Things to do in Varadero

When you’re sitting on a 20km-long beach that many consider the best in the Caribbean, the most popular thing to do in Varadero is on your doorstep. But this being Cuba, it has more than one string to its bow. Located on the narrow Hicacos peninsula, which juts into the Caribbean like finger, it’s all palm-fringed shoreline washed by the sky-blue sea. Water sports are among the best things to do in Varadero, but excursions to Havana, cave tours and sampling the local cuisine are also not to be missed.

Top six things to do in Varadero

1. Visit Havana

With peeling colonial façades, salsa music drifting out of windows and horn-honking vintage American cars – it’s fair to say Havana is a city for the ages. It’s two hours' drive away from Varadero, but it feels like a journey to another era. An excursion to Havana will allow you to see the capital’s highlights. Stroll through the UNESCO World Heritage Site old town, admire the baroque cathedral, hang out in Hemingway’s old haunts and take some selfies by the iconic Che Guevara image at Revolution Square.

2. Try your hand at some water activities

The warm waters along Varadero's long, sandy beach are perfect for all kinds of water sports. You can scuba dive, snorkel, go fishing and sail, to name but a few. If you like snorkelling, go to Playa Coral. The sea here is teeming with tropical fish and coral reefs. For a more relaxed experience, book a catamaran cruise to Cayo Blanco. Soak in the sunrays on the deck with a Cuba libre in your hand and then live it up on the immaculate white sands of this uninhabited palm-studded islet.

3. Dive into Cuba’s best caves

When you have the best beach in the Caribbean, going underground for a swim might be the last thing on your mind. But when you set eyes on the 20-metre-deep cenote of Saturno Cave, you’ll want to keep diving in. Swimming or snorkelling in its cool, sparkling blue waters under a roof of stalactites is one of those experiences you don’t have every day of the week. Another nearby cave, Ambrosio, is a different adventure altogether. There’s no water but there are dozens of ancient paintings from pre-colonial times. You can visit on your own and discover your inner Indiana Jones.

4. Stroll through Parque Ecológico Varahicacos

Varahicacos Ecological Park is in the north of the Hicacos peninsula. This protected area is nature’s last holdout in Varadero, with a lagoon and trails through luxuriant bushland. Spot plants such as cacti and orchids as well as birdlife and lizards. A trek through the park offers a wild escape from the chill-out vibe on the beach.

5. Taste Cuban cuisine

Savoury beef stews, luscious lobster, honey-coloured rum and aromatic coffee – the Cuban food and drink scene is a riot of rich flavours. On a food tour, you can taste local dishes in authentic restaurants. For something a bit stronger, visit Casa del Ron, where you’ll learn all about Cuba's national drink – and enjoy a well-deserved tasting of rums you wouldn’t get at home. Another must-do is the Varadero Street Market, where you can find handmade goods as well as fresh local produce.

6. Make for Matanzas

Under an hour’s drive from Varadero is Matanzas, the regional capital. In need of a lick of paint, this city was once known as the ‘Athens of Cuba’ because of its cultural importance. And it’s well worth a visit. Amid its terraces of pastel-coloured colonial buildings are the baroque Cathedral of San Carlos and the neo-classical Sauto Theatre. But two of the city’s top treasures can be found on Libertad Square. Most of which has been given that much-need lick of paint, and it looks splendid. There’s the still-crumbling Spanish Casino, once the place to be seen for well-to-do squires, and the fantastic Botica Francesca Triolet, an antique apothecary’s that hasn’t changed in over a century.