Caleta Buena, Playa Giron: Address, Caleta Buena Reviews: 4.5/5
Caleta Buena
Caleta Buena
4.5
About
Suggested duration
More than 3 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingFull view
The area
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Attractions
1 within 6 miles
Contribute
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
328 reviews
Excellent
168
Very good
104
Average
38
Poor
9
Terrible
9
Asiyah Noemi K
Pula, Croatia4,675 contributions
Jul 2017 • Family
Wonderful place to spend a day. Located in the Zapata Peninsula just over 2 hours from Varadero, the Playa Giron is a popular destination for divers, with crystal clear waters full of coral, all kinds of fish in beautiful colors, sponges and a wide variety of sea life. It's so peaceful place and was not crowded. The water is clear and warm, the right place to enjoy. The restaurant is excellent and the food is varied and very tasty. The staff was wonderful. Interestingly, the village of Girón was named after the notorious French pirate Gilberto Giron. We are stopt at the Playa Giron Museum on the way home, so we had a very nice day, in good company and with good Cuban music.
Written May 29, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Rejsefugl
Copenhagen, Denmark92 contributions
Apr 2019 • Friends
Caleta Buena is all inclusive snorkeling, sunbathing and diving spot. (Diving is at additional cost.)
Opening hours: 10:00 - 17:00
The entrance is 15 CUC and following are included:
- Lunch buffet between 12:30 - 15:00
- All you can drink, incl. alcohol cocktails from 10:00 - 17:00
- Sunbeds
- Toilets
I don’t know how good the diving is, but the snorkeling was all right. Lots of coral fishes, although the corals were not the most colorful.
The snorkeling is by a rock/reef wall - very easy to access and pretty decent.
There is also a pond where there is plenty of fish that can be seen without snorkeling gear. Especially if you throw a bit of bread. If you hold the bread, the fish will even eat from your hand. Be careful though, they have teeth 😆.
The area is closed of from the waves, which makes the snorkeling very easy and child-friendly.
The place itself is very picturesque.
To get there: Take the shuttle bus in front of the Playa Giron hotel at 9:30 for 3 CUC (return).
You will get the ticket for the return trip.
The bus returns at 2:30 and 4:30.
We stayed later, but I don’t recommend - unless you have arranged for a taxi ahead of time, as there is no transportation from Caleta Buena besides the shuttle bus.
Opening hours: 10:00 - 17:00
The entrance is 15 CUC and following are included:
- Lunch buffet between 12:30 - 15:00
- All you can drink, incl. alcohol cocktails from 10:00 - 17:00
- Sunbeds
- Toilets
I don’t know how good the diving is, but the snorkeling was all right. Lots of coral fishes, although the corals were not the most colorful.
The snorkeling is by a rock/reef wall - very easy to access and pretty decent.
There is also a pond where there is plenty of fish that can be seen without snorkeling gear. Especially if you throw a bit of bread. If you hold the bread, the fish will even eat from your hand. Be careful though, they have teeth 😆.
The area is closed of from the waves, which makes the snorkeling very easy and child-friendly.
The place itself is very picturesque.
To get there: Take the shuttle bus in front of the Playa Giron hotel at 9:30 for 3 CUC (return).
You will get the ticket for the return trip.
The bus returns at 2:30 and 4:30.
We stayed later, but I don’t recommend - unless you have arranged for a taxi ahead of time, as there is no transportation from Caleta Buena besides the shuttle bus.
Written April 29, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Asaf S
Barcelona, Spain213 contributions
Jul 2017 • Friends
I guess many of those reviewing this place compare it to Punta Perdiz (PP) which is about 18 km from this place. It also seems that for many the reasons for having a better day at one place is random and cannot be generalized.
For us the day at the Caleta Buena was a perfect day. The place was busy, but not crowded. The lines at the bars were relatively short and since there were 4 of us, someone was on a line at any moment for all 4 of us (too many Mojitos to count).
The dive center and the dive itself were much better here, with William as the dive master and two Cuban young men going for the dive. At PP, there were like 40 divers, 35 of them were on intro dives, which makes it very crowded in the water and one more likely to see a diver's fin than a fish.
At CB, we took a short boat ride past the reef and basically dived along the wall back to the Caleta wall for boat pick up.
Boat immersion is 35 CUC, if you take two dives they may offer a small discount.
Food: don't have high expectations and all will be fine. There is a lot of food for everyone, lots of vegetables and salad, which is great for me. Again this is Cuba not Club Med (even though they seem to cost about the same).
Tip 1: If you don't like the sun that much, come early, there are a bunch of chairs under the trees which offers shade even in July
Tip 2: There is a Cubancan bus around 9am from Playa Giron, its 3 CUC for the round trip, keep your am receipt to get on the bus ride back.
For us the day at the Caleta Buena was a perfect day. The place was busy, but not crowded. The lines at the bars were relatively short and since there were 4 of us, someone was on a line at any moment for all 4 of us (too many Mojitos to count).
The dive center and the dive itself were much better here, with William as the dive master and two Cuban young men going for the dive. At PP, there were like 40 divers, 35 of them were on intro dives, which makes it very crowded in the water and one more likely to see a diver's fin than a fish.
