Varadero Beach

Varadero Beach is a long white-sand beach on the Hicacos Peninsula in Matanzas Province, Cuba, and is one of the island’s principal resort destinations. The shoreline extends for about 20 kilometers and is the focal point for the town of Varadero and its hotels and tourist facilities.

The beach is characterized by wide, sandy shores, shallow coastal waters and a continuous band of resorts, restaurants and recreational services along the peninsula. Water sports, sunbathing and organized excursions to nearby coral reefs are primary visitor activities.

Varadero developed as a resort area during the 20th century and grew into a mass-tourism destination featuring large hotels, beaches reserved for guests, and supporting infrastructure. The Hicacos Peninsula also contains protected natural patches, including the Varahicacos Ecological Reserve, which conserves native coastal habitats and some archaeological sites.

Varadero sits on the northern coast of Cuba on the Hicacos Peninsula, in Matanzas Province, on a narrow spit that projects into the Straits of Florida. The resort town is accessible by road and is roughly 140 kilometers east of Havana.

• Length: The beach runs for about 20 kilometers along the Hicacos Peninsula and is lined with resort hotels, public beaches, and tourist services.
• Distance to Havana: Approximately 140 kilometers east of Havana by road, serving as Cuba's best-known beach resort destination for international tourists.

What to See #

• Hicacos Peninsula: Occupies the Hicacos Peninsula, a narrow spit of land projecting into the Straits of Florida off Cuba's northern coast.
• Varahicacos Ecological Reserve: Varahicacos Ecological Reserve - protects native coastal vegetation, mangroves and archaeological sites on the peninsula and is a short walk from the main hotel strip.
• Resort strip: Resort and hotel zone - a continuous hotel strip with public beaches, parks and tourist facilities running along the peninsula's seaward side for the full length of the beach.