Matanzas Province |
NORTHERN MATANZAS
MATANZAS
VARADERO
CÁRDENAS
PENÍNSULA DE ZAPATA
CENTRAL AUSTRALIA & AROUND
BOCA DE GUAMÁ
GRAN PARQUE NATURAL MONTEMAR
PLAYA LARGA
PLAYA GIRÓN
For a province whose name means ‘massacres,’ Matanzas presents a surprisingly innocuous face. It hasn’t always been this way. In the 17th and 18th centuries pillaging pirates ravaged the region’s prized north coast, burning property and terrorizing the early Spanish settlers. Two hundred years later, in April 1961, another group of political mercenaries grappled ashore in the Bay of Pigs under the dreamy notion that they had arrived to liberate the nation.
The province’s dreams these days are made in Varadero, the Caribbean’s largest beach resort, a skillfully manufactured modern Xanadu, which stretches for 20 idyllic kilometers along the sandy Hicacos Peninsula and provides a comfortable tropical haven for tourists from all over the globe.
But Matanzas’ Cuban soul lies not here, but some 32km to the west in its eponymous provincial capital, a down-at-heel port city that few visitors see and fewer still appreciate. While glitzy Varadero has spawned high-rise hotels, all-inclusive vacation deals and tandem-skydiving packages, the city of Matanzas has sculpted more subtle creations, giving the world rumba and danzón (traditional Cuban ballroom dance) and harboring some of its most grandiose neoclassical buildings.
Traditionally a bastion of the sugar industry, Matanzas’ economy has diversified in recent years to include tourism and citrus production. Glimmering in the south is the largely un-inhabited Zapata Peninsula, the Caribbean’s largest swamp and a protected area that guards rare birds, crocodiles and a wide variety of different ecosystems. Shimmering nearby, the Bay of Pigs is a more peaceful retreat these days where vertical underwater drop-offs and fantastical coral walls are more popular with divers than invaders.
Matanzas contains Cuba’s largest protected tract of land, the Gran Parque Natural Montemar, a National Park, Unesco Biosphere Reserve and Ramsar Convention Site. Within the park there are further protected areas such as the Las Salinas Wildlife Refuge. In the north of the province, three areas enjoy protected status: the region bordering the Río Canímar, the Laguna Maya Flora and Fauna Reserve by Playa Coral, and the Reserva Ecológica Varahicacos in Varadero.
Because of its position in the Havana/Varadero tourist corridor, northern Matanzas has the best transport connections in Cuba with eight buses a day plying the Vía Blanca to and from the capital. From Varadero there are direct connections to Santa Clara, Trinidad and Cienfuegos while Matanzas has good rail links with Havana and the rest of the country, including the slow but quirky Hershey Train. The south of the province isn’t served so well, although entry to the Zapata Peninsula and Playa Girón was recently improved with the rerouting of the Havana–Trinidad Víazul bus.
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Northern Matanzas boasts an attractive rural landscape punctuated by low hills and lush valleys – most notably the Valle del Yumurí. Home to Cuba’s largest resort area (Varadero) and one of its biggest ports (Matanzas), the northern coastline is also the province’s main population center and is also the national center for industry and commerce.
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Splayed like a ruined Sparta beside its eponymous bay, Matanzas is a city riddled with dichotomies. Ostensibly one of Cuba’s most dilapidated urban centers, it is also one of its most interesting. White culture flourished here in the mid-19th century when influential men of letters concocted great works of literature and the city earned its kiss-of-death euphemism, the ‘Athens of Cuba.’ Meanwhile on the other side of the Río Yumurí in the humble neighborhood of Versalles, freed slaves united in secret brotherhoods or cabildos began to measure out the drum patterns that gave birth to rumba.
A port settlement that played a pivotal role in Cuba’s once dynamic sugar industry, early 20th-century Matanzas was a striking amalgam of bridges (17 in total) and theaters that rivaled Havana as a center of culture and learning. But the salad days didn’t last. Virtually ignored since the Revolution, modern Matanzas has long been overshadowed by antiseptic Varadero, 32km to the east, and few of the resort’s million or so annual visitors bother to give it a glance.
What they’re missing isn’t always visible to the naked eye. Many of Matanzas’ attractions are visceral, hidden beneath 50 years of postrevolutionary dust. If it’s five-star comforts you’re after, hop on a Víazul bus straight back to Planet Varadero. But if the thought of ritualistic drumming, beer over dominoes or the chance to meet some genuinely hospitable locals makes you fidget on your beachside sun-lounger, gritty, in-your-face Matanzas could be the place for you. Welcome to the real Cuba, amigos!
In 1508 Sebastián de Ocampo sighted a bay that the Indians called Guanima. Now known as the Bahía de Matanzas, it’s said the name recalls the matanza (massacre) of a group of Spaniards during an early indigenous uprising. In 1628 the Dutch pirate Piet Heyn captured a Spanish treasure fleet carrying 12 million gold florins, ushering in a lengthy era of smuggling and piracy. Undeterred by the pirate threat, 30 families from the Canary Islands arrived in 1693, on the orders of King Carlos III of Spain, to found the town of San Carlos y Severino de Matanzas. The first fort went up in 1734 and the original Plaza de Armas still remains as Plaza de la Vigía.
For a decade starting in 1817 Matanzas flourished economically with the building of numerous sugar mills. The export of coffee added further equity to the city’s bank balance and in 1843, with the laying of the first railway to Havana, the floodgates were opened. The second half of the 19th century was a golden age in Matanzas’ history when the city set new standards in the cultural sphere with the development of a newspaper, a public library, a high school, a theater and a philharmonic society. Due to the large number of artists, writers and intellectuals living in the area, Matanzas became known as the ‘Athens of Cuba’ with a cultural scene that dwarfed even Havana.
Home to several modern poets including Cintio Vitier and Carilda Oliver Labra, Matanzas is where Cuba’s first danzón was performed in 1879 and is also the spiritual home of the rumba. With a long history of slave occupation, there are a number of Santería cabildos (associations) here, the oldest of which dates back to 1808.
Matanzas lies on the Vía Blanca 42km west of Varadero and 98km east of central Havana. The Carretera Central from Pinar del Río to Santiago de Cuba also passes through the city.
The compact old town is sandwiched between the Río Yumurí and the Río San Juan with the historic Versalles quarter situated to the north. Most of the industry is east of Versalles. The Hershey Railway terminates in Versalles, but all other transport facilities are south of the Río San Juan.
The streets of Matanzas suffer from a capricious numbering system. In the old town the north–south streets bear even numbers, beginning at Calle 268 near the bay. The east–west streets increase from Calle 75 at the Yumurí bridge (Puente de la Concordia) to Calle 97 along the banks of the San Juan.
Matanzas residents just ignore these arbitrary numbers and continue using the old colonial street names. However, in this chapter we have used the numbers because that’s what you’ll see on street corners (see below).
If you’ve only got time to see one bridge (there are 21 in total) in Cuba’s celebrated ‘city of bridges,’ get an eye-full of Puente Calixto García, an impressive steel structure built in 1899 that spans the Río San Juan and leads directly into Plaza de la Vigía (Map). This diminutive square was where Matanzas was founded in the late 17th century and numerous historic buildings still stand guard.
On the southeastern corner, the Matanzas fire brigade is headquartered in the 1897 neoclassical Parque de los Bomberos (Map),
which poses as a museum but will only take a couple of minutes of your time. Across the street is Ediciones Vigía (Map; 24-48-45; 8am-4pm Mon-Fri), a unique book publisher, founded in 1985, that produces handmade paper and first-edition books on a variety of topics. The books are typed, stenciled and pasted in editions of 200 copies. Visitors are welcome in the workshop and you can purchase numbered and signed copies (from CUC$5 to CUC$15 each). Next door is the rather scant Galería de Arte Provincial (Map; Calle 272 btwn Calles 85 & 91; admission CUC$1; 10am-2pm Mon, 10am-6pm Tue-Sat).
Wilting from the outside, the Teatro Sauto (Map; 24-27-21), back on the plaza’s south side is, nonetheless, one of Cuba’s finest theaters (1863) and famous for its superb acoustics. The lobby is graced by marble Greek goddesses and the main hall ceiling bears paintings of the muses. Three balconies enclose this 775-seat theater, which features a floor that can be raised to convert the auditorium into a ballroom. A work of art, the original theater curtain is a painting of the Puente de la Concordia over the Río Yumurí. Enrico Caruso performed here, as did the Soviet dancer Anna Pavlova in 1945. Your best chance of catching a performance is on Friday, Saturday or Sunday nights.
Other impressive buildings on Plaza de Vigía include the imposing Palacio de Justicia (Map) opposite the Teatro Sauto, first erected in 1826 and rebuilt between 1908 and 1911, and the double-arcaded Museo Histórico Provincial (Map; cnr Calles 83 & 272; admission CUC$2; 10am-noon & 1-5pm Tue-Sun), aka Palacio del Junco (1840), which showcases the full sweep of Matanzas’ history from 1693 to the present.
A few blocks west is Parque Libertad (Map), Matanzas’ modern nexus with a bronze statue (1909) of José Martí in its center. Head to the south side for beer with the locals in Café Libertad, opposite the now closed Hotel Louvre (1894), before visiting the city’s showcase sight, the Museo Farmacéutico (Map; 25-31-79; Calle 83 No 4951; admission CUC$3; 10am-5pm Mon-Sun). Founded in 1882 by the Triolett family, this antique pharmacy was the first of its type in Latin America and continued to function until 1964 when it became a museum. The fine displays include all the odd bottles, instruments, porcelain jars and medical recipes used in the trade.
The eastern side of the rather dilapidated park is dominated by the muscular Palacio de Gobierno (Map) dating from 1853, now the seat of the Poder Popular (Popular Power). On the northern side are the defunct Hotel Velazco and the former Casino Español (cnr Calles 79 & 290), where the first performance of the danzonete (ballroom dance) Rompiendo La Rutina, by Anceto Díaz, took place. It’s now the Biblioteca Gener y Del Monte (Map).
Nearby is the city’s Archivo Histórico (Map; 24-42-12; Calle 83 No 28013 btwn Calles 280 & 282), in the former residence of local poet José Jacinto Milanés (1814–63). A bronze statue of Milanés stands on the Plaza de la Iglesia in front of the nearby Catedral de San Carlos Borromeo (Map; Calle 282 btwn Calles 83 & 85; donation welcome; 8am-noon, 3-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-noon Sun), a once-great neoclassical cathedral constructed in 1693 and rebuilt in the 1750s that has suffered terribly after years of neglect.
The Versalles quarter (Map), north of the Río Yumurí, was where the province’s freed slaves first settled in the 19th century, and by the 1890s the area had become the font of an exciting new musical genre called rumba. From the Plaza de la Vigía you enter the barrio (neighborhood) by taking Calle 272 across the graceful Puente de la Concordia (Map). The neoclassical Iglesia de San Pedro Apóstol (Map; cnr Calles 57 & 270) is another Matanzas jewel in need of a makeover. Four blocks east, on the corner of Calles 63 and 260, stands the sinister-looking Cuartel Goicuría (Map), a former barracks of Batista’s army that was assaulted on April 29, 1956 by a group of rebels led by Reinold T García. Today it’s a school.
Northeast of Versalles lies the formidable Castillo de San Severino (Map; 28-32-59; Av del Muelle; admission CUC$2; 9am-5pm), built by the Spanish in 1735 as part of Cuba’s defensive ring. Slaves were offloaded here in the 18th century and, later, Cuban patriots were imprisoned within the walls – and sometimes executed. San Severino remained a prison until the 1970s and in more recent times became the Museo de la Ruta de los Esclavos (admission CUC$2; 9am-5pm), a rather scant slavery museum. More interesting is the castle itself with its well-preserved central square and great views of Matanzas Bay. A taxi from the city center will costs CUC$2.
For an excellent view of Matanzas and the picturesque Valle del Yumurí, climb north up Calle 306 to the recently renovated Iglesia de Monserrate (Map). Dating from 1875, this lofty bastion perched high above the city was built by colonists from Catalonia in Spain as a symbol of their power in the region. A new ranchón-style restaurant Click here has recently improved the ambience.
Baseball fans can make the pilgrimage to Palmar del Junco (Map) in the south of the city, the site of Cuba’s first baseball field (1904) and a source of much civic pride.
