Playas del Este

The Playas del Este are a chain of beaches beginning at Bacuranao and running east through Santa María del Mar, Guanabo and beyond, and they are what Havana uses in summer. Santa María has the best sand and the most services, Guanabo is a small town with restaurants and rented rooms, and the quieter stretches are between them. The water is warm and clear, the sand is pale, and the atmosphere on a summer Sunday is a Cuban city day out rather than a resort.

What you actually see

• Santa Maria del Mar - the widest beach with the best sand and the most services.
• Guanabo - a beach town with restaurants, casas particulares and a local feel.
• The quieter stretches - sections between the main beaches, largely empty on weekdays.
• The Sunday crowd - Havana families out in force, with music, food and volleyball.

When to go

May to September is when the water is warmest and the beaches are busiest. Winter days can be cool and windy, with the sea rough after a northerly front. Weekdays are far quieter than weekends in any season.

Honest expectations

Facilities are limited and variable, and cleanliness on the busier stretches deteriorates through a weekend. Persistent attention from touts and hustlers is common at Santa Maria. Seaweed and jellyfish appear at certain times of year.

Nearby

Havana is half an hour west along the coast road, and Cojimar is between them.