The white sandy beach is lined with straw umbrellas and blue striped lounge chairs that reach as far as the eye can see. I stand on the boardwalk for a minute, and take a deep breath. It smells of saltwater and coconut scented sunscreen. Seven hours ago, I was in below 30 degree Celsius weather. I could be dreaming, but this is better. I'm in Cuba for seven blissful days of sun, sand and pure relaxation.

The beach is separated from the resort by sand dunes which are protected by boardwalks that link the two. It makes me think of Bouctouche except the water here is turquoise and translucent, like a bowl of blue Jell-O. I step onto the sand. It's hot and coarse against my skin.

We're staying at the Melia Cayo Santa Maria, an all-inclusive resort located on nearly 12 km of pristine waterfront, along with two other hotels, the Sol and Las Dunas. Sol was built in 2001, Melia was built in 2003 and Las Dunas in 2006.

The Melia Cayo Santa Maria is an adult-only resort. This we discover three days after our arrival! Walking along the water, passing the other hotels, the landscape suddenly changes when you hit the Sol and Dunas. Teens yell happily, children squeal with joy as they splash everyone around them… My father who has long been accustomed to family oriented resorts, quietly remarks that a hotel without children is perhaps not such a bad thing after all. Unfortunately, with grandkids on the way, it is a discovery he has made too late.

On the very first day of our arrival, the cook Alexis asked me what I thought about the beach. I told him the truth - it was the most beautiful beach I had ever seen, apart from Playa Esmeralda in Holguin.

"What about Maui or California?" Alexis asked me. "Is it really more beautiful here?"

"Yes," I replied. "Without a doubt, the beach at Cayo Santa Maria is more beautiful than even the beaches in Tahiti and Thailand."

You could see the pride on the Cuban cook's face. He exchanged a look with his assistant, Emmanuel. I received an extra large mahi-mahi that day, and every day thereafter, even when it was not on the menu.

As Cubans are forbidden to travel abroad, they have nothing to compare their beaches to, other than a Photoshopped picture on the internet.

Would I go back to the Melia Cayo Santa Maria? Two things I would keep in mind. One the food here is bland and exactly the same every day. When I go to the Caribbean I expect to eat strawberries, watermelon and exotic fruit for breakfast, lunch and super. The most exotic fruits I saw were guavas and bananas, and I don't even consider bananas exotic. I would blame this on the embargo and not on the Cubans. The service and Cuban hospitality on the other hand, is superb.

The second thing I recommend is to check the temperature before you go. Because of the island's North East location, it is generally cooler and windier than other areas of Cuba, notably Holguin which is found in the South. Nevertheless, I would definitely recommend everyone I know to try out the Melia Cayo Santa Maria at least once, as the beach here is one of a kind.