The Cuevas de Bellamar (Map; 25-35-38; admission CUC$5, camera CUC$5; 9am-6pm), 5km southeast of Matanzas, are 300,000 years old and are promoted locally as the oldest tourist attraction in Cuba. The 2500m-long caves were discovered in 1861 by a Chinese workman in the employ of Don Manual Santos Parga. There’s an underground stream inside; two restaurants, a pool and playground outside. One-hour visits into the cave leave every hour seven times a day starting at 9:30am. To get there, take bus 16, 17 or 20 east toward Canímar and ask the driver to let you out near Calle 226. From there it’s a 30-minute walk uphill to the caves.
Boat trips on the Río Canímar, 8km east of Matanzas, are a truly magical experience. Though little evident from the Vía Blanca bridge, the scenery here is jaw-dropping. Gnarly mangroves dip their jungle-like branches into the ebbing water and a warm haze caresses the regal palm trees as your boat slides silently 12km upstream. Cubamar in Varadero offers this wonderful excursion with lunch, horseback riding, fishing and snorkeling for CUC$25, or you can chance your arm by showing up at the landing just below the bridge. Rowboats are for rent (CUC$2 per hour) at the colorful Bar Cubamar (Map; 26-15-16) any time.
From the same turn-off, a road runs 1km down the western (ocean) side of the river to a cove where the four guns of the Castillo del Morrillo (1720) overlook a small beach. This castle is now a museum (Map; admission CUC$1; 9am-4pm Tue-Sun) dedicated to the student leader Antonio Guiteras Holmes (1906–35), who founded the revolutionary group Joven Cuba (Young Cuba) in 1934. After serving briefly in the post-Machado government, Guiteras was forced out by army chief Fulgencio Batista and shot on May 8, 1935. A bronze bust marks the spot where he was executed.
With no reefs accessible from the coast in Varadero, your closest bet for a bit of shore snorkeling is the aptly named Playa Coral (Map) on the old coastal road (and about 3km off the Vía Blanca) halfway between Matanzas and Varadero. Although you can snorkel solo from the beach itself, it’s far better (and safer) to enter via the Laguna de Maya (Map; 8am-5pm) Flora and Fauna Reserve 400m to the east where professional Ecotur guides can rent you snorkeling gear and guide you out to the reef for a bargain CUC$5. There are a reported 300 species of fish here and visibility is a decent 15m to 20m. The Laguna de Maya also incorporates a snack bar, a ranchón-style restaurant overlooking a small lake with boat rental and opportunities for horseback riding. A package including all the activities is offered for CUC$25. You can hike 2.5km to the Cueva Saturno from here.
One kilometer south of the Vía Blanca, near the airport turn-off, is the Cueva Saturno (Map; 25-32-72; admission incl snorkel gear CUC$5; 8am-6pm). It’s promoted as a snorkeling spot and Varadero companies include it on many tours, but don’t believe the hype: it’s really just a ho-hum cave with limited access, unless you’re an experienced cave diver with all the relevant equipment. Beware the odd hustler or three and the screaming crowds clamoring to get into the water. There’s a snack bar here that sells good coffee.
During the 10 days following October 10, Matanzas rediscovers its rumba roots with talented local musicians at the Festival del Bailador Rumbero in the Teatro Sauto.
While beach-embellished Varadero, 32km to the east, has over 50 hotels, Matanzas boasts a total of zero. If you haven’t yet sampled the delights of a Cuban casa particular, this could be the place.
Hostal Alma (Map; 24-78-10; Calle 83 No 29008 btwn Calles 290 & 292; r CUC$20-25; ) Two rooms in a mid-19th-century colonial house both with baths, a roof terrace, sun loungers and a pleasant central courtyard. It’s a magnificent place tucked away behind Parque Libertad and with oodles of alma (soul).
‘Hostal Azul’ Joel Báez & Aylín Hernández (Map; 24-78-10; joelmatan@gmail.com; Calle 83 No 29012 btwn Calles 290 & 292; r CUC$20-25; ) Next door to the ‘Alma’ and of the same vintage, the ‘Azul’ is the type of fine colonial house that once made Matanzas a cultural tour de force. The hosts are attentive, the rooms huge and the food delicioso (delicious).
Paraíso Díaz-Duque (Map; 24-33-97; Calle 79 No 28205 2nd fl btwn Calles 282 & 288; r CUC$25; ) This excellent house boasts two bedrooms with baths and congenial hosts in the shape of Anita and Luís Alberto, who are full of the exuberant Matanzas spirit. Delicious food appears as if by magic (where do they buy it?) and you’ll get the full lowdown on the local attractions.
Hotel Canimao (Islazul; Map; 26-10-14; s/d CUC$28/38; ) Perched above the Río Canímar 8km east of Matanzas, the Canimao has 120 comfortable rooms with little balconies. It’s handy for Río Canímar excursions, the Cuevas de Bellamar, or the Matanzas Tropicana (literally outside the door), but otherwise you’re isolated from the rest of the north coast’s multifarious attractions. Bus 16 from the corner of Calles 300 and 83 in Matanzas will drop you at the bridge downhill from the hotel.
While Matanzas has no real paladares, the casas particulares can usually rustle up something suitably delicious.
Café Libertad (Map; cnr Calles 290 & 83) If you’re going Cuban in Matanzas, this cafe on the main square is a fairly painless introduction, though the peso hamburguesas (hamburgers) could do with a little bit of extra garnish.
Café Atenas (Map; 25-34-93; Calle 83 No 8301; 10am-11pm) Atenas is used to receiving the odd stray tourist on a moped-trip from Varadero and can rustle up a rather delicious bruschetta at short notice. Settle down in the clean, if bland, interior with the local students, taxi drivers and hotel workers on a day off, and contemplate the everyday occurrences of Plaza Vigía outside. Dessert is available next door in an adjoining Cremería (open from 9am to 9pm).
Restaurante Monserrate (Map; Calle 312 al final; 10am-10pm) Included in the rejuvenation and restoration of the Ermita de Monserrate viewpoint is this ranchón-style restaurant designed to lure tourists to the city’s best overlook. In the culinary desert of Matanzas it goes straight in at number one.
Restaurante Teni (Map; Calles 129 & 224; 10am-11:30pm) A large thatched roof affair alongside the beach in Reparto Playa on the road to Varadero, this pleasant place with keen service offers a substantial set comida criolla (Creole food) meal, with rice, root vegetables, salad and meat, for just CUC$5.
The best cheap peso take-out windows are on Calle 272 in Versalles, just across the bridge from Matanzas. The rather lackluster Coppelia (Map; cnr Calles 272 & 127; 10am-10pm) is situated near the bus station.
For all your self-catering needs hit Cadena Cubana del Pan (Map; Calle 83 btwn Calles 278 & 280; 24hr) for bread, Supermercado La Reina (Map; Calle 85 No 29006 btwn Calles 290 & 292; 8:30am-4:30pm Mon-Sat, 8:30am-12:30pm Sun) for groceries and Mercado La Plaza (Map; cnr Calles 97 & 298) near the Puente Sánchez Figueras (1916) for produce and peso stalls.
El Ranchón Bellamar (Map; noon-8:30pm) If you’re visiting the caves, you’d do well to grab a comida criolla lunch at this ranchón-style restaurant before heading back into town. Good pork or chicken meals with the trimmings go for between CUC$7 and CUC$8.
El Marino (Map; 26-14-83; noon-9pm) On the main Varadero road next to the turn-off for the Hotel Canimao, El Marino specializes in seafood, including lobster and shrimp, but has delusions of grandeur. Don’t be fooled by the fancy decor.
Ruinas de Matasiete (Map; 25-33-87; cnr Vía Blanca & Calle 101; 24hr) Want to find the town’s best drinking hole? Then ask a local. Even better, ask five. Chances are they’ll all reply Ruinas de Matasiete, an engaging convertible bar housed in the ruins of a 19th-century warehouse, next to the bay. Drinks and grilled meats are served on an open-air terrace, but a better reason to come is to hear live music (from 9pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday). There’s a minimum cover charge of CUC$3.
Teatro Sauto (Map; 24-27-21) Across Plaza de la Vigía Teatro Sauto is a national landmark and one of Cuba’s premier theaters. Performances have been held here since 1863 and you might catch the Ballet Nacional de Cuba or the Conjunto Folklórico Nacional de Cuba. Performances are at 8:30pm with Sunday matinees at 3pm (Click here).
Teatro Velazco (Map; cnr Calles 79 & 288) On Parque Libertad, Teatro Velazco is Matanzas’ main movie house.
Casa de la Cultura Municipal Bonifacio Bryne (Map; 29-27-09; Calle 272 No 11916 btwn Calles 119 & 121) This is a font of all things cultural and always good for a musical romp.
Las Palmas (Map; 25-32-52; cnr Calles 254 & 127; admission CUC$1; noon-midnight Mon-Wed, noon-2am Fri-Sun) A good starlit night out for a fraction of the price of the Tropicana shindig can be had at this ARTex place.
El Pescadito (Map; Calle 272 btwn Calles 115 & 117) The ‘Little Fish’ is similar to Las Palmas but more central and local.
Tropicana Matanzas (Map; 26-53-80; admission CUC$35; 10pm-2am Tue-Sat) Capitalizing on its success in Havana and Santiago de Cuba, the famous Tropicana cabaret has a branch 8km east of Matanzas, next to the Hotel Canimao. You can mingle with the Varadero bus crowds and enjoy the same entertaining formula of lights, feathers, flesh and frivolity in the open air. Rather like a cricket match, rain stops play here if the weather cracks.
From October to April, baseball games take place at the Estadio Victoria de Girón (Map), located 1km southwest of the market. Once one of the country’s leading teams, Los Cocodrilos (Crocodiles) struggle to beat La Isla de la Juventud these days.
Shopaholics, you’d better look elsewhere. Checking out the stores (what stores?) in Matanzas makes a car boot sale look like Hollywood Boulevard.
Ediciones Vigía (Map; 24-48-45; 8am-4pm Mon-Fri) Incurables can browse here for original handmade books.
Photo Service (Map; Calle 288 No 8311 btwn Calles 83 & 85) This is the place for all your photo-related needs.
Matanzas is connected to the outside world through Juan Gualberto Gómez International Airport, located 20km east of town. Click here for details.
For someone of good fitness, Matanzas is easy to reach on a bike from Varadero. The road is well-paved and completely flat, bar the last 3km into the city starting at the Río Canímar bridge (a relatively easy uphill climb if you’re heading east). Bike hire is available at most Varadero all-inclusive hotels.
Long-distance buses use the National Bus Station (Map; 91-64-45) in the old train station on the corner of Calles 131 and 272 in Pueblo Nuevo south of the Río San Juan. Matanzas has good connections to the rest of the country. Víazul (www.viazul.com) has four daily departures to Havana (CUC$7; two hours; 9am, 12:15pm, 4:30pm, 7pm) and Varadero (CUC$6; one hour; 10:15am, 12:10pm, 2:10pm, 8:20pm). The first three Varadero departures also call in at the airport.
Buses within Matanzas province use the San Luis Bus Terminal (Map; 29-27-01; cnr Calles 298 & 127) and fan out to the province’s main cities including Canasí, Cárdenas, Colón, Jagüey Grande and Jovellanos.
The train station (Map; 29-16-45; Calle 181) is in Miret, at the southern edge of the city. Foreigners usually pay the peso price in Convertibles to the jefe de turno (shift manager). Most trains between Havana and Santiago de Cuba stop here (except the fast Tren Francés). In theory, there are eight daily trains to Havana beginning at 3:25am (CUC$3, 1½ hours) and a Cienfuegos departure at 8:05pm, alternate days (CUC$6, three hours). Eastbound, there are trains that terminate at Manzanillo and Sancti Spíritus. The daily Santiago train (CUC$27) is supposed to leave early evening (5pm-ish, but check) stopping at Santa Clara, Ciego de Ávila, Camagüey, and Las Tunas.
The Hershey Train Station (Map; 24-48-05; cnr Calles 55 & 67) is in Versalles, an easy 10-minute walk from Parque Libertad. There are five trains a day to Casablanca station in Havana (CUC$2.80, four hours) via San Antonio (CUC$0.40), Canasí (CUC$0.85), Jibacoa (CUC$1.10), Hershey (CUC$1.40) and Guanabo (CUC$2). Departure times from Matanzas are 4:34am, 8:26am, 12:30pm, 5:12pm and 9:08pm (the 12:30pm train is an express and takes three hours instead of four). Ticket sales begin an hour before the scheduled departure time and, except on weekends and holidays, there’s no problem getting aboard. Bicycles may not be allowed (ask). The train usually leaves on time, but it often arrives in Havana’s Casablanca station (just below La Cabaña fort on the east side of the harbor) one hour late. This is the only electric railway in Cuba, and during thunderstorms the train doesn’t run. It’s a scenic trip if you’re not in a hurry.
