By Kateryna Ivchenko

Another Hola Sun’s annual FAM took place this past week and this time Travel Agents had an opportunity to be amongst the first professionals to explore Cuba’s newest vacation spots: Cayo Paredon and Cayo Cruz!

Over 30 Travel Agents joined the FAM which included inspections of the new properties in Cayo Paredon and Cayo Cruz, as well as visits to the most popular hotels in Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo, the itinerary also featured a new excursion to the city of Camaguey and the annual Destinos Gaviota show (Gaviota Travel Mart).

Cayo Paredon

The star of the trip was the newest vacation island designed exclusively for tourism sector – Cayo Paredon. Development of this new product started few years ago and WheelsUpNetwork already had a sneak peek at the first property built on the island – Cayo Paredon Grande now Woovo Cayo Paredon Grande.

Cayo Paredon is only 8.7 km2 and is part of the King’s Gardens Archipelago. The closest airport is Cayo Coco (CCC) located about 30 minutes away. The island is connected to the mainland by a causeway built in 1988.

Cayo Paredon has 7km of beaches and three hotels:

• Grand Aston Cayo Paredon Beach Resort - where Travel Agents and media stayed throughout the 7-day FAM trip
• Woovo Cayo Paredon Grande - managed by Swandor Hotels & Resorts
• Hotel Vila Galé Cayo Paredon (Portuguese hotel chain with 41 properties in Portugal and Brazil) - to open this November
• A fourth resort is being built right beside Grand Aston Paredon, which is supposed to be ready for summer 2024

Grand Aston Cayo Paredon Beach Resort

Hotel Vila Galé Cayo Paredon

The iconic lighthouse you can see on pretty much all images of this new island was built during the Spanish colonization (finished in 1859) and is still operational.

Another interesting fact about Cayo Paredon is that it has one of the biggest colonies of the pink flamingo all over the country.

Cayo Cruz

Cayo Cruz is a long and narrow key, about 25 km long with a total area of 32 sq.km. It is located in the Northern coast of Cuba and neighbours with Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo.

Cayo Cruz offers travellers white sandy beaches and amazing fishing spots. It is located 1 hour from the Cayo Coco Airport (CCC).

Currently, Hola Sun offers 4 hotels in the destination. Explore hotel offerings here. 

Valentin Cayo Cruz

Cayo Guillermo

Cayo Guillermo is another fantastic destination that has a lot to offer. This island is connected to Cayo Coco by a 500m long causeway which also showcases various monuments dedicated to Ernest Hemingway who spent quite some time in Cayo Guillermo and was inspired to write The Old Man and the Sea.

Cayo Guillermo offers 6 km of beaches, 9 hotels, and various aquatic activities through the marina. The most popular excursion on the island is a speed boat.

Gran Muthu Rainbow Cayo Guillermo

Cayo Guillermo Speed Boat

Another popular place that differentiates Cayo Guillermo from the other vacation spots is the Playa Pilar public beach. It is about 1km long and has been voted as one of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean. The reason being is the quality of the sand. It is so fine that it makes it look like powder. 

Playa Pilar Public Beach

Cayo Guillermo has one of the largest coral reefs in the keys, so snorkeling is a “must-do” activity!

See all hotel offerings here.

Cayo Coco

Cayo Coco is already a favourite place for many Canadian travellers. It is a second biggest island and the longest island in the Northern part of Cuba. After the Cuban revolution, the first hotel was built in Cayo Coco. The property was inaugurated by Fidel Castro on September 26, 1993, and at that time it was named Hotel Colonial Cayo Coco (now Muthu Colonial Cayo Coco). Currently the island offers 16 hotels.

Cayo Coco is well known for its fishing as it is surrounded by little swamps with salt water. The island has more than 1,500 kinds of species including wild pigs, dogs, horses, various fish etc.

La Cueva (The Cave)

Here’s another excursion that is guaranteed to surprise your clients. What if we told you that you can party in a Cave? Yes, Cayo Coco offers an installation called La Cueva which means “The Cave”. Every day from 10pm to 2am you have a chance to join other tourists and locals at the Cave Club and Bar. If you purchase the Cave vouches from Hola Sun team, you can enjoy local music, incredible cave interior and OPEN BAR which offers beers, rum, and other drinks. Pricing starts at $35 USD.

Camagüey

Camagüey is a city and municipality in Central Cuba. It has been founded in 1514 as Santa María del Puerto del Príncipe and has been named as Camagüey in 1993. It is one of the first cities founded in Cuba. The city historic center has a section that has been declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 2008.

Camagüey is also known as the “City of Churches and Squares”. Hugo Rocha, Hola Sun Holidays Sales Director said: “Camaguey offers travellers to experience the colonial way of life and take a trip back in time.”

WheelsUpNetwork is working on a complete Camagüey Tourist Guide to help you explore this one-of-a-kind destination.

Mr. Rocha also added: “Each Key (Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo, Cayo Cruz, Cayo Paredon and Cayo Santa Maria) has so much to offer Canadian travellers starting from stunning 5-star resorts to authentic Cuban experiences. Don’t forget that these islands have been developed for tourism industry and have everything you need to surprise your clients on their next trip.”

Hola Sun is celebrating 32 years of business. The company continues to offer Canadians perfect Cuba getaways with competitive prices, excellent service, and roundtrip fares. Cuba Specialist now offers 12 destinations with the island and over 190 hotels across Cuba.

Don’t forget about Hola Sun’s additional offerings like the Safety Ring Plan which allows your clients to cancel their trip 3 days before the departure, Travel Agent Loyalty Program which offers cash for each traveller booked with Hola Sun and Perks for Group Bookings.

Stay tuned for the Camaguey Travel Guide and Destinos Gaviota 2023 updates.