Varadero

Varadero is Cuba's premier beach destination, a long, slender peninsula on the north coast fringed by more than 20 kilometres of one of the finest white-sand beaches in the Caribbean, lapped by warm turquoise water. Lined with all-inclusive resorts, it is the island's main sun-and-sea holiday hub, offering swimming, snorkelling, diving and watersports, and serving for many as a relaxing beach base, whether combined with excursions to Havana or simply for pure Caribbean relaxation.

History

Varadero is first mentioned in 1555. Its name means a dry dock, its first use, and from 1587 the salt pans of the peninsula supplied most of the Spanish fleet in Latin America, until they closed in 1961. The town itself began as a summer resort in the 1880s: on 5 December 1887, its official founding date, ten families from Cárdenas were given permission to build holiday houses between today's 42nd and 48th streets, and the first wooden houses with red roofs can still be seen along Avenida 1ra. Varadero became a municipality of its own on 3 July 1976 and was joined back to Cárdenas in August 2010 (Wikipedia, Varadero).

The landscape

• The white-sand beach - the long, powder-white Caribbean beach.
• The turquoise water - the warm, clear sea for swimming and snorkelling.
• The watersports - the diving, snorkelling and boat trips.
• The day trips - the excursions to Havana and the countryside.

When to go

November to April, the dry season, for the sunniest weather and calmest seas, avoiding the summer heat and the hurricane season; it is the peak tourist season, so book ahead. The beach and warm water are the year-round draw.

Good to know

It is a resort strip somewhat separate from real Cuban life, with the all-inclusive hotels a bubble apart from the island's culture and challenges, which is either relaxing or isolating depending on what you want. Food and service in the resorts can be underwhelming given Cuba's supply issues. It is best combined with Havana or the countryside for a fuller picture of Cuba.

Nearby

Havana is two hours west; the city of Matanzas and its caves are nearby.