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Guardalavaca | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 Beach at Guardalavaca | |
.svg)  Location of Guardalavaca in Cuba | |
| Coordinates: 21°07′30″N 75°49′44″W / 21.12500°N 75.82889°W | |
| Country |  Cuba |
| Province | Holguín |
| Municipality | Banes |
| Elevation | 5 m (16 ft) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| Area code | +53-24 |
Guardalavaca is a town in the Holguín Province of Cuba. It is a tourist location due to its white sandy beaches and warm waters. Guardalavaca beach is protected by a large coral reef and is visited by both local Cubans and tourists. Most Cuban workers in the all-inclusive hotels are transported daily in buses from neighbouring cities like Holguin, Banes, and Rafael Freyre, as only a few Cubans live in Guardalavaca due to the small size of the resort. Between Guardalavaca and Playa Esmeralda are dry tropical forest where endemic Cuban birdlife like hummingbirds Cuban emerald can be seen. Endemic Cuban knight anole lizards are numerous in these forest.
A daily flea market is popular for handmade Cuban souvenirs and tourists from beaches further away from Guardalavaca centre like Playa Esmeralda and Playa Pesquero come here on excursion. A main tourist attraction is the Taino museum and museum village between Guardalavaca and Banes, and the wildlife trail at Bahia de Naranjo. Bahia de Naranjo also offers swimming with dolphins and a small zoo. Frank Pais Airport is situated approximately 1 hour drive south of the resort and is a reason this area was developed for beach-tourism. Ecotourism and Wildlife tourism trips to Baracoa Tropical Rainforest use the large mass-tourism all-inclusive resorts of the Guardalavaca area due to their convenient location near Frank Pais Airport.