Cays Hospitality Development Mission
For a hospitality developer assessing resort and destination development on Cayo Coco and the Jardines del Rey cays, with Ciego de Ávila and Morón as the mainland gateway and logistics base.
For: Tourism & hospitality developers
1 · Budget first
A transparent, itemised estimate for 1 traveller · 6 nights · business tier. Every line is a planner range in USD — an estimate to budget with, not a quote.
| International airfare | $300 – $950 |
| Entry documents (tourist card) | $30 – $75 |
| Travel insurance | $40 – $150 |
| Accommodation | $570 – $1,170 |
| Local transportation | $530 – $1,040 |
| Food | $540 – $990 |
| Guides & activities | $240 – $720 |
| Connectivity | $15 – $55 |
| Tips | $30 – $120 |
| Water, laundry & sundries | $18 – $72 |
| Emergency reserve | $201 – $659 |
| Total (1 traveller) | $2,514 – $6,001 |
- Per traveller
- $2,514 – $6,001
- Per day
- $419 – $1,000
- Ground only (no airfare)
- $2,013 – $4,392
- Airfare est. / traveller
- $300 – $950
Basis: business hotel · business food · private driver · 6 guided days.
Adjust every number in the planner →Estimates in USD to help you budget — not observed prices, quotes or guaranteed availability. Most US cards don’t work in Cuba; carry cash and keep the reserve.
2 · Fly in
Newark / New Jersey (EWR) → Cayo Coco (CCC) — Jardines del Rey
The cays' own airport — Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo.
Example dates 2026-09-15 → 2026-09-21 (adjust on the live search). CubaAtlas books nothing — these open live results:
3 · Day by day
Where to sleep and dine each day is a real listing from the CubaAtlas provider dataset, nearest your base.
Morning
Land at Jardines del Rey (Cayo Coco); settle on the cay.Afternoon
Brief on the Cuban hotel-development model — MINTUR groups, management contracts and JV forms.Evening
Working dinner on the week's site plan.Business step: Study the CubaAtlas tourism-development and Law 118 sections.
Morning
Orientation on the existing resort inventory, beach segments and environmental carrying-capacity limits.Afternoon
Review of candidate development plots and the causeway access constraint.Evening
Working dinner on positioning and segment gaps.Business step: Request an orientation briefing on Gaviota's Jardines del Rey developments through your contact.
Morning
Orientation on water, power and waste infrastructure serving the cays.Afternoon
Discuss the protected-area and coastal-setback rules governing new build.Evening
Working dinner on sustainability and permitting risk.Business step: Map infrastructure and environmental constraints using the CubaAtlas map and tourism layers.
Morning
Cross the causeway to Morón; orientation on the town as a labour and supply base for the cays.Afternoon
Discuss workforce sourcing, the labour-contracting model and staff-housing logistics.Evening
Working dinner on operating-cost assumptions.Business step: Assess labour and supply logistics with the CubaAtlas tourism-operations notes.
DinnerPaladar La RuedarestaurantMap →Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)Morning
Drive to Ciego de Ávila; orientation on provincial approvals and inter-modal access.Afternoon
Review any Cartera de Oportunidades hospitality entries for Jardines del Rey.Evening
Working dinner consolidating a development wish list.Business step: Draft management-versus-JV structuring questions for MINTUR and the group.
Morning
Return to the cay; consolidate findings — product, plots, utilities, workforce.Afternoon
Draft next-step questions for MINTUR and MINCEX; buffer for travel.Evening
Closing working dinner.Business step: Arrange an orientation contact at ProCuba and confirm which authority owns each open question.
4 · Visa, entry & customs
Every visitor needs a Cuban tourist card (tarjeta del turista) plus a passport valid for the stay and proof of onward travel and medical insurance. Buy the tourist card before you fly — the price and colour depend on your departure country and airline.
Travelling under US jurisdiction: there is no general tourism licence. US persons travel under one of OFAC’s authorised categories — most commonly Support for the Cuban People or family visits — which carry record-keeping duties and a full-time-schedule requirement. The tourist card for US departures is the pink one. Confirm your category before you book.
5 · Shipping & commercial issues
Bringing goods, samples or equipment is a commercial import, not baggage: most inputs move through a Cuban state comercializadora, and a foreign business operates under a Law 118 form (joint venture, wholly-foreign enterprise, or international economic-association contract). Currency is a real constraint — plan around MLC/USD accounts.
Embargo / OFAC: the US embargo restricts what US persons and, in places, third parties can do with Cuba. Property transactions and many dealings carry sanctions exposure — this is orientation, not legal advice. Verify with counsel and the relevant ministry before committing.
Sectors in focus: Tourism & hospitality development · Real estate & infrastructure
Orientation only. Hotel development and management are organised through MINTUR groups (Gaviota, Cubanacán, Gran Caribe, Islazul) with foreign partners under Law 118 management or JV contracts; the CubaAtlas tourism and foreign-investment sections summarise the framework, and MINTUR, the relevant group and MINCEX are the authorities to confirm terms.
6 · Book direct, or compare an agency
This plan is costed to book direct — the $3,803 (expected) above is what the trip actually costs, itemised, with no package margin. A travel agency bundles flights, hotel and transfers into one price and adds a service fee for the convenience. We don’t quote agencies (we’d never invent a price) — so take a package quote and compare it line-for-line against the breakdown above.
Operating United States agencies serving Cuba, if you prefer a package:
- Cuba Travel Services (CTS) ↗
Long-running US seller of scheduled and charter air to Cuba plus packages.
Sells: flights, charters, packages, hotels
- ABC Charters ↗
Miami charter operator to Havana and other Cuban cities.
Sells: flights, charters · +1-305-263-6555
- Marazul Charters ↗
One of the oldest US–Cuba travel providers.
Sells: flights, charters, packages
- Xael Charter ↗
Direct flights Miami/Orlando/Tampa to Havana, Cienfuegos, Santa Clara, Camagüey, Holguín; since 1988.
Sells: flights, charters, hotels, cars, tours · (305) 643-2200
- insightCuba ↗
Non-profit people-to-people and custom group tours; since 2000.
Sells: tours, packages
- Cubamax Travel ↗
Flights, packages, shipping and remittances; 13 Florida branches.
Sells: flights, packages, hotels, cars · +1-305-512-0303
CubaAtlas is non-commercial and takes no commission. Agency links go straight to the operator; we don’t book, broker or earn from them.
Every Cuba agency, compiled — with the free equivalent for each →Questions
- How much does the "Cays Hospitality Development Mission" trip cost?
- An estimated $2,514–$6,001 all-in for 1 traveller(s) over 6 nights ($3,803 per traveller expected), including airfare, lodging, food, transport and a reserve. It is a planner estimate, not a quote — you book each part direct, with no agency margin.
- Do I need a visa to travel to Cuba?
- Every visitor needs a Cuban tourist card. Travellers under US jurisdiction have no general tourism licence and travel under an OFAC category such as Support for the Cuban People or family visits. See the CubaAtlas visa & entry guide.
- When is the best time for this trip?
- Best months: November–April.
- Can I book this trip on CubaAtlas?
- No — CubaAtlas is a free, non-commercial planner. It gives you the itinerary, the budget, live flight-search links and real hotel and restaurant listings, and you arrange each part directly at the source. We book nothing and take no commission.