Varadero is Cuba’s largest and most popular beach resort. It lies on a twenty kilometre long peninsula with fantastic soft white beaches gleaming in the sunshine. Beach lovers flock to its swathes of soft white sand and its warm translucent waters. It is a relaxing resort where days are spent sunbathing by the pool and on the beach or enjoying some of the many water sports and recreational facilities including golf. While most of the hotels are all-inclusive and provide the evening entertainment there are some good restaurants in the town as well as a number of lively bars. Apart from its natural beauty, the Punta Hicacos peninsular and the surrounding area have many places of interest worth visiting, including archaeological sites. A Varadero holiday will certainly satisfy beach lovers and water sports enthusiasts.
A Cuba holiday provides some of the best beaches in the Caribbean with soft sugary sand and warm waters, and Varadero has plenty of both. There is wide provision of leisure pursuits including swimming with dolphins, deep sea fishing, snorkelling and scuba diving. There is also the added attraction of an eighteen hole golf course.
A Varadero holiday is popular with a wide variety of people. Families with small children delight in the all-inclusive holiday packages knowing that it will cater for their every need. Couples of all ages will enjoy the romance of the island, while water sport enthusiasts will find plenty to occupy their days. Golfers can enjoy eighteen holes in glorious sunshine.
All of Cuba enjoys a balmy, subtropical climate making this remarkable island a great place to visit at any time of the year. The annual average temperature is 25 degrees Celsius, with summer heat peaking around 30 degrees. Daytime temperatures in winter rarely dropping below 18 degrees C. Rain falls mostly in the summer and autumn, and while there can also be torrential downpours at any time they are usually short lasting. The main hurricane season in Cuba is between August and October, so it's important to watch weather forecasts if you are booking your Varadero holiday in this period.
Varadero is the most popular resort in Cuba with British tourists. Apart from having a glorious beach it is also less than one hundred and fifty kilometres from Havana. This adds to Varadero’s attraction, as most visitors to Cuba wish also to explore the capital. However, it is mainly the sandy shore that draws beach lovers and water sport enthusiasts. It is the perfect beach of dreams, with kilometre after kilometre of soft white sand the consistency of caster sugar. The beach slopes gently into the warm waters of the bay offering safe bathing for children and less confident swimmers. The translucent waters are ideal for snorkelling and diving and there are a host of other water sports to occupy the more active holidaymaker. These include deep sea fishing and sailing. Glass bottomed boat trips allow you to see the abundance of marine life in these healthy waters. If you should tire of lazy days on the beach or in the water, there are many places of interest in the area. These include Ambrosio’s Cave with ancient wall paintings, Las Salinas salt mine, St. Elvira’s Church and the dolphin centre, to name but a few. Having travelled to Cuba, it would be a shame to miss visiting Havana which is a remarkable city, where time appears to have stood still since the fifties and sixties.
Varadero’s hotels, apartments and villas provide a high standard of care and comfort. The friendly service is excellent and the food is good. A Varadero holiday offers relaxed sun filled days on the softest of beaches bathed by warm turquoise water, and a wonderful hospitable atmosphere.
Varadero nightlife is mainly centred round the all-inclusive hotels and can be fairly lively. There are however a good number of lively bars and clubs with cabaret, where dancing in a party atmosphere continues until the early hours of the morning.
Varadero shopping is reasonable with a few boutiques and specialist shops. The Cuban economy is state controlled and over the years the American embargo has led to a lack of quality goods in Cuba’s shops. Items such as cosmetics, camera films and medicines can be limited and it is best to take plenty with you, including sun cream, an essential item in sunny Varadero. The outdoor market is a good place to purchase your gifts and holiday mementoes.
Although most of Varadero’s hotels are all inclusive, there are some excellent restaurants in the town. There are even some with a colourful history as this was an area popular with American gangsters in the twenties and thirties. Al Capone’s old summer house is now a restaurant, Casa de Al! As you would expect in an island economy, fish features prominently on menus. Food is simply cooked and not overly spicy or hot. Beans and rice are an essential part of the traditional diet. Fresh fruit is plentiful and drinks are very reasonably priced.
