Varadero

Understand

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

Get around

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

See

300px|thumbnail| The view while parasailing Parque Josone – A park in the middle of Varadero filled with birds, vendors, music and camel rides for the kids.

Do

Beach – The white sandy beaches of Varadero are considered the best in Cuba. All shorelines are open to the public and the beach generally gets better further out in the peninsula. So especially if you're staying at the base of the peninsula, find a way out to either the town center or by some of the nice resorts to enjoy the best Varadero has to offer.

Delfinario – A dolphin show with the option to actually swim with the captive dolphins, about US$15 for the show and US$85 for the show + swim. However, you should reconsider whether this is actually a proper way to treat animals.

Villa Du Pont – Once the residence of Irénée Du Pont, the green-roofed hacienda style building built in 1928 is today the headquarters of the Varadero Golf Club. The golf course, just a few steps away, features 18 holes, the largest in Cuba. The visitor has the opportunity to admire the splendor of its mahogany furniture, floors made out the finest Italian marble, bronze candelabra and oil paintings. The basement offers Varadero´s most luxurious and expensive restaurant, "Las Américas". On the first floor there are 5 finely decorated and equipped guest rooms, plus a presidential suite. A few steps higher on the second floor, an attractive bar "Mirador" (open 24 hours), product of a mixture between art deco and Moorish style, will surely keep you there sipping tasty Cuban cocktails at sunset.

Buy

400px|thumbnail|A game of beach volleyball

Eat

Many packages are "all-inclusive" at major resorts, especially those further up the peninsula. These cater primarily to North American tourists, who make up the bulk of visitors. Some of them do offer room/hotel packages (EP, or European Plan), but they are becoming harder to find. Most hotels past the golf course are all-inclusive by circumstance, as there are few nearby restaurants. There is a very good restaurant at the Marina, and several at the International Shopping Centre. The clubhouse at the Varadero Golf Course (this was the old Dupont Mansion) has an extensive menu and a lovely setting overlooking the ocean on one side, the golf course on the other.

In the town of Varadero, there is everything from open-air marketplace-type food stalls to the local version of fast food. In town you can find: Pollo Loco (pronounced poy-yo lo-ko, or crazy chickens), hamburguesas con queso (cheeseburgers), sandwiches (being a Miami invention, pressed Cuban sandwiches are hard to find), and the odd pizza joint. There are also a few restaurants serving sit-down dinners and lunches. Chicken, pork and fish are the most frequent items, but beef is not hard to find. Menus are usually posted outside.

Visitors staying at any of the hotels in town have many choices. Many of these hotels are older and nowhere near as fancy as the beach resorts, and they cater to a different clientele.

Drink

The Mojito is Cuba's signature drink. Made with freshly crushed mint, lime juice and white rum it is a unique delicious flavour. Second to the Mojito is the Cuba Libre, a combination of rum, cola and lime juice.

Cristal beer can be had for a dollar a can. It is a good tasting light pilsner. Mayabe is another good beer, not as light at Cristal and not as heavy as the much stronger Bucanero or Bucanero Fuerte. Most all inclusive resorts stock both Cristal and Bucanero.

Caney is made in the former Bacardi factory on the east end of the island. It is Cuba's premium brand of rum. It's available in Carta Blanca (white), or traditionally darker varieties of differing aging quality. Rum is called "ron" in Cuba and "ron mulatta" is a cheaper brand often supplied to inclusive hotels (it tastes just as good). If you don't drink rum you might want to stop into the duty free store on the way down and bring your favorite drink. Low-quality Russian vodka can be obtained in Havana, but high-quality spirits are hard to find and expensive as it caters to Cuba’s tourists.

Wine made in Cuba is very sweet and not all that far from grape juice. It has its charms but true wine lovers may want to bring a bottle from home or the duty free shop.

Cubans also drink plenty of coffee, and they like to brew it strong. Order café espresso for a straight shot, or café con leche if you'd like it mixed with warm milk. Ask for café americano if you want a milder brew.

You can drink the water in Cuba, but i…

Sleep

Varadero has by far the biggest diversity of hotels in Cuba, you will find whole range of accommodation from little hotels to well known international chains like Melia, Sandals, Iberostar or the local Cubanacan.

Cubans can be found staying in hotels of the Islazul or Horizontes brand. These hotels can be quite spartan if affordable. The experience may well be worth the inconvenience, although mingling is officially discouraged. The horseshoe shaped Hotel Islazul Herradura is a fine example.

Make sure when you get into any of these hotels: ask for a mosquito net or a room that is higher up in the building.

Connect

The nicer hotels will have internet access. Otherwise you can visit the town's ETECSA, and buy and use internet cards for around CUC5/hr. This is an internet cafe, there's no Wi-Fi available.

Stay safe

350px|thumbnail|Jose Marti tribute Cuba in general, and Varadero in particular, are very safe places for travellers. Varadero is pretty strictly a tourist enclave, with limited access for locals, and routinely policed. Elsewhere in Cuba is much different. It is, however, arguably the safest country in the Caribbean for travelers, including single females. Use your common sense and you'll be fine.

Credit card scam at Varadero Airport – This scam involves storekeepers in small shops taking out a purchase as a cash advance on your credit card. When the victim tries to purchase, the shopkeeper says 'one moment' and goes to an accomplice working at the CADECA cash exchange counter to give the amount of the cash advance and the card number. The CADECA teller then processes the cash advance, and the storekeeper asks the victim to return to show passport and sign. The receipt appears like a sale as it is written 'VENTA'. The bank teller gives the cash directly to the shopkeeper. In addition, the shopkeeper can easily give a box of fake cigars from a bag or other source. Because the receipt comes from the bank counter and the client has signed for what is supposedly a cash advance, credit card companies (i.e. MasterCard) are reluctant to refund or complain against this particular (and very lucrative) merchant. The lesson for the tourist is to never let one's credit card out of one's hands, and even then in many places it is better to pay cash. Also, shops are less expensive aft…