Is Varadero Worth Visiting? (A Locals Advice 2024)

When you are going to Cuba, where should you be going to in Cuba? Is Varadero worth visiting, or should you choose another destination as a base for your Cuba holiday?

I have traveled regularly to Cuba for five years as a solo female traveler and have visited Varadero many times.

Although I love the city vibe in Havana, whenever I need a bit of peace and quiet (and pools and beaches), I often hop on the bus to go to Varadero for a couple of days.

Whether Varadero is worth visiting for you when you travel to Cuba will depend on what you want for your Cuba holiday. Here is what you need to know about Varadero so you can decide for yourself.

Is Varadero Worth It?

Well, yes, Varadero is worth it if you are a person who loves the Caribbean beaches, water sports, pool lounging, done-for-you meals, pampering, all-inclusive hotels, and evening shows, basically.

Anyone who loves a relaxing Caribbean pampering resort holiday will be happy in Varadero.

Also read: 19 Best Things To Do In Varadero From A Frequent Visitor

Paradisiacal Varadero: The Largest Resort Area In The Caribbean

In Varadero, you can spend time on one of the world’s best beaches; TripAdvisor voted Varadero Beach the second most beautiful beach in the world in 2019.

There are a myriad of all-inclusive resorts, and you can also have some adventure outside the resort grounds if you want to.

Varadero is not a big town, and generally, you will not find great nightlife, but there are some decent clubs around, especially on the weekends. Each big resort in Varadero also has shows every night in-house, so you will find evening entertainment without leaving your resort.

As you may have guessed, Varadero is not a great destination for a big-city holiday, but Havana is not more than a couple of hours away.

Also read: The 9 Best Rated Tours In Varadero Cuba

Nice To Know Facts About Varadero Cuba

Varadero is a peninsula, 2.5 hours east of Havana, that exists exclusively as a resort area.

The peninsula is called the Hicacus. It is about 12 miles long, and its sole purpose is to be the home of luxurious all-inclusive resorts on the northern shores of Cuba.

Around 300 high-end resorts are scattered along this narrow area’s white sandy shores.

There is a town center with shops, restaurants, a market, and ATMs, but it is not big, and the Cuba you see in Varadero is very different from the “real Cuba” you will meet in destinations like Havana, Trinidad, Vinales, and more.

Right before the start of the Hicacos Peninsula is Matanzas, a town that is a bit bigger than Varadero town.

Matanzas is both the name of the city and the province that is also home to Varadero. If you fly into Varadero, you will arrive at Juan Gualberto Gomez Airport in Matanzas.

Also read: 19 Best Things To Do In Varadero From A Frequent Visitor 

Resorts In Varadero

The luxury all-inclusive resorts in Varadero are like resorts in most other places in the Caribbean, situated along the shore with paradisiacal beaches steps away from the hotel pools.

Normally, you will find a variety of fun in-house restaurants, activities, amenities, and pool areas, and most hotels also arrange excursions out of the hotel in Varadero or to the surrounding areas.

Things To Do In Varadero Outside Your Resort

There is plenty of exploring to do on the Varadero peninsula and in the wider Matanzas Province.

If you want to go off at your own tempo, there is a hop-on, hop-off bus traveling along the peninsula that you can take if you want to spend a day getting to know a variety of places.

In the center of Varadero town, you can also find the Museum of Rum, the Beatles house, and a handful of museums if you want to learn about local culture and history.

There is also a Dolphinarium situated in a natural mangrove, which is a very nice environment for dolphins to live in. Visiting here and catching the dolphin show was a nice outing that I enjoyed more than I expected!

5 Top-Rated Tours In Varadero Cuba

You can go for a variety of tours and excursions in Varadero and the wider Matanzas Province if you don’t want to do the exploring on your own.

Test your Cuban cooking skills, join a cave tour, or spend the day snorkeling or hanging in the nets of a white, elegant catamaran tour visiting Cayo Blanco outside of Varadero.

As a certified scuba diver, I regularly go for diving excursions in Varadero, which has some really nice nature dive sites I recommend you explore. You can book scuba diving trips from your resort or online for diving at Playa Coral.

If you are not certified as a scuba diver, you can still do an introductory dive in a pool to talk to your hotel if they are open to a discovery dive for new divers wanting to learn.

Day Trips From Varadero

One good thing about Varadero is that it is “centrally” located in the western part of the main island of Cuba.

It is close to Havana but also to Santa Clara, Trinidad, Cienfuegos, Vinales, and Cayo Santa Maria.

It is possible to go for a day trip to Vinales from Varadero, but you have to get up really early, and it will be a really long day.

You can organize day trips from Varadero, join a tour operator who will take care of everything and get you back home by the end of the day, or embark on your own adventure.

There are also plenty of tours and excursions to do in Varadero and the surrounding province if you prefer to avoid the long transport distances, so you will not be bored.

If you choose the latter, I suggest you have a pre-planned and pre-paid trip with a taxista, a taxi driver.

Book a taxi privado or collectivo (if you are a group or several people doing the tour together), as finding transport on the go in Cuba can be a challenge outside of the city centers.

Your hotel or casa particular host will help you find a taxi driver.

A taxi collectivo will have more or less fixed prices for the longer journeys to Havana or Trinidad, and the driver will inform you of his price for a scheduled collectivo trip.

