Varadero

Varadero is a resort town strung along the Hicacos Peninsula, a narrow 30-km finger of land off the northern coast of Cuba in Matanzas province. Its shoreline is widely regarded as the finest in the country: continuous white sand, shallow clear water and reliable sun. The town first found fame in the early 20th century as a playground for wealthy Americans — Al Capone reportedly vacationed here, and the industrialist Irénée du Pont built an estate on the peninsula in 1928. After the revolution and the U.S. embargo, that early jet-set era ended, but a major hotel-building campaign in the 1990s remade Varadero into a wall of four- and five-star all-inclusive resorts.

The character of the place is unmistakable: this is the part of Cuba that resembles "real-life Cuba" the least. The bulk of visitors are package tourists — overwhelmingly Canadians, for whom Varadero is one of the most accessible winter beach escapes — who rarely stray far from their resort. That said, the peninsula is more than a beach. The older town of Varadero, near the base, has casas particulares, food stalls, markets and a more local rhythm; the midsection holds the golf course and the historic du Pont mansion; and the far tip, past the Internacional area, is where the newest mega-resorts and the marina sit, fronting the best stretches of sand.

When to come: Varadero runs on a tropical climate with a dry, sunny high season from roughly November to April — the most reliable beach weather and also the busiest, peaking December through March. The summer months are hotter and more humid, and the June–November period is hurricane season, with the greatest storm risk from August to October. For the best balance of weather and crowds, aim for late November or April.

By Plane

Juan Gualberto Gómez Airport (VRA) sits between Matanzas and Varadero, about 10 km from the town, and is the second-busiest airport in Cuba. Many package tours fly in directly from Canada; there are comparatively few flights from Europe. The terminal has duty-free shops (Cuban rum, cigars, artwork) and a currency-exchange booth — but note this booth is in the departures hall only, and it has a reputation for short-changing tourists, so count your money before leaving.

Getting to your hotel:

• Taxi from the airport to town (~10 km) runs US$25–30; you may bargain to around US$20, but rarely much less.
• Hitch with a tour bus: walk out to the airport parking lot and tip a tour-bus driver (US$5–10) for a ride to your hotel. For solo travellers this almost always beats the taxi fare.
• Rental car is available at the airport (see below).

By Car / Road

The Vía Blanca Highway is the main road in, running from Havana through Matanzas to the base of the peninsula (Havana is roughly 140 km / about 2 hours away). The road is in reasonable condition by Cuban standards; watch for unlit hazards, cyclists and animals at night.

By bus: Víazul coaches serve Varadero from Havana and Matanzas three times daily, arriving at the 🌍 bus station (the buses also stop at the airport). A daily overnight service runs from Santiago de Cuba, calling at Sancti Spíritus, Camagüey and Santa Clara in the small hours. A separate morning bus heads to Santa Clara, Cienfuegos and Trinidad, returning in the afternoon/early evening. It may also be possible to ride a hotel transfer bus toward Havana for about US$10 by negotiating directly with the driver.

By rental car: cars can be hired at the Varadero airport or through many hotels — handy if you plan day trips to Matanzas, Cárdenas or Havana.

Most visitors barely move beyond their resort, but the peninsula is easy to explore once you know the options. How far you have to travel depends on where you're staying: guests at the beach hotels (roughly from the Internacional onward) tend to just walk the sand, while anything beyond the golf course is fairly isolated. Anyone staying in Varadero town can get around much of it on foot.

• Hop-on bus: a double-decker, open-top tourist bus runs a regular loop from the tip of the peninsula (near the Barceló Marina and Princesa del Mar) all the way into Varadero town, stopping at the International Centre (a mall with ~100 shops and restaurants), the open-air marketplace and most major hotels. Look for the blue signposts marking stops and schedules. A day pass (CUC 5) lets you ride the full length as often as you like. One genuine warning: low palm branches will smack riders on the open top deck — duck.
• Taxis: every hotel has a taxi stand; fares are either metered or fixed by distance. Better hotels often have car rental on site, and there are several rental outlets in town.
• Coco Taxi: motorized three-wheelers with a round, orange-shell enclosure, hired for sightseeing or point-to-point trips in town.
• Horse-drawn caleches: carriages for hire, most common in town but arrangeable through any hotel front desk.
• Mopeds: widely available at about US$9/hour, US$12 for two hours, or US$20/day. You'll need a driver's licence — even a learner's permit is accepted.

