Playa Jibacoa, Cuba
Enjoy Playa Jibacoa and bathe in a lovely heavenly destination of white sand and crystal-clear Cuban waters
Playa Jibacoa, Cuba
© Patrick Walker
The Jibacoa Beach is a marvellous Caribbean paradise belonging to the municipality of Mayabeque, Cuba. It is one of the three divisions that comprises Havana where you will find a large variety of excursions from cultural to entertainment and rest. Also, its proximity to Varadero and Havana turn it into one of the best options to enjoy your Caribbean experience.
Playa Jibacoa
© Patrick Walker
This lovely area offers you the opportunity to get to know the tropical paradise with its big beaches of crystal-clear waters and white sand, which will remain etched in your memory. Also, you will be able to go deep into them and practice sports, such as scuba diving, typical coral reefs make Jibacoa Beach a unique place. We find this amazing tourist centre surrounded by big hills and cliffs as well that will leave you amazed.
The small Jibacoa del Norte village further inland from the coastal area dates back to the 18th century and nowadays has modest and individual houses of local Cuban families.
Index
- What are the best plans to do on Playa Jibacoa?
- What are the best excursions to do on Playa Jibacoa?
- When to go to Playa Jibacoa?
- Where to stay on Playa Jibacoa?
- How to get to Playa Jibacoa?
What are the best plans to do on Playa Jibacoa?
Hotel Memories Jibacoa
© Hotel Memories Jibacoa
On the coasts of Jibacoa you will spend a lovely day feeling the most Caribbean essence surrounded not only by tropical vegetation and gorgeous palm trees, but crystal-clear water housing a large variety of unique fauna.
Jibacoa is your ideal destination to enjoy diving and maritime exploration in its maximum magnificence. Its gorgeous coral reefs are located very close to the beach, meaning that you do not have to organise or pay for a boat trip to be able to admire this colourful and interesting nature’s marvel.
Right in front of the Hotel Memories Jibacoa you will find a small reef area ideal for beginners. Thanks to its crystal-clear waters you will have the chance to eye a great variety of marine life, such as sponges, stars and sea horses, eels and astonishing tropical fish among anemones and corals of all sizes and colours, like the emblematic clownfish or the splendid queen angelfish.
For the most adventurous, the Hotel Memories Jibacoa also offers you an unforgettable experience to dive into the underwater world without losing any detail, with professional diving equipment and boats organised twice a day. The deeper you go into the Caribbean sea, the more surprises and new interesting things you will discover, as you can easily spot not so typical animals, such as gigantic tortoises or friendly dolphins and manatees.
Fishing is in all ways a very widely spread and easy activity in the whole of Cuba, as many villages have the fishing tradition in their blood. Cuba is one of the most famous spots for the sport where the annual Ernest Hemingway fishing tournament takes place. The peaceful waters of Caribbean sea and reservoirs near you provide you with a more secure and rewarding fishing trip.
On Jibacoa Beach you will your special moment to taste typical food from the region at the El Cacique restaurant near Hotel Memories Jibacoa whose the most characteristic plates offer you marine tastes, such as grilled lobsters and shrimp and more typical Cuban plates, like Arroz Moro (Cuban rice and beans) or the fried banana accompanied by a large variety of refreshing tropical fruits, like pineapple or guava. Of these fruits we make the famous Cuban cocktails you can order in the bar.
On Jibacoa you will enjoy a nice walk by bike or going hiking along these lovely spots. You can visit the Mirador de la Playa Jibacoa (Jibacoa Beach Viewpoint) as well and contemplate the amazing Caribbean view higher, with the Campismo Los Cocos and its distinctive cottages.
What are the best excursions to do on Playa Jibacoa?
Jibacoa is located between many great points of interest along your way in the Mayabeque region, as it is located right halfway between Havana and Varadero.
For the most daredevil tours like Tour Jibacoa Aventura Natural (Natural Adventure Jibacoa Tour) with similar stops are being offered from Varadero and Havana, a trip by 4x4 Jeep where you can admire the glorious Yumurí Valley) from the Puente de Bacunayagua bridge, the highest one in Cuba. It is considered one of the seven architectural marvels of Cuban civil engineering.
You also get a chance to enjoy Coral Beach and its reef with special equipment offered for the excursions and dive into the mind-boggling Saturno Cave and the Bellamar Caves, a mysterious one of a kind place surrounded by stalactites and stalagmites where it seems like time has stopped. During the excursions you can also ride a horse, visit an old colonial coffee plantation or just simply relax feeling Cuba by having a tasty cup of Cuban coffee and enjoying the Caribbean sun.
