Dive Review of Gourlan/AirBnB in
Cuba/Havana

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Gourlan/AirBnB: "My heart is in Havana", Jan, 2019, by Giorgio Bonmassar, MA, USA ( Reviewer 5 reports with 5 Helpful votes). Report 10857 has 1 Helpful vote.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	I was reading that most of the Cuban reviews are from liveaboards in the Jardines De La Reina, which I am sure are awesome, but I like to also get to know the people, the local food, traditions, history, etc. so I decided to write this short blog. Before my departure, I had a lot of questions, most of all due to the travel restrictions, but I read carefully read reviews online and US citizens can travel to Cuba to visit the country even without a tour operator under “support of the Cuban people.” ([forbes.com link]). You need to choose this option when you book an Airbnb and the flight. Casa popular or Airbnb is recommended so I decided to stay away from Hotels and instead I went for a room smack in the center of the old city called LAS MERCEDES-HAVANA JUNIOR SUITE and it was better than many Hotels I stayed in the US: super nice, super clean and very comfortable. Also, I found a very cheap flight direct from Boston to Havana with JetBlue – awesome flight! The key is to make sure that you only spend money at establishments run by Cubans citizens and that you genuinely make contacts with locals, so this is what I was able to do in my trip. Anyway, Carlos of the Airbnb organized everything and I was able to experience diving in Havana and in Playa Larga, 3 hours from Havana. The other question that I had was in regards to dive equipment and safety of the operators, so I decided to see how it went but ready to abort the dives if I felt uncomfortable. In reality I never felt so comfortable, I have been diving for more than 20 years so I don’t really need too much assistance, but in both dives I had my personal dive instructor, checking constantly everything including air, which never happens to me in New England (!), so it was really relaxing! Also, all the equipment was from Europe but all state of the art, so no complaints there either. The instructor in Havana was Gourlan (74847) and we dived together in two boat dives: Cabezos Buratos and Canto Buratos, off the splendid Havana Club (bar, restaurant, golf, swimming pool, tennis, etc.). Both great dives, we saw lobsters, Caribbean fish and a large school of yellowfin, corrals (brain, pillars).
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	251-500 dives
Where else diving	Whitsunday Islands, Palau, Venice, Cozumel, Palmarola, Cancun, Honolulu, British Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, La Paz, Florida Keys, Isla Coronado, San Diego, Cape Cod, Cape Ann (MA), Newport (RI), Torre Lapillo (Puglia, Italy)
Closest Airport	José Martí International Airport (HAV)	Getting There	Extremely easy: direct flight from Boston with JetBlue
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	calm
Water Temp	77-78°F / 25-26°C	Wetsuit Thickness	5
Water Visibility	50-75 Ft/ 15-23 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	no
Enforced diving restrictions	travel restrictions to Cuba due to a 30 years old embargo.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	None	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter	N/A	Boat Facilities	N/A
Overall rating for UWP's	N/A	Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	[None]

Report currently has 1 Helpful vote

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Dive Review of Gourlan/AirBnB in Cuba/Havana

Gourlan/AirBnB: "My heart is in Havana", Jan, 2019,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Gourlan/AirBnB in
Cuba/Havana