Starfish Jibacoa (Villa Tropico)

I’m extremely grateful for my time here!!
This resort is special because the staff here make it so!
So many smiles, so much attentiveness, remembering individuals from previous trips, true gratitude in all directions!
The beach, mountain views, the coral reefs you can swim to, the delicious seafood, hiking trails, the ice cream, horseback riding, so much to choose from, so much to enjoy!

I love Jibacoa. I made a lot of beautiful friendships here 💚

We book 5 days vacation with Sunwings… it was a great experience with Starfish.. from the time of checking in till the check out… The lady on the front was awesome… she explained everything about the hotel… we enjoyed a lot over there… the food was amazing…. All the staff were very nice and friendly…. Their pool was great and its just in front of the beach that gives us a nice view…
The room is very clean and neat… they clean the room every single day and the one who manages the room service was pretty good..
for sure we will come back for another vacation

Amazing resort! A hidden gem! Fantastic service, always friendly and willing to help. Food was great with lots of variety for each meal. A tip would be to book with the airline excursion representative instead of with the front desk since there are more options that way. We loved our time here and will be back :)

Older resort, but beds were new and comfortable. Room was cleaned immaculately! Had a bungalow with your own patio. Staff bend over backwards for you. First time I had no stomach upset from buffet in Cuba. Good food. Ocean view from everywhere! I will miss Linda,the resort dog. I will return. Relaxing,clean accommodating staff. Views that can't be best. I will be back!

Notice the recent reviews since the change of ownership. The resort is much improved with good food and very friendly service. We were also skeptical when booking but noticed the negative reviews were all from >1 year ago. The wifi is free and is available in the common space buildings. The beach is good and clean. We ate a lot of avocado toast, there’s also a fresh grill although the cuts of meat are obviously not the best, but still good. There are mountains of fresh fruit, very nice. Staff helped us arrange a private taxi and tour of Havana in a classic car taxi (only $130cad for 2) which seems better than Air Canada’s offer of $65 each in a bus with many others. I would recommend to not accept the tour guide’s offer to choose a restaurant for you, it’ll probably be a really expensive place compared to a $2 sandwich in the city. Lots of kind dogs and cats on the grounds! Also, this resort is small, so you get a lot more privacy, the beach and dining are never over crowded. I would recommend this trip as offered on Air Canada vacations.

Had the best time. I loved swimming in the warm ocean. Snorkelling is good. Clear water. Saw many fish, coral, a family of 7 shrimps. The beach provides ample clean seating with umbrellas. No crowds. There was entertainment somewhere constantly. But never got to the rowdy point. The customer representatives approach you everyday to see if everything is ok. They quickly become like friends. No stairs to climb. All bungalows for housing. Clean. Gardens are beautiful. Many good pets. They are looked after well. Cats and dogs. I enjoyed this, as I missed my doggos at home. Family type resort with a mountain on 1 side, the ocean in the other. A tropical 🌴 paradise.

Best Cuban Resort!!!🏝🏖🌊
We have been to Cuba over 10 times and this resort blew my husband and I away. Starfish Jibacoa is our new fave! We loved the bungalows. The room was clean,beds comfortable. The little patio facing the ocean was a great place to read or chill ,watch the sunset. We both loved the layout of the resort. Everything was near our room. Beach was right there...a short walk along the walkway. The trees and flora between us and the sand was just gorgeous. The grounds were well maintained and clean. We did not miss a la cartes! The buffet selection for us was incredible. Love the grilled chicken and beef, omelets, and the lobster night was delicious. Best we have had in Cuba yet! The resort had a thankyou toast for Sunwing guests which was so lovely. Yes, there are major shortages in Cuba currently. I really missed the incredible cappuccinos and my mojitos,however the espresso we enjoyed every morning and the creative drinks the bars concocted were fabulous. We ate,drank and were in vacation mode. The staff at this resort went above and beyond. Yanet talked to everyone, sat with us, made our stay extra special. Special mention to Niuka,who was so sweet. Michael and Luis at the Chill pool bar made the best drinks with what they had on hand. Grisel, and the snack bar and the buffet was always welcoming and her smile lit us up. Jonas the young entertainment guy was so sweet. Had a great game of bocce on the beach with him. Finally, the reef right off the beach is by far the best we've been to,aside from the Great Barrier Reef. We snorkeled 5 out of the 7 days,encountering new corals in different areas. The corals and fans were amazing, and the sea life we saw were phenomenal. Yes, there are sand fleas in the sand,and we got bites. We come prepared and the anti itch cream took care of them quickly. The palapas were lovely and there ere enough beach loungers for everyone!
The pool area was clean and well maintained.
The dogs on the resort pulled at my heartstrings, as we have 2 .
Very quiet and chill resort. R & R heaven!
We are already planning to book another vacation here for the same week next year! Thanks to all the staff at Starfish Jibacoa! You all rock!♥

