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48 Hours In Playa Giron

June 9, 2015 Leave a Comment

When I visited Cuba with Cuba Solidarity Campaign in 2011, we didn’t just see the capital, Havana. The trip aimed to show us a bit more of the country than the average tourist and the itinerary meant we spent 48 hours in Playa Giron. As part of my travel series about this gorgeous, not that well known country, I wanted to talk about what we did, and what you could do, if you’re spending time in Playa Giron.

The sun sets over a swimming pool with palm trees

Playa Giron is a beach and village on the east bank of the Bahia de Cochinos, better known as ‘Bay of Pigs’. It’s where, in 1961, a group of 1,500 Cuban exiles, backed by the CIA, tried to invade Cuba, so they could overthrow Fidel Castro and his Cuban revolution. Before I’d visited the country I’ll admit I knew nothing about the history of the revolution, though I’ve taken more interest since getting back-and if you’re the same, you can read more about the Bay of Pigs Invasion if you’d like.

A large sign welcomes you to Hotel Playa Giron

We stayed at Cubanacan Hotels Hotel Playa Giron as part of the trip, so the hotel wasn’t my choice and I didn’t look at what else was available. However, after staying at a large camp with shared showers and no mod cons, having a room I shared with just one person, air conditioning, a fridge and a tv (the only channel in English was a news channel but that’s more about Cuba’s access to things than the hotel) was absolute luxury. Rooms were all small, separate buildings which did mean it was difficult to find your way at night, especially after a few drinks in the hotel’s nightclub. Food was all inclusive, and we were thrilled that they did chips, pizza etc throughout the day-we’d had a rice based diet up until then, so we made the most of chips and the buffets at main meals. The hotel also had a pretty good pool, plenty of sunbeds and was right on the beach-so a perfect choice for if you’re looking for a beach holiday.

Small pastel coloured buildings at Playa Giron Hotel

As we were at Playa Giron as part of a Trade Unionists trip, some of the things we did there wouldn’t be available to tourists, like a conference we attended (in the hotel nightclub, the morning after a heavy night out-not advisable) to meet local women. But we did visit the Museo de Playa Giron, which, although small, has a lot of artifacts and photographs from the Bay of Pigs Invasion, so it’s pretty interesting. I’d suggest you need a couple of hours there and it’s a short stroll from the hotel, so somewhere you can visit during a pool/beach day. My guidebook confirms that the resort itself is tiny and there’s really not a lot to do there, so I wouldn’t say you’d need much more than 48 hours in Playa Giron.

A girl stood next to a red wall, at the entrance to Museo de Playa Giron

Because we’d had a really packed itinerary for the first part of our trip, both of our days at Playa Giron had either a morning or afternoon free, as well as the evening. They wanted to make sure we could swim, sunbathe, eat, and just relax for a while, before starting the busier next part of the trip. If you’re spending a longer period of time in Cuba, don’t underestimate how nice it will be to have two days to relax here.A girl stands on a rock, looking out to sea

Have you been to Playa Giron? Do you have any other recommendations for spending 72 hours in Playa Giron?

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Cuba Part 2
Next:
AD Prestige Flowers Review

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About Me

Welcome to my little corner of the Internet! I'm Laura, a 33 year old Yorkshire girl aiming to see as much of the world as I can, usually by myself. I'm a big fan of animal print, bright lipstick, gin liqueurs, cocktails, photography, writing and booking flights. I'm in love with a Lhasapoo called Buster and if I don't have my phone, laptop or a camera in my hand, you probably need to ask if I'm feeling okay. I blog about short city breaks, usually solo, on a budget without a hostel in sight. I also cover food reviews, life with Fibromyalgia, and there's a bit of lifestyle content thrown in when the mood takes me. I'm aiming to have visited 40 different countries before I turn 40, so I have 7 years left. Coronavirus has slightly changed my plans for 2020 but so far I'm 17 countries into the challenge and as long as September and October remain safe to travel I'm adding Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Romania, Serbia and a couple of others to the list before this year ends. I love working with brands on sponsored/collaborative content and if you're a travel or food related company, or just someone you think I'll love, please do get in touch.

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