Since Cuba opened to tourism in the early 90s, its beaches have become one of the most popular vacation destinations in the Caribbean.
Of course Cuba is more than beaches but there is still nothing that beats them and one of the most popular of all is Varadero, just 140 kilometers from Havana.
Varadero
Varadero is not just a beach, It is a coastal city which is in the Hicacos peninsula, Matanzas province.
Tourism began to develop in the mid-XNUMXth century when some neighbors built summer houses near the white sand beaches and warm waters, but the amount of gnats and mosquitoes ended up scaring them away.
It seems that they insisted so much that they ended up founding a farmhouse and dealing with insect pests, The founding date of Varadero being December 15, 1887.
At that time arriving from the capital involved something like seven hours of travel by train, going to Cárdenas and from there by wagon to Varadero, but it was worth it for the beauty of the destination.
It was in the crazy 20s that the rich in Cuba and the rich in the United States set their sights on Varadero and began to build their mansions and marinas here. The area was listed and luxurious mansions began to appear and luxurious cars circulated through the streets.
It is the time when the American billionaire Irenee Dupont, dedicated to the chemical industry, builds his mansion, the Mansion Xanadu: eight kilometers of virgin beaches and a four-story house with eleven rooms with bathroom, terraces, balconies and various riches. Today it is a hotel with restaurant and golf course, so you can go visit it.
The first hotels were built in the 50sAfter the Revolution, and the increase in tourism, this time international, occurred, as I said above, with the fall of the Soviet Union and the country's urgent need for income.
What to do in Varadero today
There are five main beaches: Playa Varadero, La Girón, Playa Larga, Karabelas and Playa Mayor. Varadero Beach is 21 kilometers long and its waters have temperatures between 24 and 26 ºC. White sands, of course.
Girón Beach is very close to the first, on the east side of the Bay of Pigs, and is a good destination for diving and snorkelling because it hides shipwrecks. Playa Larga is also in the bay, but to the north of Girón and as it is located in the center it is a starting point for ecotourism excursions that are proposed in Varadero.
Finally, la Karabelas it is a more remote and lonely beach.
Among the ecotourism adventures I tell you that you can sign up for excursions to know the caves of Varadero: the Caves bellamar are the most famous but there is also the Ambrosio Cave and there are a couple of nature reserves, biospheres and national parks where boating through lagoons, among gardens and pink flamingos is surprising.
There are people who come to Varadero to fish so you can sign up for fishing excursions that depart from its three special marinas, the same if it is only about boating. Girón is not the only destination for diving or snorkeling: the best area is between Matanzas Bay and the western end of the Jardines del Rey Archipelago because there are coral reefs and many fish.
Around here the destinations are the Cayo Piedra Underwater Park, with ancient shipwrecks hidden, and the Maya Lagoon, halfway between Varadero and Matanzas, great for snorkelling. If you are interested you can approach the Barracuda Dive Center, the most popular of the spa.
In Varadero too you can go skydiving, go on excursions to the keys or see the city from a helicopteror from the Gaviota company: the ships are Russian and the flight costs 199 CUC.
We already talked about beaches, sea, lagoons and national parks but Varadero is a city so in its offer there are also art galleries, cinemas and museums. You can start with the Municipal Museum of Varaderor, about the coming of the Beach, with pieces of archeology and the history of the spa, all in an elegant 1920's house.
Then, in the surroundings, you can visit the Municipal Museum of Oscar María de Rojas, in Cárdenas (2 0km away), or the Junco Palace Historical Museum in Matanzas and also in that city the Theater Jump, For example.
Finally, in matters of cuisine, if you want to eat outside the hotel, the city offers a well-nourished group of 'palates«That's how restaurants are called in Cuba. There are public and private, although for some time now the latter are gaining strength and stand out.
You can taste the delicacies of Suarez sauce, on Calle 31, with prices between 8 and 12 CUC (Italian coffee, sushi and Cuban food), the Palate Nonna Tina, to pure Italian pasta, or the restaurant Meson del Quijote, on the Reparto la Torre, of Spanish food. They are true classics of Varadero but of course there are many more.
And if you want to feel like a rich millionaire for a moment then you can enjoy a cocktail at the bar on the terrace of the Xanadú Mansion, now converted into a luxurious hotel with an 18-hole golf course.
Where to stay in Varadero
The hotel offer is led by the largest chains such as Sol Meliá, Barceló, Gran Caribe or the Grupo cubacanan.
There is the Hotel Meliá Varadero, which has its own vineyard, for example, and the Try Peninsula Varadero, a four-star category. The hotel Mermaids La Salina is here and it is the largest in Cuba and it is one kilometer long between the beginning of the complex and the end.
There are many hotels to be able to speak of all but in the city you can look for private houses that are cheaper and they are authorized by the government to function as such. It's another option, although let me tell you that hotels ALL you include they are highly recommended here.
There are a couple of websites that deal with managing private rentals and a particularly good one is Living Cuba, for example.
The truth is that although Varadero is a very popular resort at this point, the Cuban keys are being more in demand: they are more rugged, more beautiful and calmer.
The proximity to Havana continues to be one of Varadero's strongest points, but when combining Havana with beaches, you have to choose: either those beaches are in Varadero or they are in the keys. What do you choose?
Cuba has the best beaches in the Caribbean! !!!