I am in love with this place! If you are looking for a posh, high end, fancy-schmancy chocolates on your pillow place, this isn’t it. BUT, if you are looking for an amazing, relaxing good time this is IT! The resort has no tower, no room service, but you get a homey little bungalow that will remind you of a sleep-away camp from your childhood but with a gorgeous beach and the chillest vibe ever!! The staff here are working HARD and the hotel is rebuilding from basically the ground up to bring this resort back to life. Wifi is not reliable except for in the lobby, so if you need a break from your phone, here it is. Roaming worked fine even in the ocean. Pool is completely refurbished and they have plans to renovate bungalows and add an a lá carte in the future. It’s a humble little diamond in the rough! We brought clothing, school supplies, pens, paper, toys and socks and EVERYONE was so appreciative as the Cuban people just don’t have access to what we have here. You will come home appreciating your life and all the comforts we take for granted.

My husband and I had an absolutely amazing Xmas here. A staff, location and service was impeccably on point. That's all we could have asked for. Thank you Claudia at the front desk. Happy holidays

Fabulous resort. Every single staff member was friendly, happy to help all with a broad smile on their faces. The resort is old and there were signs it was being refurbished/updated. The Bungalow I stayed in was clean, the shower was great but the bed! That was wonderfully comfortable. I slept so well there. Great snorkeling, the sea was so clear and warm it was stunning. The 2 pools were great. If you want a drink at the pool bar you need to take your own water bottle, most people had their insulated bottles to keep their drinks cold.
I can't praise the staff enough, they were very welcoming, they remembered your name and what you like to drink. There was always an Ola and a wave from someone wherever you walked in the grounds. I'm already planning my next visit. If you want an English 4 or 5 star food go next door to Memories. If you want real Cuban experience within a small friendly (more like family) with pool staff yo entertain the kids and adults, Cameleon (Gran Caribe Tropico) is for you.

Overall in Simply word awesome experiance Staff is well behaved, Beach is excellant with blue water, Rooms are good though We are vegetarion still got plenty of choice Thankyou

Best resort in 20+years visiting Cuba! The Staff are amazing! Food was great! The selection was awesome and the drinks even better! We spent a month here and the first time I can honestly say I wasn't ready to leave

I just spent my vacation here an excellent place the food very varied and 24h you always have to eat anywhere in the hotel the treatment very hot you feel at home 100% recommended

I love this place! I stayed here twice. First time I stayed for 2 weeks, next time I stayed 9 days. It's a wonderful little hotel, with ok food, and cats running around everywhere! There is access to the beach and pool. You can also go snorkeling in the coral reef, and petal boats. There is a bar at the pool, in the lobby, and a small patio near the back enterance. I recommend coming here if you're looking for a small, getaway adventure. It's also just an hour away from Havana, so that's pretty convinient.

Sssshh... I feel badly about rating this hotel a 5. I’m sure many others purposely rate it lower because they’d like it kept a secret but it really is an excellent little hotel... just perfect for a quiet escape. I love the duplex bungalows ..each with its’ little deck. Love the beautiful grounds, the beach and reef for excellent snorkelling. The food is not great but it is never the main attraction in Cuban hotels as they all face supply challenges but the outstanding feature is the staff... they are wonderful and loved. A neat experience for newcomers is to sit out in front of the main lobby and watch the staff- customers interaction with joyful new arrivals greeting staff as long-lost friends and folks sadly saying their farewells to staff as their time at Jibacoa comes to an end. It seems most who travel to Cameleon Villas are repeat customers... my wife and I have been there 3 times and hope to add to that total when COVID threats allow. This is a great hotel.

Great place to stay on the beach for a reasonable price! Beautiful beach, pool, grounds, and rooms. We had no issues with mosquitos when we visited the last week of April. Although walking through the grass by the beach we did find some ticks. The food was reasonable for the price, and we weren't there for the food so it didn't bother us. The staff was really friendly, don't forget to tip them!

