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2023 MAREA DEL PORTILLO TRIP REPORT: It wasn't perfect but it was perfectly fine! TORONTO, DEC. 6, 2023, 6:15 A.M. ------------------------------------------------- The first flight from Canada to Manzanillo de Cuba was loaded and ready to roll down the Pearson airport runway when the pilot introduced himself on the intercom and informed us that we were overweight. Okay, he didn't mean that we, the people, were overweight; he meant the plane was overloaded. The solution was to unload everyone/thing and bring in a newer plane with a larger payload capacity – a bigger belly, in other words ..read more

The return of flights from Canada to Manzanillo de Cuba on Dec. 6, 2023, made the national news in Cuba!  Although the Sunwing flight from Toronto was supposed to arrive first, a delay in departure meant that the Montreal flight had that honor instead. Nonetheless, there was great fanfare for both planes at both the Sierra Maestra Airport and the Marea del Portillo resort complex. At the airport, we were greeted by numerous resort staff members and musicians, as well as dancers on stilts and otherwise. The return of tourists to the province was truly a joyful celebration! Here are some Fa ..read more

Good morning Cubita bella! This is one of numerous lovely sunrises I saw from my room on the 4th floor of the Farallón del Caribe Hotel (part of the Marea del Portillo resort complex) when I was there Dec. 6-20, 2023. It was great to finally be back at my "second home," along with my 28-person group!    I've been working on my trip report – sorting photos and thoughts – but I won't likely be able to send it out until next year! In other words, I hope to finish it tomorrow. Before posting it here, I will send it out to my JennicaCuba email list. If you want to have it delivered to yo ..read more

FULL CUBA TRIP REPORT COMING SOON! Meanwhile, here's a teaser... To everyone who signed my petition to reopen Club Amigo Marea del Portillo and booked trips beginning on Dec. 6: WE DID IT!!! The resort opened with great fanfare and made the national news in Cuba. The legacy of Celia Sánchez continues; she's the one who advised Fidel Castro that a hotel should be located on the uniquely beautiful Marea del Portillo bay, where she loved to fish when she lived in Pilón. The resort quickly became a key employer in the region and, now, it is once again. Returning staff and new people are ..read more

FINALLY!!! It has been a bit of a challenge to get prices for my proposed Dec. 13-20 group trip to Marea del Portillo. Let's just say technology is not my friend these days – neither my own nor Sunwing's. They "upgraded" their website and there have been a few bumps in the road. Anyway, the prices are good, so let's go! Next hurdle: 10 people need to sign up by Oct. 1 for this group to fly.  If you've received an email from me about this trip, please respond a.s.a.p. to let me know if you want to go or not. If you haven't received my email but want to go, contact me immediately! [jennicac ..read more

I finally have the prices for a group trip to Marea del Portillo, departing from Toronto on Dec. 6 – let's go! They're a bit better than what is now showing on the Sunwing website. Here's a summary of my rates: Dec. 6-13 (7 nights) MAREA HOTEL Single = $988 (not shared) Double = $938/person Triple = $918/person CABAÑA Single = $1038 (not shared) Double = $978/person Triple = $948/person Dec. 6-20 (14 nights) MAREA HOTEL Single = $1328 (not shared) Double = $1218/person Triple = $1168/person CABAÑA Single = $1418 (not shared) Double = $1288/person Triple = $1248/person These prices include a ..read more

Now that we've entered July, the heat of summer seems to be upon us. Happy Canada Day or Independence Day, depending on which celebratory date you may feel an affinity for, if either. Perhaps I should just say Happy July! Does the heat of July remind you of anything? If you said "Cuba," we're on the same wavelength! My mind has been full of Cuba more than usual of late because I've been talking to some Sunwing executives about Club Amigo Marea del Portillo, which is serviced solely by Sunwing via the Manzanillo de Cuba airport (MZO). As you may know, both the resort and airport have not been ..read more

A CUBAN SYMBOL: Both the cars and the country require a lot of work.                                  TRIP REPORT: Cuba in March 2023 WARNING: this is long and rambling! You may want to stop in the middle to make a snack, have something to drink or just rest a little while. Take your time; this report isn’t going anywhere! [You'll find more photos at the end, as a reward for reading that far.]   As I begin to write this, I’m still in Cuba, spending a quiet morning at the casa de renta where I’ve ..read more

Human relationships are remarkable things. You never know where or when you'll encounter someone who will become a friend, and you may not even know why. Nor can you predict to what degree that friendship will develop. Connections can be incredibly random, yet strong as Gorilla Glue.  I've sometimes noticed interactions between people on Facebook that are heartwarming because I know they connected with each other at Marea del Portillo, an obscure but beloved little resort in rural Cuba. Sometimes these friendships were formed because the individuals were part of a group I organized, wh ..read more