Varadero

A 20 km white-sand beach on the Hicacos Peninsula lined with all-inclusive resorts: Cuba's most established beach resort destination.

Varadero lies on the north coast of Matanzas Province, Cuba, built on the long, narrow Hicacos Peninsula about 140 km from Havana (roughly 2 hours by car). Juan Gualberto Gómez International Airport is about 25 km west of the peninsula, with direct flights from Canada, Europe and Latin America. Along the north side of the peninsula runs a white-sand beach of about 20 km. The western section is Varadero town, where guesthouses, restaurants and Josone Park cluster on either side of 1st Avenue; the eastern section is the all-inclusive hotel zone and the Varahicacos Ecological Reserve, with the Gaviota Marina at the far end as the departure point for boat trips. The dry season from November to April brings clear skies and the clearest water, and is the peak season; May–October is hot and rainy, and from August to October you should keep an eye on hurricanes. What to do: beyond beach and all-inclusive resort relaxation, watch the sunset at Xanadú Mansion and take a catamaran to Cayo Blanco. Half-day trips to the west include Saturno Cave, Coral Beach, the old town of Matanzas, Bellamar Caves and the Canimar River; to the south, visit the horse-cart town of Cárdenas; the classic day trip is to the Zapata Peninsula (Guamá, Cueva de los Peces, Playa Girón). We recommend 4–7 days, and it can be combined with Havana. Notes: Cuba's economic and currency policies change often, and foreign bank cards frequently do not work, so bring plenty of cash (euros or US dollars); you need to buy a card for internet access; a double-decker sightseeing bus (Varadero Beach Tour) and horse carriages run around the peninsula.

Top sights

• Varadero Beach – A 20-kilometer stretch of white sand on the Hicacos Peninsula, Cuba's most famous all-inclusive beach resort, about 2 hours' drive from Hav…
• Cueva de Saturno – An underground freshwater cave near the airport, with a clear blue-green pool beneath the stalactites, perfect for swimming and snorkeling…
• Cayo Blanco – A small white-sand island off the northeast coast of the Hicacos Peninsula. Take a catamaran out for snorkeling and dolphin encounters, the…
• Mansión Xanadú (Dupont Mansion) – A four-story seaside villa built on a cliff in the 1930s by Irénée du Pont, head of the American chemical giant DuPont, now a boutique hote…
• Cuevas de Bellamar – A limestone cave on the outskirts of Matanzas, discovered in 1861. It was the first cave in Cuba opened to tourists, and its sparkling whit…
• Parque Josone – A plantation-style park in the center of Varadero town, with a lake island, swans, boating, and restaurants in old mansions. It's a rare pa…
• Varahicacos Ecological Reserve – A protected primeval forest at the eastern tip of the Hicacos Peninsula, with trails through cacti and tropical scrub, caves, and cacti tha…
• Cueva de Ambrosio – A limestone cave on the Hicacos Peninsula with more than 70 pre-Columbian Indigenous rock paintings on its walls, making it an important ro…
• Matanzas Historic Centre – A colonial old town known as the “Athens of Cuba” and the “City of Bridges,” centered on Plaza de la Libertad, with several iron bridges sp…
• Teatro Sauto – A neoclassical theater completed in 1863 and designated a national monument in Cuba. Its horseshoe-shaped auditorium and ceiling murals are…
• Museo Farmacéutico de Matanzas – A French-style pharmacy opened in 1882 and preserved as it was, with wooden cabinets filled with French ceramic jars, glassware, and handwr…
• Castillo de San Severino – An 18th-century Spanish fortress on the shore of Matanzas Bay, now the Museum of the Slave Route, a UNESCO “Routes of Enslaved Peoples” pro…
• Ermita de Monserrate (Matanzas) – A 19th-century chapel on a hill north of Matanzas, overlooking the bay and the old town on one side and the Yumurí River valley on the othe…
• Valle del Yumurí – A limestone gorge and palm-lined valley northwest of Matanzas, which Humboldt praised as one of the most beautiful valleys in the world. Vi…
• Bacunayagua Bridge Viewpoint – Cuba's highest bridge, spanning a gorge 110 meters deep. The lookout at the bridge's end overlooks the Yumurí Valley and the sea, and it is…
• Delfinario de Varadero – An open-air dolphinarium in a natural lagoon on the Hicacos Peninsula, where visitors can watch dolphin shows and pay to swim with the dolp…
• Playa Coral – A snorkeling beach between Varadero and Matanzas, where the coral reef starts right at the shore. It has abundant fish and clearer water th…
• Río Canímar – A tropical river on the eastern outskirts of Matanzas that flows into the sea. Boats or speedboats travel upstream through a densely wooded…
• Cárdenas – A historic sugar port town south of Varadero, where horse-drawn carriages fill the streets. The first Cuban flag was raised here, and it ha…
• Museo Municipal de Varadero – A small museum in a 1920s wooden villa on the beach, telling the story of Varadero's transformation from fishing village to resort.
• Boca de Guamá & Laguna del Tesoro – A crocodile breeding farm in the Zapata Swamp, plus boat trips through canals to a Taíno-style village on Laguna del Tesoro.
• Cueva de los Peces – A sinkhole on the Bay of Pigs coast, 70 meters deep, where saltwater and freshwater mix. Tropical fish gather here, and the reef across the…
• Playa Girón & Bay of Pigs Museum – The main battlefield of the 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion. The museum displays aircraft, tanks, and photographs from the battle, and the beach…

Where to eat

• Varadero 60 – The most respected sit-down restaurant in town, with 1960s nostalgic decor, known for lobster and steak and with a live…
• Salsa Suárez – One of Varadero's most popular private restaurants, with a garden terrace, a long cocktail list and a menu ranging from…
• Waco's Club – Seafood restaurant on Third Avenue with lobster prepared in several ways. Surf and turf and grilled octopus are well re…
• Nonna Tina Italian Restaurant – A family-run Italian restaurant tucked away on 38th Street, known for wood-fired thin-crust pizza and classic pasta, wi…
• La Vaca Rosada – A rooftop terrace restaurant on 21st Street where the waiters wear pink shirts; portions are generous, and lobster and…

Itineraries

• Classic Western & Central Cuba – A loop from Havana covering the valley, Bay of Pigs, Cienfuegos, Trinidad, and Santa Clara.
• Havana, Central Colonial Towns & Varadero – Travel from Havana through three central towns, ending with the beaches of Varadero.