• Parque Josone — A leafy park in the middle of Varadero with gardens, a small lake, birds, vendors, live music and camel rides for kids. A relaxed break from the beach and a good people-watching spot.

• Varadero Museum — A modest town museum on local and beach-resort history, housed in a traditional wooden seaside villa.

• 🌍 Old Tower — An old stone tower near the eastern end of the peninsula with stairs to the top for a view. The steps are rough and "sketchy," so take care. (updated Jan 2023)

• 🌍 Cueva de Ambrosio (Ambrosia Cave) — A multi-chamber cave near the tip of the peninsula with ancient indigenous wall drawings and a large bat population. Admission about US$5. (updated Jan 2023)

• Villa Du Pont (Mansión Xanadú) — The green-roofed, hacienda-style mansion built in 1928 for industrialist Irénée du Pont, now the clubhouse of the Varadero Golf Club. Visitors can admire its mahogany furniture, Italian-marble floors, bronze candelabra and oil paintings. The rooftop "Mirador" bar (open 24 hours), a mix of Art Deco and Moorish style, is a memorable sunset cocktail spot.

• The beach — The whole point of Varadero. The white sand and clear, warm water are the best in Cuba, and all of it is public. The beach generally improves the further out the peninsula you go, so if you're staying near the base, make your way toward the town centre or the far resorts to enjoy the best of it.

• Golf — The Varadero Golf Club offers 18 holes, the only full course in Cuba, laid out around the du Pont mansion with ocean on one side and fairway on the other. The clubhouse restaurant is among the area's finest dining.

• Cuevas de Bellamar (Bellamar Caves) — Near Matanzas, the oldest tourist attraction in Cuba (open to visitors since the 1860s). The cave system is extensive and impressive; expect a long set of steps down, a damp, rough floor and very warm air. About US$5.

• Seafari Cayo Blanco — A popular full-day catamaran excursion (about 7 hours) to Cayo Blanco: snorkelling on a coral reef, music, lunch and an open bar with Cuban cocktails. Versions run about US$75 (sunset party + dolphin show) or US$85 (with the chance to swim with dolphins).

• Snorkel at Coral Beach — A beautiful barrier reef close to Varadero where you can hand-feed the fish. About US$10.

• Delfinario — A dolphin show with an option to swim with the captive dolphins — roughly US$15 for the show, US$85 for show + swim. Worth weighing on animal-welfare grounds before booking.

• Skydiving — A skydiving operator at the end of the peninsula offers jumps with beach landings on the white sand. About US$200.

Eating in Varadero is dominated by the all-inclusive resort buffet, especially up the peninsula where there are few independent restaurants nearby — many of the far hotels are all-inclusive simply by circumstance. Room-only (European Plan) rates exist but are increasingly hard to find. Cuban resort food leans on chicken, pork and fish, with beef also available; expect plentiful rather than refined. Off the resort, the food gets more interesting and far cheaper.

• Mansión Xanadú / Varadero Golf Club clubhouse (upscale) — The old du Pont mansion, with an extensive menu and a lovely setting overlooking the ocean on one side and the golf course on the other. The basement restaurant "Las Américas" is Varadero's most luxurious (and most expensive) dining room.
• Marina restaurant (mid–upscale) — A well-regarded restaurant out at the marina, a good option if you're at the far end of the peninsula.
• International Centre restaurants (mid-range) — Several sit-down options clustered with the shopping at the mid-peninsula mall.
• Varadero town stalls and quick eats (budget) — Open-air marketplace food stalls and local fast food: Pollo Loco ("crazy chicken"), hamburguesas con queso (cheeseburgers), the odd pizza joint, and simple sandwiches. Menus are usually posted outside, and prices are a fraction of the resorts.
• Town sit-down restaurants (budget–mid) — A handful of restaurants in town serve full lunches and dinners centred on chicken, pork, fish and beef, with a more local clientele than the beach resorts.

Vegetarians will find rice, beans, plantains, salads and eggs reliable, though dedicated veg menus are rare outside the bigger resorts; flag dietary needs at all-inclusives in advance, as choices can be limited.

