A beautiful place (Guardalavaca)

Member Name: jademortimer

Product:	Guardalavaca
Date:	04/08/09 (11 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very hot in summer, relaxed, not unbearably busy with tourists.

Disadvantages: Time goes too fast!

I went to Guardalavaca for two weeks in the beginning of August with my family last year. We stayed at the Brisas Hotel, and it was AMAZING! I couldn't find anywhere to write a review on this hotel so I'm going to include it in here, just in case nyone is considering it! The weather consistently reached 100 degrees, and at night time it was still very warm. Air conditioning in the rooms made it OK to sleep with a blanket though! The staff are unbelievably friendly, always cheery and happy to help you. We made some good friends with them, they seemed to enjoy talking to the tourists about the different lifestyles we lead! The snack bar isn't actually constantly open, but most of the time it is, serving lovely and quickly made pizzas, chips, burgers and hotdogs. The cocktails were also very tasty, and the non-alcoholic ones for children kept my younger brother and the friends he met there very happy!
We were given two interlinking rooms in the apartments, which were very convenient. They were spacious and well-equipped. The pool by the apartments wasn't as busy or as large; better for relaxing or playing with younger children perhaps. Books were availabel to borrow to read for however long you liked, as were towels.
The restaurants lived up to our expectations, as we had heard Cuba is not famed for its cuisine. However, it did seem that a lot of effort was put into the meals - at one point we watched a spitroast slowly turning for a whole day opposite the main hotel restaurant! The staff were always ready on hand to pour more drinks, or give any help that they could. The a la carte restaurants were nicer, with waiting staff. My favourite aspect of the restaurants was the fact that for breakfast, lunch and dinner, there were chefs serving eggs (in the morning) with a selection of tomatoes, cheese peppers etc for your omelette, and spaghetti bolognese in the evening, with different sauces and vegetables.
Guardalavaca itself is a beautiful place. There is not much to do, but there is a peaceful, relaxed atmosphere that seems to melt all your troubles away! I would recommend the dolphin excursion - we went on a tour of a beautiful farmhouse, tasted the fruit it grew and held the chickens. We were then taken on a horse ride up and around the house, and passed ostriches on our way! After that was the swimming with dolphins, which was such an amazing experience. There was the chance to stand on the dolphins fins as it rushed through the water, be kissed by them, and just generally play around. The staff are happy to take photos and film it for you. The meal afterwards was simple but tasty.
Going for a taxi ride is also a must! The horse and carts are led by friendly locals, who happily take you around the area to see the school, supermarket, local shops and market. There is not a lot to see but it certainly makes you grateful for how we live.
There is another horse riding place on the far side of the road that most of the hotels are situated on. It is only a local man making some money, and it may appear a bit scary and unsafe, but the horses (very, very skinny! Dont worry, they WILL hold your weight!) have walked the route hundreds of times before and now what they are doing.
The watersports in the area are also fantastic. Pedalos, catamarangs and snorkelling are just some of the free options available.
Personally, I enjoyed every single minute of this holiday, but my family and many others were not impressed with the night-time entertainment! It is very repetitive and does not really seem to be aimed at adults as it finishes at around 10pm. There is a disco after this, but it's not amazing! However, I just think that it's part of the experience of going on holiday!
Cuba is wonderful place, and Guardalavaca is ideal to visit if you don't want the hustle and bustle of Havana. I would love to go back, and possibly turn a two week holiday into a two month break!

Summary: Definitely visit here, but you won't want to come back!