Varadero

Holiday Destinations / North America and Caribbean / Cuba / Travel Guide / Varadero

The peninsula of Varadero, two-hours west of Havana, is the quintessential Cuban resort gateway. Over 20 miles of powder-soft, white-sand beach and turquoise waters make Varadero the perfect Caribbean sun and beach destination. Some of the best all-inclusive beach resorts in the island are located here, and there’s plenty of choice as the number of three, four, and five-star resorts runs into double figures.

Despite being a beach resort, Varadero is a rather quiet and peaceful place. The beach is never crowded, no need to cluster with large groups of beach goers or to struggle to find a chair or some shade.

The Cuban town at the entrance of Varadero gives visitors the chance to experience a bit of Cuban culture. There’s plenty of bars, clubs and restaurants in this area if you decide to escape the monotony of the all-inclusive buffet. Nightlife is quite lively. There’s lots of night clubs to choose from should you decide to learn a bit of salsa.

But the beach at Varadero is the star of the show. There’s plenty of aquatic sports available to visitors, catamaran excursions to nearby cayos, dolphin spotting, fishing trips, yatching, you name it.

For those looking to explore a bit more of Cuba, there’s lots of excursions from Varadero to Havana, the nearby city of Matanzas, the Zapata Swamps and Bay of Pigs, and the colonial town of Trinidad to name but a few.