Cuba's drinks are half the fun. The signature is the Mojito — fresh-crushed mint, lime juice and white rum — followed by the Cuba Libre (rum, cola and lime). Rum, called "ron," is everywhere: the premium local brand is Caney, made in the former Bacardí factory on the east of the island, sold as white Carta Blanca or darker aged styles. "Ron mulatta" is the cheaper grade often poured at all-inclusives — and it tastes just fine in a cocktail.

For beer, Cristal is a light, good-tasting pilsner (often around a dollar a can); Mayabe is a touch fuller; and Bucanero (and the stronger Bucanero Fuerte) is the heavy option. Most all-inclusives stock both Cristal and Bucanero. Cuban wine tends to be very sweet and close to grape juice — wine lovers should bring a bottle from the duty-free or home. High-quality imported spirits are scarce and expensive.

Don't miss the coffee, which Cubans brew strong: order café espresso for a straight shot, café con leche for it with warm milk, or café americano for a milder cup.

Water: while tap water is officially drinkable, bottled water is recommended and is widely available across the island — stick to it to avoid an upset stomach.

Varadero is overwhelmingly an all-inclusive resort destination, with most beach hotels sold as packages rather than per-night room rates; the figures below are rough indicative starting points and vary sharply by season and package.

Budget

• Casas particulares (Varadero town) — Licensed private guesthouses in the older town, typically around US$25–45/night for a room, often with breakfast for a few dollars more. These offer the most local, flexible and economical stay; book a specific casa on arrival or in advance through a host network.
• Older town hotels — Several modest, older hotels in town are far plainer than the beach resorts and cater to a different clientele, but put you within walking distance of shops and food stalls.

Mid-range

• Hotel Internacional Varadero — A historic, recently renovated beachfront landmark in a central stretch of the peninsula; expect roughly US$120–200/night all-inclusive depending on season.
• Barceló Solymar — A large, long-running all-inclusive on a good beach section, popular with families; broadly in the US$130–220/night range.

Upscale

• Meliá Varadero / Paradisus Varadero — Established higher-end all-inclusives toward the better beaches, frequently from around US$200–350/night.
• Royalton Hicacos (adults-only) — A premium all-inclusive near the tip of the peninsula on some of Varadero's best sand, typically US$250+/night.

The classic Cuban souvenirs apply: rum, cigars, coffee and jewellery.

• Casa de Ron has the best rum selection in town; smaller groceries and hotel gift shops stock the popular labels too.
• The cigar shop, across the street from the Casa de Ron, has an enormous selection at better prices than many hotel gift shops.
• International Centre mall (mid-peninsula) gathers around 100 shops plus restaurants.
• Beach vendors roll along the sand with bicycle-mounted carts displaying their wares. Haggling isn't as ingrained as in, say, the Dominican Republic, but a little bargaining is possible.

Money: In Varadero you can frequently pay directly in euros, U.S. dollars and Canadian dollars, and as of recent years some shops actually prefer foreign currency or give better deals for it. Credit cards work in most shops — but not cards issued by U.S. banks or their foreign branches — and cash is more useful at markets. To get Cuban pesos, change money at a CADECA, a bank, or your resort front desk (rates track the international market). Always count your change before walking away, and treat the airport exchange booth with caution.

• Matanzas (~30 km / ~40 min) — The provincial capital, the "City of Bridges," with poetry heritage, riverside streets and the Bellamar Caves nearby.
• Cárdenas (~15 km / ~20 min) — A faded colonial town just south, known for horse-drawn carriages and a slower, untouristed feel — an easy half-day glimpse of everyday Cuba.
• Havana (~140 km / ~2 hr via Vía Blanca) — The capital: Old Havana's plazas, the Malecón, vintage cars and live music. Doable as a long day trip or, better, an overnight.
• Cayo Blanco (catamaran day trip) — A small offshore key reached on the Seafari excursion, for reef snorkelling, dolphins and beach time.
• Santa Clara (~3–4 hr by bus) — Home to the Che Guevara mausoleum and memorial, plus a lively university-town centre.
• Trinidad (full day by bus) — A UNESCO-listed colonial gem of cobbled streets, pastel mansions and live son music, with the Valle de los Ingenios nearby.