To get to the train station from the center, bus 1 leaves from Calle 79 between Calles 290 and 292. Buses 16 and 17 go from Calle 300 in the center to the Río Canímar. The Oro Negro gas station is on the corner of Calles 129 and 210, 4km outside the city of Matanzas on the road to Varadero. The Servi-Cupet gas station and Havanautos (Map; 25-32-94; cnr Calles 129 & 210) are a block further on. If you’re driving to Varadero, you will pay a CUC$2 highway toll between Boca de Camarioca and Santa Marta (no toll between Matanzas and the airport). Bici-taxis congregate next to the Mercado La Plaza and can take you to most of the city’s destinations for one to two Cuban pesos.
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Varadero – make of it what you will. Here on the island’s idyllic north coast lies a radically different Cuba to the one that most Cubans see, a sanitized 20km-long peninsula wrapped up for tourist consumption and packaged as a cheap alternative to Cancún.
But, kissed by gentle tropical breezes and lapped by the iridescent waters of the ebbing Atlantic, it’s not all bad. Varadero’s hallowed beach is, arguably, the best in the archipelago and the weighty cache of 50 or more three-, four- and five-star hotels acts as a tantalizing magnet to the hordes of midrange vacationers who descend here annually from the frozen north (Canada mainly). For those on a more serendipitous voyage of discovery, Varadero lacks one vital ingredient: magic. Not just any old magic, but that esoteric Cuban kind, the sort that can’t be replicated in fancy air-conditioned cocktail lounges or grandiose faux-Greek hotel lobbies, however many mojitos you sink.
Contrary to popular belief, Cubans have never been banned from Varadero. In fact, in contrast to other more cut-off resorts such as Cayo Coco, integration is higher than you might first expect. At least one third of the peninsula is given over to a Cuban town of the same name, which, while lacking the atmosphere of Havana or Santiago, still retains a rough semblance of everyday Cuban life.
Varadero begins at the western end of the Península de Hicacos, where a channel called the Laguna de Paso Malo links the Bahía de Cárdenas to the Atlantic Ocean. After crossing the Puente Bascular (Lift Bridge) over this waterway, the Vía Blanca becomes the Autopista Sur and runs up the peninsula’s spine 20km to Marina Gaviota at Varadero’s easternmost point. From the same bridge Av Kawama heads west along the channel toward a couple more big resorts. In general, the Atlantic side of the peninsula (with the 20km of bright white sands for which Varadero is famous) is devoted to tourism, while the Bahía de Cárdenas side is where locals live (another Cuban community is in Santa Marta at the western end of the peninsula). The largest and most expensive resorts are to the east on Punta Hicacos. The quietest section of beach in the center of Varadero is between Calles 46 and 65.
Most hotels have internet access for CUC$6 an hour. Buy a scratch card from the reception. If you’re in a cheaper place, use the public Etecsa Telepunto (Map; cnr Av 1 & Calle 30).
Many large hotels have infirmaries that can provide free basic first aid.
In Varadero, European visitors can pay for hotels and meals in euros. If you change money at your hotel front desk, you’ll sacrifice 1% more than at a bank.
Many of the larger hotels have branch post offices in the reception area.
Almost every hotel has a tourism desk where staff will book adventure tours, skydiving, scuba diving, whatever. It’s almost always cheaper, however, to go directly to the tour agency or outfit.
Crime-wise Varadero’s dangers are minimal. Aside from getting drunk at the all-inclusive bar and tripping over your bath mat on the way to the toilet, you haven’t got too much to worry about. Watch out for mismatched electrical outlets in hotels. In some rooms, a 110V socket might sit right next to a 220V one. They should be labeled, but aren’t always.
Out on the beach, a red flag means no swimming allowed due to the undertow or some other danger. A blue jellyfish known as the Portuguese man-of-war can produce a bad reaction if you come in contact with its long tentacles. Wash the stung area with sea water and seek medical help if the pain becomes intense or you have difficulty breathing. They’re most common in summer when you’ll see them washed up on the beach; tread carefully. Theft of unguarded shoes, sunglasses and towels is routine along this beach.
If it’s art and history you’re after, you’ve come to the wrong place. Varadero is no Havana. Nevertheless, there are a few sights worth pondering over if the beach life starts to bore you.
Varadero’s Parque Central and Parque de las 8000 Taquillas stand side by side between Avs 44 and 46. Once the center of the town’s social life, the area was neglected in the 1990s and early 2000s as bigger resorts sprouted up further east. Lifted out of its slumber, Parque de las 8000 Taquillas was recently redeveloped and now sports a brand new shopping center beneath the ever-popular Coppelia ice-cream parlor. Just east is tiny colonial-style Iglesia de Santa Elvira (Map; cnr Av 1 & Calle 47), which resembles a displaced alpine chapel.
Working up the beach from Hotel Acuazul, you’ll see many typical wooden beach houses with elegant wraparound porches. The most attractive of the bunch has been turned into the Museo Municipal de Varadero (Map; Calle 57; admission CUC$1; 10am-7pm), which displays period furniture and a snapshot of Varadero’s relatively short history. There’s a fine beach view from the balcony upstairs.
Parque Josone (Map; cnr Av 1 & Calle 58; admission free; 9am-midnight) is a green oasis that’s more enclosed and much prettier than Parque Central. The gardens date back to 1940, when the owner of the Arrechabala rum distillery in nearby Cárdenas built a neoclassical mansion here, the Retiro Josone (now a restaurant). Expropriated after the Revolution, the mansion became a guest house for visiting foreign dignitaries. Now a public space – Cuban girls celebrate their quinciñeras (15th birthday) here – for the enjoyment of all, Josone’s expansive, shady grounds feature an attractive lake (with rowboats for CUC$0.50 per person an hour), resident geese, myriad tree species and a minitrain. There’s a public swimming pool (admission CUC$2) in the southern part of the park and the odd ostrich lurking nearby. Good music can be heard here nightly.
Everything east of the small stone water tower (it looks like an old Spanish fort, but was actually built in the 1930s), next to the Restaurant Mesón del Quijote, once belonged to the Dupont family. Here the millionaire American entrepreneur Irenée built the three-story Mansión Xanadu (see boxed text,), now a B&B that sits abreast Varadero’s 18-hole golf course, with a restaurant downstairs and a bar on the top floor – a choice spot for sunset cocktails. On the other side of Meliá Las Américas is the Plaza América (Map; btwn Meliá Las Américas & Varadero), Varadero’s (and Cuba’s) only real shopping mall.
Beyond Marina Chapelín, Varadero sprawls east like a displaced North American suburb with scrubby mangroves interspersed with megahotel complexes and the odd iron crane. The much hyped Delfinario (Map; 66-80-31; admission CUC$10, camera CUC$5, video camera CUC$10; 9am-5pm) gets mixed reviews. Dolphin shows happen here daily in a natural pool and swimming with the friendly aquatic mammals costs a steep CUC$65. You’re allowed to grab the dolphin’s fin and let it drag you around. Ride of a lifetime or cruel aqua-zoo? You decide.
East on Autopista Sur and 500m beyond the Club Amigo Varadero you’ll find the Cueva de Ambrosio (Map; admission CUC$3; 9am-4:30pm). Some 47 pre-Columbian drawings were discovered in this 300m cave in 1961. The black and red drawings feature the same concentric circles seen in similar paintings on the Isla de la Juventud, perhaps a form of solar calendar. The cave was also used as a refuge by escaped slaves.
A few hundred meters beyond the cave is the entrance to the Reserva Ecológica Varahicacos (Map; 9am-4:30pm), Varadero’s nominal green space and a wildlife reserve that’s about as ‘wild’ as New York’s Central Park. Bulldozers have been chomping away at its edges for years. There are three short trails (CUC$3, 45 minutes each), none of which are ever out of earshot of the noisy Autopista. The highlight is the Cueva de Musalmanes with 2500-year-old human remains and a giant cactus tree nicknamed El Patriarca (patriarch).
Cayo Piedras del Norte, 5km north of Playa Las Calaveras (one hour by boat), has been made into a ‘marine park’ by the deliberate sinking of an assortment of military equipment in 15m to 30m of water. The yacht Coral Negro was sunk here in 1997, followed by frigate 383 in 1998. Also scuttled for the benefit of divers and glass-bottom boat passengers are a towboat, a missile launching gunboat (with missiles intact) and an AN-24 aircraft.
At least half a dozen Varadero hotels are worthy of a visit in their own right – if you can get past the omnipresent security guards. Top favorites include ’50s retro Hotel Internacional, the art-deco Mansión Xanadu and the spectacularly modernist Meliá duo.
While not the best location in Cuba for easily accessible diving, Varadero does have four excellent dive centers offering competitively priced immersions and courses. All of the 21 dive sites around the Hicacos Peninsula require a boat transfer of approximately one hour minimum. Highlights include reefs, caverns, pitchers and a Russian patrol boat sunk for diving purposes in 1997. The nearest shore diving is at Playa Coral 20km to the west. The centers also offer day excursions to superior sites at the Bay of Pigs in the south of the province (one/two immersions CUC$50/70, with transfer).
Varadero’s top scuba facility is the mega-friendly, multilingual Barracuda Diving Center (Map; 61-34-81; cnr Av 1 & Calle 58; 8am-6pm). Diving costs CUC$40 per dive with equipment, cave diving is CUC$60 and night diving costs CUC$50. Packages of multiple dives work out cheaper. Snorkelers can join the divers for CUC$25. Barracuda conducts introductory resort courses for CUC$70 and ACUC (American Canadian Underwater Certifications) courses for CUC$365, plus many advanced courses. A brand new recompression facility is installed on site and there’s also a training pool, resident doctor and popular seafood restaurant on the premises Click here. Barracuda has a daily capacity for 70 divers in three 12m boats.
As a secondary option you have the Acua Diving Center (Map; 66-80-63; Av Kawama btwn Calles 2 & 3; 8am-5pm) in western Varadero near the Hotel Kawama. It charges much the same prices as Barracuda, but doesn’t have quite the facilities, or volume. When a north wind is blowing and diving isn’t possible in the Atlantic, you can be transferred to the Caribbean coast in a minibus (90-minute drive); this costs a total of CUC$55/75 for one/two dives.
Aquaworld Diving Center (Map; 66-75-50; Autopista Sur Km 12) at the Marlin Marina Chapelín also organizes snorkeling and diving trips.
Marina Gaviota (Map; 66-77-55; Autopista Sur y Final), at the eastern end of Autopista Sur, also offers scuba diving at similar prices and has snorkeling excursions.
Varadero has three marinas, all of which offer a variety of nautical activities and facilities. Situated close to the Delfinario and the entrance to Hotel Riu Turquesa is the Marlin Marina Chapelín (Map; 66-75-50) where five hours of deep-sea fishing costs CUC$290 for four people (price includes hotel transfers, open bar and licenses; non-fishing companions pay CUC$30). Marina Gaviota (Map; 66-77-55), at the eastern end of Autopista Sur, and Marlin Marina Dársena (Map; 66-80-62), just west of Varadero, have similar packages. You can book the latter through the Acua Diving Center (Map; 66-80-64; Av Kawama btwn Calles 2 & 3).
For those with a head for heights, Varadero’s greatest thrill has to be skydiving with the Centro Internacional de Paracaidismo (Map; 66-72-56, 66-72-60; skygators@cubairsports.itgo.com), based at the old airport just west of Varadero. The terminal is 1km up a dirt road, opposite Marina Acua. Skydivers take off in an Antonov AN-2 biplane of WWII design (don’t worry, it’s a replica) and jump from 3000m using a two-harness parachute with an instructor strapped in tandem on your back. After 35 seconds of free fall the parachute opens and you float tranquilly for 10 minutes down onto Varadero’s white sandy beach. The center also offers less spectacular (but equally thrilling) ultralight flights at various points on the beach. Prices for skydiving are CUC$150 per person with an extra CUC$45 for photos and CUC$50 for video. Ultralight flights start at CUC$30 and go up to CUC$300 depending on the length of time. If you are already a qualified skydiver, solo jumps are also available on production of the relevant certification.
A day’s notice is usually required for skydiving and jumps are (obviously) weather dependent. Since opening in 1993 the center has reported no fatalities.
While it’s no Pebble Beach, golfers can have a swinging session at the uncrowded and well-landscaped Varadero Golf Club (Map; 66-77-88; www.varaderogolfclub.com; Mansión Xanadu Dupont de Nemours; 7am-7pm). The original nine holes created by the Duponts are between Hotel Bella Costa and the Dupont Mansion, and in 1998 the course was extended to 18 holes (par 72) by adding another nine holes along the southern side of the three Meliá resorts. Bookings are made through the Pro shop next to the Dupont Mansion (now a cozy B&B with free, unlimited tee time). Green fees go for CUC$48/77 nine/18 holes. A 50-minute lesson costs CUC$30.
