Cayo Santa Maria is a small island located in the archipel « Jardines del Rey » north of the main island of Cuba. This small island is 13 km of length and few kilometers the broad ones. Beaches are made with fine white sand. Beaches are located on north side of the island. Click here to access the discussion forum and view three satellite maps of this region of Cuba (from Google map and my personal touch!) General informations Language: Spanish, but english is generally understood and spoken by the hotels staff and by most of the entertainers. Some also understand and speak German, Italian or French. Time zone: Cuba is in the Eastern Standard Time zone (GMT-5). It does not changes for the Eastern Daylight Saving Time since 2004. The climat: With its sub-tropical climate, Cayo Santa Maria has an almost eternal summer! Temperatures usually average from 20 to 30 degrees Celsius during the day. There are two seasons, the dry season from November to April and the wet season from May to October. However during the wet season the precipitations are relatively low. For more informations about the current weather conditions and the forecasts of the next days, please consult the following sites : CNN Weather MétéoMédia The Weather Network Electricity: Rooms: 220 Volts. Bathrooms: choice of 120V or 230V but this socket is for low watt electrical appliance only, such as rasors. The sockets can accept flat and round pin. Sol electrical outlet photos Meliá electrical outlet photos Money: The official currency is the cuban peso. For tourists, there are the convertible pesos which is the equivalent to the American dollar. Since November 8th, 2004, the US dollar is no longer legal in Cuba. See article in Granma edition of October 26th, 2004. A tax of 10 % is applied when USD is changed for the convertible peso. Note: Euro and Canadian dollar are not subjected to this tax. The credit cards and the travellers' cheques are accepted (as long as they are not drawn from a US bank). There is no automatic teller machine in Cayo Santa Maria. It is necessary to present its passport for money exchange. The airport tax is payable in cash only. The optional excursions and purchases made in the shops of the hotels can be paid cash or by credit card. Credit card: Credit cards issued by a US banks are not accepted. Accepted credit cards are Visa and MasterCard. American Express and Dinners Club are not accepted. Required documents: A valid Passport and a temporary tourist card. This card will be given to you by your travel agent. It's mandatory for everyone to fill out this card and present it to the cuban custom officer when arriving & leaving Cayo Santa Maria. National hollidays: January 1st - New year's day and Liberation Day January 28 - Jose Marti day February 24 - Celebration of the Beginning of the Revolution of 1895 March 13 - Anniversary of the attack of the presidential palace April 19 - Victory at Pigs Bay May 1st - International Workers' Day July 25, 26 et 27 - Celebration of the Day of National Rebelliousness October 8 - Anniversary of the death of Che Guevara October 10 - Celebration of the Beginning of the Wars for Independence Water: Although the water is drinkable, the taste is not very good!. It is suggested to buy bottled water sold in the shops. You can then go to the bars to have it refilled, they used distilled water for the cocktails and ice cubes. Meliá hotel provide a large bottle of water in the room everyday. Cuisine: Chicken, pork, fish, local cuisine, etc. At the Meliá CSM, seafoods are included. At the Sol, there is a lobster night ($) on fridays at the restaurant Los Cocos. Shopping: Rum, cigars, cuban music CDs, coffee, etc. Departure tax: 25 pesos convertible, payable at the airport in cash only.