At CB, we took a short boat ride past the reef and basically dived along the wall back to the Caleta wall for boat pick up.
Boat immersion is 35 CUC, if you take two dives they may offer a small discount.
Food: don't have high expectations and all will be fine. There is a lot of food for everyone, lots of vegetables and salad, which is great for me. Again this is Cuba not Club Med (even though they seem to cost about the same).
Tip 1: If you don't like the sun that much, come early, there are a bunch of chairs under the trees which offers shade even in July
Tip 2: There is a Cubancan bus around 9am from Playa Giron, its 3 CUC for the round trip, keep your am receipt to get on the bus ride back.
Written July 31, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Julio C.
Tampa, FL5 contributions
Dec 2020 • Couples
The beach was great but the experience and the people were the worst. First they charged us $20 to enter an we later found out that the cost was $15. Everything about this place and the people that work here was bad. The food was also very bad and they didn’t have any equipment on the diving center. The place is full of bees and packed with locals drinking and screaming to each other.
Written December 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
VladUA
Kharkiv, Ukraine366 contributions
Nov 2019
A good snorkeling spot even for those who can't swim (it is me :) I saw so many fishes spinning around me. And an underwater cave spot is unique! I liked the visit here, though it is a 4 hour drive from Varadero. And the beach facilities are very 'cuban'. Nevertheless I would recommend it for visiting.Don't forget to bring coral shoes with you!
Written January 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Carla Sofia
6 contributions
Mar 2019 • Couples
My husband and I arrived on our bicycles two hours before they close and upon our arrival, one guy immediately approached us saying that if we want our bicycles to be taken care off, we should pay him. Beforehand, we knew that the car park is free of charge, especially for bicycles. We then went to the Calleta Buena's entrance and the guy who was at the entrance said that we had to pay entrance fees for the last two hours, when we were told by locals that if you dont want to have all inclusive, the entrance is free. At this point, the kitchen was also closed so the only things we could do is catching some sun and drink. I asked for the entrance price list since I could only see the all-inclusive price. Of course, they did not have one so I asked him to take me to the manager, who said that we both had to pay the all-inclusive price even if we only had two hours and the kitchen was already closed. The worst part of this all was their arrogant and extremely aggressive behavior towards us. They were also physically aggressive because the entrance guy did not let us park the bicycles inside Calleta Buena just until we sort this out. Overall, it was the worst experience in Cuba in terms of people, service and scams and if I could give a negative score, I would just to show how bad it was. If you go there without an excursion, just be careful with the people in Calleta Buena.
Written April 17, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
83mandy53
Tring, UK70 contributions
Aug 2016
No sand in most areas
Dirty broken sun beds if you found one
Bees everywhere
Rubbish everywhere
Food - well I couldn't call it that
Toilets not fit for man or beast with no seat, lock, paper, but plenty of poo EVERWHERE even in the sink.
Dirty broken sun beds if you found one
Bees everywhere
Rubbish everywhere
Food - well I couldn't call it that
Toilets not fit for man or beast with no seat, lock, paper, but plenty of poo EVERWHERE even in the sink.
Written August 28, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
MSM923
Lafayette Hill, PA131 contributions
Dec 2018 • Family
Sorry, but I cannot in good conscience give this attraction more than 3 stars. On the plus side, it is a good value, the water is beautiful, and we enjoyed our snorkeling immensely.
On the minus side, though, the food buffet was poor. None of the five of us could find much that appealed to us and we ended up eating a lot of bread just to have enough to eat. The drinks, while included, are served in tiny cups. For example, after the bartender poured my beer, the bottle remained two-thirds full. I wasn't trying to drink a lot, but giving me an entire beer didn't seem like an unreasonable expectation. One-third of a beer felt ridiculous.
The snorkeling equipment shack ran out of equipment by the time we arrived just before lunch. Fortunately, later that afternoon we were able to get a couple of sets that had been returned and took turns in the water. Without the snorkeling, it really would have been a wasted day.
On the minus side, though, the food buffet was poor. None of the five of us could find much that appealed to us and we ended up eating a lot of bread just to have enough to eat. The drinks, while included, are served in tiny cups. For example, after the bartender poured my beer, the bottle remained two-thirds full. I wasn't trying to drink a lot, but giving me an entire beer didn't seem like an unreasonable expectation. One-third of a beer felt ridiculous.
The snorkeling equipment shack ran out of equipment by the time we arrived just before lunch. Fortunately, later that afternoon we were able to get a couple of sets that had been returned and took turns in the water. Without the snorkeling, it really would have been a wasted day.
Written January 8, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Lim A
Miami, FL122 contributions
May 2016 • Friends
I visited this place about 3 to 4 times when I was a local tour guide. I took groups there to spend the day. It's one of the most beautiful places you can visit in Cuba. For 15.00 CUC you can spend the whole day in the place and the cover includes open bar, buffet restaurant and the snorkelling gear. The cove is very safe and the water is crystal clear. You can snorkel there and see a lot of beautiful fish. I can't wait to go back.
