Villa LindaMar, Cayo Largo, Cuba - February 2023
Ойын-сауық
My fiancee and I just got back from Villa Lindamar and we had the time of our lives. We flew direct from Ottawa to Cayo Largo in 3.5 hours! The airport is super close to the resorts and quite efficient; we left at 6 a.m. and I was swimming in the sea by 4 pm (our flight from Ottawa was delayed by 3 hours due to extreme -30 cold; one of the airplane parts had frozen). We are super glad we chose Lindamar mainly because of the private cabins and the very small size of the resort which meant no waiting EVER for drinks, coffee, food, etc. Food was a little bit limited in selection but very good quality and freshness overall. I can't eat bread but my fiancee can and she loved the toast in the morning. I had a huge omelette every morning with fresh guava juice and coffee and I was quite happy. There is no shortage of fish and pork, I also had excellent roast beef one night and turkey another night. Lots of fresh vegetables but no lettuce or leafy greens but the tomatoes are amazing. Lots of pineapple and guava fruit, lots of sweet stuff like doughnuts and churros. When we arrived our room didn't have a functioning fridge and A/C but the manager immediately got us a new room in a matter of minutes so I was quite impressed by that. The grounds are extremely clean and well kept, beautiful flowers, plants and palm trees and bougainvilleas are all over and the cabins are very nice and clean inside. We did the "sunset lobster dinner cruise" which was excellent and quite long; the entire excursion was about 7 hours; again the boat crew were amazing and super friendly and genuine. The lobster was really good and the snorkeling was decent. The highlight of this trip though was Playa Sirena and Paraiso without a doubt. We also loved walking down the island to see a few abandoned resorts and some of the other regular resorts. Aside from bringing a lot of one dollar american bills for tipping, I brought some $1 toy cars I got at Giant Tiger that were a huge hit; you can also tip with canadian money and pharmaceutical products are always appreciated in this country such as tylenol, advil, cough drops, sanitary napkins, etc.
The beach isn't great at this hotel but there is a path that takes you to the beach in front of Starfish which is just next door and you can usually find a nice spot. The water was VERY rough this week overall so we went to Playa Sirena 3 days out of the 7 and we absolutely loved it there. I'm sure the beach near the hotel is better when the weather is calm and not so windy; regardless if you go to Sirena or Paraiso, just take the free shuttle from the hotel and you are on the most incredible beach you have ever seen within 15 minutes. Once you arrive at Sirena/Paraiso, you have access to washrooms, bar, buffet, souvenir store, etc. We had to keep asking for bottles of water which is not a big deal, the more you tip the more bottles you get. At any time you can get your bottles filled at any of the bars on the resort or along the coast at other resorts. Bring a few empty plastic sports bottles which will really make your life easier. Although quite windy overall, it was extremely hot and bring LOTS of very powerful sunscreen. It barely rained the entire week we were there, only at night. The sun is so hot it can fry an egg. This is Cuba so everything is somewhat limited but the friendly staff and incredible weather and beaches make it all worth it. I would certainly go back! Huge shout out to the general manager Rosmil he was fantastic as was Oscar and all the staff at the bars & buffet & maids. This resort is very chill and not a huge party vibe...just a great place to sit by the ocean, read, relax and let time slow down. Oh, one more thing....many people enjoyed seeing the turtles at the local turtle sanctuary as well as the crocodiles which are walking distance from Lindamar!
Conclusion: After having been to Jamaica, Mexico (3 times), Bahamas, Venezuela, Florida and Dominican Republic, I would say that Cuba is the best value overall and also the safest. Specifically here in Cayo Largo we never ever felt like our stuff was going to be stolen, and when you are relaxing on the beach the locals leave you alone and do not constantly try to sell you stuff like in other places which can really interfere with your relaxing time. The food is definitely limited in selection compared to other islands in the Carribbean but the amazing Cuban people, weather and beaches more than make up for that.
Пікірлер: 29
thanks for the video. we stayed at the Pelicano back in 2020 and we totally agree with everything you say. It is your Island to discover.
