Latest News | Cayo Largo, Cuba

LATEST NEWS (new hotels, new tourist attractions or facilities, changes, etc.)

June 21, 2022 – Sunwing and Blue Diamond Resorts, which have secured exclusive operating rights to Cayo Largo for the Canadian market, announce that the destination will be available again from November 2022. Sunwing will offer direct flights to Cayo Largo from Montreal starting November 1st, and from Quebec starting December 20th.
June 21, 2022 – The Sunwing Group will not only manage all hotels on the island, but also all restaurants and bars, as well as the marina.
June 21, 2022 – Sunwing will have an exclusive international import license, which will allow them to import food from Canada and other countries such as, potentially, Italy or Spain.
June 21, 2022 – Blue Diamond Resorts announce the upcoming construction of a Royalton hotel in Cayo Largo.
June 21, 2022 – Most of the existing hotels are changing names for the re-opening in November 2022:
- Bella Isla Resort (ex. Playa Blanca) becomes: Grand Memories Cayo Largo
- Villa Bellarena becomes: Sanctuary at Grand Memories Cayo Largo (adults only)
- Cayo Largo Del Sol (formerly Sol Cayo Largo) becomes: Memories Cayo Largo
- Hotel Pelicano becomes: Starfish Cayo Largo
- Villa Iguana bungalow section becomes: Villa Caprice
- Villa Iguana hotel section becomes: Villa Natura (open to the LGBTQ+ community)
- Villa Marinera becomes Villa Marina
- Hotel Isla Del Sur becomes: Villa Serena
- Villa Lindamar becomes: Villa Linda Mar
- Villa Coral keeps the same name
- Villa Soledad keeps the same name
May 2022 : The Canadian hotel chain Blue Diamond Resorts (belonging to the Sunwing Group) and the Cuban Gran Caribe Group will joinly manage the entire tourist pole of Cayo Largo, including all hotels and non-hotel facilities. the start of Blue Diamond’s operations, planned for the winter season 2022-2023, will take place gradually to the extent that the facilities and installations are validated by the standards of the brand.
December 10, 2020 : Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel announced the elimination of their dual currency system (CUC and CUP) as of January 1, 2021. In other words, the definitive removal of the CUC (Cuban convertible peso) in favor of the CUP (Cuban peso) which will have a single exchange rate of 24 CUP for 1 US dollar.
November 2020 : The hotel Sol Cayo Largo will no longer be managed by Melia Hotels International. It will now be managed by it's owner, the Cuban hotel group Gran Caribe, under the name: Cayo Largo del Sol.
March 2020 : All hotels were closed in mid-March for an indefinite period due to the pandemic caused by the Covid-19 virus.
February 2020 – The airport has been closed for about a week to fix its runway.
Fall 2019 – Hotel Sol Cayo Largo will be closed from September to November inclusively.
Summer 2019 – Hotel Pelicano is closed from May 5 to October 31 for renovations.
March 2019 – Opening of a new pool (Piscina Capricho) with a new pool bar (Snack bar La Diana) at hotel Villa Iguana. This new pool is also accessible to adult guests from the Bella Isla Resort with complimentary shuttle (4 minutes by electric cart).
November 1, 2018 – Reopening of the Bella Isla Resort, formerly known as Iberostar Playa Blanca, Hotel Playa Blanca, and Barcelo Cayo Largo.
November 2018 – Opening of the Ranchon Los Pinos near the Bella Isla Resort and Villa Bellarena. It's accessible (all-inclusive) to guests from both these hotels. This new ranchon style bar is accessible via footpaths then a long footbridge, or, with a complimentary shuttle (3 minutes by electric cart).
October 2018 – Opening of the new Ranchon Las Caletas at Hotel Isla del Sur.
Summer 2018 – The Playa Blanca Hotel is closed for major renovations and the addition of new services. It will reopen on November 1st under a new name, Bella Isla Resort, and will no longer be managed by the Iberostar hotel group, but by the Grupo Hotelero Gran Caribe, which owns the property.
May 2017 – From now on, the Villa Bellerena (wooden villas next to Hotel Playa Blanca) will be offered by Canadian tours operators. This section was previously reserved exclusively for Italian tourists.
November 2016 – Opening of the new Villa Iguana hotel. This hotel had been closed for 15 years due to its almost complete destruction during Hurricane Michelle on November 4, 2001. It was rebuilt and expanded with the addition of several 2-storey wooden bungalows.
Mid-2016 – The hotel Sol Pelicano will no longer be managed by the hotel group Melia International. It is renamed Hotel Pelicano, and will now be managed by the Cuban hotel group Gran Caribe, who is the owner of the property.
December 2015 – The new section of luxurious detached villas adjacent to the hotel Playa Blanca is now open and called Villa Bellarena. Guests have access to all facilities of its managing property (Hotel Playa Blanca).
Winter season 2015-2016 – It now costs 2 CUC/day to rent a beach chair at the western beaches (Playa Paraiso and Playa Sirena).
November, 2015 – The shuttle (Bus + Boat) to Playa Sirena is no longer free. It now costs 5 CUC per person round trip. A taxi ride to both Playa Paraiso and Sirena is still 2 CUC per person each way. Note that guests staying in a hotel where the beach in temporarily inaccessible due to erosion, strong waves or high tide, can benefit from a free shuttle to Playa Sirena.
July 2015 – The "little train" (trencito) that was shuttling between the hotels and the western beaches (Playa Mal Tiempo, Playa Paraiso and Playa Sirena) is discontinued. It's replaced by a new shuttle service consisting of a bus ride to the marina followed by a boat ride to Playa Sirena.