playa Santa Lucia
Villa Tararaco, playa Santa Lucia
Villa Tararaco, playa Santa Lucia Villa Tararaco, playa Santa Lucia
Playa Los Cocos - ranchon : snacks & bar Playa Los Cocos - ranchon : snacks & bar • La Boca casas La Boca casas
VILLA TARARACO
ESCUELA DE HOTELERIA SANTA LUCIA
30 rooms + one suite
Last property in line on the sea on avenida Tararaco) which can be reached from Camaguey 72 km or Nuevitas 34 km. Tel. (32) 33-6310 gema@ehtstl.co.cu
gerente@tararaco.stl.cyt.cu
aloja@tararaco.stl.cyt.cu

Directora: Marla Carvajal Milanés
eht@sunnet.stl.cyd.cu
Lovely place (and best-value-for-money beach hotel in Cuba) cross-shaped with a lovely outdoor dining area and bar in the center is quite commendable even without a pool : after all, we are on a beach. Pleasant marine atmosphere, kind — albeit learning — staff.

As
Tararaco is also a hotel school, the rooms are cheaper. Each has a terrace and air conditioning. In summer (April to October) the place is full to the hilts : forget it. In winter (2009-2010 rates), the room costs 25cuc for single, double is 35cuc ; 10-12cuc dinners, breakfasts 3cuc. At Cuatro Vientos next door, scuba diving courses and trips for 30cuc.

As Santa Lucia has only
all-inclusive hotels, you can buy a bracelet daily (food and drinks) to all-you-can eat and drink: 15cuc from 9 am-6 pm or 25cuc to 23h00. We are told that management tolerates clients inviting Cubans to their rooms.

Although all properties are on a strech of nice beach, Santa Lucia's best beach option is at the end of the peninsula on
playa Los Cocos (see map) and you can get there (if you're too friggin' lazy to walk, duh) by the pedraplen (or lakeside) road which is rather pock-marked; otherwise, take the little shuttle train that runs by the hotels or rent a scooter (15-20cuc per day).

From the end of Los Cocos at the beach bar, one can see private cabanas (on the horizon of photo above) of
La Boca) belonging to Cubans from Camaguey who use them mainly as summer cottages; a small community of Santa Lucia resort employees also live there. For evenings, go to Mar Verde Centro Cultural between Club Santa Lucia and Club Caracol pretty local Cubans (some looking for company) meet after hours with hotel staff.

You do the math. Singles 40cuc for a day, fed, housed, refreshed and - who knows - seduced; couples 32.50 cuc per person (65cuc). Cheap ... take advantage of this deal while it lasts and most importantly, keep it to yourself. You have read it here first.
SCUBA DIVING
From Santa Lucía there are some 37 dive sites, of which the 5 best vary in depth from 20 to 30 meters. Certification ACUC. The Shark's Friends dive center Santa Lucia is on the main peninsula road Avenida Tararaco, Playa Santa Lucía. Photos here or here. Tél. (32) 36-5182 email: shark_friends@nautica.stl.cyt.cu
Mapa playa Santa Lucia

Updated 18.09.2015