Playa Varadero – Varadero Beach

Playa Varadero or Varadero Beach is long, following the whole length of the peninsula, ending its stretch into the Atlantic Ocean on its way over to Key West and Florida.

Varadero Beach was voted the second most beautiful beach in the world on TripAdvisor in 2019, so it is just not any beach we are talking about!

You can access this beach without staying at fancy all-inclusive hotels, as most casa particulares in Varadero town will put you only a few minutes walk away from a beach entrance.

Tours From Varadero Cuba To Other Destinations

You can embark on tours from Varadero to other destinations in Cuba, either for a day trip or a multi-day trip. I truly recommend this if you are not planning to stay in any other destination while visiting Cuba.

Choose between doing tours on your own, by booking a taxi collective (or taxi privado), or a ticket on the Viazul bus.

Or, you can opt to join an organized tour that will pick you up at your hotel, provide an itinerary for your tour, and bring you safely back to your Varadero hotel at the end.

Below, I have listed distances from Varadero to other popular destinations in Cuba.

Havana and Trinidad, including the Bay of Pigs along Cuba’s southern shores, are close enough for a day trip.

For any destination you want to visit, my strong recommendation is that you plan to stay at least one night in a casa particular if you can.

Make sure you actually experience the place; there are so many things to take in and explore!

Distances from Varadero to other destinations in Cuba

• Varadero to Havana: 90 miles
• Varadero to Vinales: 208 miles
• Varadero to Trinidad: 164 miles
• Varadero to Bay of Pigs: 88 miles
• Varadero to Santa Clara: 143 miles
• Varadero to Cayo Coco: 292 miles
• Varadero to Santiago de Cuba: 507 miles

FAQs Varadero Cuba

Here are the answers to the most common questions about Varadero, which will help you decide on your holiday plans, itinerary, and anything else you need to know.

How far is Varadero from Havana?

Varadero is around 110 miles, 160 kilometers from Havana, a trip that takes a little over two hours in a car.

You can also take the Viazul bus between Varadero and Havana, which will take around 3,5 hours.

What is Varadero Cuba known for?

Varadero Cuba is known to be the largest resort area in the Caribbean, with lots of hotels, tropical tours, and water activities to offer tourists!

A peninsula covered in all-inclusive resorts and crispy white beaches scattered with palms and pools, it is a Caribbean paradise for international travelers looking for the perfect getaway.

So, if you want a relaxing and pampering Caribbean holiday in Cuba, Varadero is perfect for you.

Most Cubans, however, have never had the opportunity to set foot inside an all-inclusive resort in Varadero unless they work there. This is a place for foreigners, or extranjeros, in Cuba.

So, if you want to get to know Cubans, their culture, and their way of life, Varadero is not the place for you.

Or you can choose to stay at a Cuban casa particular in Varadero town, and get a taste of the Cuban culture that way!

📍 EpicNomadLife Tip: Get yourself a water bottle with a filter before your Cuba holiday, and you can drink water from anywhere!

How Is The Varadero Nightlife?

Well, there is the nightlife in Varadero, but Varadero is also a small town – almost a village. And the Varadero nightlife is most vibrant on the weekends, not during the weekdays.

Most of the all-inclusive resorts in Varadero have bars, clubs, and shows, but these are not what you would call “nightlife” at all.

But they are a nice way to have some nightly vibes in the evenings, Monday through Friday. For the weekends in Varadero, check out what travelers before you have had to say about the Varadero nightlife on TripAdvisor.

Is Varadero Safe?

Yes, Varadero and Cuba are very safe for tourists.

That does not mean that nothing happens, but violent crimes, or crimes in general against tourists, are few and quite rare.

It is more likely that you will end up paying a little too much for something after a round of haggling than being robbed or assaulted, or worse.

Is Varadero Open For Tourists?

Yes, Varadero is open for tourism right now. Covid is no longer an issue in Cuba, although there still exists COVID on the island.

You need to make sure you have travel insurance that includes health coverage in case you get sick while in Cuba.

What To Do In Varadero City?

The small town of Varadero can hardly be called a city, but there are a few things to do if you are tired of the beach or the pools for a day.

You can visit the market, visit the Beatles bar, or the Casa del Ron.

How To Travel From Varadero To Havana?

You can take the Viazul bus from Varadero to Havana, which takes around 3,5-4 hours and costs around $12. You book the ticket securely online, and your phone is your ticket (take a screenshot in case you are offline at the bus station).

The bus leaves Varadero daily between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., and you must be at the station one hour before departure.

You can also get a taxi collectivo, a shared taxi, or a taxi privado (normal taxi), but that is pricier of course.

Or, you can take an organized tour from Varadero to Havana if you only want to go for the day trip!

Wrap-Up Is Varadero Worth Visiting?

Hopefully, this short and sweet article has given you some insight as to whether Varadero is worth visiting for you! It all depends on what you want for your holiday, really.

It is a beautiful place for anyone who wants a relaxing Caribbean beach holiday, for sure. However, it is not the place to be if you want to explore the enigmatic Cuban culture and history.

What I can tell you is that if you want a bit of everything and want your base to be zen and beautiful, Varadero can be a great base or starting point for your Cuba holiday.

Related blog posts:

Is Female Solo Travel In Cuba Safe? A Local Woman’s Advice

Solo Holidays To Cuba: Important Things To Know Before Visiting Cuba From A Local

Sensational 7 Days In Cuba Itinerary By A Local