Sol Club Cayo Santa Maria is
a beautiful hotel that I have visited sometime in July of 2003.
It is located about one hour drive away from the airport. The drive
itself is a beautiful experience because the bus goes through 2-3
small cities (forgot the names) which you can later on go
and visit with orgainzed tours or just take a cab and be your own
guide. The hotel is located on the island called Cayo Santa Maria,
and it is connected to the mainland with a man-made road that is
about 40km in length. It is quite a feeling to drive across it,
especially if you get a
chance to see dolphins playing some 20-30 meters away from the road.
The hotel itself is a very large complex
and built in such a way that you feel you live in a small city.
All the rooms are separated in small bungalows that have 4 rooms
each (like that movie 4 rooms but not exactly...actually, not
even close). In the lobby there is a small shop for all your gift
needs and small necessities that you may have forgotten at home.
Near the shop is an open bar that works 24 hours where you may
get an espresso in the morning or a warm sandwich after late at
night if you get hungry after jumping in the disco that is located
nearby. The disco itself is open until 4am (or as long as there
are people in there). From my experience, the disco is not something
where you may find entertainment. I'm a young traveler and this
complex is not a place where young people should go alone (a group
of 4 minimum guarantees you a great time). Another place to visit
at night is the piano bar. There is a lady that plays a piano
every night in a bar close to the lobby which is open until 1
I believe, and the staff along with the ambient make this place
a must visit for all the romance lovers or card players (I was
the card player).
During the day there is plenty of things one can
do. There is a children's daycare for all the couples that want
to "relax" (it looked very nice - if I was 2, I'd feel like in
Disneyland). There is a pool in the middle of the complex that
is separated in 2 (the shallow and the deep end) with an in-pool
basketball and volleyball nets. Nearby it the swim-up bar (that
you can NOT swim up to) - you have to leave the pool for some
15m to get your beverage (which I found a little inconvenient,
but hey, at least nobody sprays water in your Pina Colada). Also
there are a couple of pool and ping-pong tables for your enjoyment.
My personal favorite place was the basketball/soccer/tennis fields
(all in one). Very professionally built and the only thing that
it was lacking was people (read my note earlier on 4 ppl minimum).
The beach is a couple of minutes walking distance
away from the complex. It is very clean, the water is very warm
and clean. I mean beaches in Cuba are amazing everywhere I think.
never was I disappointed and I've seen them (almost) all. There
is a restaurant/bar on the beach with some great food (fish bbq,
lob$ter, etc).
Generally I thought this hotel was great and the
only problem that I saw was the fact that I was the only young
guy there, so plan to go with friends if you're looking for fun,
drinking and sporting time. If you're a couple that wants to relax
and enjoy a very entertaing evening program, this is a place for
you to visit. Another thing to note is that I believe that this
hotel was at one time or another (and still is) frequently visited
by the people from Montréal. What does that mean? Most
of the staff speaks better French than English. I only found that
to bea problem because I like to chit chat with the bartenders
and I don't speak Spanish or French so you can see how that was
a problem.
All in all, I would go back with a few friends
and visit those passing cities at night, check out the jet ski
rides (a couple of km away), play some basketball during the day
and relax on the beautiful beach while eating some phenomenal
lobsters and cheese.
An experience by Gordi Sabados
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