Golf neophytes can play the miniature version at El Golfito (Map; cnr Av 1 & Calle 42; per person CUC$3; 24hr).
Bowling alleys are popular in Cuba and the bolera inside the Centro Todo En Uno (Map; cnr Calle 54 & Autopista Sur; per game CUC$2.50; 24hr), a small shopping/games complex on Autopista Sur, is usually full of Cuban families who also come to enjoy the adjacent kids’ playground and fast-food joints.
Sailboards are available for rent at various points along the public beach (CUC$10 per hour), as are small catamarans, parasails, banana boats, sea kayaks etc. The upmarket resorts usually include these water toys in the all-inclusive price.
For a workout to remember, pay a visit to the tiny sports club inauspiciously named Judo (Map; cnr Av 1 & Calle 46; 9am-noon, 2-5:30pm Mon-Fri, 9-11am Sat) on the east side of Parque Central. Despite the rough facilities and decidedly poky interior, the trainers here are real pros and will give you the best boxing/judo/karate/jujitsu session you’ve ever had.
Varadero is not the best place in Cuba to learn Spanish. That said, many of the all-inclusive hotels lay on free Spanish lessons for guests. If you’re staying in cheaper digs, ask at the reception of one of these larger hotels and see if you can worm your way onto an in-house language course by offering to pay a small fee.
Tour desks at the main hotels book most of the nautical or sporting activities mentioned earlier and arrange organized sightseeing excursions from Varadero. You’ll pay a surcharge (usually CUC$5 per person) if you book at these desks instead of going directly to the tour operator.
Among the many off-peninsula tours offered are a half-day trip to the Cuevas de Bellamar (Click here) near Matanzas, a bus tour to the Bahía de Cochinos (Bay of Pigs) and a whole range of other bus tours to places as far away as Santa Clara, Trinidad, Viñales and, of course, Havana.
Gaviota (Map; 61-18-44; cnr Calles 56 & Playa) has a variety of helicopter tours in Russian M1-8 choppers; the Trinidad trip (CUC$229) is popular. The Tour de Azúcar (sugarcane tour) visits a disused sugar mill and takes a steam train ride to Cárdenas station. Prices are CUC$39/30 per adult/child. It also organizes jeep safaris to the scenic Valle del Yumurí. The excursion (adult/child CUC$45/34) includes a visit to a campesino family and a huge, delicious meal at Ranchón Gaviota.
If you want to enjoy snorkeling without getting wet, book an excursion on the Varasub, a 48-berth glass-bottomed boat that allows you to peer out at the fantastic marine life from windows set below the water line. This 90-minute underwater adventure leaves approximately six times a day (adult/child CUC$35/20), and includes unlimited alcoholic or nonalcoholic beverages and transfers. Book through any information desk or office.
Varadero’s nautical highlight in the popularity stakes is the Seafari Cayo Blanco, a seven-hour sojourn (CUC$75) from Marina Chapelín to nearby Cayo Blanco and its idyllic beach. The trip includes an open bar, lobster lunch, two snorkeling stops, live music and hotel transfers. There’s also a shorter CUC$45 catamaran tour with snorkeling, open bar and a chicken lunch. The Fiesta en el Cayo is a sunset cruise (CUC$39) to Cayo Blanco with dinner, music and more free-flowing rum at the key. The two-hour guided Boat Adventure ( 66-84-40; per person CUC$39; 9am-4pm) is another perennial favorite. Leaving from the Marina Chapelín, it’s a speedy sortie through the adjacent mangroves on two-person jet skis or motorboats to view myriad wildlife including friendly crocs. Bookings for any of these can be made directly at Aquaworld Marina Chapelín (Map; 66-75-50; Autopista Sur Km 12) or at hotel tour desks (for a surcharge).
Marina Gaviota has a seven-hour Seafari Especial Tour, which is similar to the Cayo Blanco excursion, but includes a chance to swim with dolphins held in an enclosure on a coral key called Rancho Cangrejo (CUC$85).
Golf tournaments are held at the Varadero Golf Club in June and October and the annual regatta is in May. Varadero also hosts the annual tourism convention the first week in May when accommodation is tight and some places are reserved solely for conference participants.
Varadero is huge – there are at least 50 hotels. For budget travelers, traipsing around on foot looking for available rooms is a sport akin to marathon running. Book ahead or concentrate your efforts on the southwest end of the peninsula where hotels are cheaper and the town retains a semblance of Cuban life.
As with all other resort areas in Cuba, it is illegal to rent private rooms in Varadero and the law is strictly enforced.
Hotel Turquino (Formatur; Map; Av 3 btwn Calles 33 & 34; s/d CUC$15/30; ) This Hotel Escuela, which acts as a training ground for Cuban students vying to work in the tourist industry is the best bargain in town, barring a night out on the beach, and is handily situated two blocks from the Víazul bus station. Some of the rooms are mini-suites with a fridge, microwave and seating area and, although the furnishings are a bit drab, everything is clean, functional and spacious.
Villa La Mar (Islazul; Map; 61-45-17; Av 3 btwn Calles 28 & 30; s/d CUC$37/42; ) Varadero’s best budget deal is the no-frills, no-pretensions Villa la Mar where you’ll dine on fried chicken, meet paying (in pesos) Cuban tourists and fall asleep to the not-so-romantic sound of the in-house disco belting out the Cuban version of Britney Spears.
Hotel Dos Mares-Pullman (Islazul; Map; 61-27-02; cnr Av 1 & Calle 53; s/d breakfast only CUC$50/60) This complex is actually made up of two hotels situated three blocks apart. The Pullman is the more striking building, a turreted castle-like abode with heavy wooden furniture and rocking chairs on the front porch overlooking the street. Old-fashioned but comfortable rooms include a quadruple. Dos Mares is a more modern three-story building 70m from a cracking niche of beach. Rooms are a little on the dark side.
Club Herradura (Islazul; Map; 61-37-03; Av de la Playa btwn Calles 35 & 36; s/d breakfast only CUC$50/67; ) Plain from the front, but infinitely more attractive on the oceanside, this four-story, crescent-shaped hotel is right on a recently replenished section of the beach. Accommodation is spacious, if a little dog-eared, with timeless wicker furniture and some good balcony view rooms facing the beach. A pleasant all-round unpretentious vibe.
Hotel Acuazul Varazul (Islazul; Map; 66-71-32; Av 1 btwn Calles 13 & 14; s/d breakfast only CUC$55/70, all-inclusive CUC$75/110; ) This old stalwart stands like a royal blue sentinel at the entrance to Varadero, tempting all who pass. With its 78 rooms having benefited from a recent face-lift and the food buffet looking like it’s had a Hell’s Kitchen revamp, things are looking up at this once-austere prerevolutionary concrete pile. Other benefits include a swimming pool, 24-hour internet and a fantastic Infotur office on-site. The downside is the nightly show, which is tacky even by Varadero standards. Next door the Varazul has one-bedroom apartments with kitchenettes and small balconies.
Apartamentos Mar del Sur (Islazul; Map; 66-74-81; cnr Av 3 & Calle 30; 1-/2-bedroom d incl breakfast CUC$55/82, hotel s/d CUC$42/62; ) Affording some semblance of independence, the one- and two-bedroom apartments in this scattered complex have cooking facilities and living rooms. It’s all several hundred meters from the beach (a long way in Varadero), but decent value.
Hotel Los Delfines (Islazul; Map; 66-77-20; cnr Av de la Playa & Calle 38; s/d CUC$55/88; ) Islazul goes (almost) all-inclusive in this friendlier, cozier copy of the big resorts further northeast. The 100 rooms come packed with additional extras such as satellite TV, minibar and safe deposit box, and there’s a lovely scoop of wide protected beach.
Rates in these resorts are all-inclusive, and discounted if you take a package.
Hotel Barlovento (Gran Caribe; Map; 66-71-40; Av 1 btwn Calles 10 & 12; s/d CUC$64/88, ocean view CUC$133/190; ) The first hotel you encounter when driving into Varadero is an attractive enough place with a lovely palm-fringed pool, integrated colonial-style architecture, and a choice stretch of beach. Popular with Canadians in the winter, the food here is purportedly good though points get deducted for the nighttime entertainment – water ballet and magic shows – which are not a patch on the standard Cuban knees-up.
Hotel Sunbeach (Hotetur; Map; 61-34-46; Calle 17 btwn Avs 1 & 3; s/d CUCS$70/140; ) Formerly known as Hotel Bellamar (locals still call it that), this place is one block from the beach. The 282 no-frills rooms are serviceable, but with its worn aquamarine sofas and ugly ’60s-style architecture this hotel has delusions of grandeur.
Hotel Cuatro Palmas (Gran Caribe; Map; 66-70-40; Av 1 btwn Calles 60 & 62; r CUC$75/170; ) This large resort right on the beach now run by the French Accor chain was once a personal residence of dictator Fulgencio Batista. Jammed together across the street are a series of shared two-story villas with another 122 rooms with fridges and toilet only (shower is shared). This is the first of the real ‘posher’ all-inclusives as you head east, though it’s still close enough to town for getting around on foot.
Hotel Kawama (Gran Caribe; Map; 61-44-16; Av 1 & Calle 1; s/d CUC$89/129; ) A venerable old hacienda-style building from the 1930s, the Kawama is, by definition, a piece of Varadero history. It was the first of the 50-plus hotels to inhabit this once-deserted peninsula more than 70 years ago and, as far as character and architectural ingenuity go, it’s still one of the best. Even by today’s standards the property is huge, with some 235 colorful rooms blended artfully into the thin sliver of beach that makes up Varadero’s western extremity. All-inclusive prices include everything from tennis to aqua-bike usage.
Club Amigo Tropical (Cubanacán; Map; 61-39-15; Av 1 btwn Calles 22 & 23; s/d CUC$90/129; ) Right on a great piece of beach, this activities-oriented hotel attracts youthful package tourists and a few married Cubans. It’s well located right in the center but, at 40 years of age, the slightly tatty rooms don’t merit the asking price.
Club Amigo Aguas Azules (Cubanacán; Map; 66-82-43; Av Las Morlas Km 1.5; s/d CUC$100/160; ) Formerly the Gran Hotel, Club Amigo’s lurid pinks, yellows and greens suggest Disneyland, Vegas or worse; but the place has perked up since its Aguas Azules reincarnation at the turn of 2008–09. Clean rooms and an excellent slice of beach enhance the three-star rating.
Hotel Tuxpán (Cubanacán; Map; 66-75-60; Av Las Américas; s/d CUC$102/150; ) The ’60s concrete-block architecture make this all-inclusive one of Varadero’s ugliest tourist shrines, but the Tuxpán is famous for other reasons, such as its disco, La Bamba, purportedly one of the resort’s hottest. For those not enamored with Soviet architectonics, the beautiful beach is never far away.
Hotel Varadero Internacional (Gran Caribe; Map; 66-70-38; Av Las Américas; s/d CUC$110/157; ) Opened in December 1950 as a sister hotel to Miami’s Fontainebleau, the four-story Internacional is Varadero’s most famous and fabulously retro resort. While retaining its ’50s charm, the rooms have been regularly upgraded and the extensive facilities include tennis courts, massages and Varadero’s best cabaret Click here. Unlike some of Varadero’s sprawlers it’s also right on the beach. Bonuses at the Internacional include cool art (there’s a large René Portocarrero mural in the lobby) and superfriendly staff. If you’re rolling a dice on the Varadero all-inclusive options, weight your chances toward here.
Mansión Xanadu (Map; 66-84-82; Av Las Américas; s/d low season CUC$120/150, high season CUC$160/210; ) Rated by many as Varadero’s most intriguing and intimate lodging are the six deluxe rooms in the Dupont Mansion. This was once a museum and it still effectively is with the five-star rooms retaining the 1930s furniture and plush decor first commissioned by Dupont. Rates here include unlimited tee time. It’s built on a small bluff, and beach access is just alongside.
Blau Varadero (Map; 66-75-45; Av Las Morlas Km 15; s/d CUC$125/155; ) Built in the shape of a pre-Columbian Mexican pyramid, the Blau seems to have taken the Cancún comparisons too far. Though the room quality and service here are unquestionable, the Blau falls down in its minimalist furnishings and surgical cleanliness, which engender an impassive, airport-like feel.
