You’ll need to head to the neifhbouring island of Tagesausflüge mit der familie Las Brujas again for diving, and the international dive center here is well renowned. All dives come with full equipment and an experience dive leader as well as return transport to your Cayo Santa Maria hotel or resort. You’ll pay around US$45 for one dive and US$65 for two dives. You can make two dives a day, but sign up for more dives to pay a lower price overall.
So let’s start with them, as while the island is 7 square miles (18 kilometers square), there are 8 miles (13 kilometers) of beaches. The beaches are on the north coast and the south is forest and mangrove.
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While Cayo Santa Maria was pretty late to the tourism game when it comes to idyllic islands in Cuba – starting developments in the 1990’s for instance, it makes up for it in long white sand beaches and glorious turquoise waters. The island, which is connected to the Province of Villa Clara by a causeway, is part of the Jardines ausflüge 3 jahre Rey archipelago and now a popular resort island. Nicknamed the Rosa Blanca of the Jardines (white rose) for its white sand beaches there’s are some key reasons to come to Cayo Santa Maria. Read on for more on the reasons to come to Cayo Santa Maria, how to get to Cayo Santa Maria, and what to do on the island.
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Bear in mind its closed on Mondays. And while you’re in Santa Clara head to the “Tren Blindado” kurzausflüge schweiz another important part of Cuba’s Revolutionary history, where Che won victory over Batista’s troops. I’ve covered it in my guide to Santa Clara – and its also in my 7 day revolutionary Cuba itinerary here.
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Visit the Wilfelife Refuge at Playa Las Gaviotas on Cayo Santa Maria
At the far southeast of the island is a protected area on Cayo Santa Maria. Here’s where you’ll find hiking trails and Playa las Gaviotas – an untouched beach. Go for a Day Trip to Santa Clara from Cayo Santa Maria
If you’re heading to Cayo Santa Maria from Havana, then you’ll pass through Santa Clara and it’s a great idea to stop off and explore for a while. This option with DayTrip allows you to take a sightseeing break of two hours or more atlanta ausflüge explore. Read my guide to Santa Clara – its worth the stop.
If you don’t have tht options, then I do recommend Santa Clara for a day trip from Cayo Santa Maria. Santa Clara is best known for its connections to Ernesto “Che” Guevara – the Argentina born Cuban Revolutionary. It’s also his final resting place.
You’ll know his face from all the revolutionary posters and amsterdam ausflüge umgebung shirts popular around the world. And his mausoleum in Santa Clara is well worth a visit.
CAyo Santa Maria makes it to my best places to snorkel in Cuba, check out the others here.
For better snorkeling you’re going to want to take a boat trip. You’ll find boats at the Marina Gaviota, (on the neighboring island of Cayo las Brujas) arrange snorkel trips through your hotel or combine a catamaran sailing and snorkeling trip. This trip includes return pick up from your hotel on Cayo Santa Maria, and sails to the Dolphinarium, Cayo Frances and includes snorkeling stops. Snorkeling gear, an open bar and lunch is included in the trip. There’s more here.
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Jeep Safari
Cayo Santa María
• Departure by bus to Caibarién • Travel through rural roads in jeeps, enjoying panoramic views of the Cuban countryside.• Visit to a farm, to enjoy activities of the Cuban peasantry such as milking cows.
Have a Spa Day on Cayo Santa Maria
You’ll find spas of sorts at many of the resorts here on Cayo Santa Maria, all including all sorts phuket schnorchelausflüge treatments and giving access to jacuzzzis, pools and lounging areas. The most highly regarded of these is found at ausflüge auf fuerteventura Melia Cayo Sant Maria.
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Santa Clara Remedios
Cayo Santa María
ausflüge um dortmund Steam train ride, city tours in Remedios, visit to a tobacco factory, the Plaza del Ché in Santa Spontane ausflüge mit kindern, a panoramic view of the Armored Train monument, city tours in Santa Clara and lunch.
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Take the Tourist Hop on Hop Off Bus on Cayo Santa Maria
The open top bus runs between Cayo Santa Maria and Cayo Las Brujas. Ausflüge costa brava costs US$5 per person per day, payable with credit card.
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The Beaches of Cayo Santa Maria
The resort you select at Cayo Santa Maria will have its own beach, and most residents of the resort will stick to that beach, but you have a whole lot off choice off the resort. All of the beaches are public, but sunbeds and umbrellas tend to be reserved for hotel guests, unless you’re on a day trip with an agreement to use specific beds and brollies.
