Varadero, Cuba: Sun, Sand and Sea
That Time Fatima Freaked Out About Swimming With the Fish
We discovered some of the most beautiful beaches we'd ever seen in Varadero, and with citizens from some countries still unable to visit, prices haven't rocketed up like in other Caribbean countries. Not yet, anyway.
When planning our trip to Toronto, we asked friends and family about where we should consider going. We were considering going to Central America when one of Fatima’s uncles suggested Cuba!
As the Zika virus was quite a concern at the time, Cuba was actually a great option, as it hadn’t been affected. We also thought it would be a great time to go before American tourists started flooding the place.
We wanted a bit of a break after the a Fatima's brother's wedding and so decided to go to Varadero, a coastal town which stretches out 20 kilometres from the mainland.
Getting our visas was fairly straightforward. We just went to the Cuban embassy in the UK before we left, waited in the queue and left with the visa. Some tour operators sort visas out for you, so make sure you check in advance.
Choosing a hotel can be fairly tricky, as the star-rated system is probably inflated in the country. So a hotel billed as a 4-star resort might feel more like a 2-star. That was definitely the case in our hotel, where we really struggled with the food. That was particularly disappointing as so many of the hotels along the coast have full-board packages, but it was largely meat.
Even breakfast had its issues as while you could choose what you wanted in your omelette, or the kind of egg you wanted, the chefs would sometimes use the same hot plate to cook an omelette with pork without then cleaning it.
But we found some workarounds. For example, there was always the option of freshly grilled fish, and we could also pay a little more and eat in the other restaurants in the hotel. The town wasn’t too far away either if we wanted to eat out.
We also made good use of the all-you-can-eat hut by the beach, which would serve pizzas whenever we wanted them. We befriended a nearby gardener too, who happily provided us with as many coconuts as we wanted, much to the jealousy of other guests.
Right, enough about the food, what’s there to do in Varadero…
Swim.
That’s pretty much all we did when we were there, and while we’ve both been to plenty of beaches, it was one of the most beautiful we’ve visited. It was full of white sand, the sea was calm, and as it wasn’t quite summer yet, it wasn’t overflowing with tourists as it might be during the peak season. Although the various pools looked great, we didn’t set foot in them and went straight to the beach.
We went snorkelling when we were in Varadero too, which was quite fun. We were picked up in a vintage car from the 20s, something incredibly common in Cuba, and were driven along the coast to Coral Beach. It felt as though we were characters in an old movie as we were driven in an old Ford and passed a range of similarly old cars, each with their own distinct colours (think Penelope Pitstop!)
It was Fatima’s first time snorkelling and we swam for about 40 minutes. We certainly weren’t expecting to see so many fish surrounding us, although they were mostly the same species. But that in itself was a huge shock to Fatima. We then learned it was because the guide was carrying a water bottle with some bread in it to attract the fish!
After we went snorkelling, we went to the Saturno Caves, filled with stalactites and stalagmites, and with 20-metre deep waters. As the caves were fully shaded, the water was freezing. It was really fun to swim through however, and perfect for taking pictures jumping or diving into the water. But after the cold waters, we definitely looked forward to getting back to the warm beach (and the pizza!)
Tips:
Check visa restrictions, not everyone can visit Cuba just yet (sorry, Americans!)
Prepare yourselves for the food and maybe take lots of snacks that can’t melt!
Make sure you look at the reviews on Tripadvisor of the hotels before you book, and don’t brush them off lightly. Remember, 4-star means 2-star.
There are markets in the town, although they’re aimed completely at tourists.
Looking to post pictures to Instagram or Snapchat while you’re away? The only way you can access Wi-Fi is through cards that cost $2 an hour and can only be used by the lobby hotspot. This is fairly normal throughout the whole of Cuba – and even some businesses can struggle to get internet access.
We went snorkelling with the Varadero Diving Club and would definitely recommend it.
Like Fatima's burkini? You can get yours from Modanisa