Villa Cuba (Gran Caribe; Map; 66-82-80; cnr Av 1 & Calle C; s/d CUC$132/189; ) This 1970s Legoland structure is never going to win any architectural prizes and, up against Varadero’s other all-inclusive giants, it seems a bit like a dated dinosaur. Nonetheless, there’s a variety of accommodation options and loads of activities here making it a popular family choice. Try the one- to two-bedroom villas (singles/doubles in low season CUC$199/249) which all feature communal living areas, fridge, TV and a patio. There are four rooms designed for disabled guests.
Hotel Sirenis La Salina (Gaviota; Map; 66-70-09; Autopista del Sur Km 8; standard s/d/ste CUC$172/236/278; ) Welcome to Cuba’s biggest hotel. The 1025-room Sirenis opened in 2007 and it’s a true monster of a resort (you’d need a book to list even half of the facilities). While the temple-like lobby is beautiful and the grounds rather pleasantly manicured, you have to question the ambience of a place this large. There’s a 900-seat theater, almost a dozen restaurants and it’s a 1km walk just to get from one end of the resort to the other! Big, yes – the best, no.
Tryp Península Varadero (Gaviota; Map; 66-88-00; Varahicacos Ecological Reserve; r from CUC$180; ) Paradise or The Prisoner? While some people will revel in Tryp’s four-star luxuries, others will feel more like they’ve turned up in an episode of the 1960s allegorical serial The Prisoner, where actor Patrick McGoohan wanders around a fanciful Welsh village trying to find a way out. The facilities here are admittedly plush, but there’s not much cross-fertilizing with the real Cuba.
Hotel Meliá Varadero (Cubanacán; Map; 66-70-13; Autopista del Sur Km 7; s/d CUC$195/305; ) This stunning resort wins the prize for Varadero’s most impressive lobby (and there’s some pretty ostentatious competition), with its seven-story, vine-dripping atrium creating a natural curtain from the open dome down to the reception area. Rooms overlook the golf course or the beach and it’s a popular honeymoon spot. The Meliá Varadero sits on a rocky headland, so you have to walk a bit to reach the beach, but what the hell! Kids aged 12 and under stay here for 50%.
Barceló Marina Palace Resort (Gaviota; Map; 61-44-99; s/d CUC$198/220; ) You get to a point in Varadero where all the all-inclusives begin to merge into one giant garden suburb of painted bungalows and smiling holiday reps. The Barceló is certainly beautiful, with thoughtful architectural features such as the mock lighthouse and stilted bar perched above the ocean, but at this end of the peninsula it’s a long way from central Varadero and a million cultural miles from Cuba.
Meliá Las Américas (Cubanacán; Map; 66-76-00; Autopista del Sur Km 7; s/d CUC$225/340; ) You’ve arrived at the luxury end of the peninsula. Everything that went before was small-fry compared to these proverbial giants. Parked on the eastern side of the golf course, this upscale resort is on a choice stretch of beach with plush decor and swanky fittings. The rooms are big, the pool overlooks the beach, and the meals are lavish. Golfers, especially, will have fun here.
Meliá Paradisus Varadero (Gaviota; Map; 66-87-00; Punta Rincón Francés; s/d CUC$225/360; ) The eastern tip of the peninsula at Punta Hicacos is five-star territory and this Meliá wins the Oscar for Varadero’s most expensive hotel (no mean feat). It has shapely pillars and shaded courtyards blending subtlety into a choice stretch of paradisiacal beach.
You can eat well for under CUC$10 in Varadero in a variety of state restaurants (paladares are banned). As 95% of the hotels on the eastern end of the peninsula are all-inclusive, you’ll find the bulk of the independent eating joints west of Calle 64. The prices are fairly generic so the following reviews are listed roughly west to east.
Castel Nuovo (Map; 66-78-45; cnr Av 1 & Calle 11; noon-11pm) At the gateway to the peninsula stands one of the town’s best pizza and pasta restaurants, a cheap, no-nonsense place where atmosphere is lively and the food comes fast. Skip the chicken, beef and fish dishes and go with the Italian fare.
Mi Casita (Map; Camino del Mar btwn Calles 11 & 12) Perched over a lovely strip of beach, this cozy restaurant looks and feels more like a paladar than a government-run enterprise. Encased in a charming glass-fronted dining room you can enjoy lobster, spicy chicken and succulent fish – all excellent, if a little overzealous with the garlic.
Ranchón Bellamar (Map; Av 1 btwn Calles 16 & 17; meals under CUC$5; 10am-10pm) Wedged between the main avenue and the beach, this open-sided thatched ranchón is part of the Hotel Sunbeach. With its cheap lunches and maracas-shaking musicians, it’s a good bet when it’s quiet, though the staff struggles to cope if the clientele hits double figures.
FM–17 (Map; 61-48-31; cnr Av 1 & Calle 17; 8am-2am) With more local vibe than most Varadero visitors ever see, this simple place has sandwiches and burgers for CUC$1 to CUC$2, plus a free cabaret show nightly at 9pm.
Restaurante El Criollo (Map; 61-47-94; cnr Av 1 & Calle 18; noon-midnight) This is one of the more enjoyable state-run places serving what its name suggests, typical comida criolla. Give it a whirl for a lazy lunch.
Lai-Lai (Map; 66-77-93; cnr Av 1 & Calle 18; meals CUC$6-8; noon-11pm) An old stalwart set in a two-story mansion on the beach, Lai Lai has traditional Chinese set menus with several courses. If you’ve been craving some wonton soup, crave no more.
Restaurante Mesón del Quijote (Map; 66-77-96; Reparto La Torre; noon-midnight) Next to a statue of Cervantes’ famous Don who seems to be making off rather keenly toward the all-inclusives, this restaurant is one of the eastern peninsula’s only non-resort options. Perched on a grassy knoll above the Av las Américas, its Spanish-tinged menu makes a refreshing change from the all-you-can-eat buffet.
Restaurante La Vega (Map; 61-47-19; Av de la Playa btwn Calles 31 & 32; noon-11pm) They’ve diminished the seating at this place to a few tables on a wraparound porch, but the paella’s still good, along with the tempting flan al ron (crème caramel with rum; CUC$3) and strong coffee. Connected to the Casa del Habano, there’s an upstairs cigar lounge for after-dinner smokes (replete with beach views).
Restaurante Esquina Cuba (Map; 61-40-19; cnr Av 1 & Calle 36; noon-11:45pm) Notable for the 1950s-era soft-top that sits regally in the middle of the dining room, this place was one-time favorite of Buena Vista Social Club luminary, Compay Segundo. The man obviously had taste. With lashings of beans, rice, plantain chips and chicken, the food here has the aura of Havana’s famous El Aljibe (Click here). Great Cuban ephemera line the walls, including black-and-white photos of Varadero back in its Mafia hangout heyday.
Ranchón El Compay (Map; Av de la Playa & Calle 54; 10:30am-10pm) There are not so many Varadero restaurants facing the beach, which makes this chirpy thatched-roof affair all the more alluring. Set just off the central parks, it serves lobster, shrimp and a mean filet mignon.
Barracuda Grill (Map; cnr Av 1 & Calle 58; complete meals CUC$7; 11am-7pm) Set in a thatched pavilion overlooking the beach on the grounds of the Barracuda Diving Center, this popular place has tasty fish and shellfish and it has satisfied many a post-dive appetite.
Albacora (Map; 61-36-50; cnr Av 1 & Calle 59; 10am-11pm) Fish, squid, shrimp and lobster are available at beachside Albacora. Check out the open bar offer (noon to 4pm).
A few more upscale restaurants are opposite the Hotel Cuatro Palmas, Av 1 and Calle 62, including small and intimate Restaurante La Fondue (Map; 66-77-47; noon-11pm) with beef fillet fondue for CUC$10.
There are several upscale restaurants in Parque Josone (Map; Av 1 btwn Calles 56 & 59). These include El Retiro ( 66-73-16; noon-10pm), with international cuisine and good lobster; Dante ( 66-77-38), with Italian food; and Restaurante La Campana ( 66-72-24) with Cuban dishes. On the edge of the park is La Casa de Antigüedades ( 66-73-29; cnr Av 1 & Calle 59), an old mansion crammed with antiques where beef, fish and shellfish dishes are served beneath chandeliers.
Heladería Coppelia (Map; Av 1 btwn Calles 44 & 46; 3-11pm) What, a Coppelia with no queues? Set above the new shopping complex in Parque de las 8000 Taquillas, Varadero’s ice-cream cathedral is bright, airy and surprisingly uncrowded.
There’s a handy grocery store beside Aparthotel Varazul (Map; Calle 15; 9am-7pm), and also at Caracol Pelicano (Map; cnr Calle 27 & Av 3; 9am-7:45pm), Club Herradura (Map; cnr Av de la Playa & Calle 36; 9am-7pm) and Cabañas del Sol (Map; Av Las Américas; 9am-7:45pm).
The only place where you can always find bread and pastries is Panadería Doña Neli (Map; cnr Av 1 & Calle 43; 24hr).
Bar Benny (Map; Camino del Mar btwn Calles 12 & 13; noon-midnight) A tribute to Benny Moré, this place has a jazz-den energy, with black-and-white photos of the legendary musician lining the walls and his velvety voice oozing from the sound system. Post-beach cocktails and olives are recommended.
Bar Mirador (Map; Av Las Américas; admission CUC$2) On the top floor of the Dupont Mansion, Bar Mirador is Varadero’s ultimate romantic hangout where ‘happy hour’ conveniently coincides with sunset cocktails.
Calle 62 (Map; cnr Av 1 & Calle 62) Set in the transition zone between old and new Varadero, this simple snack bar attracts clientele from both ends. It’s good for a cheese sandwich during the day, and the ambience becomes feistier after dark with live music going on until midnight.
While Varadero’s nightlife might look enticing on paper, there’s no real entertainment ‘scene’ as such, and the concept of bar-hopping à la Cancún or Miami Beach is almost nonexistent, unless you’re prepared to incorporate some long-distance hiking into your drinking schedule. Here’s a rough rundown of what’s on offer.
Casa de la Cultura Los Corales (Map; 61-25-62; cnr Av 1 & Calle 34) A place where the locals still hold sway. You can catch ‘filin’ (feeling) matinees here, where singers pour their heart into Neil Sedaka–style crooning. There are also instructors available for Cuban music; or take dance lessons for around CUC$2 an hour.
Casa de la Música (Map; 61-38-88; cnr Av de la Playa & Calle 42; admission CUC$10; 10:30pm-3am Wed-Sun) Aping its two popular Havana namesakes, this place has quality live acts and a definitive Cuban feel. It’s in town and attracts a local crowd who pay in pesos.
Discoteca Havana Club (Map; 61-18-07; cnr Av 3 & Calle 62; admission CUC$5) Near the Centro Comercial Copey, this is another tourist disco that welcomes Cubans. Expect big, boisterous crowds and plenty of male posturing.
Discoteca La Bamba (Map; guests/nonguests free/CUC$10; 10pm-4am) Varadero’s most modern video disco is at Hotel Tuxpán, in eastern Varadero. It plays mostly Latin music and is considered ‘hot.’
Club Mambo (Map; 66-86-65; Av Las Américas; open bar, admission CUC$10; 10am-2am Mon-Fri, 10am-3am Sat & Sun) Cuba’s ’50s mambo craze lives on at this quality live music venue – arguably one of Varadero’s hippest and best. Situated next to Club Amigo Varadero in the eastern part of town, the CUC$10 entry includes all your drinks. A DJ spins when the band takes a break, but this place is all about live music. There’s a pool table if you don’t feel like dancing.
There are other options, though they’re often more international disco than Cuban:
Cabaret Anfiteatro Varadero (Map; 61-99-38; cnr Vía Blanca & Carretera Sur) Just west of the bridge into Varadero, this cabaret has a gala open-air floor show similar to that of the Tropicana. Used mostly for special occasions, it doesn’t open every week.
Hotel Kawama (Map; Calle 0; admission incl 2 drinks CUC$5; 11pm nightly except Sun) A cabaret show happens on a stage below the restaurant at Hotel Kawama.
Cabaret Mediterráneo (Islazul; Map; 61-24-60; cnr Av 1 & Calle 54; admission CUC$10; doors 8:30pm, show 10pm) A professional two-hour show in an open-air location beneath thatched roofs nightly at 10pm. On a good night, it’s worth the money.
Cabaret Continental (Map; Av Las Américas; admission incl drink CUC$35; show 10pm) There’s a coolness to the kitsch at the retro Hotel Internacional, which stages a shamelessly over-the-top Tropicana-style floor show (Tuesday to Sunday) that is, arguably, second only to ‘the one’ (in Havana). Book dinner at 8pm, catch the singers and dancers strutting their stuff, and stay after midnight for the tie-loosening disco. Enquire at your hotel tour desk about advance bookings. This place is popular.
