BEACH RESORTS
1.Playas del Este
Meandering for several miles east of Havana, this sweeping stretch of beaches is popular with the capital’s citizens as a weekend hangout. Pounding surf and a powerful undertow can be a deterrent to swimmers. The prettiest sections are Playa Santa María and Playa El Mégano, with gorgeous white sands and some beach facilities.
2.Cayo Levisa
This small island, ringed by white sands, an offshore coral reef, and mangroves, is renowned for its scuba diving. Coconut trees sway enticingly over a resort that has deluxe beachfront cabins along gorgeous white sands and turquoise waters.
The pure white sands of Cayo Levisa
3.Playa Sirena, Cayo Largo
Only a few miles from the all-inclusive hotels of Cayo Largo this is a broad swathe of pure white sand with thatched restaurants. The waters are an alluring blue and perfect for water sports. Many Canadian and European tourists come to bask on the sands of this resort island. The water does get deep quickly, so children should be supervised at all times.
4.Playa Mayor, Varadero
Lined with hotels and beach-hut restaurants for almost its entire 7-mile (11.5-km) length, this long stretch of silvery sand is the most well-developed beach in Cuba. Still, there is enough space for everyone, and the peacock-blue waters are shallow, safe for children, warm, and inviting.
5.Playa Esmeralda, Guardalavaca
Lying on the indented Atlantic coastline of Holguín province, Emerald Beach is truly a jewel. When you tire of the sands, wander along the ecological trails that lead through a mangrove and dry forest preserve, or take in the local sights.
6.Playa de los Flamencos, Cayo Coco
One of the most beautiful beaches in the country, Playa de los Flamencos boasts white sand and turquoise waters protected by an offshore coral reef. With half a dozen large, beach-front hotels, the facilities here continue to expand as new hotels are added. However, there is plenty of wilderness as well. Wildlife, including the flamingos from whom the beach gets its name, parade around the inshore lagoons (for further details see Playa de los Flamencos).
Playa de los Flamencos
7.Playa Ancón
Shaded by Australian pine, this white-sand beach lying along the Ancón Peninsula is within a 20-minute drive of (for further details see Playa Ancón). The Cuban government is in the process of gradually developing it as a tourist resort and now three all-inclusive hotels and a diving school are found here. The Caribbean seas offer superb snorkeling and diving, but swimmers need to watch out for the microscopic sea lice that sometimes infest the waters and can result in the occurrence of flu-like infections.
Playa Ancón’s magnificent 2.5-mile (4-km) sweep of white sand
8.Playa Pilar, Cayo Guillermo
Brushed by near-constant breezes, the white sands of this beach are swept into dunes overlooking pristine reef-protected waters, where you can wade knee-deep for 400 yards (366 m). Water birds can be found in the lagoons and mangroves, as well as hungry mosquitoes.
9.Playa Periquillo, Cayo Santa María
A long pedraplén (causeway) arcs across a shallow lagoon to reach the low-lying Playa Periquillo bay. The slender beach has pure white sands and warm waters. The shallows offer excellent bonefishing, while coral reefs and a wreckage are perfect for diving enthusiasts.
10.Playa Siboney
The pebbly gray sand here may not be the finest in Cuba, but the setting is lovely. Playa Siboney is one of few places where you can properly interact with locals and enjoy the rhythm of the salsa with them. Accommodation is offered in Caribbean wooden houses.
