Address - Km 12 1/2 Marea del Portillo, Pilon, Gramma, Cuba
Location - Beach, Countryside
Reviews posted on this page - 11 review(s)
Description: Club Amigo Marea del Portillo is a complex that include Farallon del Caribe and Marea del Portillo properties.
The complex is surrounded harmoniously by the combination of the Caribbean Sea with all its attributes, and the mountain; giving it a matchless beauty and offering to its guest a pleasant stay, in a tropical atmosphere that offers security and tranquility, ideal for vacations with the family, Honeymoons, Diving, activities with the nature and more.
Are you the owner of this property? The link to your website could stand here. Please, contact Debbie.
Just returned to Marea del Portillo after an absence of 20 years. There were still friends there who recognized me. THe arrival at the airport is well organized. The ride to hotel gives you an amazing insight into the way of life of Cuban people. THere is help at the hotel for your luggage. The rooms are adequate and have hairdryers and towels provided. Beach towels are provided as well. THe hotel is located in a rural setting which makes it a very relaxing quiet place for all ages to enjoy a safe and fun filled vacation. The hotel is clean, the food is plain but tasty. Lunch can be served at the beach bar. The staff are very friendly and helpful. There is a money exchange and internet access in the lobby. The beach is just delightful and uncrowed. Enjoy the excellent snorkeling in the lagoon. Take every opportunity to explore the surrounding country side, the locals are delighted to meet you. Take the planned excursions available, the horse riding is great. The evening entertainment is a colourful and musical introduction to the Cuban culture. Feel safe to explore the beach and surrounding area. Enjoy this very special place.
Chow
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we has seen on this website that the hotel was so big and there was bar and pool everywhere...WRONG!!!no we arrives there and there was a little hotel with only one small pool...and only one bar in the hotel and one on the beach...all that because the big hotel was close...there was security gard everywhere...but they was there to stole stuff in room.one of our friends lost 80 $ in his room and another lost his camera in his room, there was security guards looking in our rooms to steal some stuff, a security guards has tried to rape a girls that was with us and two other security guards ask to 2 girls in our groups for a blowjob... seriously...i will never return there and in our groups we were 16 and no one of us will never...i repeat...NEVER come again in this hotel.
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My name is sachanna I went to the hotel for my birthday july 21 and the shows were good the entertainment was good some of the people were very enjoyable but as the days go but you notice that everyone is drunk including hotel staff... Many times life guards asked me and my friends to get them drinks and food, they hide in the bush and wait for you to come by so they can stop you to ask.... I was with a group of about 20 people and almost half of them were either missing money,clothes or other things... On one night we were all in the pool at night and I watched the life guard stumble around drunk by the pool .... Hello who's going to save me if the life guard is drunk????? On my last night there we headed to the disco, me and my friend were at the front of the group because we had to pee when I came out the bathroom there were three guards out side the same guards I seen when I was walking in the grabbed me and were pulling and telling me to stay and come with them I repeatedly said no I have to go find my friends but they didn't listen , because my friend stopped to do something he didn't see me enter the bathroom that's why he assumed I went back to the hotel he gathered everyone to look for me and 1 guy I won't give his name but myself and my group no who he is. He was the one that came back to the disco to double check if I was there if it wasn't for him I wouldn't have seen my family again he's my hero u could say I just know I have a different kind of respect for him and his girlfriend...the police did nothing they came 2 hours after being called and were useless I pointed out the 2 securities that were there but couldn't find the third one all the did was send them home and us back to our rooms.... The next day at the airport on ourway home my friend that had 2 pictures of the guards was called to the side and then the Cuban airport officials proceeded to delete the pictures of the guards for what reason ? I have no idea except to protect there people!!!!!! Oh well we have other cameras with pictures and a video so we lucked out ... All in all I don't reccomend this hotel it was a bad experience with lots of other minor problems not fun dont go...........
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Attempted Rape! Do not make the mistake of going here
We stayed in the Marea del Portillo resort for one week starting July 21st. We met so many awesome people there and had a great time.
One night, one of the girls we met went to the washroom. She was pulled by her elbow into a dark corner by security and was told to stay with them. When she asked to leave and tried to pull her arm away, they pulled her back into the corner and started to touch her inappropriately, despite her numerous demands for them to stop and to let her go.