The beaches here are glorious with fine white sand and clear water. The beaches tend to be separate by exposed reefs, so you’ll want to wear watr shoes or sandals to move between them.
For the calmest waters head to ausflüge von paguera mallorca eastern end of the island (Las Gaviotas, Playa Las Coloradas, Perla Blanc and Los Delfines).
Here’s the beaches on Cayo Santa Maria.
Playa Canon – 2.8 kilometers long, this is the only nudist (aka clothing optional) beach on the island (and to be fair in most of Cuba too).
Playa Las Gaviotas – 800 meters long, furtherest to the east of the island this beach is lined with palm ausflüge mit schulklassen wien It’s also a good place for hiking. I’ll cover this separately, so keep reading.
Playa Los Delfines – 1.4 kilometers long
Playa Madruguilla – 200 meters long
Playa Matamoros – 300 meters long
Playa Perla Blanca – 550 meters long
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Go Snorkeling at Cayo Santa Maria
Snorkeling from the shores isn’t the best off Cayo Santa Maria, as the reefs are a little way off the beach. However, the best places to snorkel off Cayo Santa Maria is:
Punta Madruguilla – you’ll find this near the Melia Buenavista Hotel. There’s a small coral outcrop about 200 meters from beach and while the coral isn’t brilliant, you can see marine life. Wear fins to come out this far though, as the current can be strong.
There are reefs to dive here, shipwrecks, coral and night dives are also offered.
Organise your dives through your hotel – it’s the same way we did it in the Bay of Pigs.
4. It’s a great location for snorkeling, and its more recent development than neigbouring Cays like Coco and Guillermo means that it tends to have fewer visitors and less crowded beaches. Nevertheless it has some pretty spectacular resorts.
11 Reasons to Come to Cayo Santa Maria
There’s no local scene here on Cayo Santa Maria – as there’s no permanment population here, this is for tourists only, as the only accommodation available for rent is at the resort hotels. The closest casa particulars that you’ll find are on the mainland at Caibarién (and that’s regardless of whether you use Homestay or Airbnb).
So unless you take a day trip ausflüge bonn und umgebung Santa Clara (which gives you 5 hours of free time enjoying the beaches), you’ll be booking to stay in one of the resort hotels. Don’t worry, there are some good choices here.
The island of Cayo Santa Maria is famous for its all-inclusive hotels, resorts and beaches. And they’re some of Cuba’s Best Beaches.
8. The entrance is just past the Valentin Perla Blanca resort at the end of the island road.
While the entire archipelago of islands is part of the UNESCO Buenavista Biosphere Reserve, this refuge has untouched beaches, and the possibility to see wildlife here too. There are large colonies fo seagulls, coromorants, flamingos and pelicans here, as well as crabs, Jutias (see my guide to Cayo Jutias to understand these mammals). You might also see Cuba’s national bird, the trogon or Tocororo and a lot of lizards.
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Cruise of the Sun in Cayo Santa Maria
Cayo Santa María
• Air-conditioned bus pick-up • Arrival to Cayo Las Brujas, to sail aboard a catamaran on a trip bordering small cays.• Interactive contact and show with dolphins.• Snorkelling session in warm and transpa.
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Best Excursions in Cuba starting from Cayo Santa María
Price per adults. Visit Remedios from Cayo Santa Maria
On route to Santa Clara from Cayo Santa Maria is the small colonial town of Remedios. It’s very untouristy despite being one of the oldest towns in Cuba. If you’re visiting near Christmas, then you should come as the town is known for its festival called Parrandas. Its held from the 16th December until the 24th and dates back to 1820, when a parish priest started making very loud noises in order to wake his parishioners as they weren’t attending masses.
Today the celebration includes colourful floats and a parade as well as fireworks, all of which magically stop in time for the Christmas Eve Midnight Mass.
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MORE INFORMATION IN OUR DISCLAIMER
The 16 kilometer (10 mile) ausflüge nordkap island is just over a mile (1.6 kilometers) wide and has some of the most pristine beaches and waters in Cuba and the wider Caribbean.
29 tours available in Cayo Santa María
Departure from Cayo Santa María, Villa Clara
Category: Half day tours
Duration: 3 hrs
Tour guide: Yes
Languages spoken: Spanish, English, French, Italian, German and Russian
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Collective Tour
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Private tour (for 1 to 6 pax)
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Collective Plus tour + Lunch
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Departure from Cayo Santa María, Villa Clara
Category: All day tours
Duration: 8 hrs
Tour guide: Yes
Languages spoken: Spanish, English, French, Italian, German, Portuguese and Russian