Cameleon Jibacoa

First the negative. One night there was small ants in some of the deserts they served for supper. Also the same night I got a piece of wire in the cubed beef. The buffet is very limited, smallest I've seen in Cuba in over 20 years, but there was always something to eat, so don't let that put you off. Deserts ran out quickly as did glasses at the lobby bar. Well I was there, the fins and masks were in short supply for guests, but more where on order. At night some of the sidwalks are not well lit in some areas, and there are broken spots. If you were an older person, you'd need to be careful.

The positive. Staff were great, all very warm and friendly, room cleaners did a great job. Lobby staff would do what they could to help. I'd recommend the lobby bar when Ruddy and Daniel where on duty. They both took such pride in their mixed drinks. Ask for a spanish coffee or a chocolate monkey from either of them and your in for a treat just watching them make it. Rooms have 220 and 110 volts, hair dryers, showers only with a safety box in room for 2 CUC per day extra. The lobby staff will exchange money during the day, so there is no real need to do so at the airport.

The resort is spread out on a good size property so it never felt crowded, and there were always beach and pool chairs available. Its not a great beach for swimming because of the coral in close but its absolutely wonderful for snorkelling with different coral formations and lots of colourful fish. You may want to consider bringing beach shoes to protect your feet if your going for a swim. Unfortunately your at the mercy of the ocean and the winds, so I only got snorkelling 1½ days out of a weeks stay. Bring an underwater camera if you come. The resort guests seem to averaged around 50 to 55 years and it's the warmest group of people I've ever met anywhere. Its not a party resort, most people are there to relax or snorkel. If you snorkel straight out from the pool area, you'll find a large grotto filled with larger fish. Bottom line, I'd go back for the warm people and amazing snorkelling. Cuban people are always so warm and friendly.

My husband and I went to Cuba on March 31/07 for 1 week for the first time.
Little bungallow they put us in was very nice. Spaces, 2 single beds, TV, little fridge and for 10 pasos a safe. Table and 2 chairs on the littele patio outside was godsent. Ocean and sand, no concrete jungle there. Everybody nice, polite, helpfull, and no americans. Small resort, most guests middle aged like us. All the suvenirs we bought from Danny were skillfully crafted. Trips to Havana were nice.
I am not just saying all thet, we are going again this April.
If you want to rest, swim, snorkell, and have a really nice time, go to this small inexpensive resort. You will not regret it.
Donna

A friend and I (early 40's) just spent a week (13 - 20 Jan. 2008) here.

So many of the reviews before me are so comprehensive, I won't repeat them, but add things where my take may differ or things or haven't yet been covered.

That you can spend a week abroad (all included), at a lovely beach, with lots to see and do for the price it costs to stay here, is crazy. It's no 5-star, but if you have any idea how much holidays cost, you can see that you're getting a great deal at Villas Jibacoa.

I have difficulty understanding people's claim the food is bland and the selection is small, unless these have improved markedly since others' reviews. It is not a Canadian selection of dishes and is spiced differently - they don't have grilled steak and baked potatoes if that's what you're expecting, but there are two or three new main courses both lunch and dinner every day - red snapper, rabbit, grilled chicken, etc, etc. along with the standard dishes - pasta, pizza & salad.

There is dressing for salads (again, not Newman's Own, but dressing all the same).

There is hand soap in the rooms - no washcloths.

Ping pong paddles & balls, tennis racquets & balls, snorkles and flippers, hobbie cats & kayaks... are all available. A deposit of 10 CUC is required for your beach towel and you'll pay 14 CUC (non-refundable) for your room safe. (1 CUC is about CDN$1.10 at the moment.)

There are no bicycles on the resort, but some are available next door at Breezes, as are scooters - to rent on your own or as part of a guided tour. Book early, as it fills quickly, though we found turning up on the morning of the tour we got on because people didn't show up. We did three scooter tours that lasted 3 hours each, at 18 CUCs per scooter - one to Bacunagaya bridge and a couple of coastal sites and a village, one around nearby Santa Cruz and one through Hershey town. My fave was the first, because it was more in the countryside, but each had its merits. It was a fun and cheap way to spend a morning when the sun was shining but the red flag was up meaning no swimming.

If we'd gone strictly for the snorkling, we might have been disappointed, as there were as many red flag days as green. It rained two half-days and was grey for all of both of those days. The rest of the time it was sunny. The temps for the whole week were mid to high 20s.

Though our room, as other areas of the resort, was 'tired', everything is kept clean and functioning. Our air-con didn't work when we arrived, but they fixed it right away and were readying to move us if it wasn't fixable.

The noise from the 'disco' was very loud in our room (104) and went on til about 2 am most nights. This may have been because there was a large number of younger people when we arrived. With the aircon on and earplugs in, it didn't cause a problem, but if you are trying to sleep rather than boogie, you might want to ask for a room closer to reception where you can't hear the noise.

The general pleasantness of the staff was no surprise, but it was a delight that the guests included such a high proportion of lovely people. It makes a big difference when there's a positive community feel to things. Of course this is entirely dependent on who turns up the same time as you.

This hotel was very last minute for us. You get what you pay for and always remember you dont go to Ciba for the food.

Food very drab. Breaskfast was the only meal we enjoyed as we could see it being cooked. Otherwise it was basically the same menue daily, just presented differenrtly.

Room was not bad. We had a few minor problems which were dealth with promptly. The shower was not clean. Even after pointing out the mould to the maids, nothing got done.

Beach and sand wer excellent. Water was beautiful. We spent the whole week on the beach. Crowds were tiny and the whole scene was perfect for our wants.

Bars were ok. Service normal. All mixed drinks were made from crushed ice and syrup. Not the best I have tasted.