Guardalavaca, Beach resort town in Holguín Province, Cuba.

Guardalavaca is a beach resort town along turquoise waters with white sand in Holguín Province. A protective coral reef creates natural swimming areas and rocky sections that shelter fish and other marine life.

Guardalavaca grew massively as a tourist resort after 1990, when the small settlement was built up with hotels and apartment blocks for hotel workers. Its Spanish name comes from Guardalabarca, "guard the boat", referring to the shallow, sheltered bays near Bahía de Naranjo where ships were protected from pirates. The Cuban government has tried several times to change the name, so far without success.

The Aldea Taina village displays daily scenes of indigenous life through reconstructed houses where artisans demonstrate traditional crafts and skills. Visitors can observe how people organized their daily routines and created objects from natural materials found nearby.

Several resorts line the beach and offer direct water access with full guest amenities for international visitors. The gently sloping shoreline makes it easy to enter the water safely, and rocky areas near the reef provide natural shade.

Guardalavaca's name means "guard the cow" in Spanish; one account says farmers shouted "Guarda la vaca" when pirates came for the grazing cattle. Another holds it is a corruption of Guardalabarca, "guard the boat", after the shallow bay near Bahía de Naranjo where ships sheltered from pirates. The Cuban government has tried several times to rename the area, so far without success.