The security staff was backed up by management and the receptionist refused to call the police for over an hour before I tried to bride her with 5 pesos to call the police.
The police said they could not do anything because it was all just the girl's word versus the security guard's and therefore the rapist security guard was back on his shift walking the grounds outside the room that the girl stayed in. He was not fired and he was not in any real trouble.
We found out the hard way that in Cuba, a tourist should have bruises, scrapes, scratches and vaginal damage for anyone to be charged with rape or attempted rape.
Upon leaving, airport security asked about the situation. They acted as if they were going to help, and asked to see the picture we had of the rapist security guard. When we showed them the picture, they deleted it from our camera to get rid of evidence.
We now have to contact the Canadian Embassy and other officials to try to bring justice for a girl that has been changed forever.
Security is all over the resort, and that's definitely NOT a good thing. They didn't serve, protect or do anything to help anyone.
There were numerous complaints of security stealing from hotel rooms, asking for beers or food too many times, and even peeping into hotel rooms to watch as vacationers changed or were being intimate in their rooms.
I even tested their security by yelling out several times "Seccoro!" which is Spanish for "help me" at the top of my lungs at a far dark area in the resort and none of them showed up. However, they were definitely there to watch us dancing together in the disco at night.
The city, the beach, the pool and the activites were all too beautiful to describe in words... however the security and rest of the staff were completely rude and ignorant and just got ruder and more ignorant if you complained.
I do not recommend going to this city unless you DO NOT want to party or have a loud time on your vacation and I especially do not recommend going there if you are not fluent in Spanish. If you are a senior or a family with young children and don't mind bad food (even by Cuba's standards) then this resort can provide you a simple and inexpensive vacation - just make sure you lock all your belongings in your suitcase every time you leave the room.
Arrival
Beatiful weather and cute, tiny airport... Horrible 2 hour bumpy bus ride to the resort.
Rooms
An insect infestation of 4 different types of bugs resulted in us having to change rooms. The second room was much better, however the security guards do peep into the rooms, so we recommend only being intimate in the dark for short periods and changing in the washroom.
Restaurants and Bars
Bars closed whenever the bartenders felt like it, so we suggest buying water and other drinks from the gift shop for the nights that the bars decide to close at 11:30 PM.
Restaurants were ok, but the food and the service was not. There were numerous occasions of having rude service and the food was constantly recycled from the day before. The food in this resort was horrible compared to the food in another resort in Varradero that I had on my last trip to Cuba.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The beach had brown sand (which we didn't mind) and the water was so warm we couldn't believe it! The water temperature was just too perfect to imagine.
Pool temperature was perfect as well. The pool was closed early at night and they did throw bleach and other harmful chemicals in there - which was a shame due to the perfect pool temperature for night-time swimming.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Activities were fantastic! Horseback riding was inexpensive and beautiful. The cruise had an open bar and music and was also very inexpensive. There were also other activities we didn't partake in that looked fun such as snorkeling, lobster lunch on a nearby white sand beach, jeep mountain tour, etc.
Other Comments
Find an English speaking lawyer in Cuba before going to Manzanillo to party. It's just not a party city and the service is bad enough if you aren't drunk and belligerent, so if you do start to get loud the service will go from bad to worse. If you complain the service will drop off the scale to an unacceptable level.
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Great spot, to get away from commercial resorts, 3 star rating does not do it justice.
Liked it a lot. Prior info & some repeat tourists, had negatives like prostitutes, expensive beach towel. Both BS, funny, 2 young cuban ladies with Canadian gents were married to them!!! Beach towel free/fresh one anytime, but pay $25 IF you lose it. Excellent tours. No food issues. Lots freebies. VIP really worth the slightly higher cost.
Your Arrival
I was the problem, brought an old Playboy book -cuban customs wrote me up & delayed bus. It's considered pornography. I learned something. While meeting locals, I further learned the word alone "drugs" could get you in jail FAST. We should be thankful, they dont have a drug problem, and lowest crime rate on the continent.
Rooms
Excellent. Had everything.
Restaurants and Bars
Very neat. No complaints anything
Beach/Pools/Grounds
No complaints, scenery beautiful, loved ocean there
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Take the jeep tour, worth $55PP. Much cheaper tours also good. Lots other stuff, IF you want to be busy.
Other Comments
My only gripe, too much Latin Music at bar, so they fixed it, with a little mixing. Tourists could be rude occasionally, but Not the Cubans, even outside the resort.
Dont pity them, they are basically poor, but cared for. They are very proud & graciously accept our gifts. Bring lots of practical every day things--their economy is poor.
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This resort is better than I expected
Cubanacan Club Amigo Marea del Portillo
User Rating:
Andrew >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Mar, 2010 | Leisure | Family
3 people found this review helpful
I traveled with my mother and sister here. I came with the intention it was going to be a backwash place in the middle of nowhere, but really, I dont know why anyone was really complaining. Aslong as you go to Cuba expecting Cuban standards, you will have a great time. The food is exactly what you will get for a 3 star, but you dont go to Cuba for the food, you go for the beach and pool. After the hurricane they remodeled the resort, so be sure to stay at the Farralon de Carib. It is much more elegant, with better food, and nicer rooms. Overall we found the staff very friendly,but try to find Henry (he is very nice and helpful). Come there with a flash light, because the nightly entertainment rotates from hotels every second night, and the road can get slightly dark. Also, dont go expecting to use the internet, it is expensive and takes FOREVER to load a page!!!!! I do not recomend this hotel for the young drinking crowd however. The resort is very spread out, and after a night of fun (or to much to drink) there is no food to get after dinner until breakfast!!! Otherwise, familys with kids and older citizens I do recomend this tranquil atmosphere.
Your Arrival
The flight was not that bad in my opinion. The seats are a little bit closer together, but they had a movie, food, and pillows. When you arrive in the airport you go through normal customs, and then board a bus. ( Be sure to bring somthing to do, because the bus ride is another hour and a half.) There is a bar where you can get drinks, and they give you your key and bracelet befor you board the bus. Very convinient!
Rooms
I cannot stress this enough, STAY AT THE FARALLON!!! The rooms were relativley nice. They were very clean, and everything worked fine except for a noisy airconditioner. There were about 5 english channels on the TV. ( You cannt scroll to CTV news because of the American and Cuban fued, but if you press channel 2 you can watch it. The room 414 had a bug problem in our beds after the wind died down, but they gave us a spray bottle. After dark besure to keep the doors closed, because once sand flies are in the room the get into your sheets and matress. This is Cuba, so if you want somthing done right, you must complain.
Restaurants and Bars
The food is what you would expect in Cuba. We found the Farralon's food was a little better than the other ones, and a better variety. The food is very simple, rice, beans, pork, chicken ,beef and salads, but the bread is amazing!!!!! The fruit was fresh, but the desserts were plain, and the icecream only came in vanilla. The bar had a wide variety of drinks, but I suggest you bring your own cup, beacuse the cups are really small. One thing I didn't like is that there was no food avaliable after dinner.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
If you stay at the farallon, the beach is about a 5 minute walk, but it is worth the walk.The path ways are clean, and the grounds are very lush. There were animals on the resort pathways, (goats, horses, pigs, cows) but aslong as you avoid there poo they dont bother you. The beach at the Farallon side isn't very nice. The sand is very dark and rigid. We allways walked to the other hotels beach, which had lighter, and softer sand. The pools were very nice. They were clean and relativley warm. Other than the pathways, the grounds were spotless.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
This resort is more friend orientated. There are activities on the resort, like bingo and contests. The tours were fun, but not very organized. They had ping pong, which was very fun, but the tennis was not very good. If you are a player, you are better off to walk down to the Marea del Portillo resort, because the Farallon's tennis is isolated and hard to get to. The shows were funny, and the entertainment staff were very nice!!
Other Comments
The resort was better than I expected, and aslong as you go for the weather and not the food you will have fun. If you are younger I dont recomend this hotel. Overall, it was a good vacation
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Most awesome & humbling experience of my life, I absolutely LOVED it!
Can't say enough good about this - hopefully sunwing publishes my review, it was too long to type here again :) Was an absolutely amazing time, spent on the resort and with the locals - very poor although extrememly happy and loving people - unbelievable time of my life.
Your Arrival
awesome, speedy :)
Rooms
spotless albeit old. comfortable & cool :)
Restaurants and Bars
no complaints - clean area with fresh food :)
Beach/Pools/Grounds
awesome - again!!!!!
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
amazing adventures
Other Comments
check this out, it has become the place I want to have a home away from home
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It Was a JoyTo Be There In Such a Beautiful Location
Cubanacan Club Amigo Marea del Portillo
User Rating:
Joe and Karen >
3 contribution(s) Canada
Feb, 2010 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
3 people found this review helpful
We visited the Marea del Portillo hotel complex between February 25, 2010-March 4, 2010, staying at the Farallon del Caribe section. After a 3 1/2 hour flight from Toronto with Sunwing Airlines, we landed with a real bang, the hardest landing we've ever been in, everyone clapped and heaved sighs of relief as the plane slowed down to a safe pace, a great discussion followed as we all related other similar hard landings in our travels, we all agreed that this was the ultimate hard landing, we were very happy we got to disembark in one piece. Manzanillo Airport is very small, maybe too small for 180 people disgorged from an aircraft at one time. As first-time visitors to this airport we weren't ready for the sheer physical crush getting our baggage. I guess you could call it "Manzanillo mayhem". However, we did made it out alive and kicking and on to our assigned bus. Thank goodness that we were able to get a couple of cold Cristal cervesas to calm our nerves and start the holiday on a nice mellow note. The trip to the hotel took about 1 1/2 to 2 hrs, the scenery was beautiful as we wended our way past small villages and towns, the scenery was especially beautiful in the latter half hour of the trip, I have to say too that the time went by very quickly.
Your Arrival
We arrived at the Farallon del Caribe to a great welcome by the hotel staff who were lined up on the hotel entrance stairs, all greeting us with welcome drinks and of course Cuban music. A very very nice gesture. Right there we started to feel very comfortable about this place. We did not have to check in at the front desk, Elena our Sunwing rep had already given us our room assignments and room key along with some other info outside the Manzanillo Airport. I have to say that this should be done by all of the hotels in Cuba. It was so efficient, it just went so smoothly, a great start to the holiday. It was though, a little bit confusing getting our luggage to our room as we had two bell boys trying to deliver the luggage. Thinking that they were a team and would share the tip, we tipped the one bellboy generously, I guess nobody was sharing, so one of them went without a tip, he was a very sad bellboy, he certainly conveyed his displeasure with looks that could kill, I guess you can't win them all.
Rooms
Our first room assignment was a room overlooking the pool and the Marea del Portillo Bay, the Sierra Maestra Mountains were a spectacular backdrop to that. What a view!! However and alas I'm ashamed to say that after about an hour in the room, with the very loud music from the pool, and in anticipation that the evening entertainment, which would be just beyond the pool in the same area and would be just as noisy, we asked for a room change. What spoiled brats we are! To make this happen and as seasoned Cuban travelers, we now donned our bulletproof vests before talking to reception for any kind of change in our room assignment, we didn't have to worry. A wonderful lady on the front desk, immediately on our request for a room change, gave us a key to another room on the opposite side on the same floor. When we got to that room, we knew we were in heaven. Wow! another beautiful panoramic view, this time of the sunset cruise lagoon coupled with the beautiful Sierra Maestra Mountains as a backdrop. What service from the front desk and I might add, delivered with a genuine smile. We knew then we had come to the right place.
Restaurants and Bars
There was four bars, one buffet restaurant and I believe one ŕ la carte restaurant with differing menus. We did make a booking at the ŕ la carte but when we showed up, we were told that the kitchen was broken, it would be the buffet for us that night. We didn't try the ŕ la carte again. Actually all of our meals were at the beautiful buffet restaurant outdoor terrace. That restaurant, with panoramic views of the lagoon beneath, the beautiful Sierra Maestra Mountains as a backdrop, served just simple Cuban fare for all our meals. For breakfast they had an omelette station with eggs done any style, toast, pancakes, French toast, bacon sometimes, scrambled eggs sometimes, cold meats, cheese and I have to say the best freshly squeezed orange juice I've ever tasted. Dinners were, the choice of two really good soups to start,main courses of pasta, two kinds of rice, a roast of either turkey, pork, beef one time, fish, chicken, different vegetables and salads, lots of bread, lots of light cake deserts, ice cream and then to finish off a very nice aged cheese assortment. Lunch was a mirror image of dinner. We were very happy with the food. The service at the buffet was so-so, it ran hot and cold all week long, tip first service later kind of thing. No wine of any kind in the week we were there, however they did serve beer and other cocktails with your dinner, so all was not lost.
The pool bar which was open from about 10 a.m. till 5 p.m. was such a nice welcoming place. The staff here are just really good and are very friendly and when they have the time they like to converse with the guests. The lobby bar was just a wonderful place to go in the evening after dinner, there we had our after dinner cappuccino served with brandy or maybe a rum Alexander. The staff at this bar are just wonderful as well. Great ambassadors for their hotel and for the Cuban people. A good menu of blended cocktails available at both these bars. The beach bar is quite a lovely place to sit in the warm sun and enjoy the beach and the beautiful mountain scenery. Here you can have simple cocktails or beer. The Zun Zun snack bar near to the pool is open during the day and served sandwiches, snacks, etc.. It served coffee in the mornings. The best all-around service in the hotel was at the lobby bar, then the pool bar, closely followed by the beach bar.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The beach is a dark grey sand beach. The beach was wonderful to walk on, however you should wear water shoes as the sand gets quite hot. The beach by the water's edge is definitely hard enough to jog on. I would say that the beach at the Marea del Portillo end is the best beach. It is wider and the sand is softer than at the Farallon end. There are much more beach lounges at the Marea end and quite a bit more good shade. Any part of the beach is within easy walking distance of either hotel. The pools at both hotels are well-kept and on our week were never too crowded. We preferred the Farallon pool. The Farallon pool had a wonderful view of the surrounding country and we were always able to get a lounge. The only shortcoming would be that there wasn't a lot of shade at this pool, they definitely need more umbrellas. There were the usual lounge hogs who, in the middle of the night, came down to put their towels on the only lounges with shade. Sometimes those people didn't show up to claim their lounges until 11:30 a.m.. A bit maddening. The hotel grounds are kind of idyllic, set on a fairly steep hill, dotted with flowering shrubs and trees, the grounds kind of cascade down to the beach. There was lots of goats, a couple of pigs, horses, sheep, that roamed the property. There was a family of iguanas that roamed around by the very steep staircase going to the beach. The iguanas liked to be fed with hard-boiled eggs and any kind of fruit, they were quite tame. These Farallon grounds wouldn't be very friendly to people with a walking disability. The Marea del Portillo is a much more friendly property to people with a walking disability.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We did the Jeep Adventure Tour and are we ever happy we did. We had a wonderful guide called Dennis, he was very informative about the flora and fauna and the living conditions of the farmers that were up in the mountains that we were touring through. It was just wonderful driving past great rural scenes of roaming flocks of goats and sheep, all varieties of feathered fowl and an amazing variety of fruit trees---orange, mango, banana,... coffee plants, patches of sugarcane etc.. The mountains were kind of dotted with small farm holdings, some farms looking better than others. These areas seemed a total world away from the touristy Marea del Portillo hotel complex. We were so happy we came on this aptly named "Jeep Adventure", it was that indeed, a white knuckle experience, I've never been on such roads in my life LOL, I didn't think we would make it on a few occasions. Thank goodness for four-wheel drive and our very competent driver, I believe Tito was his name. Our final destination that morning was a waterfall area in the mountains. We drove in as far as we could and then walking down a winding trail, right into the depths of a valley, we found ourselves in a fairly large thatched cabana, from this cabana we came out into a large clearing with a beautiful waterfall, the water seemed to tumble from the sky into a beautiful glacier green pool. Some people stripped down to their bathing suits and went for a dip, they said the water was very refreshing, we took them at their word. We were supposed to have a barbecued lunch over an open fire at the falls, Dennis our tour guide thought it was too windy, so it was decided to have lunch in the farmhouse back at the top of the hill. We proceeded back to the farmhouse where we had a wonderful lunch of stewed lamb served with rice with beans, vegetables, dessert was rice pudding and of course we finished off with strong Cuban coffee. Some of our fellow travelers bought honey from other local farmers. After the same hair-raising trek down the mountain in the four-wheel drives we arrived back at our hotel safe and sound. It was a great day.
Other Comments
We had promised a friend in Canada that we would deliver some letters, are we ever glad we did. While doing that, we met some of the very nicest people. We kind of acclimatized ourselves to the area by hiring one of the horse and carriages to take us around on our first full day. José was our driver, he certainly knew the area and everyone in it. We had three letters to deliver, one to Marea del Portillo and two to Móta, we showed José their photos, he knew every one of the recipients, so off we went on our deliveries. Because our Spanish was so bad, José, who spoke really good English, acted as our translator. We are indebted to him, a wonderful patient man. Since that familiarized us to the local area, every day after that, we took random strolls through the surrounding countryside. Each morning we kind of reveled in the extraordinary natural scenery of the different areas, taking photos of everything from small vineyards and banana plantation to farm animals,on occasion speaking to the locals,always enjoying the fresh air. We usually spent our days at the Farallon, but in the evening after our after dinner brandy, we walked down to the Marea del Portillo to walk off our dinner and to take in some of the entertainment by the Marea pool. On our last evening on the way back to the Farallon from the Marea, and as the sky was so clear, we seen and wished upon some shooting stars. It was wonderful there on the road up to the Farallon gazing up at that pitch black sky studded with a billion stars, and as corny as it seems, we felt kind of at one with our fellow man and all of the unending universe out there. I have to say as well, that we would definitely come back to the Farallon again. A very simple place, a very simple inexpensive holiday, it was a joy to be there in such a beautiful location at the foot of the Sierra Maestra Mountains.
Our Flight Home
We had an early morning check out at 5:45 a.m.. It was wonderful that they opened the buffet early at 6 a.m. for to give everyone breakfast, great customer service. We left the hotel just after 7 a.m. and were at the Manzanillo Airport somewhat after 9 a.m. for an 11:15 a.m. flight. It was quite a crush at this little airport with everyone checking in at the same time. We did manage to get seats together,one window, we were lucky. After going through immigration and security we thought, wow, only an hour to our flight! Not so!! They then informed us that there was computer problems in Toronto and the plane would be three hours late. We thought, too bad we checked in so quickly. Actually though it wasn't so bad. Luckily and as usual, we had quite a few CUC to take back with us for our next trip to Cuba and we were able to buy some pizzas and beer for one CUC each. Pretty good prices. In the end the little airport restaurant/bar ran out of pizzas, thank goodness they didn't run out of beer LOL. Actually, we were so busy yakking, the time passed pretty quickly and before you know it we were on our way back to Toronto, we were tired but very happy with our vacation. Our Sunwing flight was smooth and we had a smooth landing in Toronto. We were home in pretty good time. We certainly like Sunwing, it was our third time using them and even though the plane was delayed, we figured these things happen every airline, the price is right, so what can you say. The flight crew on both the flight to and from Manzanillo were just great and we certainly would use Sunwing again.
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Though the sand is dark grey, the beach is good.
Cubanacan Club Amigo Marea del Portillo
User Rating:
i_owl >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Dec, 2009 | Leisure | Solo
3 people found this review helpful
The hotel is okay and the service is pleasant. But the problem is very young prosititutes are allowed to be brought in as guests for some older customers. They kiss openly and behave seductively in public even before the children.
I will still go to Cuba for a vacation but definitly not this resort.
Rooms:
The room looks fairly clean but with some cockraches.
Restaurants and Bars:
The breakfast, lunch and dinner has fixed schedule, not 24hr.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Though the sand is dark grey, the beach is good.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
There are many out_of_resort activities from time to time and you need to pay.
Other Comments:
Overall, you can go there if you do not mind the prostitutes.
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The price was good and the resort was better than we expected..
Cubanacan Club Amigo Marea del Portillo
User Rating:
Elaine >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Oct, 2009 | Leisure | Family
3 people found this review helpful
...
