Varadero

Understand

Varadero is a resort town on the 30-km-long Hicacos Peninsula, off the northern coast of Cuba. The peninsula's shoreline offers the best beaches in Cuba, as well as one of its largest tourist destinations. It first gained popularity with American millionaires (before the revolution and embargo), and was apparently Al Capone's vacation spot. In the 1990s a large hotel-building campaign transformed Varadero into a mostly four- and five-star all-inclusive resort destination. These are primarily filled with Canadian tourists, with their all inclusive packages being one of the most accessible winter time beach get-aways from Canada.

Getting there

There are no trains.

By bus Viazul Buses arrive from Havana and Matanzas three times daily at the 1 bus station. These buses also stop at the Varadero airport. They run a daily overnight service from Santiago de Cuba, stopping at Sancti Spiritus, Camagüey, and Santa Clara in the middle of the night. There is also a morning bus to Santa Clara, Cienfuegos, and Trinidad, returning in the afternoon/early evening. Alternately you can walk out to the airport parking lot and tip (US$5-10) one of the tour bus drivers to hitch a ride to your hotel/resort; this always works out cheaper than taxi if you travel solo. It may also be possible to get to Havana on a hotel transfer bus for about US$10 by negotiating with the driver.

By taxi A taxi from airport to the town (about 10 km) costs US$25-30. It may be possible to bargain the fare to about US$20, but not much less.

By plane 2 Juan Gualberto Gomez Airport. Many package tours fly directly from Canada to Juan Gomez Airport, the second busiest airport in Cuba, while there are few flights from Europe. The airport is situated between Matanzas and Varadero. There is a currency exchange booth only in the departures hall. There are also several duty-free shops selling Cuban rum, cigars, artwork and other merchandise.

By rental car Possible in the Varadero Airport or through various hotels.

By road Via Blanca Highway connecting Varadero to Havana through Matanzas.

Getting around

Many visitors do not stray far from their package tour hotel. Depending on how close to the town of Varadero your hotel is located, many opportunities to explore either on foot or with a vehicle are present. Visitors staying at Varadero beach hotels (pretty much from the Internacional Hotel or past) end up walking the beach. Any trip to town will require a ride. Those staying in Varadero town have many options on foot.

By bus

There is a double-decker open-on-top bus that runs on a regular schedule from the tip of the peninsula (up by the Barcelo Marina Hotel and Princessa del Mar) all the way into the town of Varadero, with stops at the International Centre (shopping mall with about 100 stores, and restaurants), the open-air marketplace, and most major hotels. Look for the blue sign-posts to indicate stops, routing, and schedules. CUC5 gets you a day pass that you can use as much as you want to go along the whole peninsula. Watch out for the palm tree branches when sitting on the open top. The branches will whack you in the head, seen it happen at least 7 times. Cheers.

By taxi All hotels will have a taxi stand. Fares are either metered or set by distance. Some hotels, mostly the better ones, have car rentals available right at the hotel. There are also several rental outlets in Varadero.

Other In town, there are motorized trikes with a round enclosure (think of a car-sized orange) that are available for hire, either for sightseeing or point-to-point travel. These are referred to as Coco Taxi. There are also horse-drawn caleches (carriages) available for hire. They are more prevalent in town, but any hotel concierge or front desk can arrange one upon request. Mopeds are readily for hire throughout town at a cost of about US$9/hr, US$12 for two hours or US$20/day. You will need a drivers license to rent one, even a learners one will do.

See

Parque Josone – A park in the middle of Varadero filled with birds, vendors, music and camel rides for the kids. Varadero Museum. 1 Old Tower. An old tower of some sort, with no description anywhere. There's stairs to the top, but they're very sketchy. (updated Jan 2023)

Do

Beach – The white sandy beaches of Varadero are considered the best in Cuba. All shorelines are open to the public and the beach generally gets better further out in the peninsula. So especially if you're staying at the base of the peninsula, find a way out to either the town center or by some of the nice resorts to enjoy the best Varadero has to offer. Delfinario – A dolphin show with the option to actually swim with the captive dolphins, about US$15 for the show and US$85 for the show + swim. However, you should reconsider whether this is actually a proper way to treat animals. Cuevas de la Bellamar (Bellamar Caves). Visit the oldest tourist attraction in Cuba, open to visitors since the 1860s. The caves are extensive and impressive. There are quite a few steps down into the cave and it is slightly damp and rough underfoot, and also very warm. ~US$5. Seafari Cayo Blanco (excursion by catamaran). Daily, the excursion takes 7 hours. Snorkeling in a coral barrier reef, entertainment, music, lunch and open bar with Cuban cocktails in Cayo Blanco. There is the option to either swim with the dolphins or visit the dolphin show at Delfinario and enjoy a sunset party. About US$75 for the sunset party and dolphin show trip. US$85 for the chance to swim with dolphins instead. Villa Du Pont – Once the residence of Irénée Du Pont, the green-roofed hacienda style building built in 1928 is today the headquarters of the Varadero Golf Club. The golf course, just a few steps away, features 18 holes, the largest in Cuba. The visitor has the opportunity to admire the splendor of its mahogany furniture, floors made out the finest Italian marble, bronze candelabra and oil paintings. The basement offers Varadero´s most luxurious and expensive restaurant, "Las Américas". On the first floor there are 5 finely decorated and equipped guest rooms, plus a presidential suite. A few steps higher on the second floor, an attractive bar "Mirador" (open 24 hours), product of a mixture between

Buy

Money In Varadero, Cayo Largo del Sur, Jardines del Rey (Coco and Guillermo Keys), Santa Lucía Beach, Covarrubias Beach, and Holguín province, you can often pay in euros, US dollars, and Canadian dollars. As of 2022, foreign currencies are more valuable, and some shops will not accept Cuban pesos or will offer a better deal if you pay with a foreign currency. Credit cards (except those issued by US banks or their branches in other countries) can be used in most Varadaro shops but it is more useful to take cash (CUCs) to the markets. Currency exchange: You may exchange euros, Canadian dollars, pounds, Swiss francs, and others for Cuban pesos. The exchange rates for those currencies are set in accord with the exchange rates on the international market. You can obtain Cu