Escape Calgary to Cuba this Winter

Where to fly for a Winter Vacation

One of the most popular places in the world for Calgarians to travel in the winter is to Cuba. Varadero has been a favorite for many years, Holguin was popular for awhile when their was direct flights, and the Cayos ( Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo, Cayo Santa Maria) are growing in popularity more and more each year. There are now direct flights to this part of Cuba year round which makes it cheap and easy to get here.

What is the best hotel in the Cayo’s

There are several nice hotels in Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo, Cayo Santa Maria. There are several large international hotel groups there now. Of course since this area is really gaining in popularity there are several new hotels also under construction. As more hotels are built there will be more tourist infrastructure too. Currently there is only a single golf course in all of Cuba ( it’s in Varadero) and there are no Casino Gambling venues since the revolution happened in 1959. But there are other entertainment facilities under construction.

In my opinion, after having stayed at and visited 34 hotels and resorts in Cuba since 1993, my favorite is The Grand Muthu Cayo Guillermo.

Friendliest Resort Staff in Cuba

The hotel is similar to the many others in Cuba, by international star ratings it’s probably a 3 star facility. The food of course is also the same as the rest of the country and is mostly limited in variety and quality by the severe US embargo restrictions. That being said, nobody goes to Cuba for a culinary vacation. The highlight of this particular hotel is the Staff. And not just some of the staff, literally ALL of the staff. You will never stay at a hotel anywhere in the world where you will feel more welcome, more at home, and more like family. From the wait staff to the bartenders, the chambermaids and the cleaners, every staff member greets you with a smile and an acknowledgement. They are the sweetest people on earth.

The best beach in the world

The staff will charm and impress you once you get to Cuba, but let’s face it, it’s the beach that is calling you south to the Caribbean in the winter. And the beaches of Cuba are the nicest in the western world. White sand, crystal clear water, gradual tapering shoreline, and never far from lively colorful reefs and aquatic sites. The north shore of Cuba is also fabulous for wind sports such as kite boarding, kite surfing, parasailing, etc. Much more exciting than tubing down the bow river in Calgary. Many tourist bring their own boards and spend the week riding the coastal breezes.

What to bring to Cuba

When packing to go to Cuba there are some things you need to answer for yourself. What items can I not go without for a week? Do you need to bring Canadian cigarettes, Canadian whiskey, peanut butter, Frank’s red-hot sauce, etc. If you can’t live without them, bring them with you. You can even buy some at duty free at the airport on your flight down.

What should I bring to tip? Well, like anywhere in the world a cash tip is always appreciated, especially in a country where the staff taking care of you is living on only mere dollars a day. But there are other items which are worth even more than cash due to their scarcity and lack of availability in Cuba. Tops on this list is medicines, literally every painkiller, antibiotics, fever meds, creams and ointments. They NEED all of it in Cuba and you might very well be saving lives by bringing them these things which are readily available anywhere back home. Other great gifts are shoes, clothes, housewares, electronics, anything compact and light weight which to you can mule down there for them.

Check these pictures, this is our suitcase when we go on vacation. All oour own lothes for a week fit in our carry-on bag, because who needs clothes in 30 degree sunshine!

How do I book a trip to Cuba?

I used travel agents up until about 20 years ago. Since then I have booked directly or used online booking sites successfully for over 100 flights and vacations. I have used all of the major booking sites like itravel2000, selloffvacations, redtag, tripcentral, Expedia, Travelocity, trivago, westjet vacations, aircanada vacations, sunning, Hola sun, etc. Each of them tends to have a few good features and the pricing is almost always somewhat similar. For Cuba, I recommend the following affiliate link for the combination of best price, decent customer support, and no surprises. I can’t overstate enough how important this is because there are dozens of horrible booking sites that are sometimes a headache, sometimes upcharge you, or just outright scams. This is the link bI have personally used to book my own Cuba vacations: