Cayo Santa Maria: Cuba’s new island paradise

Bustling metropolises and colorful vintage cars, salsa rhythms and the scent of a Cohiba: Cuba is a Caribbean dream destination. / Cayo Santa Maria

An enchanting Cuban holiday destination has now come a little closer to us: Cayo Santa Maria, one of the three islands of the Los Cayos de Villa Clara archipelago off Cuba’s north coast, can be reached much more quickly thanks to direct flight connections – and is therefore a new dream location for beach holidaymakers.

With effect from March 2019, Eurowings will be flying once a week non-stop to Santa Clara International Airport exclusively on behalf of tour operator FTI from both Munich and Düsseldorf. The cumbersome journey to this beautiful holiday region via Havana or Varadero is no longer necessary. Thanks to a 48-kilometre-long causeway, Cayo Santa Maria can then be easily reached by transfer bus in around one and a half hours. Our video gives an initial overview of the attractions awaiting guests there:

Quiet bathing paradise for connoisseurs

Cayo Santa Maria is not only famous for sports and fun, but also for particularly quiet, white sandy beaches and clear turquoise water. This ensures a perfect holiday feeling far away from the hustle and bustle of Havana and Varadero. Compared to other bathing destinations in Cuba, this archipelago is much less densely built. Vacationers looking for peace and relaxation will always find a secluded spot there.

You can take endless, undisturbed walks along the miles of beaches – it can hardly be more beautiful for romantics and honeymooners. And in the evening it’s all about enjoying good food, salsa and mojitos.

All top hotels right on the beach

In addition, the island has an extremely modern infrastructure. Cayo Santa Maria stands for a completely new hotel quality in Cuba. There are no fewer than 15 hotels to choose from in the FTI portfolio, including the LABRANDA Cayo Santa Maria, a freshly renovated offshoot of its own hotel brand.

Other absolute top addresses are houses from Iberostar, Melia, Ocean and Dhawa, all of which are also without exception on the beach – there is a higher quality hotel offer nowhere else in Cuba.

After bathing, get a strong taste of culture

I can also ideally combine relaxing on the dream beach with excursions into Cuban culture. For example, tours to the city of Cienfuegos, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with its historic center, can be booked. The town of Santa Clara is a pilgrimage destination for all fans of the revolutionary Che Guevara, who found his final resting place there.

The unique nature around the town of Colon with its tobacco fields is also worth a trip – and maybe you can visit a cigar factory on the way, where you can buy cheap, high-quality smoking goods as souvenirs.