The bus ride is not so fun, but once you arrive to resort you will enjoy it!
Be aware of the mosquitoes. Dont forget to bring the spray. My friend got bitten over 50 bites.
First few days were kind of boring, but after you get to know the entertainers it all becomes better. You can play lots of different sports during the day time. At night you can watch the shows, have few drinks and go to the disco. The disco will seem like a boring place, but after few drinks it gets better. Be aware of the enterteiners, the boys, they will come on you like no tomorrow. So don't lose ur head.
The food: i am not so picky about food, so to me it seemed alright.
I will give the beach 100%, it was beautiful!
The staff was very nice and i would go back there maybe once or twice more.

I went to Puerto Padre to visit some friends, but for the first time in the two years that I have been traveling to Cuba every twelve weeks - I almost regretted leaving the resort.

The Resort itself is an hour and a half away from the actually town of Puerto Padre, and about 3 hours away from the Airport.

The beach is to die for. Clean, clear water, some broken shells in the water but nothing over-the-top.

The disco is a structure built over the water, with a wrap around deck, and beautiful (if some what old) boardwalk and is located far enough away from most of the rooming that it wont bother you at night.

The guys who take you fishing, sailing, and snorkeling are awesome. They'll show you a good time for sure. Yoel is very mischievous - beware, when he smiles at you: he is up to NO GOOD! hah, but he is a harmless sweet heart, he just likes to make everyone laugh and squirm. SO.. MUCH... FUN.

The evening animation is kinda hit or miss, but thats true of any resort.

The food is better than I've ever had on resort in Cuba - that does not mean its exquisite. It IS edible though, which is a far cry from some of the places I've stayed at.

If you have the opportunity to go for dinner and disco in Puerto Padre - DO IT. The food at this gentleman's house IS on the other hand, one hundred percent exquisite. I went twice, I had to.

The disco in Puerto Padre (not on resort) is loads of fun, the locals are great - but as in any nightclub in the world - there ARE troublemakers. I would treat it no differently than any club or bar you might go to in North America - Safety in numbers, don't leave your purse un-attended... you know: common sense.

Standard Cuban courtesy gestures of course are (if you haven't read it in a thousand other places) - your maids will love cosmetics, hair dyes, body sprays, loofahs ect. For me? scented soaps, shaving creams, scented aftershaves, lotions, nice razors, any bits of "bohemian" jewelry usually go over nicely too (wooden beads, ect).

Message me if you have questions.

The Brisa Covarrubias is three hours from Holguin airport over pot hole roads. Very bumpy ride.
The Villas are nice inside, large, clean good air conditioning. The Beach is great turquoise water very clear.
The music is mainly Regeton and Hip hop. Despite frequent requests for some Salsa music the DJ is in love with Regeton its heard by the pool, and in the discoteca.
The entertainment is sad, mainly tourist dragged up on stage to perform.
The food is bad, usually the same bland food, Snacks non- existent. After a half hour they seem to be out of things.
The bars usually manned by 18 and 19 year old Hospitality students, they get to practice on you.

The staff are warm nice people, very friendly. Management has to provide the supplies for the workers to take care of their clients. The place has potential but needs some fresh ideas re service.

