Hotel Club Amigo Marea del Portillo ***

The 3 star All Inclusive Hotel Marea del Portillo is located in the Sierra Maestra National Park and is part of the Marea del Portillo beach hotel complex together with Hotel Farallon del Caribe. It is ideal for those who wish to enjoy themselves in a harmonious setting of sea and mountains. Marea del Portillo, at the Cuba's very southeastern corner, is about as remote a beach resort as you can find in Cuba. The hotel complex and nearby ramshackle fishing village of Marea del Portillo occupy a ... See morebroad bay framed by foothills of the Sierra Maestra, which form a rain shadow. This is Cuba's dry quarter, and cactus stud the parched earth. While the setting is stunning, the beach is gray-brown sand, and you're out in the boondocks and thus totally dependent on the two resort hotels here. Forget city life! The beachfront Club Amigo went up two decades ago to serve budget travelers. A more upscale hilltop property, the newer Farallon del Caribe, was run as a separate hotel. In 2007 the two hotels were amalgamated and visitors can now choose between the two distinct sections. The beachfront Soviet-inspired architecture has been spruced up with fresh paint, and the airy lobby and glass-walled restaurant with bamboo furniture are attractive. The mainly buffet menu here disappoints, but you're a captive audience. Animaciones (organized activities) are offered around the noisy swimming pool, also the venue for the evening's cabaret-themed entertainment. The Farallon has the best views across the bay towards the Sierra Maestra, although the ten-minute hike to the beach is via a flight of steps. Hence, the cliff-face swimming pool with swim-up bar can get packed. And its choice of restaurants offers greater variety than at the beachfront hotel. The beach disco cranks up after 11pm and is a great place to learn some Cuban moves. The accommodations are ocean-view at the beachfront section, with 70 air-conditioned rooms in two-story blocks, plus 56 bungalows. Furnishings here are spartan and worn – another reason to opt for the hilltop Farallon section, although the furnishings here are also overdue for upgrading. Both sections have modern bathroom fittings. However, solar panels installed in 2007 at the beachfront section don't seem up to the job of guaranteeing hot water. The big draw is superb scuba diving. The hotel has an on-site dive outlet offering certification, and there are kayaks and Hobi-Cats. And the sportfishing and local excursions are worthwhile. If all you want is a cheap vacation in the company of mostly Canadian package vacationers, go for it. The resort is 100 km from Manzanillo international airport, and the road going west around the mountains is adequately maintained. This is the recommended route for "normal" people. The more adventurous can "try" the coast road from Santiago de Cuba, which is a brutal 2 hour real roller-coaster but offering spectacular views and experiences. If you self-drive it, the whole way successfully, you are a skillful driver, brave/loco and lucky. Sea and river erosion often make it impassable.