Habana Café (Map; Av Las Américas; admission CUC$10; 9pm-2am) Done up like Planet Hollywood meets the Tropicana, this place has a talented floor show followed by disco dancing. Expect the 35 plus set and a preponderance of guayabera shirts.
Cabaret Cueva del Pirata (Map; 66-77-51; Autopista Sur; open bar CUC$10; 10pm-3am except Sun) A kilometer east of the Hotel Sol Elite Palmeras, Cabaret Cueva del Pirata presents scantily clad dancers in a Cuban-style floor show with a buccaneer twist (eye patches, swashbuckling moves etc). This cabaret is inside a natural cave and once the show is over, the disco begins. Most hotel tour desks can arrange return hotel transfers. It’s a popular place, attracting a young crowd.
Parque de las 8000 Taquillas has been the recipient of an extensive remodeling with a new mall tucked under a reborn (and plusher) Coppelia. Called the Centro Comercial Hicacos (Map; 10am-10pm), there are a variety of shops here including souvenirs, cigars and photo developing, and an Infotur office. The open-air artisans’ market that once stood here has been reborn further down Av 1 as the Gran Parque de la Artesanía (Map; Av 1 btwn Calles 15 & 16). There’s a smaller handicraft market at Av 1 between Calles 51 and 52.
Casa de las Américas (Map; cnr Av 1 & Calle 59) A retail outlet of the famous Havana cultural institution, this place sells CDs, books and art, and is one of the few places in the country where a (very) old copy of Lonely Planet’s Cuba guide has been spotted on sale.
Casa del Habano Av de la Playa btwn Calles 31 & 32 (Map; 9am-6pm); cnr Av 1 & Calle 63 (Map; 66-78-43; 9am-7pm) The place for cigars: it has top-quality merchandise and helpful service.
Galería de Arte Varadero (Map; Av 1 btwn Calles 59 & 60; 9am-7pm) Antique jewelry, museum-quality silver and glass, paintings and other heirlooms from Varadero’s by-gone bourgeois days are sold here. As most items are of patrimonial importance, everything is already conveniently tagged with export permission.
Taller de Cerámica Artística (Map; 9am-7pm) Next door to Galería de Arte Varadero, here you can buy fine artistic pottery (they’re made on the premises). Most items are in the CUC$200 to CUC$250 range.
Bazar Varadero Publicigraf (Map; cnr Av 1 & Calle 44; 9am-7pm) In Parque Central. It’s a good place for ceramics, reproductions of famous paintings, artistic postcards, dolls, wall hangings, T-shirts and books. A clothing boutique is adjacent.
Kawama Sport (Map; cnr Av 1 & Calle 60; 9am-8pm) Forgot your swimming trucks, snorkel, running shoes? Look no further.
Centro Todo en Uno (Map; cnr Autopista Sur & Calle 54) A medium-sized mall with a bowling alley and amusements for kids.
Photo Service (Map; 66-72-91; Calle 63 btwn Avs 2 & 3; 9am-10pm) Come here for all your photo needs.
A small flea market opposite the Hotel Acuazul, ARTex Handicraft Market (Map; cnr Av 1 & Calle 12; 9am-9pm) has an excellent selection of CDs, cassettes, T-shirts and even a few musical instruments. Also check out the proper ARTex store (Map; Av 1 between Calles 46 and 47).
For a hint of American-style consumerism and the shape of things to come, head to Plaza América (Map), Varadero’s and Cuba’s largest shopping complex. Here you’ll find fancy boutiques, music shops, cigar store, bars, restaurants, a bank, a post office, a minimarket ( 10am-8:30pm), car rental desks, absolutely everything – oh, and the Varadero Convention Center.
Caracol shops in the main hotels sell souvenirs, postcards, T-shirts, clothes, alcohol and some snack foods. The prices are usually as good as those elsewhere.
Juan Gualberto Gómez International Airport (airport code VRA; Map; 61-30-16) is 20km from central Varadero toward Matanzas and another 4km off the main highway. Airlines here include Cubana from Buenos Aires and Toronto; LTU International Airways from Düsseldorf and four other German cities; Martinair from Amsterdam; and Air Transat and Skyservice from various Canadian cities. The check-in time at Varadero is 90 minutes before flight time.
Note that there are no domestic flights into Varadero.
Terminal de Ómnibus (Map; 61-26-26; cnr Calle 36 & Autopista Sur) has daily air-con Víazul ( 61-48-86; 7am-noon & 1-7pm) buses to a few destinations.
All Havana buses stop at Juan Gualberto Gómez International Airport (CUC$6, 25 minutes) and Matanzas (CUC$6, one hour). The Trinidad bus calls in at Santa Clara and Cienfuegos (CUC$17, four hours 30 minutes). The Santiago bus stops in Cárdenas (CUC$6, 20 minutes), Colón (CUC$6, one hour 30 minutes), Santa Clara, Sancti Spíritus (CUC$17, five hours), Ciego de Ávila (CUC$19, six hours 15 minutes), Camagüey (CUC$25), Las Tunas (CUC$33), Holguín (CUC$38) and Bayamo (CUC$41).
If you have the time, you can get to Havana by catching the Víazul bus to Matanzas and taking the Hershey Railway from there.
Aside from the new 9:25pm Víazul bus to Cárdenas, you can go local on bus 236, which departs every hour or so from next to a small tunnel marked ‘Ómnibus de Cárdenas’ outside the main bus station. You can also catch this bus at the corner of Av 1 and Calle 13 (CUC$1).
Another easy way to get to Havana is on one of the regular tour buses booked through the tour desk at your hotel or at any Havanatur/Cubanacán office. It’s possible to buy just transport between Varadero and Havana for CUC$25/30 for one way/round-trip. These buses collect passengers right at the hotel door, so you’ll save money on taxi links.
You can hire a car from practically every hotel in town and prices are pretty generic between the different makes and models. Once you’ve factored in fuel and insurance, a standard car will cost you approximately CUC$80 a day – not cheap!
Aside from the hotel reps, you can try Havanautos (Map; 61-44-09; cnr Av 1 & Calle 31) or Cubacar (Map; 66-73-26; cnr Av 1 & Calle 21).
Havanautos ( 25-36-30), Transtur ( 25-36-21), Vía ( 61-47-83) and Cubacar ( 61-44-10) all have car-rental offices in the airport car park. Expect to pay at least CUC$75 a day for the smallest car (or CUC$50 daily on a two-week basis).
Luxury cars are available at Rex (Meliá Las Américas Map; 66-77-39; Autopista del Sur Km 7; Juan Gualberto Gómez International Airport 66-75-39). It rents Audi and automatic-transmission (rare in Cuba) cars starting from CUC$100 per day.
There’s a Servi-Cupet gas station (Map; cnr Autopista Sur & Calle 17; 24hr) on the Vía Blanca at the entrance to Marina Acua near Hotel Sunbeach, and one at Centro Todo En Uno (Map; cnr Calle 54 & Autopista Sur).
If heading to Havana, you’ll have to pay the CUC$2 toll at the booth on the Vía Blanca upon leaving.
The nearest train stations are 18km southeast in Cárdenas and 42km west in Matanzas. See the town sections for details.
Varadero and Matanzas are each about 20km from the spur road to Juan Gualberto Gómez International Airport; it’s another 6km from the highway to the airport terminal. A tourist taxi costs CUC$20 to Matanzas and around CUC$25 for the ride from the airport to Varadero. Convince the driver to use the meter and it should work out cheaper. Unlicensed private taxis are prohibited from picking up or delivering passengers to the airport. All Víazul buses bound for Havana call at the airport, leaving at 8am, 11:25am, 3:30pm and 6pm and arriving 25 minutes later. Tickets cost CUC$6.
Varadero Beach Tour (all-day ticket CUC$5; 9:30am-9pm) is a handy open-top double-decker tourist bus with 45 hop-on/hop-off stops linking all the resorts and shopping centers along the entire length of the peninsula. It passes every half-hour at well-marked stops with route and distance information. You can buy tickets on the bus itself. There’s also a free shuttle connecting the three large Meliá resorts.
Local buses 47 and 48 run from Calle 64 to Santa Marta, south of Varadero on the Autopista Sur; bus 220 runs from Santa Marta to the far eastern end of the peninsula. There are no fixed schedules. Fares are a giveaway 20 centavos. You can also utilize bus 236 to and from Cárdenas, which runs the length of the peninsula.
A state-owned horse and cart around Varadero costs CUC$5 per person for a 45-minute tour or CUC$10 for a full two-hour tour – plenty of time to see the sights.
Mopeds and bikes are an excellent way of getting off the peninsula and discovering a little of the Cuba outside. Rentals are available at most of the all-inclusive resorts, and bikes are usually lent as part of the package. The generic price is CUC$9/24 per hour/day, with gas included in hourly rates (though a levy of CUC$6 may be charged on a 24-hour basis; ask). There’s one Palmares rental post (Map; cnr Av 1 & Calle 38) in the center of town with mopeds for those not staying at an all-inclusive. This guy also has a couple of rickety bikes with no gears and ‘pedal-backwards’ brakes. Go for a test run first and pay no more than CUC$2/15 per hour/day.
Metered tourist taxis charge a CUC$1 starting fee plus CUC$1 per kilometer (same tariff day and night). Coco-taxis (coquitos or huevitos in Spanish) charge less with no starting fee. A taxi to Cárdenas/Havana will be about CUC$20/85 one way. Taxis hang around all the main hotels or you can phone Cuba Taxi ( 61-05-55) or Transgaviota ( 61-97-62). The latter uses large cars if you’re traveling with a bike or big luggage. Tourists are not supposed to use the older Lada taxis.
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It’s hard to imagine a more jarring juxtaposition. Twenty kilometers east of the bright lights of Varadero lays shabby Cárdenas, home to countless resort-based waiters, taxi drivers and front-desk clerks; but with barely a hotel, restaurant or motorized cab to serve it.
Threadbare after 50 years of austerity, Cárdenas is the Miss Havisham of Cuba: an ageing dowager, once beautiful, but now looking more like a sepia-toned photo from another era. Streets once filled with illustrious buildings have suffered irrevocably since the Revolution, leaving this former sugar port a shadow of its former self.
It hasn’t always been like this. Though spurned these days by most modern travelers, once gentile Cárdenas has played an episodic role in Cuban history. In 1850 Venezuelan adventurer Narciso López and a ragtag army of American mercenaries raised the Cuban flag here for the first time in a vain attempt to free the colony from its complacent Spanish colonizers. Other history-making inhabitants followed, including revolutionary student leader Antonio Echeverría, shot during an abortive raid to assassinate President Batista in 1957.
Famous for its pioneering spirit, Cárdenas was the first city in Cuba to have electric lighting and a leading player in the early railway industry. These days the pace has slackened somewhat and the dilapidated facades can be a shock to travelers on a brief sojourn from Varadero. If you want to see a picture of real Cuban life, it doesn’t get more eye-opening than this. If it’s minty mojitos and all-day volleyball you’re after, stick to the tourist beaches.
The northeast–southwest streets are called Avenidas and streets running northwest–southeast are called Calles. Av Céspedes (Av Real to locals) is Cárdenas’ main drag; the avenues to the northwest are labeled oeste (west), and those to the southeast are labeled este (east). The city’s main northwest–southeast street is Calle 13 (Calzada); Calles are numbered consecutively beginning at the bay.
Cárdenas residents (confusingly) use the old street names.
First impressions lie. In among the battered buildings and dingy peso restaurants Cárdenas harbors three excellent museums all situated in the same city square, the pretty Parque Echeverría. The Museo Casa Natal de José Antonio Echeverría (Av 4 Este No 560; admission free, but tip the guide; 10am-5pm Tue-Sat, 9am-noon Sun) has a macabre historical collection including the original garrote used to execute Narciso López by strangulation in 1851. Objects relating to the 19th-century independence wars are downstairs, while the 20th-century Revolution is covered upstairs. A spiral staircase with 36 steps links the two levels of this house dating from 1703. In 1932 José Echeverría was born here, a student leader slain by Batista’s police in 1957 after a botched assassination attempt in Havana’s Presidential Palace. There’s a statue of him in the eponymous square outside. The nearby Museo Oscar María de Rojas (cnr Av 4 Este & Calle 12; admission CUC$5; 10am-6pm Mon-Sat, 9am-noon Sun) is Cuba’s second-oldest museum, after the Museo Bacardí in Santiago. Its extensive, if rather incongruous, collection of artifacts include a fossilized tree, a strangulation chair from 1830, a face mask of Napoleon, the tail of Antonio Maceo’s horse, Cuba’s largest collection of snails and, last but by no means least, some preserved fleas – yes fleas – from 1912. Set in a lovely colonial building and staffed with knowledgeable official guides, the museum makes a good side trip.
