Hi Ron and Christine
Saw your message and wishd to respond. First of all you are not first time visitors to Cuba and have seen some of the more popular "tourist sites/resorts" and found them to be busy.
I have not been everywhere in Cuba, and there might be others on this Forum, who could give you some suggestions.
What I can tell you is that what appeals to many lovers/adeptes of Cayo Largo can be very, very difficult to duplicate elsewhere in Cuba and even the Caribbean. That does not mean that other destinations in Cuba do not have merit. Just that they will not offer the miles of almost deserted beaches, naturism,etc...
Jibacoa- Lily and Normand have often gone there and so have I over the years and surely others on this forum. One goes there for different reasons than going to CL. It can be a very interesting vacation as long as one knows ahead of time what to expect and the reasons for going etc.
Take a look at the website for Jibacoa along with several other sites for additional insights and information.
http://www.destilino.com/home.html
* I have been a few times to the Sol resorts situated on Playa Esmeralda (Guardalavaca) and during the low season can be nice and quiet. However its a short beach and no natursim that I am aware off. Yet it can be a base for seeing the local countryside, visit the city of Holguin, and so forth. I continue to have fond memories of a long ride on a scooter through the beautiful countryside with barely any road traffic and watching farmers plowing their fields with Oxen (like in the good ole days), waving at Cubans, seeing the fantastique palm trees, etc....
So yes there are places to visit. Just not like CL.
Cheers
Alexander
