunas hotels have beaches of the same name on their territory, which enjoy the highest reputation in the resort area. Wild beaches are most preferred due to the fact that they are never crowded, and they are perfect for a secluded holiday, in peace and tranquility.

One of the features of the island of Cayo Santa Maria is its winds blown from the Atlantic. Unlike neighboring Cayo Guillermo, it is located in a somewhat more open geographical area of the archipelago, as a result of which there is almost no calm here. But lovers of riding the waves can get a lot of pleasure from swimming in restless ocean waters. In too windy weather, special red flags are set up on the beaches, warning swimmers that entry into the water is limited. The most popular boat trip in the resort is a trip to the island Cayo Ensenachos and to its magnificent beaches with the finest white sand. The elite hotel Occidental Royal Hideaway Cayo Ensenachos is also located here, which has the status of the only one on this piece of land. Just west of Cayo Santa Maria lies an island Cayo Las Brujas, which has an airport and a modern dive center, where those who wish can not only rent the appropriate equipment, but also get the necessary scuba diving skills. Just here, the sea is very calm and allows not only comfortable diving, but also contributes to favorable snorkelling.

As befits a modern expensive resort, Cayo Santa Maria has a fairly rich entertainment program. More recently, a tourist village has been founded on the island. Pueblo La Estrella located between the coast and the picturesque tropical area of the Barcelo Cayo Santa Maria hotel. The road to the village is always open to those who are not indifferent to music, dancing and endlessly fun pastime. In addition, here you can buy numerous souvenirs, appreciate the quality of Cuban cuisine in local restaurants, throw balls in a bowling alley, visit a massage parlor or undergo cosmetic procedures in an exquisite SPA-salon. The tourist shops sell a lot of interesting things, items and decorations, which are very competitively priced. In general, you can have a lot of fun here, although at the same time, you should count on significant financial losses. Every day, throughout the day, a minibus runs between the village and the hotels, transporting tourists to different points of the resort area.

Developed infrastructure and a high level of service are the hallmarks of this young resort. All hotels are equipped with taxi services that operate around the clock, and car rental points clearly and competently follow all the formalities regarding the rental of scooters, cars or bicycles. Moreover, if the vehicle was rented in the appropriate condition, then it must be returned exactly like that. In the event of any non-compliance with the established rules, due to the fault of the tourist, Cubans can claim a significant amount of a fine, sometimes reaching the point of absurdity, so such things should be treated with all responsibility.

Cayo Santa Maria, due to its youth, does not yet have the popularity that other island resorts have, but in the very near future it can become one with them. Magnificent natural landscapes, clean sandy beaches and a developed tourism industry contribute to this in the best possible way.

The charming island of Cayo Santa Maria, washed by the Atlantic Ocean, nestled off the picturesque coast of Cuba, not far from the island of Cayo Coco. You can get here through the dam.

Cayo Santa Maria is famous for its luxurious sandy beaches and amazingly clear water. The attention of travelers is attracted by dizzying rocky cliffs of incredible height and shape. This amazing island in the middle of the ocean is the perfect place for all lovers of romance and solitude.

Near Cayo Santa Maria are the equally beautiful islands of Cayo Las Brujas and Cayo Ensenachos. All of them are happy owners of excellent beach areas covered with soft white sand. The surroundings of these islands serve as an unsurpassed place for romantic sea cruises and jeep safaris, diving, fishing and other water activities.

The purest sea depths of Cayo Santa Maria are endowed with a fauna of fabulous beauty. The underwater kingdom of the island with its mesmerizing coral reefs attracts many lovers of diving to the seabed.

The main attractions of Cayo Santa Maria are its eleven kilometers of picturesque wild beaches, which will take more than one day to explore. Surrounded by virgin nature between beaches and tropical thickets, there is a cozy tourist village, romantically called "Star". This place is very popular, however, like the island itself.

Foreign visitors come here to have a good time in excellent bowling alleys, restaurants and discos, empty their wallets in local souvenir shops and massage parlors. A luxurious hotel complex has been built on the island of Cayo Santa Maria. Each hotel provides its customers with excellent service. Without leaving the territory of the hotel, you can find a lot of interesting activities: play tennis, volleyball, ping-pong, billiards, basketball, learn the basics of diving in the pool, take a bike ride or shoot a real bow.

Clubs and wonderful playgrounds are equipped for the youngest tourists. While the adults are learning Latin American dances or learning Spanish, their children can have a great time in the company of other kids. And on warm evenings, a variety of fun entertainment programs are arranged here.

If tourists miss civilization, they can make an interesting excursion to the city of San Juan de los Remedios, located sixty kilometers from the island. Having visited its historical center, declared a national monument, you only have time to admire the beauty and originality of the local architecture.