Around the corner is the newer Museo de Batalla de Ideas (Av 6 btwn Calles 11 & 12; admission CUC$2; 9am-5pm Tue-Sun), with a well-designed and organized overview of the history of US-Cuban relations, replete with sophisticated graphics.
Parque Colón is the city’s other interesting square containing the Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción (Av Céspedes btwn Calles 8 & 9), built in 1846 and noted for its stained glass and purportedly the oldest statue of Christopher Columbus in the Western hemisphere. Dating from 1862, Colón, as he’s known in Cuba, stands rather authoritatively with his face fixed in a thoughtful frown and a globe resting at his feet. It’s the closest Cárdenas gets to a decent photo op.
At the northeast end of Av Céspedes is a monument with a huge flagpole commemorating the first raising of the Cuban flag on May 19, 1850. It’s a simple, but moving memorial with good views of the bay and Varadero. To the northwest in the industrial zone is the Arrechabala Rum Factory where Varadero rum is distilled. The Havana Club rum company was founded here in 1878; there are sporadic tours here between 9am and 4pm for a cost of CUC$3; ask in town.
An architectural fantasy that now serves as the font of Cárdenas’ city life, Plaza Molocoff (cnr Av 3 Oeste & Calle 12) is a whimsical two-story cast-iron market hall with a glittery 16m-high silver dome built in 1859. It’s still the city vegetable market ( 8am-5pm Mon-Sat, 8am-2pm Sun) but is crying out for face-lift.
Down the road Varadero flaunts more than 50 hotels. Here in humble Cárdenas there are precisely zero now that the once-grand Hotel Dominica (next to the cathedral) has closed indefinitely (the much-touted renovation never materialized). Fortunately Cárdenas is home to about half a dozen casas particulares and they’ll be very keen for your business.
Rolando Valdés Lara ( 072-703-155; cnr Av 30 & Calle 12; r CUC$30; ) The thinnest house in Cuba? Come here for your ultimate anti-Varadero vacation; breakfast is the standard CUC$3 extra.
Ricardo Domínguez ( 528-944-31; cnr Avs 31 & 12; r CUC$35; ) Cárdenas dilapidated? Not here. Ricardo’s place could have been plucked out of one of Miami’s more tasteful suburbs with its leafy garden, plush tile-work and bathrooms befitting a North American show home.
Half the chefs in Varadero probably come from Cárdenas, which adds irony to the city’s dire restaurant scene. Grim, scant and hard to find are the three phrases that spring to mind when discussing the local eating houses. There are three El Rápidos if that’s any measuring stick. If you’re allergic to soggy microwaved cheese and spam sandwiches, bring a packed lunch.
Espriu (Calle 12 btwn Avs 4 & 6; dishes CUC$1-3; 24hr) The best in town and handily located on Parque Echeverría, Espriu is an OK restaurant among uninspired choices. Choose from espresso, shrimp cocktails, fish fillets, burgers and sandwiches.
Cafetería El Rápido (Av Céspedes btwn Calles 7 & 8; 24hr) After tramping the streets in search of something more inspiring, most tourists end up here swearing to never complain about their Varadero hotel buffet again. There are two more branches around town.
Cafetería La Cubanita (cnr Av 3 Oeste & Calle 13; 24hr) Situated near Plaza Molocoff, Cafetería La Cubanita has a pleasant outdoor setting where you can consume drinks for Convertibles.
La Barra 1470 (Calle 13 btwn Avs 6 & 7) Tablecloths and wine glasses and a nice inner decor raise expectations that probably won’t be met when it comes to the food.
Pizzería La Boloñesa (Av Céspedes No 901; 10am-10pm) Peso pizza’s always an option, but don’t bank on any boloñesa.
El Viajero (cnr Calle 13 & Av 13) The address might sound fateful, but you could get lucky at this cheerful peso place long touted by the locals as the best eating joint in town.
There are many Convertible supermarkets and stores along Av 3 Oeste near Plaza Molocoff, including El Dandy (Av 3 on Plaza Molocoff; 9am-5pm Mon-Sat, 9am-noon Sun), selling drinks and groceries. You can get cheap peso snacks in the market itself and the area surrounding, where merchants peddle everything from fake hair to plastic Buddhas.
Casa de la Cultura ( 52-12-92; Av Céspedes No 706 btwn Calles 15 & 16) Housed in a beautiful but faded colonial building with stained glass, iron awnings and an interior patio with rockers. Search the hand-written advertising posters for rap peñas (performances), theater and literature events.
Cine Cárdenas (cnr Av Céspedes & Calle 14) Has daily movie screenings.
Photo service (cnr Calle 13 & Av 31) This is housed inside an old Spanish fort. All your standard camera needs can be met here.
The Varadero–Santiago Víazul (www.viazul.com) bus stops in Cárdenas once daily in either direction. The eastbound service leaves Varadero at 9:25pm and arrives in Cárdenas at 9:45pm. It then heads east via Colón (CUC$6, one hour), Santa Clara (CUC$11, three hours), Sancti Spíritus (CUC$16, four hours 30 minutes), Ciego de Ávila (CUC$17, five hours 50 minutes), Camagüey (CUC$23, seven hours 45 minutes), Las Tunas (CUC$31, 10 hours), Holguín (CUC$35, 11 hours 10 minutes) and Bayamo (CUC$41, 12 hours 30 minutes) to Santiago (CUC$48, 15 hours 30 minutes). The return bus leaves Cárdenas at 10:40am and arrives in Varadero at 11am.
Local buses leave from the bus station (cnr Av Céspedes & Calle 22) to Havana and Santa Clara daily, but they’re often full upon reaching Cárdenas. There are also trucks to Jovellanos/Perico, which puts you 12km from Colón and possible onward transport to the east. The ticket office is at the rear of the station.
Bus 236 to/from Varadero leaves hourly from the corner of Av 13 Oeste and Calle 13 (50 centavos, but they like to charge tourists CUC$1).
The main horse-carriage (one peso) route through Cárdenas is northeast on Av Céspedes from the bus station and then northwest on Calle 13 to the hospital, passing the stop of bus 236 (to Varadero) on the way.
The Servi-Cupet gas station (cnr Calle 13 & Av 31 Oeste) is opposite an old Spanish fort on the northwest side of town, on the road to Varadero.
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Most of the 4520-sq-km Península de Zapata in southern Matanzas is included in Gran Parque Natural Montemar, formerly known as Parque Nacional Ciénaga de Zapata. In 2001, it was declared a Unesco Biosphere Reserve and, despite being one of Cuba’s largest municipalities, it’s also one of its most uninhabited.
To the east of this swampy wilderness lies the elongated Bahía de Cochinos (Bay of Pigs) where propaganda billboards still laud Cuba’s historic victory over the Yanqui imperialists in 1961. There are two worthwhile beaches here, Playa Larga at the bay’s curvaceous head and the more southerly Playa Girón. Both beaches are fronted by slightly moth-eaten resort hotels that are popular with divers. Aside from its reputation as a proverbial banana-skin for US imperialism, the Bay of Pigs also boasts some of the best cave diving in the Caribbean (see boxed text,).
Situated to the northeast of the peninsula lies the sugar-mill town of Australia, along with the cheesy tourist circus of Boca de Guamá, a reconstructed Taíno village.
Transport in the area is limited to a daily Víazul bus. Accommodation outside of the resorts is surprisingly abundant. You can check out excellent casa options in Jagüey Grande, Central Australia, Playa Larga and Playa Girón.
La Finquita ( 91-32-24; 9am-noon & 1-5pm Mon-Sat), a snack bar and information center run by Cubanacán just before the turn-off toward Playa Larga from the Autopista, arranges trips into the Zapata Peninsula (Click here) and books rooms at the Villa Guamá.
Etecsa, the post office and Convertible stores are across the Autopista in bustling Jagüey Grande. Insect repellent is absolutely essential on the peninsula and while Cuban repellent is available locally, it’s like wasabi on sushi for the ravenous buggers here.
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No, you haven’t just arrived in Alice Springs. About 1.5km south of the Autopista Nacional on the way to Boca de Guamá, is the large Central Australia sugar mill, built in 1904. During the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, Fidel Castro had his headquarters in the former office of the sugar mill. Today it’s the Museo de la Comandancia ( 2504; admission CUC$1; 8am-5pm Tue-Sun). This municipal museum contains a few stuffed birds and animals, and a good historical collection starting from prehistory, but surprisingly little about the Bay of Pigs episode itself (the Museo de Playa Girón is far better; Click here). Outside is the wreck of an invading aircraft shot down by Fidel’s troops. The concrete memorials lining the road to the Bahía de Cochinos mark the spots where defenders were killed in 1961.
Approximately 400m on your right after the Central Australia exit is the Finca Fiesta Campesina (admission CUC$1; 9am-6pm), a kind of wildlife park–meets–country fair with labeled examples of Cuba’s typical flora and fauna. The highlights of this strangely engaging place are the coffee (some of the best in Cuba and served with a sweet wedge of sugarcane) and the hilarious if slightly infantile games of guinea-pig roulette overseen with much pizzazz by the gentleman at the gate. It’s the only place in Cuba – outside the cockfighting – where you encounter any form of open gambling.
Motel Batey Don Pedro (Cubanacán; 91-28-25; Peninsula de Zapata; s/d CUC$25/50) This motel is just south of the turn-off to the Península de Zapata, from Km 142 on the Autopista Nacional at Jagüey Grande, and is really just a glorified campismo. The eight thatched double units are comfortable enough with ceiling fans and crackling TVs. Beware of the frogs in the bathroom. The motel is designed to resemble a peasant settlement, and the on-site restaurant, though friendly and intimate, serves pretty ropey food. A better bet is the adjacent Fiesta Campesino, which sells energy-boosting guarapo (sugarcane juice) and coffee that’s positively divine.
Pío Cuá ( 91-33-43; Carretera de Playa Larga Km 8; meals CUC$6-20; 9am-9pm) A favorite with Guamá-bound tour buses, this huge place is set up for big groups, but retains a fancy decor with lots of stained glass. Shrimp, lobster or chicken meals are pretty good. It’s 8km from the Autopista turn-off.
If you just can’t drive any further, there are a number of legal casas particulares in the area including Orlando Caballero Hernández ( 91-32-75; Calle 20 No 5; r CUC$20; ), at the Central Australia sugar mill, with small, clean rooms and some great testimonies, and the more convenient Casa de Zuleida ( 91-36-74; Calle 15A No 7211 btwn 72 & 74; r CUC$15-20; ) in Jagüey Grande behind the hospital. There are more casas in Playa Larga (32km) and Playa Girón (48km).
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Boca de Guamá is a tourist creation situated about halfway between the Autopista Nacional at Jagüey Grande and the famous Bahía de Cochinos (Bay of Pigs). Named after native Taíno chief Guamá, who made a last stand against the Spanish in 1532 (in Baracoa), a cluster of restaurants, expensive snack bars, knick-knack shops along with a crocodile farm crowd around a small dock. Here boats wait to take you across Laguna del Tesoro (Treasure Lake) to the main attraction: an Indian-themed resort built to resemble an authentic Taíno village. Tour buses crowd the car park and loud rap music welcomes your passage back in time to the hidden mysteries of pre-Columbian Cuba. You’ll need an extremely hyperactive imagination to make anything out of it.
Don’t confuse the real Criadero de Cocodrilos (guided visit CUC$5; 8am-5pm) with the faux farm inside Boca de Guamá’s tourist complex. On your right as you come from the Autopista, the Criadero de Cocodrilos is an actual breeding facility, run by the Ministerio de Industrias Pesqueras, where two species of crocodiles are raised: the native Crocodylus rhombifer (cocodrilo in Spanish), and the Crocodylus acutus (caimán in Spanish), which is found throughout the tropical Americas. Sometimes security guards will try to point you across the road to the Guamá zoo, but if you’re persistent you can get a guided tour here (in Spanish), taking you through every stage of the breeding program, from eggs and hatchlings to big, bad crocs. Prior to the establishment of this program in 1962 (considered the first environmental protection act undertaken by the revolutionary government), these two species of marsh-dwelling crocodiles were almost extinct.
The breeding has been so successful that across the road in the Boca de Guamá complex you can buy stuffed baby crocodiles or dine, perfectly legally, on crocodile steak.
The park/zoo (adult/child CUC$5/3; 9am-6pm) has two crocodiles that are often under water trying to beat the stifling 85% humidity. There are other caged animals here.