Your Arrival
We had a mid morning arrival and when we got outside we were handed envelopes with our wrist bands and room keys, before we got on the bus to go to the resort...a very easy check in! There is a money exchange booth in the airport on the right hand side near the exit doors. You can also buy beer and pop outside...near where the buses park. The ride to the resort is long...at least an hour and a half, but the scenery is interesting. You can see the mountains from the airport and the resort is behind the mountains (and you go the long way around them)
Rooms
We booked the V.I.P. Cabanas (Marea del Portillo resort) We asked for the two top rooms closest to the main hotel..and thats what we got. The rooms were much nicer than I expected. Oceanfront, balcony, two comfortable double beds and very clean other than a stain on one of the chairs. The only problem we had with our rooms was no hot water (but we didn't even bother to tell them) and my daughter had a noisy airconditioner in her room, which they tried to fix. All in all we were quite pleased with our rooms. We didn't hear anyone complain about any of the rooms at the Marea resort.
Restaurants and Bars
The restuarant was okay. You can sit inside or outside. Go early as they run out of certain things. There wasn't a lot of variety and it was very repetative...but it was healthy and you won't starve. They usually have a variety of fruit, a few salads, rice, rice with beans, and more rice!! Pork, chicken and fish. Fresh bread, buns and butter and cake and baked custard for dessert.(You can also go to the restuarant at the Farallon resort). There is only one bar at the Marea resort...its right next to the pool. Service was fine...cups are small but they have a variety of drinks. You can also go to the bars at the Farallon section which is around a kilometer or less away. You can walk the beach to it or take the golf cart shuttle. You are allowed to use the services of both resorts. ***This was the only resort that I have been to where the staff really didn't bother you or hint for tips!!
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The pool was nice and had a deep end. The grounds were kept up and had lots of different flowers, plants, trees and bushes. The beach in front of Marea is huge and very long..kind of a brownish tan colored sand. The ocean was fun to swim in..but not clear. If you walk down the beach to the left it starts to get pebbly/rocky. You can find Cuban families down there if you like to bring gifts for them. The fishing village is down that way, but we never went that far.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We did almost every tour. The sunset cruise (booze cruise) was a lot of fun and it was a great way to meet a lot of people who were staying at the resort.
The party in the village in Pilon was okay...but not for everyone. Very hard to find a bathroom..there was one in a restaurant but we heard it was pretty bad. I heard most people just find a dark corner and go..lol.. We got tired of it after a while and wandered to the church and watched the service from outside..they were singing and dancing. We really enjoyed that even though we are not "church type people". They all came over to us and welcomed us when the service was over.
The jeep tour was fun...and the roads were really rough and terrible!! But it was great swimming in the waterfall. Great scenery also. Lunch is included..but we missed ours as the farmer didn't think we would come as it stormed the night before.(The tour rep gave us a partial refund because of that)
The tour to the city of Manzanillo and Bayamo was very, very long. Bayamo is a nice city and lunch was very good. Your first stop in Bayamo is at the Sierra Maestra Hotel...bathroom stop...yay!! Then you go for a horse and buggy ride around part of the city. It is a full day...and it seemed like most of it was spent on the bus, but you see lots of Cuban towns, villages and scenery. You can ask the tour guide to have the bus pull over and cut you some sugar can to chew on..Also..if you have to go to the bathroom...they will pull over...men go out to the front of the bus and ladies go behind the bus.
Cayo Blance island was great and so was the food. White sand and clear water. Just keep your eye out for jellyfish. Bring some cortisone cream just in case you get a sting. They also have a couple of kayaks there that you can use. You can go on the boat..about a kilometer off shore to snorkle at Cayo Blanco.
There is also another waterfall..sometimes the waterfall is dry but the pool is great to swim in.. it's near the resort..about a 25 minute walk down dirt roads, past farm houses. You can find a Cuban to guide you there if you walk down the beach to the left. You can also rent a guide and a horse at the resort and ride there.
If you go wandering a little ways in front of the resort you can usually find you a Cuban that will show you their house, farm animals, etc. etc. We really enjoyed that...just give them a few pesos or gifts...it means a lot to them.
Other Comments
You may read about older Canadian men going to the resort to hook up with young Cuban women. We didn't have a problem with this. The "couple" we met were very nice, polite and a lot of fun.
We loved this area of Cuba as it seems like the "real" Cuba ...compared to Varadero or Cayo Coco. We wanted an adventure and thats what we got. Don't just stick around the resort...get out and explore!!! We thought we might get a little bored at this resort...but we were busy and on the go every single day and really enjoyed ourselves!!! (us..56 year old mother and 29 year old daughter)
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