My husband I returned to our friends at Villas Covarrubias – but this time there were 18 of us! It was my fourth time to Cuba. Last year was our first year at this particular resort but this year we took our two teenage children, they each took a friend, two other families we knew from hockey joined us, my sister came along, as well as six other scuba divers. We were there from April 21 to April 28. Most of us got a decent deal from Sunwing at $825 taxes included.
Our Group:
First, I should say that of our group of 18 (including 11 scuba divers), some of us had never met before or only met briefly while diving. Our ages ranged from age 14 to 53. We all had a fantastic week!! Of the 18 of us who went – all 18 said they would like to return – that has to say something about Villas Covarrubias and the amazing people who work there. To put this review in perspective, I would describe the people in the group as easy going, down to earth, and no one was the “demanding” type. When I give this resort 5 stars on this TA review – I am not saying it is a five star resort (it is properly rated a 3.5 star) but we had far more than a five star vacation. Below is why.
Trip from Airport:
Although it took a little over 2.5 hours (with a washroom stop), the road had improved from last year. They are still working on the holes from Puerto Padre to Covarrubias, so it should get better. I still enjoyed the bus drive – there is so much to see.
Resort:
The resort has been taken over by new management and there were some changes and improvements from last year. They seem to be trying to take their guests requests and constructive criticism seriously. The grounds were even more beautiful than I remembered, and very well maintained. They are working on fixing things up. The gardeners are always working hard and brought us flowers every morning. There are mosquitoes at night, especially around dusk. Take bug repellant and After-Bite or anti-itch medicine. The pool is salt water and was lovely! There is a swim up bar and a pool bar, a 24 hour lobby bar, and a beach bar. There are always activities – the dance lessons were a lot of fun. The nightly shows have improved since last year with more Cuban dancers and singers who were very good, some skits and audience participation which was could be quite funny. The staff at the disco is great and the disco can be a lot of fun, if there are people there.
Rooms:
The rooms were spacious and clean. There is a mini-fridge, a safe and a hair dryer. There was a large shower and we always had hot water. The view was breathtaking and the rooms were close to everything. As mentioned in other reviews, bring an extra plastic card to keep your air conditioning on while you are not in the room. When the outside lights were not working on our building, maintenance was repaired the situation when it was brought to their attention.
Food:
The food has been well described in other reviews. I found the food at the buffet had improved some from last year. Breakfasts were good. We had no complaints and most of our group said they actually enjoyed the food, or found something they liked and stick with. They ran out of buns at times, but remember – it is Cuba and some items are limited – just go with the flow. The ice cream was delicious! I noticed more than once that other guests would ask for something, or make a complaint, and it would be addressed. For example, one morning I met one European woman who was quite upset that there were no beans for breakfast (an unusual request to me, but not for her or her husband). I noted the rest of the week there were beans offered in the breakfast buffet. When we missed lunch at the lunch buffet because of scuba diving, they made a special plate of food or cooked up a ham and cheese sandwich. The a la carte (the beach bar at night) was wonderful! All 18 of us went twice and the service was fantastic. They catered to my vegetarian daughter with a huge smile. The mosquitoes can be really bad at the a la carte at dusk – take your bug repellant.
Beach:
As described in other reviews, the beach is beautiful with soft white sand and beautiful water. The snorkeling was nice with lots of colorful fish, especially at the right end of the beach. Lots of friendly needle-nose fish that will swim along with you. The non-divers went snorkeling at the reef and really enjoyed the coral formations and loads of tropical fish – this is well worth the 12 pesos. There are now more kayaks and water equipment - we never had to wait. Alex and Joel took our six teenagers out on the banana float and they had a blast!
Scuba Diving:
Alex and all the crew (Tito, George, Douglas and Joel) at the dive shop were phenomenal – they went above and beyond for our large group of divers that landed on them all at once! I am glad, however, that I let them know in advance that we had a big group coming. Our group alone (not counting the other divers who were at the resort) was three to four times what they usually had for divers, but they rose to the challenge and exceeded my expectations. Our group ranged from newly certified Open Water divers to Advanced and Master Divers, and all were very happy overall and want to return. Be sure to let them know your actual experience and comfort level to avoid dives which may be too challenging for beginners. Alex took great care of my 17 year old daughter who is a nervous diver. The other more experienced divers have dived many places in the Caribbean (and Canada of course) and want to return for more diving at Covarrubias. More than one has described diving here as the next best diving to Cozumel (not as much visibility as Cozumel, but some interesting formations, walls and fish). There was no shortage of the diverse sea life at the dive sites here, unlike some places that over fishing has depleted or damaged the marine life.
Puerto Padre:
The ½ day trip to Puerto Padre is well worth the 12 pesos. You are back to the resort in early afternoon.
Staff:
I have saved the BEST for last – the STAFF! The staff at this resort work very hard to make your stay enjoyable and are very friendly and helpful. There are a few exceptions, as there are anywhere you go, but they are mostly superb! Tony truly made our trip an experience of a lifetime and I can never thank him enough. He is a big part of why we want to return. The entertainment staff is exceptional: Julian, the dance instructor, Elizabeth, and many more. Yudit, Marco, Kenya in PR, Isela at the towel hut and Raul at the bank, and some of the waiters stood out in my mind.
Is Covarrubias for you?
In summary this resort is very remote, yet beautiful, but it is the people that make it what it is. If you are a person that wishes to party hard, go on a lot of excursions, be catered to, if you cannot overlook the "little things", are accustomed to 5 star service, or want things done “your way”, then spend more money and go elsewhere. If you want rest and relaxation, are easy going, and like to make friends and meet new people, and can keep in mind that this is Cuba and they are limited in their resources and supplies, then Covarrubias may be your paradise. It is my paradise and my home away from home and I intend to return to our friends.