If you buy anything made from crocodile leather at Boca de Guamá, be sure to ask for an invoice (for the customs authorities) proving that the material came from a crocodile farm and not wild crocodiles. A less controversial purchase would be one of the attractive ceramic bracelets sold at the nearby Taller de Cerámica ( 9am-6pm Mon-Sat) where you can see five kilns in operation.
Aside from the crocodile farm, the main attraction is the Laguna del Tesoro, 8km east of Boca de Guamá via the Canal de la Laguna and accessible only by boat (see right). On the east side of this 92-sq-km lake is a tourist resort named Villa Guamá, built to resemble a Taíno village, on a dozen small islands. A sculpture park next to the mock village has 32 life-size figures of Taíno villagers in a variety of idealized poses. The lake is called ‘Treasure Lake’ due to a legend about some treasure the Taíno are said to have thrown into the water just prior to the Spanish conquest (not dissimilar to South American El Dorado legends). The name Guamá comes from a rebel Taíno cacique (chief) who led a partially successful rebellion against the Spanish in the 1530s near Baracoa. The lake is stocked with largemouth bass, which makes it popular with fishermen.
Villa Guamá (Cubanacán; 91-55-15; s/d CUC$22/44) This place was built in 1963 on the east side of the Laguna del Tesoro, about 5km from Boca de Guamá by boat (cars can be left at the crocodile farm; CUC$1). The 50 thatched cabañas (cabins) with bath and TV are on piles over the shallow waters. The six small islands bearing the units are connected by wooden footbridges to other islands with a bar, cafetería, overpriced restaurant and a swimming pool containing chlorinated lake water. Rowboats are for rent. Noise from the on-site disco will leave you questioning this place’s authenticity (there are no known records of discos in Taíno Indian villages), and the tranquility is further broken by the ubiquitous day-trippers who come and go by speedboat from dawn till dusk. Bird-watching at sunrise, however, is reputedly fantastic. You’ll need insect repellent if you decide to stay. The ferry transfer is not included in the room price (see below).
At the boat dock you’ll find Bar La Rionda ( 9:30am-5pm), Restaurante Colibrí and Restaurante La Boca (set meals CUC$12).
The Havana–Trinidad Víazul bus passes daily in either direction. Guamá isn’t an official stop but a word with the driver and you may be able to negotiate a drop-off at Boca de Guamá. There are regular tours from Varadero to Boca de Guamá.
A passenger ferry (adult/child CUC$10/5, 20 minutes) departs Boca de Guamá for Villa Guamá across Laguna del Tesoro four times a day. Speedboats depart more frequently and whisk you across to the pseudo-Indian village in just 10 minutes any time during the day for CUC$10 per person round-trip (with 40 minutes waiting time at Villa Guamá; two persons minimum). In the morning you can allow yourself more time on the island by going one way by launch and returning by ferry.
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The largest ciénaga (swamp) in Cuba, Ciénaga de Zapata is also one of the country’s most diverse ecosystems. Crowded into this vast wetland (which is essentially two swamps divided by a rocky central tract) are 14 different vegetation formations including mangroves, wood, dry wood, cactus, savannah, selva and semideciduous. There are also extensive salt pans. The marshes support more than 190 bird species, 31 types of reptiles, 12 species of mammals, plus countless amphibians, fish and insects (including the insatiable mosquito). There are more than 900 plant species here, some 115 of them endemic. It is also an important habitat for the endangered manatí (manatee), the Cuban cocodrilo (crocodile; Crocodylus rhombifer), and the manjuarí (alligator gar; Atractosteus tristoechus), Cuba’s most primitive fish.
The Zapata is the place to come to see zunzuncitos (bee hummingbirds; the world’s smallest bird), cormorants, cranes, ducks, flamingos, hawks, herons, ibis, owls, parrots, partridges, sparrows, tocororos (Cuba’s national bird) and wrens. Numerous migratory birds from North America winter here, making November to April the best birding season. It’s also the number-one spot in Cuba for catch-and-release sport fishing and fly-fishing, where the palometa, sábalo and robalo are jumping (bonefish too!).
Communications in Zapata, unsuitable for agriculture, were almost nonexistent before the Revolution when poverty was the rule. Charcoal makers burn wood from the region’s semideciduous forests, and turba (peat) dug from the swamps is an important source of fuel. The main industry today is tourism and eco-tourists are arriving in increasing numbers.
The National Park Office ( 98-72-49; 8am-4:30pm Mon-Fri, 8am-noon Sat) is at the north entrance to Playa Larga on the road from Boca de Guamá. The staff here is knowledgeable and helpful. Alternatively you can try the Cubanacán office Click here on the Autopista near Central Australia or the Playa Larga or Girón hotels.
There are four main excursions into the park, although the itineraries (particularly for bird-watching) are flexible. Transport is not usually laid on, so it is best to arrange beforehand. Cars (including chauffeur-driven jeeps) can be rented from Havanautos ( 98-41-23) in Playa Girón. One of the most popular excursions is to Laguna de las Salinas where large numbers of migratory waterfowl can be seen from November to April: we’re talking 10,000 pink flamingos at a time, plus 190 other feathered species. The first half of the road to Las Salinas is through the forest, while the second half passes swamps and lagoons. Here, aquatic birds can be observed. Guides are mandatory to explore the refuge. The 22km visit lasts over four hours but you may be able to negotiate for longer; costs start at CUC$10 per person.
For avid bird-watchers Observación de Aves (per person CUC$19) offers an extremely flexible itinerary and the right to roam (with a qualified park ornithologist) around a number of different sites, including the Reserva de Bermejas. Among 18 species of endemic bird found here you can see prized ferminins, cabreritos and gallinuelas de Santo Tomás – found only on the Zapata Peninsula.
Switching from land to boat, the Río Hatiguanico (per person CUC$19) takes you on a three-hour 12km river trip through the densely forested northwestern part of the peninsula. You’ll have to duck to avoid the branches at some points while at others the river opens out into a wide delta-like estuary. Birdlife is abundant in this part of the peninsula and if you’re lucky you may also see turtles and crocodiles.
It’s also worth asking about the Santo Tomás trip, an excursion (CUC$10) that begins 30km west of Playa Larga in the park’s only real settlement (Santo Tomás) and proceeds along a tributary of the Hatiguanico – walking or boating, depending on the season. It’s another good option for birders.
Aspiring fishermen can arrange excellent fly-fishing at either Las Salinas or Hatiguanico. Ask at the National Park Office.
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Continuing south from Boca de Guamá you reach Playa Larga, on the Bahía de Cochinos (Bay of Pigs), after 13km (or 32km from where you left the Autopista Nacional). Larga was one of two beaches invaded by US-backed exiles on April 17, 1961 (although Playa Girón 35km further south saw far bigger landings). There’s a cheapish resort here, a scuba diving center, and a smattering of casas particulares. It is also the headquarters of the Ciénaga de Zapata National Park and a good base for environmental excursions around the peninsula.
Playa Larga is a diver’s paradise. Check out the boxed text,, for more details.
Villa Playa Larga (Cubanacán; 98-72-94; s/d low season incl breakfast CUC$27/54; ) On a small scimitar of white-sand beach by the road, just east of the village, this hotel has huge rooms with bath, sitting room, fridge and TV. There are also eight two-bedroom family bungalows, though the restaurant is legendary in its bleakness (and in total contrast to the setting). The villa was closed for some long-overdue renovations at the time of writing.
Casa Fefa ( 98-71-33; r CUC$20-25; ) There are some affable casas particulares in Playa Larga. Start your search at Casa Fefa, run by Josefa Pita Cobas and Osnedy González Pita, near Caleton beach. Osnedy can put you in touch with hiking and bird-watching guides.
Palmares restaurant (meals CUC$2-7) Across the road from Villa Playa Larga, Palmares has hearty ham-and-cheese sandwiches, fish meals and can cook up a respectable vegetarian plate.
The reliable Havana–Trinidad Víazul bus passes through daily in either direction and will pick up/drop off on request outside Villa Playa Larga. Approximate arrival times are 11am for the Playa Girón, Cienfuegos and Trinidad service; and 6:45pm for Jagüey Grande and Havana service.
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The sandy arc of Playa Girón nestles peacefully on the eastern side of the infamous Bahía de Cochinos (Bay of Pigs), 48km south of Boca de Guamá. Notorious as the place where the Cold War almost got hot, the beach is actually named for a French pirate, Gilbert Girón, who met his nemesis here by decapitation in the early 1600s at the hands of embittered locals. In April 1961 it was the scene of another botched raid, the ill-fated, CIA-sponsored invasion that tried to land on these remote sandy beaches in one of modern history’s classic David and Goliath struggles. Lest we forget, there are still plenty of propaganda-spouting billboards dotted around rehashing past glories, though these days Girón, with its clear Caribbean waters and precipitous off-shore drop-off, is a favorite destination for scuba divers and snorkelers.
In addition to some decent private houses, Playa Girón’s one and only resort is the modest Villa Girón, a low-key all-inclusive that is perennially popular among the diving fraternity. Long, shady Playa Los Cocos, where the snorkeling is good, is just a five-minute walk south along the shore. But Varadero this is not. In common with many of Cuba’s southern coastal areas, there’s often more diente de perro (dog’s tooth) than soft white sand.
On the main entry road to the hotel there’s a pharmacy, a post office, an international post office and a Caracol shop selling groceries. The settlement of Playa Girón is a tiny one-horse town, so if you need any goods or services, the hotel is the most likely place to look.
The Museo de Playa Girón (admission CUC$2, cameras CUC$1; 9am-5pm) has gleaming glass display cases and a tangible sense of history. Housed across the street from Villa Playa Girón, it offers two rooms of artifacts from Bahía de Cochinos plus numerous photos with (some) bilingual captions. The mural of victims and their personal items is eye-catching and the tactical genius of the Cuban forces comes through in the graphic depictions of how the battle unfolded. The 15-minute film about the ‘first defeat of US imperialism in the Americas’ is CUC$1 extra. A British Hawker Sea Fury aircraft used by the Cuban Air Force is parked outside the museum and round the back are other vessels used in the battle that you can look at.
The small settlement of Playa Girón has half a dozen decent casas particulares, most of which serve meals.
KS Abella ( 98-43-83; r CUC$20; ) This señor is a former chef at Villa Playa Girón who is now trying out his seafood specialties on his casa guests. He’s situated on the corner of the main road.
Villa Merci – Mercedes Blanco Pérez ( 98-43-04; r CUC$20; ) Hay Perro (meaning ‘beware of the dog’), says the sign, but don’t be put off by the warning. The dog’s as friendly as Merci, the congenial casa owner. Adorned with a lovely garden and porch, this house has two rooms with all the standard amenities plus a TV room complete with a decent stash of videos. It’s on the road to Caleta Buena (the last house).
Hostal Luis ( 99-42-58; r incl breakfast CUC$25; ) The first house on the road to Cienfuegos is also the village’s premier casa. Instantly recognizable by the two stone lions that guard the gate, youthful Luis and his wife offer two spotless rooms on a large lot with plenty of room for parking.
Villa Playa Girón (Cubanacán; 98-41-10; s/d all-inclusive high season CUC$33/66; ) On a beach imbued with historical significance lies this rather ordinary hotel – an all-inclusive although, with its spartan bungalows and spatially challenged dining room, it rarely feels like one. Always busy with divers, the villa is an unpretentious kind of place with helpful staff and clean, basic rooms that are often a long walk from the main block. The beach, however, is invariably a mere 50m dash away, though its allure has been spoiled somewhat by the construction of a giant wave-breaking wall.
The reliable Havana–Trinidad Víazul bus makes two scheduled daily stops in Playa Girón (one in either direction). You must wait on the main road next to the entrance road to the Villa Playa Girón. The bus for Jagüey Grande/Havana arrives at 6:15pm and the bus for Cienfuegos/Trinidad pulls in at 11:30am. Arrive a good 15 minutes in advance in case it’s early. You can buy tickets on the bus.
There’s a (very) early morning passenger truck to Cienfuegos. A taxi should cost approximately CUC$40 for the same trip. From Playa Girón to Playa Larga, the fare will be closer to CUC$20.
Havanautos ( 98-41-23) has a car-rental office at Villa Playa Girón or you can hire a moto for CUC$24 per day.
Servi-Cupet gas stations are located on the Carretera Central at Jovellanos and on Colón at Jagüey Grande, as well as on the Autopista Nacional at Aguada de Pasajeros in Cienfuegos province.
East of Caleta Buena (southeast of Playa Girón), the coastal road toward Cienfuegos is potholed and not passable in a normal car; backtrack and take the inland road via Rodas.