Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo Vacations in Cuba
Before I booked, I didn’t realize that Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo are essentially just hotel strips. No town, no shops, and no Cubans… Except, of course, for those working at the resorts. There were plenty of excursions. But, with a baby in tow, I prefer to do our own thing on our own time. I don’t want the worry of throwing a busload of people off schedule. Plus, it’s enough to stay put in a resort for a week, we want to do at least a little exploring by ourselves.
So I’m glad I read about Playa Pilar, or Pilar Beach, before we went.
Getting to Playa Pilar
There’s a public bus that goes from resort to resort along Cayo Coco and then Cayo Guillermo, ending up at Playa Pilar. The fare is $5 CAD or USD or 5 Euro return, and kids are free. We expected a large coach, which all the tourists are carted around on. When a 16-passenger van pulled up, I gulped at our large beach bag and stroller. Somehow it all fit and we were on our (very bumpy) way.
*Note* the public relations person at our hotel mentioned that if the bus fills up at the resorts previous to yours, they simply won’t stop at your resort. You have no way of knowing if this will happen! Ours was 4th from the top so we took our chances. The ride from Cayo Coco to Playa Pilar took about an hour.
Arriving at Playa Pilar
Once you leave the bus, you walk along a wooden bridge for a fair bit, and when you come to the end, this is what you see:
Playa Pilar Is Worth the Trip
The sand is so very soft. And even though it was quite windy on the day we went, the slope into the water is so extensive that by the time the waves hit the shore they’re very gentle.
Apparently, on calmer days, small catamarans and glass bottom boats are there to take you out to the reef. Unfortunately we brought our lifejackets and snorkel gear for nothing.
The wind was cool, but that made the water seem warmer.
Facilities and Food at Playa Pilar
Lounge chairs are $10 for the day, which includes three drinks.
The washrooms and showers are very clean. Bring your own TP or tip the lovely lady for some toilet paper.
My almost-9-month-old found the sand quite delicious (in spite of my best efforts!). There’s a restaurant there in case you fancy a snack, a beer, an ice cream, or a coffee.
Note that there is very little to no natural shade at Playa Pilar. You will want to bring a baby beach tent or travel beach umbrella.
Returning back to the hotel…
You’re given a schedule for the return bus trips to the resorts.
I was a little concerned about what would happen if there were too many people to fit on the bus back, but the woman assured me that we’d be fine. Sure enough, a large coach came for the final departure at 5pm, and we returned back at our hotel by 6.
The beach at our resort was lovely, but Playa Pilar was a great little escape for the day.
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