Only some rooms at Los Cocos and a few cabins at Las Caletas remain in use amid overgrowth, ruins, and lack of fuel.
Darío Hernández, Mayabeque, September 27, 2026 – What for years was one of the most affordable options for taking a family vacation in Cuba now survives amid overgrowth, dismantled cabins, and recreational areas in ruins. A tour of the popular campgrounds near Jibacoa Beach –Los Cocos, Las Caletas, El Abra, and La Laguna– reveals the deterioration of facilities that once had to be reserved at least a week in advance and now show clear signs of abandonment.
According to what 14ymedio was able to observe on site, in Santa Cruz del Norte, Mayabeque, only the rooms and the pool at Los Cocos were operating, along with a few cabins at Las Caletas. The rest of the facilities were in very poor condition: structures surrounded by brush, common areas without maintenance, and recreational areas that barely retain traces of their former use.
The Jibacoa campgrounds, between shortages and abandonment. /14ymedio
A worker in the area explained to this newspaper that one of the main problems is the inability to cover the cost of some services. “It is becoming very difficult to maintain them, especially because of the brush cutting,” he commented. Because these are large areas, clearing the overgrowth depends on brush cutters that operate with fuel, an increasingly scarce and expensive resource on the Island. According to his testimony, the last time the work was done it cost 25,000 pesos, an amount that is now almost impossible to afford.
The lack of clearing is visible at a glance. Around many of the cabins, grass grows unchecked and reaches the entrances. Some structures have lost their doors and windows, while others retain little more than their framework. The deterioration of the accommodations is compounded by the condition of the communal spaces. Play areas, cafeterias, open-air structures, and other recreational facilities show obvious deterioration and give the impression of having gone a long time without repairs or attention.
In several areas, the pavement appears cracked, dirty, or overrun by vegetation. Where there were once spaces designed for leisure and rest, abandonment and lack of maintenance now predominate. The scene contrasts with the natural beauty of the Jibacoa surroundings, one of the best-known beach destinations in the western part of the country.
The pool at Los Cocos, one of the few areas still usable, also shows the general deterioration. Although it remains open, part of the facility is out of service and dirty, confirming the campground’s partial operating condition. Even in the best-preserved complex in the area, the abandonment is evident.
The difference from previous years is notable. According to testimonies gathered in the area, at this time of year it was customary for the cabins to be in high demand, even though conditions were already poor back then. Now, however, demand appears to have collapsed at the same pace as the condition of the facilities. “Except for the first cabins at Los Cocos, this looks like a Resident Evil movie,” one camper says during the tour.
Beyond the extreme appearance of some areas, the underlying problem is the same one affecting almost all services in Cuba: lack of resources, fuel shortages, and accumulated deterioration. In the case of the campgrounds, this deterioration also has symbolic value. For many years, popular camping was presented by the Young Communist League as an affordable leisure alternative for Cubans, especially students and working families who could not aspire to hotels or more expensive destinations.
Today, in many of these enclaves, the official promise has been reduced to a handful of rooms in use and facilities that are barely holding together. The case of the Jibacoa campgrounds also illustrates a deterioration that does not appear to be temporary. It is not merely a lack of paint or an isolated breakdown, but a deep deterioration of the infrastructure and basic maintenance services. It is no longer only food, transportation, or electricity that is in short supply: the few places where generations of Cubans could afford a modest vacation near the sea are also falling apart.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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