Just back from a week at the Bucanero -Feb1-8, 2012, and felt I needed to add a big thumbs up to the already large list of positive reviews. It is our third time in Cuba and our first to this resort, and although until now we had planned to check out a new location every trip, after our experience here we are already looking forward to going back to Santiago and the Bucanero.
I have to admit that when we first arrived we felt a bit underwhelmed. The room was good, the people seemed nice, the lunch was o.k. but it felt a bit limited. Then we started to relax, had a swim in the pool, then a great dinner, and evenings entertainment and by bed time we started to feel pretty good about the place. The next morning after a delicious omelet, and the delicious dairy products, fresh fruit and bread we started to be much more positive. In the afternoon we really enjoyed our first visit to the grotto beach and the snorkeling and lunch of fresh fish there. Great bar to hang out and read and just unwind. Dinner was again delicious and the musicians playing were first rate. A very pleasant evening with different entertainment and a good nights sleep. By day three we were in love with the place. The staff are genuinely friendly and you begin to appreciate the relaxed atmosphere. The beautiful surroundings and wildlife were of constant interest. We saw many kinds of hummingbirds and enjoyed the friendly reptiles. We realized that because of it's small size and wide range of ages that there was none of the negative characteristics you normally associate with all inclusive resorts - long line ups, noisy nights, and rude behavior. Perhaps this was the luck of the draw, but the place seemed full of genuinely nice, well-behaved people.
We took a couple of trips into Santiago which I highly recommend, but don't feel that you have to sign up for the rather expensive, by Cuban standards, guided tours. The bus which brings the workers, returns to Santiago at 7:00, 8:30, and about 3:00 each day and costs 2 pesos to ride. We went in at 3, on our first trip and spent the rest of the afternoon at Casa de la Trova, and a lovely evening walking around and having dinner before returning by taxi for $20. This is the standard rate for the ride and worth it considering it takes about 40 minutes each way. This first trip we had a hilarious ride through the city which made me feel I was in a video game with a super friendly, charismatic young long -haired driver in his pimped out early 70's Lada complete with disco lights and cranked up music. I thoroughly enjoyed it from the front seat but my wife not so much because she was crammed in back with our daughter and her husband and the car lacked shocks. We all laughed and applauded when we made it back. The next trip we picked a 56 Chev which was much nicer ride, but I will always remember that first trip back with great affection.
We brought gifts which we distributed to the locals in the nearby artists village. Shoes, t-shirts, tooth paste, fishing line, razors and any other clothing is greatly appreciated. We gave tips to the staff, but remember that these are some of the most wealthy people in Cuba so please try to also give something to the gardeners, and other locals who normally get nothing. For what it's worth, on the flight back I talked to some folks who had gone to the more expensive Club Amigo Carisol Los Corales, and they were not nearly as happy. Long, rough ride from Santiago and they claimed the food was of poor quality. We'll be going back to the Bucanero.

This was my 3rd time in Cuba and my first in this area. Bucanero and area was by far my favourite! This was also the first time I have ever been to a resort where people were there for the 2nd, 3rd, 5th and even 10th time.
We loved the beach, cliffs, views and the abundance of free or low cost activities in the area. We especially loved the free snorkelling on the beach (all water activities including the kayaking are free). I've paid for snorkelling excursions in other places that were not nearly as good! The dive shack staff were incredibly helpful, safe and knowledgeable about the water conditions and equipment. Overall the staff were lovely, the rooms clean (and had lots of storage space) and the food was good - especially the omelettes, cheese, bread and icecream, it seems as though Cuba always gets these right!
Santiago is only 20 - 30 min away and very easy to get to. We went once on an excursion with the hotel and another time with friends in a taxi. The costs and distances to interesting places are minimal - sometimes only a few CUC's and travelling is safe. It's easy to travel on your own, book an excursion through the resort, or a cheaper option is to talk to other guests to get tips on other guides in the area. The prices were very reasonable through the resort and we found we were able to return to an area on our own if we wanted to explore it further.
Tip for the flight - try to fly into Santiago because it's so close to the resort. The other option is to fly into Holguin but that adds an extra 3hrs onto your commute to the resort and not worth it.
At this resort the following items are an absolute must:
- water shoes
- hiking sandals/ running shoes for any hiking you plan to do
- travel mug for drinks (their glasses are tiny and the plastic is flimsy, not to mention it's wasteful to continuously drink out of plastic cups)

If you want to bring gifts for the locals the following were noted as being needed:
- Socks
- pens & paper pads (people in Santiago kept asking for pens especially and we were told that employers do not provide pens)
- Running shoes, especially for the men. Even some of the gardeners at the resort visibly needed new shoes.
- We also left feminine hygiene products (light and easy to pack) and various other hygiene items.
- one item I'd wished I had brought were reusable shopping bags. The staff at the resort had to carry their clothing long distances and we noticed that many of their bags were not in very good shape.

The only problem we encountered was with our rep and others had complaints about him as well. I ended up speaking with Kenia the Sunwing rep instead for guidance. So if you are booked with Sunwing you will be in capable hands.

Management -- hooks it the room would be nice to hang up beach bags, hats, etc etc.

If you want long white sandy beaches then this is not the resort for you. But if you want beauty, charm, snorkelling, easy day trips, great staff and good food then this is definitely the place to go!

We have just returned (Jan 25,2012) from an amazing family vacation at Club Bucanero in Cuba. Our family experienced first hand the outstanding service from the Resort staff. Everyday we were welcomed by staff member with a wave or a Ola. The nightly shows at the Resort were terrific. My family looked forward to them every night. The entertainment staff were very talented.


One of the best times of the trip was a catamaran trip that we took from the resort to Santiago. We book the trip through the hotel. The tour guide, Jorje was very professional. He had a very warm and entertaining personality. He took great care to ensure that all were having a wonderful time. My children were very well entertained with his many jokes and stories. The information he provided us on the history and the government of Cuba was very interesting and informative. I really want to thank Jorje for a wonderful day, we really enjoyed meeting him and look forward to our next trip to Cuba because we will be doing the catarmaran trip again and look forward to seeing Jorje.


Our group that travelled to Cuba was very large and Kenia our Representative from Sunwing was terriffic. She held a very informative session for all of us on the first day we arrive. She made booking excursions very easy to handle. She also set up a dinner for our large group in the restaurant. Thank you Kenia for making our trip so enjoyable!

Fantastic staff. Helpful, friendly, funny, caring.....simply BEAUTIFUL people!!! This was my first trip to Cuba and I am now a huge Fan. I was invited to join a large group of friends from Jan 18th to the 25th and i'm so happy I did. We will be returning every year to this resort. Not for the food, not for the accommodations, not for the stunning scenery but for the amazing staff. My friends and I have never been treated so well. Every person, from the Kitchen Staff to the Bartenders to the Chambermaids to the Gardeners were so friendly and generous. Many thanks to Jorge and Kenia for making the Catamaran excursion to Santiago the highlight of my trip. Can't wait to see them all again next year. This is my new "home away from home". A helpful hint to all who are planning a trip to this resort...If you are a miserable [--] please stay away....these wonderful people don't deserve your crap!!!