Written April 6, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Nathan W
1 contribution
Feb 2017 • Business
All I wanted was to have a good time snorkeling with my friends. The first mistake was when my tour leaders made me snorkel with them. This whole fiasco could have been avoided. The part where Caleta Buena's service comes in is that they DIDN'T GIVE ME FLIPPERS! An essential thing for snorkeling. As I went to rest on a rock as most of my group was doing I couldn't help but feel a sharp pain in my foot. A pain only similar to that of my Spanish teacher telling me my art didn't have symbolism when in fact she was the one that was lacking something which was knowledge. Anyway I swam back to shore and could not kick because of my foot. The needles were still in my foot over a month later. They deprived me of being able to fully embrace the experience and are not professional at all. The only reason they got a star at all was the water was fairly clear.
Written April 5, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
martin_cba84
Province of Cordoba, Argentina48 contributions
Recordas donde alquilaste las bicicletas y el precio?.. muchas gracias.
Moxie_Million
Phoenix, AZ
Mi pregunta es hay parqueo para los visitantes? Y puedes llevar merienda?
Hay cobertura para acceder a internet desde el movil ?
Laura A
San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina118 contributions
No, yo al menos no tuve cobertura mientras estuve ahÃ. Y no averigüé si habÃa wifi, pero me parecerÃa q no.
Justine
5 contributions
Hello, is there nothing to eat served before 12:30? Thank you!
Dra Zoraida.Hostal Litoral Calentón
Playa Larga, Cuba7 contributions
Hola!! Caleta Buena es un "Todo IncluÃdo "del gobierno..abre a las 9.0 AM y cierra a las 5.0 PM..Antes de las 12 del dia puedes consumir refresco.. cerveza..y cócteles a libre demanda ó sea todo cuánto desees ..El precio es 15 .0 CUC por persona . Después de las 12 del dÃa comienza en el restaurante el servicio de mesa bufet.Al igual que las bebidas puedes comer cuánto desee y por supuesto continuar consumiendo bebidas.. Si deseas elegir entre el Todo Incydr Punta Perdiz y el de Caleta Buena .. escogerÃa Caleta Buena .. Aunque los dos tienen excelente atractivo natural ..el servicio de Restaurante es mucho mejor en Caleta Buena
Quiero reservar como lo he de hacer?
Malibu H
182 contributions
Hola Mileydis!
No sé necesita reservacion, el lugar es grande y hay bastante espacio. Siempre hemos llegado sin reservación y nunca hemos tenido problemas para entrar.
Lo recomiendo mucho, no pierda la oportunidad de ir.
Saludos
Jennifer P
Hackensack, NJ15 contributions
Where can I purchase a ticket for snorkeling or diving? & approximately how much will it be?
Are there sea turtles, sharks, or any other marine animals I can see underwater?
Asiyah Noemi K
Pula, Croatia4,675 contributions
Good day, no dive ticket is required. In the sea you can see a variety of corals, fish of all kinds of colors, if you are lucky you can see turtles, sharks difficult to find.
galuremarche
Clermont-Ferrand, France40 contributions
pouvez vous me dire ou vous avez pris votre reservation, comment vous êtes vous déplacés? merci
Anne C
Reims, France23 contributions
Bonjour. Nous avons dormi à Playa Giron en casa particular. Nous avions un chauffeur . Il nous y a conduit (10km pas plus) et est resté la journée avec nous . Seuls les étrangers paient un forfait de 15 CUC /personne pour la journée incluant les chaises longues et un déjeuner sous forme de buffet . C’est bien pour un ou 2 jours mais pas une semaine. Playa Giron n’a pas d’autre intérêt que son Musee . Ou si vous aimez plonger pour varier car il y a des spots de plongée entre Playa Larga et Playa Giron. Bon séjour .
vale238
Alessandria, Italy83 contributions
Ciao, i 15 CUC sono da pagare se si vuole noleggiare l'ombrellone ecc.. o sono solo per l'accesso? Io ci arriverò nel tardo pomeriggio, non mi va di pagare per giornata intera però mi piacerebbe passare per vederla.
Grazie!
Cognatintrip
Province of Florence, Italy188 contributions
Noi siamo arrivati intorno alle 16.30 e non abbiamo pagato l'ingresso. Quindi ti consiglio di andare verso quell'ora. La spiaggia ne vale un passaggio.
754jaehyunj
1 contribution
Can I borrow snokeling vests there and how much is for the rent?
Dick T
Kamloops, Canada9 contributions
Are there casas particulars in this area?
11clotildej
Paris6 contributions
Caleta buena area is wild. The village PLAYA GIRON is 10 km away with a local bus (3 CUC) which goes to the Caleta in the morning (9 am approx), and returns in the afternoon (around 4 pm). Lot of casas in the village, and some restaurants. You can also cycle or drive to the Caleta (dirty road, but in good shape).
Frequently Asked Questions about Caleta Buena
- Hotels near Caleta Buena:
- (5.01 mi) Casa Particular Mario Garcia Rodriguez Mayito
- (5.02 mi) Hostal Luis
- (4.99 mi) Hostal El Castillito
- (5.05 mi) Hostal Moya
- (5.44 mi) Ivette and Niñito's Casa Particular