Varadero Beach(Karabelas, Playa Azul, Playa Girón, Playa Larga, Playa Mayor)

Located in the town of Varadero, Varadero Beach – also called Playa Azul, Blue Beach, and Playa de Varadero – is a popular 22 kilometers-long white sand beach.  Some portions of this beach are also known as Playa de Rincon Frances and Playa de La Alameda.  This beach is located in the Hicacos Peninsula within the Cuban province of Matanzas.  TripAdvisor listed this beach as one of the best beaches in the world in 2024 and in 2023 as part of its annual Travelers Choice awards.  In addition, Lonely Planet also listed this beach as one of the 8 most gorgeous beaches in Cuba in 2022 – and it is also a favorite of Randall Kaplan, the world’s foremost beach expert who is known as Mr. Beach.  

Although Varadero Beach, Cuba, has a lifeguard tower, lifeguards may not be present year-round.  In addition to lifeguards, visitors can also find a couple of amenities here including concession stands and rental facilities for beach chairs, sunlounges, beach umbrellas, and water sports equipment.

Please note that there are no public shower and restroom facilities here – if you are eating at one of the restaurants or drinking at one of the beach bars here, you can also use their restrooms and shower facilities.  Please note that most of the shower facilities at the beach bars here are very basic and usually involve pouring water containers over you to rinse off the sand.

Varadero Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, fishing, swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, picnicking, paddleboarding, surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, volleyball, jet-skiing, surf-skiing, water-skiing, boating, parasailing, wakeboarding, kayaking, canoeing, and wildlife watching. 

This beach is ideal for beginner swimmers because the shallow and clear turquoise water here is usually known to have gentle waves – the water is particularly calm between May and November.  This beach is also ideal for beginner kite surfers and windsurfers.  Scuba divers also visit this beach to explore the vibrant marine biodiversity and landscape – there are around 30 underwater dive sites here which include sunken military vessels, coral reefs, and underwater caves. 

If you plan to swim, kayak, or paddleboard here, we recommend being careful because the crystal-clear waters here are known to have unpredictable rip currents and dangerous waves.   

If you like taking pictures with excellent views, Varadero Beach offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Caribbean Sea and the Peninsula de Hicacos, particularly at sunset.  In addition, Varadero Beach also hosts a variety of fun events including multiple festivals and concerts.

Varadero Beach does not offer wheelchair access to visitors with disabilities.

Getting to Varadero Beach is easy – this beach is easily accessible from a local highway named Autopista Sur.  In addition, there are multiple free street parking spaces near this beach.  You can easily walk to the beach after parking here.

You can also easily travel to Varadero by bus – you can get a bus to the town from the nearby cities of Cardenas and Matanzas.  Most of the bus stops at Varadero are located around the town’s main road, and you can easily walk to Varadero Beach after getting off the bus.

We recommend being slightly careful while visiting this beach because this beach is known to have a lot of trash.  We recommend visiting this beach early between December and April because it can sometimes get crowded.

This beach was a famous holiday site for rich American tourists before the Cuban revolution, and some of the famous guests who visited here were the notorious Prohibition-era gangster Al Capone and the businessman Irenee Du Pont.

There are many attractions near Varadero Beach.  Parque Josone is a nine-hectare public park that was formerly the estate of a very wealthy rum distillery owner – this park has beautiful gardens, along with many other things to explore including a lake, a swimming pool, a mini-train, and multiple small restaurants.  This park is also a great bird watching site and it is also known to have a few ostriches.  Varahicacos Ecological Reserve – also called Reserva Ecologica Varahicacos – is a natural reserve that offers a unique insight into northwestern Cuba’s vibrant biodiversity and landscape – you can see many interesting native animal and plant species here.  You can also explore many interesting landmarks at this reserve including a cactus plant that is more than 600 years old, Cueva de Ambrosio that has historic cave paintings, and Cueva de Musulmanes that has ancient human remains.  If you like golf, Varadero Golf Club is an 18-hole golf course that offers a fun and challenging golf experience – this golf club is the only 18-hole 72 par golf course in Cuba.  If you like shopping, the downtown area of Varadero offers many interesting shopping stores, cafes, nightclubs, cigar houses, and restaurants – it also has beautiful wall murals and it also has a beautiful Japanese garden.  Varadero Delfinario – also called Delfinario – is set in a natural mangrove lagoon and it is home to around 13 dolphins – it offers fun dolphin shows, and visitors can also swim and interact with the dolphins here for an extra fee.  Varadero Delfinario also has a games area for kids, along with a souvenir shop.  If you are looking for another attraction near the beach, Varadero’s Central Park – also called Parque Central – is a recreational park that offers a small garden, along with two statues honoring Cuba’s martyrs in anti-imperialist struggles – the park also hosts an open-air craft market.  There is also a popular shopping center near this park named Centro Comercial Hicacos.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Varadero Beach.  La Bodeguita Del Medio (Varadero) is set within a beautiful building and it offers many delicious dishes with Cuban influences including lobster, fried chicken, rice dishes, and croquetas.  Xanadu Restaurant is an upscale restaurant that has an elegant decor – it is known for serving excellent French cuisine with International culinary influences including lobster bisque, lamb, and meat dishes with French chateaubriand sauce.  Salsa Suarez Restaurant-Bar Varadero offers amazing Cuban cuisine, along with other dishes including pasta, pizzas, sushi, and burritos.  Varadero 60 Restaurant is known for serving excellent charcoal-grilled dishes including barbecued fish and grilled beef tenderloin – it also offers fun live music performances.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby restaurant, Snack Bar Calle 62 has a hip ambiance and it offers a variety of delicious dishes including grilled seafood, steak, hamburger, jamon, and chicken dishes – it offers refreshing cocktails and live music performances.

If you are looking for inclusive hotels near Varadero Beach, there are many great nearby Varadero hotels.  The 5-Star Hotel Melia Varadero offers many amenities including gardens, a fitness center, a pool, a golf course, massage services, a terrace, a play area, patio, a television lounge, a tennis court, table tennis, indoor games, a salon, a gift shop, poolside cabanas, multiple restaurants, and a bar.  Other popular 5-Star hotels here include Hotel Royalton Varadero Hicacos Resort & Spa and the Melia Las Americas.  The 4-Star Iberostar Origin Bella Costa is another upscale hotel which offers many amenities including a pool, a nightclub, a salon, multiple restaurants and bars, shopping stores, massage services, and table tennis.  The 4-Star Memories Varadero Beach Resort is another upscale hotel and it offers many amenities including disco, a jacuzzi, a fitness center, a multi-sport court, tennis courts,  multiple pools, car rental facilities, and a salon.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Starfish Varadero which offers many amenities including multiple pools, spa facilities, a night club, complimentary meals, multiple restaurants, a tennis court, indoor games, and a fitness center.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby hotel, the 3-Star Starfish Cuatro Palmas Varadero offers many amenities including a pool, three restaurants, a fitness center, a gift shop, massage services, and a sauna.