If you prefer to go there on your own and not to rest on planned timetables to enjoy these splendid Cuban attractions you have to know that they are publicly accessible and the necessary equipment is available in nearby kiosks and you can find these less than an hour away from Jibacoa Beach.
The small fishing villa of Santa Cruz del Norte 10 minutes from Jibacoa is an intriguing stop for you. Its twin city is Santa Cruz de Tenerife and it is mainly famous for the production of Ron Havana Club, a product you can buy there or order in any of local bars or restaurants. To enjoy the Cuban gastronomy, visit some of the restaurants located in Santa Cruz, like the Los Amigos bar, famous for its grilled dishes, which will offer you traditional dishes of Cuban Creole gastronomy, such as Ropa Vieja or shredded beef, the stew Ajiaco and one of the best dishes in Cuba, the Arroz con Pollo (rice with chicken).
Less than an hour from Jibacoa Beach we find the Cuban city of Matanzas as well, of great cultural significance, which is said to be the birthplace of national dance of Cuba, the danzón, from which so popular genres as the Mambo or the Chachachá would later emerge.
VIsit the Catedral de San Carlos Borromeo (San Carlos Borromeo Cathedral), built in the 18th century and nowadays the main point of the local Catholic church of the Diocese of Matanzas, a small 19th century neoclassical colonial jewel for a full cultural experience.
In Matanzas you have various spots of entertainment and bars where to taste internationally renowned Cuban cocktails, like the Cuba Libre, the Mojito or the Piña Colada whilst enjoying a marvellous evening.
When to go to Playa Jibacoa?
Regardless of your timetables, Jibacoa maintains the same warm tropical climate throughout the year. However, the months the visitors tend to choose to fully enjoy Jibacoa are the dry ones: December, January and February.
As these dates match up with the Christmas season, the hotels and all sorts of accommodations are filled with a remarkable festive and family atmosphere welcoming you on these special days with Caribbean temperatures.
In August the Verano en Jibacoa (Summer on Jibacoa) takes place on the beach. It is a free multi-day festival offering you popular Cuban tunes that attract thousands of people from all over the area. This festival is habitual due to the youthful atmosphere surrounding it.
Where to stay on Playa Jibacoa?
Jibacoa Beach is a one of a kind area that has developed a lot thanks to the interest of tourists it arouses, nowadays offering you many options of accommodation right next to the beaches.
The Hotel Memories Jibacoa is a 4-star all-inclusive hotel from guests over 16 years old, perfect if you are looking for a peaceful atmosphere without worrying about anything, as it has a large range of services, such as entertainment events and aquatic activity packs including diving, windsurfing or sailing and outdoor activities, like bike rental. The establishment also has a restaurant, pools, leisure rooms, a disco and a gym. The hotel is located 50 minutes away from Havana on Arroyo Bermejo Beach, a spot surrounded by vegetation and a mountain uniting in harmony with the lovely Caribbean coast.
Nearby in this amazing environment we find a more accessible and traditional option, the Villa Tropico hotel, chosen by many locals for their holidays. This 3-star hotel welcomes all families, meeting their needs and offering them marine dives and aquatic activities at the hands of its one of a kind diving centre.
On Jibacoa Beach you will also find Campismo Los Cocos, a small complex replete with colourful individual cottages where to stay, equipped with a kitchen, a bathroom, a sofa and a television to make you feel at home. The cottages are built close to each other, covering a camping-like esplanade surrounded by the lovely environment the palm trees and the Caribbean sea offer you.
How to get to Playa Jibacoa?
One of the best ways to get to Jibacoa Beach is from the Havana capital city, as it is one hour away. The Aeropuerto Internacional de José Martí (José Martí International Airport) is located there, which receives a big number of arrivals from all over the world, especially from Latin American countries, such as Mexico, Dominican Republic and Colombia or European countries, such as Spain and France.
Another way to land in Cuba is at the Juan Gualberto Gómez International Airport in Varadero, located an hour from Jibacoa Beach as well, which receives numerous international arrivals, from flights from Canada to Russia.
Departing from both airports and from any Cuban place, you can book our collective or private transfers personalised according to your destination and timetable, either by taxi or other means, avoiding the slowness of public transport that you would have to take on your own.
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