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Cuba🇨🇺 | beachesPlaya Las ColoradasGranma landing, mangrove boardwalk, yacht replica, muddy shore | things to do and best time to go

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Backpacking in Playa Las Coloradas
👀 For curious travelersbeach ranked #26
By Johan Kruseman 🇳🇱 | Updated October 22, 2026

Playa Las Coloradas is the spot where Fidel Castro and 81 rebels landed the yacht Granma, and the shore is mangrove mud, not resort sand. It sits on the southwest coast of Granma province, in eastern Cuba. Swimming is mediocre and the beach is narrow, so skip it for tanning. I arrived to silence, a replica boat under a roof and crabs scuttling in the roots. Come for the history and the quiet. Spend a first day on the memorial, then the mangrove trail.

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✨ Why go?
Ranked #26 beach in CubaWhat makes this beach worth visiting

Playa Las Coloradas is a pilgrimage stop for anyone tracing the Cuban Revolution through the east. The Granma landing site is where the story starts, and standing in the same shallow, root-tangled water makes the history click better than any museum plaque. It also works as an anchor for the wild coast of Desembarco del Granma National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage area few backpackers reach. Crowds are thin, so you get the place largely to yourself, and nearby Niquero keeps costs low for a night or two.

💡 HighlightsPlaces and moments you shouldn't skip

  1. Granma yacht replica: A full-size copy of the cramped boat that carried 82 men sits under cover at the site. Seeing how small it is explains the whole story.
  2. Landing memorial and museum: Photos, maps and period items describe the 1956 landing and the first days in the swamp that followed.
  3. Mangrove boardwalk and trail: A path through the mangroves follows the route the exhausted rebels struggled along, and it shows how brutal the terrain really was.
  4. The shoreline itself: A quiet, shallow, muddy-sand beach with dark water and crabs. It is better for wading and watching birds than for serious swimming.
  5. Desembarco del Granma National Park: The surrounding protected area has dry forest, limestone terraces and coastal wildlife. It is worth asking about guided walks here.
Playa Las Coloradas needs no … read more 👉
  1. Granma yacht replica: A full-size copy of the cramped boat that carried 82 men sits under cover at the site. Seeing how small it is explains the whole story.
  2. Landing memorial and museum: Photos, maps and period items describe the 1956 landing and the first days in the swamp that followed.
  3. Mangrove boardwalk and trail: A path through the mangroves follows the route the exhausted rebels struggled along, and it shows how brutal the terrain really was.
  4. The shoreline itself: A quiet, shallow, muddy-sand beach with dark water and crabs. It is better for wading and watching birds than for serious swimming.
  5. Desembarco del Granma National Park: The surrounding protected area has dry forest, limestone terraces and coastal wildlife. It is worth asking about guided walks here.
Playa Las Coloradas needs no advance booking for any of these, since guided walks into the park are arranged on arrival.
Spotted a mistake or missing something? Contact us.

🌤️ When to go?Choosing the right time of year

Playa Las Coloradas is best from December to April, when highs run 28 to 31°C (82 to 88°F) and rain is scarce.
  • Dry Season (Nov to Apr): Calm days, cooler nights near 20°C (68°F), about 11 hours of daylight, and the busiest weeks around December 2, the Granma landing anniversary.
  • Wet Season (May to Oct): Highs of 32 to 35°C (90 to 95°F), afternoon downpours, fierce mosquitoes, and 13 hours of daylight.
  • Hurricane Window (Aug to Oct): Storms can close roads and shut transport.
Book a casa in Niquero ahead for early December.

source: climatestotravel.comJANJanuary: highly recommended for travelingFEBFebruary: highly recommended for travelingMARMarch: highly recommended for travelingAPRApril: highly recommended for travelingMAYMay: fair for travelingJUNJune: fair for travelingJULJuly: fair for travelingAUGAugust: fair for travelingSEPSeptember: fair for travelingOCTOctober: good for travelingNOVNovember: highly recommended for travelingDECDecember: excellent for traveling
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🛏️ Where to stay?How to pick the right area

Niquero is the best base, with casas particulares at roughly US$20 to 35 a night for a double, about 20 km from the beach. It has the only real choice of rooms, restaurants and a Wi-Fi park, and shared taxis and trucks run from town toward the Desembarco del Granma park. Hosts often arrange transport and meals. Cabo Cruz, a fishing village at the park’s far end, suits those wanting quiet, with a few casas and a lighthouse nearby. Nobody stays right on the sand, so plan your lodging around one of these two.
Best hostels in Cuba


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🛡️ SafetyScams, Hazards, and Annoyances

Playa Las Coloradas is calm and low-risk. The water sits in a sheltered bay fringed with mangroves, so currents and waves are mild, though the bottom is muddy and shallow rather than clean sand. Midday sun is intense, and shade is limited, so bring a hat and water. Mosquitoes and sand flies arrive at dusk, especially in the wet season. Crime is rare, but keep valuables with you since there are no facilities. Few people swim here, and there are no lifeguards.
Check Country Safety

FAQTraveler FAQ

Reaching Playa Las Coloradas means getting to Niquero first, which is about 3 hours by road from Bayamo or roughly 1.5 hours from Manzanillo. From Niquero, the beach and Granma landing memorial lie about 20 km away, and a taxi costs roughly US$15 to 30 round trip with waiting time. Viazul does not serve Niquero directly, so most travelers use shared taxis or hired cars from Bayamo.
Playa Las Coloradas is fine for a calm, shallow paddle but poor for surfing or snorkeling. The sheltered bay has no surf, and the muddy, mangrove-lined bottom gives little visibility or reef.
Playa Las Coloradas is not entirely free, because the beach sits within the Desembarco del Granma park and its Granma landing memorial. Expect a small entry fee of roughly US$5 to 10 for foreigners, paid in cash at the gate. Guides at the site can add a few more dollars, and the beach itself has no shops, so bring water and snacks.
⚠️ Things can change over time, so always validate details locally before you go.

Other Cuban beaches near Playa Las Coloradas

Explore more nearby:

  • Playa La Boca—Puerto Padre bay mouth, windmills, Fuerte de la Loma, local families| 192 km away
  • Playa Santa Lucía—Shark dive, barrier reef, Nuevitas road flamingos, fishing village| 193 km away
  • Playa Bonita—Cayo Sabinal crescent, catamaran access, casuarina shade, no services| 196 km away

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We 💚 feedbackWhat to keep in mind

Playa Las Coloradas needs two or three hours, or half a day if you walk the mangrove trail. I would not sleep right here. Base yourself in Niquero, visit early, and bring water and bug spray.

✈️ When did I visit Cuba?
As part of my 1.5 year travel around the world trip, I visited Cuba for 6 weeks in February, March 2016, being extremely lucky that that coincided with the free concert of The Rolling Stones.

✍️ Help improve this page!
The information on this page is based on my own backpacking experience in Cuba, supplemented with up-to-date research and feedback from other travelers. Travel details can change, so if you notice anything outdated or incomplete, feel free to let me know.



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Johan, backpacker and founder of TakeYourBackpackHi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.

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