Stayed here at the end of October 2019. A taxi from Havana is around 50-70 CUP and it took an hour to arrive.
The weather was almost the same for all seven days, sunny with few clouds at the dusk and dawn. Our bungalow had a number 15. On the outside all the hotel's dwellings are painted in vivid colors, inside they gave me the impression of old 50-s style, quite tasteful and comfortable, with no unpleasant fragrances, with good ventilation(the bathroom has a window, it can be opened), with powerful cooling conditioner. I would advise to bring with you toiletries.
The space between bungalows could be called beautiful creative park. Old palm trees, blooming bushes, fragrant magnolias, huge pines are planted in a rhythm that allow to admire them one by one, with exception of plants that are decorating the entrance to the restaurant. There they are lovely combined in a smaller space. The beach itself is on North but all other parts are represented by steep hills, high but close and you can see the trees well instead of one mass of green. On the beach just few people, very often happens there is nobody there at all because the pool aria, with a bar and loud music, is much more preferred by locals, who come here to spend a weekend.
The water was very warm when we stayed and underwater unusual coral surroundings are full with curios fishes. They even bite a little out of curiosity. The rubber shoes would help very much to explore the east coast.
I would recommend snorkeling and diving (though I have not tried diving but from what I saw with snorkeling equipment was worth of a closer look) We sailed on a catamaran to reach the huge coral walls. Very beautiful pictures, National geographic documentary and me. The corals are living beings, may be it a reason this place is so mysterious. In a lobby there are some books about coral types, fishes and plants Also in a lobby you can buy the cards to access the Internet and to make phone calls
The food perhaps was the least to be praised. The restaurant is in a possession of a wonderful furniture, chairs are heavy, tables are heavy, plates, glasses, cups with saucers, utensils with exception of tea spoons. It is funny to watch how customers deal with this problem. So far I know several solutions - knife, fork, big spoon, short straw from a bar, your own fork cleaned with a paper towel. Waiters are polite, attentive and move smoothly among the tables like ships upon a sea. They mostly speak English, but using just gestures and short phrases would also do. Here what I tried and liked: fried eggplants, baked pumpkin, chicken, papaya, bananas, rice, tomato bread, oregano bread, mashed potatoes, pasta with cheese, banana liqueur, coffee, tea.
There are dogs and cats at the place. They seem to have their code of behavior and deserve to be respected. We had our favorite black young cat, gave her name Juanita. If you are there feed her please. She likes all kinds of meat, fish, cheese, a bit less boiled eggs and does not like sweets. She would not be too annoying. They are all polite and delicate, people, animals.
There is a camp for the children in the nearest neighborhood, if you have something to share would be nice to them.
Of course, the best vacations are those which are spent in a lovely company, but this place would add to your rest it's own unforgettable mysterious charm.

The beach was tremendous, the staff was awesome and friendly and the food was good as well. I cannot understand the people who criticize the food, the meat for example was really good. The rooms were clean as well and we would definitely come back.

Although it wasn't my first time in Cuba, it was the first at this resort. I took a chance with this resort after my initial plans fell through and I couldn't be more glad that I did. My brother met me here from another country and seeing as it was his first time in Cuba, I hoped for him to have a great first impression of this beautiful country and its great people. And Villas Jibacoa certainly didn't disappoint!

One thing that stays constant each time I visit Cuba is the spirit of the Cuban people. Everyone is friendly, welcoming and open. The staff was incredibly accommodating since day one and made it a priority that we enjoyed our stay. Scuba diving and snorkeling is phenomenal here! Great scuba diving was really my main requirement and the whole experience far exceed my expectations! Breathtaking and by far the best I've had in Cuba.

A huge thank you to everyone at Villas Jicaboa for making our stay so great and memorable. It was a pleasure to spend the week with you and I hope to be back in the future.

Definitely a perfect resort for people who just want to chill and have a relaxing time admiring Cuba's natural beauty. I have been here twice before, going again this winter. I enjoyed Jibacoa much more than Varadero, but if you want to drink/party all night in a club-like setting this may not be the resort for you. Spent many great nights by the pool bar laughing and chatting with staff/older guests.

Beach is wonderful and quite secluded, great for combing. The reef was amazing for snorkeling. Love the bungalows design and the front porch we had. Buffet food was okay (on par for Cuba) but the reservation-based restaurant was fantastic! The cab trips to Havana are much cheaper than Varadero. Only negative would be that the stone paths between rooms are usually broken and uneven. A bit dangerous if you've been drinking!