I am a Cuban friend of mine, although I have lived in Montreal for four years, I really liked your video and since I have been thinking about traveling to Key Largo for some time now and now with your work I decided to be there. There many years ago while I was in the army in Cuba and none of this existed, it is a mixture of nostalgia and curiosity. Thank you so much
@KelsterVonShredster
10 ай бұрын
Hola amigo que onda
@mambicubano7303
10 ай бұрын
@@KelsterVonShredster hola amigo, estoy mirando que te gusta la guitarra y hacer música, tu nombre parece Alemán pero hablas inglés 👍💪🙏🇨🇺
I was there near Christmas and is amazing island and the people from hotel are really unique, thanks for sharing
Très beau vidéo merci a vous 👍
Your video is so amazing! I love it!!! So much hard work went into that. Thank you for documenting the beauty of the trip for all of us.
@KelsterVonShredster
Жыл бұрын
my pleasure! Glad you liked it! It's a labour lof love.....
I am currently busy opening a store at 9587 East Gouin Boulevard, but as soon as I have time I will travel
Living it up brothaaaa!!
@KelsterVonShredster
Жыл бұрын
you know it !!!!
Hello,we enjoyed your vidéo,thx!! We are planning to visit in june 2023i would like to know if there are bottled water available.and other info you think we should know would be appreciated.besides that your video pretty much gaves us all the info needed.thx again
@KelsterVonShredster
Жыл бұрын
thx for feedback! Yes there is bottled watter but not easy to get all the time. The maid would bring 1 or two bottles daily and we ended up getting a bunch of bottles at one of the resorts down the beach (forgot the name). We would also get the bartender to fill up our water bottles. You won't die of thirst, I assure you! I absolutely LOVED my stay and would go back in a heartbeat.
@Michelito1966
Жыл бұрын
@@KelsterVonShredster thx so much for your fast response.thats it! Thats where were going.i ll let you know my expérience when i get back in july.
Very good job on this production ! I think you covered everything well. It's so sad about the non-existent beach there. Question, was the Black & White & Ballantine's scotch included or did they up charge for it ? Also did they have diet cola as well ? Thanks.
@KelsterVonShredster
Жыл бұрын
i wasn't drinking scotch so I don't really know..i also don't drink diet drinks (they contain neuro toxins...bad stuff!) so I can't answer that either. Thanks for the positive feedback! I was ok with not having the beach immediately next to resort because the cabins were so good it was worth walking 10 minutes to the beach just further down and then other days we would just take the shuttle to Sirena and take a cab coming back. I would go back in a heartbeat!
How was the food their ?
@KelsterVonShredster
Жыл бұрын
very good. much better than the food I had in Holguin. Limited selection but what was there was quite good.
Kelster, thanks for your video. This will be our first time going to Cayo Largo. We usually go to the Melia Cayo Coco. As much as the Melia is great it is not worth the price they are asking for a week there ($1600-$2000). We'll be staying at Memories Cayo Largo. Can you share any details with me on the Memories resort? At the Sirenas beach is just the beer free or all drinks (ie: Cuba libre). Thanks
@KelsterVonShredster
Жыл бұрын
we only ate at Memories and it was nice. I think Memories has a better beach than LindaMar but I preferred the private cabins at LindaMar. At Sirena, beer and wine is free but you have to pay for hard liquor. Food is free. We can't wait to go back! We paid $1800 for two people taxes included, we were super lucky (it was on sale and we booked 3 weeks before departure) on redtag.ca. Hope this helps!
@bogdantrzymaj
Жыл бұрын
@@KelsterVonShredster how far is Memories from the cabin? I really like the cabin to be honest, looks cozy and secluded
It ddoesn't seem to have much beach at this resort. Naturism possible there?
@KelsterVonShredster
4 ай бұрын
the beach is literally a 5 minute walk from the resort...the beach directly in front of the resort is rocky so you just take the path from LindaMar to the larger beach. Lots of naturism going on on the beach too......it's not my thing but that's cool if that is your thing.....
@jacquesraymond6892
4 ай бұрын
@@KelsterVonShredster Thank's
which is better: the Starfish hotel or Lindamar ?
@KelsterVonShredster
4 ай бұрын
"better" is what is best for you. If you want private cabins, Lindamar is much "better". Lindamar is a VERY small resort, the other resorts were all much bigger. Hope this helps.
Nice video.. So you went to the Starfish & Memories for food & drinks while staying at LindaMar?
@KelsterVonShredster
10 ай бұрын
Correct
@stevenmaw7491
10 ай бұрын
@KelsterVonShredster Thank you for clarifying.