Stay in a Thatched Hut Village on a Lagoon in the Jungle in Cuba
Updated May 2022
When people travel to a tropical country, they usually stay at a nice hotel near a beautiful beach. But I like to travel off the beaten path. Therefore, while in Cuba, we stayed for a couple of nights at a thatched hut village in a lagoon in the jungles of the Zapata Peninsula, called Villa Guama.
Getting There
To get to Villa Guama, travel across the island from Havana or Varadero to the town of Playa Larga on the Bay of Pigs.
Villa Guama is not near any road. To get there, you must travel eight kilometres by boat. The place where you get the boat is called Boca de Guama, located about ten kilometres north of Playa Larga. If you are coming from the north and do not wish to go to Playa Larga, ask the driver to stop at Boca de Guama. It is not a regular bus stop. The driver will probably stop for you but may not get out to retrieve your luggage. If you have some items in the luggage compartment below, you will need to continue to Playa Larga and return. The bus makes a routine stop here on the return trip. From Playa Larga, Villa Guama is about ten kilometres to the north and will cost you about $10 in a taxi. If you have a rental car, there is a place at Boca de Guama to store it (for a small fee).
From Boca de Guama to your Cabin
At Boca de Guama is a restaurant, a couple of souvenir shops, and a crocodile breeding farm if you wish to see some captive crocodiles.
Boats depart often from Boca de Guama and cost $8. The return trip is included. (Like anywhere else, prices are subject to change). The guide books say that you have a choice of a speedboat or a leisurely ferry, but the ferry is no longer running.
The speed boat will take you to the reception area in Villa Guama. You will need to have made a reservation in advance if you want to stay overnight. Many people go for the day. About noon, several tour buses will show up from Varadero, and many tourists will go to Villa Guama for a few hours. I don’t know what this costs but it hardly seems worthwhile to me to spend two hours or more on a bus each way, then take a boat to get to the village, only to spend a couple of hours there and then head back to their fancy resort on the beach, but that is the kind of thing that most tourists in Cuba do. Other bus tours from Varadero spend a few hours in Havana.
After checking in at reception, a man named Jesus will take you to your cabin in a rowboat (unless you are staying in one near the reception). There are about 35 or so thatched huts.
Rustic
If you read the comments about Villa Guama on Tripadvisor, you will think it is a horrible place and should be avoided at all costs. If you expect to stay in a luxurious cabin, you will be disappointed. It is not fancy nor elegant. It is rustic, but it is not as bad as people have described it. The accommodations are simple huts, but they have air conditioning, washrooms with a shower, hot water and even a refrigerator. The boardwalk around the village is in dire need of repair. Watch out for broken boards. The restaurant serves simple meals from a limited menu. The food is basic but ok. Remember that everything must be brought in by boat.
If you come with an open mind and do not expect five-star accommodations, you will enjoy it here. It depends on one’s attitude. I loved it here and want to return next winter. This could be one of Cuba’s best tourist attractions if only they would fix it up a little. It needs a new boardwalk and other maintenance.
Getting Around Villa Guama
The huts are built on stilts in the water, but each cabin is attached to a small island. The islands are joined with little bridges, and larger bridges will take you to the other side of the lagoon. It is quite scenic and pleasant to walk around. You will see lots of birds and meet friendly people from all over the world. You will need to stroll to the restaurant at least a couple of times per day for meals or a drink in the evening. Sometimes they have live music. (Wear long pants after dark because of the mosquitoes).
Boating with Jesus
You can go on a sunrise boat tour of the lagoon with Jesus for $5 per person. It leaves at about 6:30 a.m. He will probably ask you about it when he delivers you to your hut. The sunrise is lovely, and there are plenty of nice birds such as egrets and herons to see. (For birders, you will see more birds walking than from a boat in the middle of the lagoon). The sunsets are beautiful also. I preferred to walk around and see the birds in the morning and then walk around again in the evening to see the sunset from different locations.
Birds
Villa Guama is a birder’s paradise. The village is simply swarming with birds. The lovely West Indian Woodpecker is common. So are Limpkins, Great Lizard Cuckoo, Barn Owls, white-morph Kestrels, and several others. Keep an eye out for Red-shouldered and Tawny-shouldered Blackbirds. I stayed for two nights, and I could have found more birds if I had more time. As the first morning is lost just getting there, I recommend three nights for serious birders. For casual tourists, one or two nights will be plenty.
Mosquitoes and Weather
Mosquitoes can be a problem at times. Bring repellent. When I was there, we did not see any mosquitoes until sunset.
It can get cold in mid-winter. The huts are not heated, so you might want to bring a sweater. I was there in November, and the weather was lovely. Check the forecast. It would not be much fun to be there during lousy weather.
A Day in Paradise
Depending on your point of view, Villa Guama can be a run-down village or a day in paradise. The sunrise and sunsets are picture-perfect, the lagoon is very picturesque and beautiful birds are everywhere. If you are not a serious birder, relax on the deck of your hut with a beer and enjoy the day and the sunset. If you don’t mind roughing it a little, it can be a wonderful day or two and a great experience.
Contact
Like most places in Cuba, Villa Guama does not have a website and does not accept credit or debit cards. However, you have two options for making a reservation.
Lookup a website for hotels in Cuba (there are several) and book through them. The problem with going through an intermediary is that sometimes the reservation is not passed on to the hotel, or the paperwork is lost. Also, if you make a reservation too far in advance, you might end up there during bad weather, which would not be fun.
The second option is to wait until you are in Cuba and telephone them a few days in advance and make the reservation yourself. I think this is a better way, but you run the risk that the place might be full if your dates to go there are not flexible (They sometimes get large groups of tourists that occupy the whole village but only stay one or two nights). (telephone 53 45 then 95-9100 or 91-5551, or 91-5662 or 98-7212 or email recepcion@hotelguama.co.cu) (I don’t know why but they have several telephone numbers of which only one might be working at a time).
Other posts on this website about Cuba
Understanding Cuban Currency and Banking
Planning your trip to Cuba
Definitely seems like your kind of place, Tom. But what place with birds isn’t?
Hi Karl, yes, I loved it there. Off to Australia next.