Accommodation

Sercotel Club Cayo Guillermo Claim

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Welcome to Kitesurfing Paradise, Sercotel Club, Cayo Guillermo, Cuba!

 

Sercotel Club, Sol Cayo Guillermo, Cuba, is one of the greatest kitesurfing spots in the Caribbean!

Sercotel Club resort accommodation and restaurants are divided into a common (less well maintained) area and a brand-new-looking adults-only area. If you are not staying at Sercotel for the kiteboarding you may be disappointed with the common area restaurant and accommodation.

The kiteboarding experience available along the Cayo Guillermo beach just in front of the Sercotel Club is absolutely extraordinary. We stayed from November 21-28, 2016, and had sufficient wind to kitesurf every single day. Only two light wind days required bigger 15m+ size kites. Every other day was good for 9-12m size kites.

The Cayo Guillermo beach is outstanding, all-of-it! Apparently, they recently imported sand, extending the width of the beach by about 30 yards (this extension is across the entire length of the beach, in front of all the resorts, along the stretch up to Play Pillar). Spacious white sand offers more than enough room for all kites, launching and landing. Cayo Guillermo is a kiteboarding DREAM beach – but, especially in front of Sercotel Club. We found kiters staying in the other resorts nearby all agreed that the best launch spot was right here.

There are 3 or 4 resorts along the Cayo Guillermo beach, but for beginning kiteboarders, Sercotel Club has the best location of them all as the ocean is very shallow, and smooth for about 30 yards out from the beach. When the tide is in the ocean in front of the other hotels can get deep, with waves and chop – making the learning curve a little more challenging for novices trying to stay upwind.


The Beach

The panorama in this listing shows the beach from last year. The beach is now MASSIVE! The beach has recently been filled in with about 30 yards of beautiful white sand reaching from the end of the grass/tree line to the beginning of the ocean. This new beach extends for miles, from Sercotel Club all the way up to Playa Pillar. There is space for hundreds of kites launching and landing all along the beachline.


The Secret Spot #1

The secret spot is visible from the Sercotel Club beach, you can sometimes see lots of other kiteboarders over there, but it can appear to be so far away from it has at times been mistaken for Cayo Coco. The secret spot is not, however, that far away.

About 200-300 yards out from the Sercotel Club beach is miles of very shallow, very flat, very soft water. This is the perfect place to practice kitesurf basics, as well as experiment with more extreme tricks, and get big air with jumps, etc. See the satellite map in the gallery. As a beginner, the challenge to getting to the secret spot is finding the courage to cross the channel. The channel is deep, and has a strong undercurrent, and if you lose your board you could be body dragging for 20-30 mins.

Also, the movement of the current appears to slow your wind speed – I think, your board is moving in the current along with the kite in the wind, so wind appears to die over the channel, and that can make it slow to cross and difficult for keeping upwind. As a result, the channel can be intimidating for beginners. But…

For those willing to risk crossing the channel the other side holds kiteboarding nirvana. For miles, the water is very shallow (knee to ankle deep, and sometimes less depending on the tide), very flat, and the ground underwater is in places very, very soft mud – perfect for practicing basic or advanced tricks. You’re not going to lose your board, need to body drag, or get hurt crashing into the water. So, go for it! Plus, with miles of kiteboarding nirvana there is more than enough space for anyone riding in the area. You’ll worry less about crossing lines, and spend all your time getting your flow on.


The Secret Spot #2

The second secret spot is on the other side of the bridge that you ride in on from the airport. The bridge blocks the wind and the waves, leaving the ocean flat as glass. You can ride zig, zag, across the ripple free water, in between, or over, all the mangroves. However, getting there is initially a bit tricky. You have to kite down to the bridge, then get out of the water and walk the kite over the bridge (keeping the kite in the air all the time) and be careful of any passing vehicles.

On the other side, where the water is so flat and smooth, be careful not to drop the kite, as re-launching from the surface can be tricky, since the bridge has blocked wind at the lower level. Kites can be relaunched – it’s not a show stopper. But, this secret spot is certainly not for the novices.


Why Sercotel Club is #1 Resort in Cayo Guillermo, Cuba, for Beginning Kitesurfers!

Since secret spot #1 is a distance from the main beach this is another reason why Sercotel Club has the best location of all the resorts in Cayo Guillermo. From Sercotel Club, getting to and from secret spot #1 takes a little time, and a little work depending on how well you can edge back upwind. Making the trip to secret spot #1 from Iberostar Daiquiri, the next nearest resort, requires more time, and a bigger commitment. Making the trip any of the other resorts further on up the main beach is probably unlikely for beginners. I would say that secret spot #1 is one of the best reason for beginners to kiteboard in Cayo Guillermo, and as such that makes Sercotel Club the #1 resort for beginners too.


Havana Kiteboarding Club

Right beside Sercotel Club is the Havana Kiteboarding Club. HKC offers IKO courses, kite trips, a kite village (accommodation) and holiday packages.

