The Hicacos Peninsula, better known as Varadero, is the largest and one of the most popular beach resort in Cuba. Situated between the Bay of Cárdenas and the Straits of Florida, some 140 km east of Havana, at the eastern end of the Via Blanca highway. Its pristine 21 km (13 mi) long white sand beach is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful in the world. Although fantastic, the beaches of Varadero pale in comparison to those of Zanzibar in my opinion (which is still by far my favorite beach experience).
Aside from its most valued resource, the beach, Varadero has natural attractions such as caves and a chain of easily accessed virgin cays. There are also cultural, historical and environmental attractions in the vicinity, such as the cities of Matanzas and Cárdenas, the Zapata Peninsula and the resort of San Miguel de los Baños. Varadero, which is a free port, also possesses facilities for scuba diving, deep-sea fishing, yachting and other water sports. I was fortunate enough to be able to do some snorkeling even through the weather wasn’t at it’s best during my stay in January 2018. Of course, anything beats the cold, harsh winters of Calgary, so I’m not complaining.
Thousands of visitors come to Varadero every year to relax and enjoy the calm turquoise waters and warm sun of this Caribbean paradise, the water is just perfect for swimming and relaxing unlike the rougher beaches of Cancun with it’s large waves. But Varadero has much more to offer than just a glorious beach. Although it lacks some of the cultural-rich environment found in colonial cities such as Havana or Santiago de Cuba, Varadero still provides the vibrant Cuban culture with its numerous art galleries, museums, cabarets, quaint bars and cafes, handicrafts markets, live music, cigar and rum shops, etc.
We booked our tickets through Sunwing for an all-inclusive stay at Barceló Solymar. The first night I was a little sketched out since the room was old and run down, the shower didn’t work too well, and we woke to the sound of construction at 6AM. Luckily, after we asked to move, our next room was pleasant enough. Mind you, it’s not really what one would consider a 4-star resort in a first world country, but we already knew what we were in for and we weren’t planning on spending that much time in the room anyway.
Although my back prevented me from being too adventurous on this trip, Varadero provides nature lovers many hiking trails, caves, ancient wall paintings, and the fauna and flora of the Varahicacos Ecological Reserve. Perhaps on my next visit I’ll be strong enough to try some out.
Something to note, is how safe everything seemed. I loved being able to walk the streets with ease, regardless of the time, not worried or feeling stressed that something bad might happen (as seems to be the case in the many places in Mexico I’ve been). There was a saying I heard many times on the trip which made me smile, “Nothing bad happens here, it’s Cuba!”.
Barceló Solymar is walking distance to a lot of the most popular clubs and bars, so it was convenient for getting around and not needing to pay for transportation. Though, just for fun we did take a ride on one of the little open-air yellow taxis which were great fun. Most of the vacationers at that time were from Quebec, so almost everyone was speaking French. Lucky for me, my partner in crime is fluent which helped us make lots of friends during our stay. Because of the very relaxed environment, everyone was very friendly and welcoming. We became regulars within a few different social groups which kept things interesting.
So, if you’re looking for a very inexpensive vacation, I would 100% recommend Varadero.
Michelle Lavigne Author 