I stayed at the Sol Cayo Largo in late January / early February and had a great time. In this review I’ll try to describe in detail my experience at this resort in order to help all those who are planning to spend their holidays there. The different issues will be organized in different topics.

1) Choosing Cayo Largo as a destination

When I decided to visit Cuba, all the travel agencies in Argentina offered packaged-tours which included Havana, Varadero and one of the many cays (Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo, Cayo Largo, ecc.) As Havana and Varadero are situated on the Atlantic Ocean, I wanted to see the Caribbean as well and that’s why I chose Cayo Largo as a third destination. And I was not disappointed because I found this island to be really beautiful. I payed the extra pennies to stay at the Sol Cayo Largo. Had I pay less, I would have ended staying at the Sol Pelícano, which is NOT a nice resort. The Sol Cayo Largo is much better, so don’t hesitate to pay a bit more.

2) Flight from Havana & check-in:

We took an early flight from Havana to Cayo Largo. We were taken to the airport at 6:00 AM and the flight departed at 8:30 AM. By 9:00 AM we were in Cayo Largo already. The plane was quite small but the flight was very pleasant. When we landed, we were received by a band and a couple of dancers which performed and danced traditional Cuban songs. We took our luggage and got on a free shuttle that took all the passengers to the Sol Cayo Largo resort.
When we arrived, we had to stand in line to check in. The problem is that all the passengers arrive at the same time, so the receptionists don’t spend much time explaining anything about the resort. We were given a mere map and we had to find out where the room was situated by ourselves. Later, we also had to “discover” the different areas and services of the resort by our own means.

3) The room & the grounds

The Sol Cayo Largo has about 40 blocks of rooms and each one has 8 rooms. The blocks are painted in different colors but they are all the same in appearance. They are like two-storey houses. Our room was situated in block 4, which was painted in yellow. I liked my location because it faced the swimming pool and it was only a few steps from the Solazul snack bar and the pool bar. Besides, it was a calm area and there were many lounge chairs available. The room was a bit far away from the beach but I didn’t mind walking.
Each room has a balcony. Our balcony faced the health centre and the sports club. This area is tucked away and it’s very quiet, not many people make use of the jacuzzi or the tennis courts.
All the rooms look alike. The only thing that changes is the pastel color of the walls and the blankets. Our room was yellow and it had trompe l’oeil paintings. Many patterns were like those found inside pre-historical caves. The room was comfortable and appealing. It had everything we needed: a very comfortable bed, a big closet, a security box and a TV. The bathroom was also good. The water pressure was good and we had hot water all the time. We didn’t have any trouble with the toilet, either. There’s a hairdrier in each bathroom. Cayo Largo works on 220v so take that into consideration if you take electric devices.
About the grounds, they were not lush nor tropical. Cayo Largo is like a desert, there aren’t many palm trees of evergreen vegetation, there are just some xerophile bushes. And the island is very rocky. The gardeners try to water the place all the time, especially the man-planted palm trees. There aren’t many flowers or green lawns, but the general appealing of the grounds is nice.

4) The beach & swimming pool area

The beach in front of the hotel was just stunning. I could hardly believe my eyes when I stood in front of the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea. I took pictures of the sea along the different moments of the day because its color changed according to the light. You have to walk a lot to get to the beach because the resort doesn’t face the sea. I think they are trying to preserve the coastal environment and that may be the reason why the seafront is not overbuilt. You have to walk along a wooden path which is about 1 meter above the ground. Disabled people may have problems trying to get to the beach because when the path ends you have to climb down some stairs.
The beach is down a low, rocky white cliff and the sand is powdery and white as well. Because of its mineral composition, it’s always cool and you never get your feet burnt. There are many palapas and lounge chairs but it’s hard to find one because all of them are taken before 10 o’clock. Many guests reserve them with their towels before going to have breakfast.
The beach is not wide, but it’s very long. If you like walking along the shore, you’ll love Lindarena (that’s the official name of the beach in front of the resort). One piece of advice, don’t walk to the left of the resort because the beach gets very rocky once you reach the Pelícano hotel. Walk to the right, because as the Sol Cayo Largo is the last resort of the beach, you will find practically nobody on that direction. And the beach is a bit wider and less rocky. Be prepared to see old women going topless, gay couples going nude and iguanas sunbathing on the rocks.
If you like loneliness, go to the beach after 5 pm. At that time all the guests go back to the resort and the beach is empty. I used to go down to the beach at 6 pm with my Ipod to walk at sunset. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life because the beach was all mine and when the sun disappears, the stars are really bright on Cayo Largo’s sky.
I was there during the Cuban winter so sea water was a bit cool but not freezing. Sometimes the water was very calm and other days there were big waves and some currents. It’s not a beach to leave your children unattended. It’s not a good place to snorkel, either, because the water has a milky color and it’s not completely crystal-clear (if you want to snorkel, go to Sirena beach, on the western shore of the cay. Water is always calm and clear there.)
The weather was very good in general terms, sunny and hot (but not suffocating) all the time. At night it got a bit chilly, though.
About the swimming pool, there’s only one in the resort but it is so long that you can’t see where it starts or ends. Some parts of it are shallow and others are deeper. Water was too cold so I didn’t swim much. There are many lounge chairs around the pool, so it’s not difficult to find a place.