Havana Kiteboarding Club


Jet-Ski Support

One of the significant benefits of kitesurfing on the Cayo Guillermo beach is the jet-ski support. Lifeguards monitor the ocean from the beach using binoculars, and call in the jet-ski if they spot a kitesurfer in trouble. The service is not provided by the resorts. The service is provided by the nearby marina. You will likely be asked to pay $25 USD/week for the jet-ski support service. One of my friends, who had paid the 25 USD, was rescued when in distress. So, the service worked for him. I was in trouble, and really could have used jet-ski support on 3 different occasions during the week. But, they never came to help. That said, I learned to self-rescue as a result.

Update on Jet-Ski Support – after returning for another trip to Sercotel Club in March 2017 I found myself with a equipment malfunction while in the channel.  My entire kite deflated, and I couldn’t get back to shore.  Jet-Ski support never came to the rescue and I was visibly struggling for over an hour.  Eventually, I asked another kiterboarder to assist me, and we body dragged together back to shore.  When I discussed this with Jet-Ski officials the next day they said:

  • They do not work after 4pm.
  • They do not operate in the channel near the bridge.

Keep this in mind, and ask about the service conditions when Jet-Ski officials ask you to pay the $25 USD.


Wakeboarding Park (Coming Soon!)

Another incredible development is the construction of a wakeboarding cable-park (near secret spot #2) not very far from Secrotel Club. The park was expected to be operational by the end of April 2017. When the park officially opens expect Cayo Guillermo to become the most popular destination in Cuba for kiteboarding – as any no-wind days will become wakeboarding cable-park days, and there literally will be no rest for the wicked!

Google Rating
3.7

Complimentary With Booking

Free Airport Shuttle, All Inclusive

Peak Windy Season

January, February, March, April, November, December

Ideal Wind Direction

North-East, East

Suitable Kiteboarding Styles

Freestyle, Wakestyle, Big Air, Downwinders, Racing

Water Quality

Crystal Clear, Clean

Water Hazards

None

Beach Type

Sand

Beach Size

Long, Wide, Spacious

Beach Safety

Lifeguards, Jet-Ski Support

Kiter Popularity

Very Popular With Kiters

Public Popularity

A Few People Widely Spaced Apart

Arrival by Airplane

The peak season for flights to Cayo Coco is April, July and December. The low season for purchasing tickets is March, June and October. Cayo Coco is served by these airports: Jardines del Rey Airport. The price of airfare for Cayo Coco could fluctuate by more than 174%. Cayo Coco is in Cuba. The IATA code (ID) for this city is CCC. Time zone in Cayo Coco: -5 GMT. Tickets show local departure times.

Countries With Direct Flights to Cayo Coco:
Canada
Cities With Direct Flights to Cayo Coco:
Toronto
Airlines With Direct Flights to Cayo Coco:
  • United Airlines
  • American Airlines
  • Lufthansa
  • Turkish Airlines
  • Azul Airlines
  • JetBlue Airways
  • TAM Linhas Aereas
  • Air France
  • Air Canada
  • Alaska Airlines
Main Airports:
Cayo Coco is served by 1 main airport: Jardines del Rey Airport
Alternative Airports:
The following major cities and airports are near Cayo Coco and, if necessary, could take you to your destination:
  • Camaguey, Ign Agramonte International Airport is (138 km to Cayo Coco)
  • Santa Clara, Santa Clara Airport is (147 km to Cayo Coco)
  • Cienfuegos, Jaime Gonzalez Airport is (200 km to Cayo Coco)
  • Manzanillo, Sierra Maestra Airport is (281 km to Cayo Coco)
  • George Town, Exuma International Airport is (294 km to Cayo Coco)
  • Holguin, Frank Pais Airport is (296 km to Cayo Coco)

  • Address Cayo Guillermo, Jardines del Rey. Ciego de Avila, Cuba, Cayo Guillermo (Cayo Guillermo) - Cuba
  • qUAntUm k

    Reply
    Rating: 5 / 5
    Pros

    I loved Sercotel Club, Cayo Guillermo when we were there! We had wind everyday! And except for channel, the ocean water might be flat and shallow from Cayo Guillermo all the way to Cayo Coco. There is so much space to kite alone, to practice tricks, to experiment. P-R-O-G-R-E-S-S-I-O-N! The beach is big, white, sandy, spacious - perfect :) The resort is ok! The staff are nice. There is a disco with great djs. You can go to the bigger discos at the other resorts nearby. All inclusive, and can be had for very cheap if you buy at the right time! This resort is perfect for kiteboarders on a budget. Exceptional kitesurfing experience.

    Cons

    Some people didn't like the food. But, I liked it. There is no swim-up bar - which is nice to have. If you're not a kiteboarder then the resort can leave a lot to be desired.

  • Stef Pro

    Reply

    REVIEW on “Sercotel Club Cayo Guillermo” on 2018-05-22 23:25:14

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