“A Quiet Haven - an AMAZING Experience”

Just back from a magical seven days at the Melia Buenavista, and I’m genuinely sad to be home! Decided to make a cocktail with the rum we brought back and write a few thoughts down. There’s a lot of information in these reviews with tips and tricks, so I’ll focus less on that and more on the gene... Více

Just back from a magical seven days at the Melia Buenavista, and I’m genuinely sad to be home! Decided to make a cocktail with the rum we brought back and write a few thoughts down. There’s a lot of information in these reviews with tips and tricks, so I’ll focus less on that and more on the general experience of being here and what folks should know. Background: 9th trip to Cuba, married male couple, mid-40s. We came to this resort in 2011 when it was quite new. This trip was last-minute; I had surgery recently and decided to book a week south for some rest. The brief was: direct flight, as small a resort as possible, adults only. Buenavista was the only viable option for the dates we could travel, and we were happy to return based on fond memories (even if they were 13 years and one pandemic old!). If it’s your first time to Cuba, some knowledge of Cuban history is important - a bit of background reading will really help you on your trip. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if tour operators could include some discourse on this? Decades-long political unrest affects every aspect of Cuban life. And now we have the impacts of the pandemic on top of that. The country remains in crisis economically, with rations, shortages on food and fuel, and rolling power cuts across the island. What is felt acutely for most Cubans does trickle through to the tourism industry, despite what is clear (and often painful to see) best efforts. The harsh fact is that tourism is essential to the Cuban economy, and the country is making great efforts to maintain the sector. It’s one of the reasons we choose to put our travel dollars here over other Caribbean countries. The other, more prominent reasons are the incredible Cuban people, and the unparalleled beauty of the country. In terms of aesthetics, vibe, and experience this resort is the best of the best. It’s small – I think 108 rooms or so? So at capacity only 216 people. It’s absolutely stunning. It’s lush and green, with beautifully landscaped grounds. It’s on a peninsula, and so surrounded by ocean on three sides – more specifically, three very different beaches that are the highlight of the resort. Other than some welcome pool-dancing/aqua aerobics around midday and an hour or two of high-energy music (live and DJ) around the lobby bar in the evening, this resort is QUIET. Maybe too quiet for some. But if you are looking for seclusion, it’s all around you here. You can hear the ocean pretty much all the time, wherever you are on the resort. There’s never a scramble for loungers or beds with shade because there are two pools and three beaches, and all of them within a few minutes’ stroll of each other. And those beaches! The endless stretch of the main Cayo Santa Maria beach offers a bar and beds… and then miles of deserted beach for strolling (3.5KMS until you hit the next resort, the Sol CSM). Pro-tip: the second set of palapas and the entire stretch beyond is an official nude beach. Fill up a Bubba of rum and one with ice and mix and head out for a few glorious hours strolling and swimming naked – it’s like being on a desert island. Best to do this on a less windy day if possible, as the main beach can be pretty choppy. The small, cove-like ‘snorkel beach’ is seconds from the main pool/bar area, is full-service, and offers lots of shaded palapas, a shallow lagoon for swimming, and ample snorkeling (solo or guided) on the exposed coral reef. The sunset beach (our favourite) is shallow and calm, has shaded palapas and over-water hammocks, a bar, and a long pier with morning yoga. Nice and secluded off to the left. Every evening, folks gather for drinks and music at sunset. Accommodations: There isn’t a bad room on this resort. We had an ocean view room and were lucky to look out over sunset beach, but we were pretty taken by the rooms by the ‘quiet pool’, which almost felt like having a private pool walk-out. The rooms are HUGE, with walk-in closet areas, separate toilet, jacuzzi tub, and a step-down lounge area. And the outdoor shower is a beautiful touch. Trust me. You’ll find any excuse to take a shower out there under swinging palms and singing birds. If you are looking for a peaceful paradise, you simply won’t find better than this. It’s the kind of place I’d recommend to solo travelers (if you don’t mind couples) as it’s so small and intimate. We were in room 0722 (romance oceanview - incredible view over sunset beach). So – to having the right attitude. There are things that could be improved, for sure. A room fixture that needs a bit of attention. A bit of dated furniture. But much of it is outside of the resort’s immediate control. You’ll rarely find bad attitudes on travelers here because most folks who come to Cuba understand the landscape. This is where, for first-timers who may be fresh off a five-star Mexican vacation, some knowledge would be really useful. It’s a minor trade off. You won’t get the same high-end finishes and choices as Mexico and you won’t get the same variety of gourmet food. What you will get is a slice of peaceful, uncongested paradise brought to you by some of the best people you’ll ever meet. That won’t work for some, but for us it’s a no-brainer! So the big one – the food. A shortage of a few things here and there is to be expected (as in, some inconsistencies in what is available, at which bar area, and when – certainly not the ‘no eggs! No bread!’ narrative I’ve heard at other resorts). You are not going to get the same gourmet choices you might at other Caribbean destinations. Fact. But the food is just fine. In fact, it’s pretty incredible considering what is available, and how changeable that can be. Breakfast is at the oceanside restaurant – a simple, small buffet of fruit, bread, juices, and cheese with eggs, omelets, and crepes off the menu. Bacon? Maybe, maybe not. Lunch is the same, with an expanded menu of soups and mains. We ate lunch mostly at the pool bar, which has wood-fired pizza and burgers. Low variety, but tasty and consistent. Dinner is two a la carte restaurants with very similar menus. Usually a soup and salad to start, a choice of mains (always pork, chicken, fish, and beef, sometimes lamb and lobster). Sides are rice, pumpkin, and veggies of some sort. Portions can be small depending on how you eat, but simply ask for more and it will come. No problem at all when I ordered two mains. My partner is pretty picky, and he did just fine. If you really need peanut butter and ketchup or something very specific, I’d bring it with you. If there was one criticism it would simply be variety. By the end of the week we were hankering for something different. You can go to the Melia Las Dunas and take full advantage of all the restaurants and buffet there, we just didn't want to leave the MVB! I really think an additional small buffet restaurant would be a brilliant addition to this resort. Either that, or a side buffet at dinner with soup terrines, salad bar, meats and cheeses, perhaps a pasta dish. The pool bar and room service are available 24 hours, but limited to pizza and burgers. This could be improved for sure. Oh, and coffee in the room! There is a kettle but no supplies. Perhaps a post-COVID thing? I know if we asked, it would have been provided. We preferred Ana’s special coffee in the lobby bar anyway 😊 Finally – the people. The main reason we keep coming back, and the reason we’ll be repeat travelers to the Buenavista. Our hearts are humbled every time we visit Cuba. The people are the most kind, charming, and joyful you will ever meet. The Buenavista is lucky to have some of the best, and we sincerely hope management and Melia know that. Every single person we met was awesome, but there are always those who you spend more time with and here are ours: Orosman, Lester, Livan, and Yeikel at the pool bar…. WOW. Your humour, charm, and kindness made us seek you out every day and saying good-bye was genuinely hard. Some of my happiest moments were snoozing by the pool and listening to you guys banter. Anderson and Navy, you had us howling with laughter with your daily water aerobics and nightly dancing. I personally thank you for your help with my yoga and stretching. And at the lobby bar, Ana and Luis were the best. It was a sincere pleasure to spend time with and get to know you. You all are the reason we’ll be choosing MBV again next year. A few other notes: Cash handling: Tip well. It’s of critical importance and it’s the best way to directly support the people you meet, and who take such good care of you. The CUC is defunct and Cuban pesos are useless for travelers (the upside being, take cash with you and you won’t need to bother with the hassle of exchanging anything). Take bank-quality (crisp, no tears, no ink) notes in either USD or Canadian. Get a stack of $1USD. We used a mix of CAD and USD: daily tips for room cleaning and fridge replenishment (leave a note, you’ll get all the water, pop, and beer you like), a tip at each meal. Regular $1USD tips at the bars throughout the day/evening. A personal card at the end of the week with an additional tip for the folks who you spend more time with (favorite bartender, butler, etc.). We spent about $300 in tips throughout the week. Coins are literally useless to Cubans so don’t tip with them at all. In fact, you may be asked to ‘buy’ loonies and toonies in exchange for your crisp notes – a small favor that is a huge help because we can exchange them back in Canada for notes. Staff on the resort will be happy to break larger bills into smaller ones in either USD or CAD. Don't feel weird about it. Tip for good service as you would in Canada. Gifts/Goods: Many everyday items remain hard to access for Cubans, so taking things with you as gifts is always a good idea. After talking to folks at the resort, most needed are: shoes, clothes, medicines such as Tylenol (especially for kids), electrolyte sachets, feminine hygiene products. I left a few things behind (sunglasses, running shirts, ball cap) and they were super appreciated as these are things that would cost a disproportionate amount for our Cuban friends. Next time I’ll ask in advance (your new friends will love to stay connected) and take some more specific things. Misc: Men can wear dress shorts for dinner! I packed long trousers and simply didn’t need them. Bring travel mugs for drinks or you’ll use a gazillion tiny plastic cups for your poolside drinks (I had one for booze and a big one for water, which was refilled continually). Other resorts are not close; there’s a bus to the Melia Buena Vista (where all facilities are available to MVB guests). It makes me sad when I hear first-time visitors to Cuba saying they will never return. It certainly will not be for everyone, but I sincerely believe that if folks had a bit more advance knowledge of this unique and beautiful country, then like us they’d be lifetime return visitors. If anyone has any questions that might make their vacation better, please reach out!

Méně