Villa Cayo Saetia

“Bring a print-out”

The hotel had no idea about the internet receiot we produced for them. We almost didn’t get by the guard at the bridge. Bring a proper print-out of your voucher. This is something they will understand. We may have been swindled by a fake internet page, purporting to be representing Gala hotels. The… more

The hotel had no idea about the internet receiot we produced for them. We almost didn’t get by the guard at the bridge. Bring a proper print-out of your voucher. This is something they will understand. We may have been swindled by a fake internet page, purporting to be representing Gala hotels. The place is run by Gaviota. At any rate, they gave us a big room. There is a small swimming pool there and a pool table where you can play pool with the workers who are building more cabins. There is little else. There is internet there but they don’t sell ETECSA—cards. Bring some. Food: we were there in the mango season. You can eat them from the trees. The hotel doesn’t have much to offer but you can eat antilope. Fine local beach. Superb main beach. And you get to be there after the catamaran people have left. Loads of fish.

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“Something different!”

Cayo Saetia is a remarkable place, by most any standards. Where else in the Americas could you see water buffalo, camels, ostrich and antelope on a short jeep safari from your lodging? The jeep safari is $9 CUC per person for an hour; well worth it. We took a tour at 10:00 and the only animals we d… more

Cayo Saetia is a remarkable place, by most any standards. Where else in the Americas could you see water buffalo, camels, ostrich and antelope on a short jeep safari from your lodging? The jeep safari is $9 CUC per person for an hour; well worth it. We took a tour at 10:00 and the only animals we didn't see were zebras; possibly it was the wrong time of day for them. The 12 rooms are all in single bungalows (with 2 more being built) and are quite large. There are decks with chairs for sitting out front and back, depending on your sun or shade preference. Turkeys, peacocks and horses will wander around the grounds and maybe come and check you out. But you don't come to Cayo Saetia for the hotel - you come for the wildlife and the beach. There is a nice small private beach 5 minutes walk from the hotel and the larger main beach with restaurant/bar is a short drive farther up the coast. This can get a bit crowded when the catamaran day trippers arrive, but once they leave again it's wonderful. The restaurant at the Villa has an extensive menu for so small a place, including antelope, which of course I had to try. It was tasty - a bit like a cross between beef and lamb. However, it took over 90 minutes to arrive! The staff seemed to specialise in looking busy but accomplishing little. Next night we ordered chicken :-). The guide books all warn you that the road to Cayo Saetia is terrible, but we had no trouble in our small rental car and certainly found lots of other roads in Cuba that were in worse shape. It was well signposted and there is a guardhouse where they check your passport at the little causeway as soon as you get on the island.

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