5) Food & drinks

The biggest restaurant of the resort is “Las Dunas”, situated next to the lobby area, which offers buffet-like breakfast and dinner. Food there was good compared to Cuban standards, everything was kept hot and food was refilled. The only problem is that it’s kinda repetitive, there’s not a wide selection of food. Most of the items were tasty, though. The staff was friendly, but service improved a lot if you tipped them (A fact I dislike, as I think service should always be good, even if you don’t tip them).
At lunch, you have two options. You can eat at the Snack bar (called “Solazul”), located next to the swimming pool, which works a-la-carte and serves hamburguers, french fries, pizzas and sandwiches. Everything was tasty but you can get tired of eating that all week long. There was another place which was open for lunch, it’s called “Ranchón Lindarena” and is situated next to the beach. It was buffet like and food was ok, but you usually had to stand in line to get a table.
At night you could go to the buffet dinner at “Las Dunas” or eat at one of the gourmet restaurants, which are a-la-carte. The only problem is that you are entitled to have dinner only twice a week at those places, and you need reservations. Make your reservations as soon as you arrive to the hotel or you won’t find any table available (reservations are made in the entertainment area at the club house.)
The two a-la-carte restaurants are the “Ranchón Lindarena” (which is buffet-like at lunch) and “Las trinas”, situated next to the disco. Food at “Las Trinas” is international and is very good. Service is also great. We didn’t like the “Ranchón” because there were only candle lights and you could hardly read the menu or see what you were actually eating. My mother almost choked with a fish bone. This place serves Cuban food.
Moving on to the bars, there are 3 of them. There’s a pool bar with the seats inside the swimming pool, next to the snack bar. There’s also a beach bar next to the Ranchón Lindarena. But the best one is the lobby bar “El cayito”, which prepares the best drinks. At night, many guests get together to have a drink, so it’s crowded. But it’s a nice place to meet people if you don’t want to dance at the disco. The drinks are traditionally Cuban (mojito, daikiri, cuba libre, ecc.)

6) Entertainment, night shows and excursions

The entertainment area, called “Club House”, was next to the swimming pool on the way to the beach. There were some activities planned each day of the week, but many of them didn’t call our attention. During the morning there were guided tours, one called “Crocodrile tour” and other called “Turtle tour”. We took both of them. The first one was a total waste of time, I don’t recommend it. The “turtle tour” was much better, because you were taken by bus to the marina to see the sea turtles (you can touch them and carry them in your arms). In the afternoon there were water gym lessons. You could also ask for snorkel gear and water fins, but they were always reserved. It’s better to take your own gear!
The night shows were very good. The dancers were highly skilled and did a great job. The only problem is that they must be ballet dancers so they perform everything (cumbia, salsa, tango, rumba, ecc.) with a classical touch. The show area is very nice and the shows were nice as well, but they all were very similar. The best show was the one in which the dancers performed dances from all over the world, with their traditional costumes. And Miss Sol Cayo Largo night was way too funny, too!
Finally, let’s move on to the excursions. There are many travel agencies which have their counters next to the lobby area. The excursions are more or less the same. You can go snorkeling or diving to the outer reef (they say it’s amazing, but we couldn’t afford it) or hire other daily excursions to mainland Cuba (Havana, Trinidad, ecc) which were forbiddenly expensive.
We decided to spend our time inside the grounds of the resort with the exception of two days, in which we went to explore other beaches. Every morning there’s a train that takes people for free to Sirena and Paraíso beaches. It departs at 8:00, 9:30 and 11:00 AM and it goes back to the hotel at 1:00, 3:00 and 5:00 pm. No reservation is needed! The ride is very funny and both beaches are outstanding. Don’t miss them, they are among the best I’ve seen in the Caribbean. If you can, take your own umbrella or find a palm tree because the sun is strong. There are little bars but you can also ask for a packaged-meal at the front desk the day before you plan to go.
If you can, rent a car and explore Cayo Largo at your own pace. There are many unspoilt beaches which are deserted and can only be reached on foot or on your own car. There are taxis also, and they aren’t expensive at all.

All in all, that was my experience at the Sol Cayo Largo. I highly recommend this resort. However, if you’re looking to experience the real Cuba or you like party resorts in which you have fun all the time, don’t go there or you’ll be disappointed. It’s a calm place with superb beaches and free-minded people. Thanks for reading!