Things to do with your family in Varadero
Important - This article is an automatic translation from the Perfect Day to Play blog https://perfectdaytoplay.com/things-to-do-in-varadero-cuba/ The photos are also taken from the blog.
"Cuba Libre! Cuba amaba! (Free Cuba! Cuba adored!)
If you haven’t been to Cuba yet, we highly recommend you go as soon as possible to enjoy this beautiful country. The beautiful soft white sand of Varadero Beach and the hospitality of the people will amaze you. But what other activities can you do in Varadero? Plenty! From water sports to interacting with dolphins and other aquatic life, from tasting rum and cigars to discovering the rich Cuban history, from dancing to delicious local cuisine (NO resort food!). There is plenty to see and do in Varadero Cuba. In this article, we present our complete list of the best activities, tours and experiences in Varadero for families!
Things to do with your family in Varadero
Enjoy the sun and the ocean
Why are we going to Cuba in the first place?! To spend as much time as possible in the sun and near the ocean of course! Of all the things to do in Varadero - the sun and the ocean are the main attraction.
TIP: Be careful of the sun, though, and avoid sunburn for the first few days. Your Cuba vacation will no longer be enjoyable. Check out our recommendation on chemical-free sunscreens : 8 Best Sunscreens for Kids. Natural. Organic. Chemical Free .
Walk on the beautiful beach of Varadero
Did you know that Varadero Beach stretches for no less than 21 km?! That's the entire north shore of the peninsula at your disposal for a hike in Varadero Grand! No shoes necessary - the beautiful fine white sand covers the entire length of the beach.
TIP: Bring cash if you decide to walk the entire length of the beach. That way you can take a taxi back to your hotel once you're tired.
Build a sandcastle
Whether you are traveling with kids or not, building sandcastles is so much fun! You can instantly reconnect with your inner child! Of all the things to do in Varadero - building at least one sandcastle should be at the top of your list for every family!
TIP : Again, be careful of the sun, you can easily get carried away and stay at work for hours! Make sure you use plenty of sunscreen (only natural sunscreen !). Take frequent breaks to cool off in the sea to avoid heatstroke.
TIP : The best time to build sandcastles is early evening, the last hours before sunset. The sun is not as strong then.
Visit downtown Varadero
Varadero, sometimes called by the locals of Cuba - Playa Azul (Blue Beach), is actually over 500 years old. It was first mentioned in 1555. We imagine it was a small fishing village at the time. However, today, Varadero is almost entirely a tourist town. It is full of hotels and resorts.
Downtown Varadero is clean and well maintained. You'll find plenty of cute restaurants and cafes, small markets, and cigar shops. It's fun to explore the old-fashioned pre-Castro era buildings, some as old as those built by the Spanish. There's a cool church right in the center of town that looks absolutely stunning at night bathed in moonlight. The central park, Parque Josone, is one of the nicest places to get out of the sun.
The people are friendly and most speak English or Russian. We encourage you to practice your Spanish though - so much fun!
You can hire a horse ride or a taxi-cab (similar to tuk-tuks in India) or walk the streets to get from place to place. The city is not that big. But one of the most fun things to do in Varadero, as in the rest of Cuba, is to see and take pictures of these great classic American cars! You will find many shapes and colors!
Rent a classic car
Speaking of classic cars… why not stop and take pictures near a classic American car, when you can rent one and take a ride around the town of Varadero? Of all the things to do in Varadero and Cuba in general, a ride in a classic American car is probably the most popular and Instagrammable activity, so do it!
You can rent a classic taxi car directly at your station - just talk to the doorman and he will get it for you.
TIP : Negotiate the final cost of your tour. But if the discount is given, be sure to leave a tip.
Rent a scooter
Renting a scooter is another way to get to downtown Varadero or anywhere else on the Varadero Peninsula and even Mazatlan. Each station will usually have a rental service.
TIP: Make sure to pick up your scooter early in the day, as they “fly fast.” Also, plan your trip so that you don’t have to drive back after sunset in the dark—rental scooters don’t have headlights, and some parts of the highway aren’t lit.
Board the double-decker bus
Double-decker buses run between the Varadero Marina and downtown Varadero. The Varadero Beach Tour buses are a fantastic “entry-level” option to explore the Varadero Peninsula from end to end and see what’s possible in Varadero from above. Enjoy an impressive drive to the city center with a nice warm breeze blowing through your hair, while taking a quick look at the other resorts and taking a quick look at downtown Varadero before choosing your destination.
Did I tell you these are one-time fee buses that you can use all day?
Generally you can catch a bus every 15 minutes, with the last one leaving Varadero at 8:30pm.
Rum and Cigar Shop
Downtown Varadero has a number of specialty stores where you can find the rum and cigars that Cuba is famous for. The most famous place is probably the House of Rum - Casa Del Ron. For cigars - La Casa Del Habano. In Cuba, all prices are standard, so when it comes to cigars and rum, you will see the same price no matter which store you are in.
TIP : Do NOT buy cigars directly from locals. There have been reports of counterfeit cigars .
Visit the local brewery
Factoria Varadero 43 Cerveceria is a microbrewery located in downtown Varadero and sells craft beers and malts. The brewery has both indoor and outdoor seating. Perfect spot near the beach to escape the hot Cuban sun!
The beer dispensers are super cool by the way - they're brought to your table and you can serve yourself - you've never seen anything like it before.
Lobster meal
Don't miss a chance to try the local lobster! (langouste) Served fresh from the ocean and beautifully cooked - you can dine on lobster at many local places.
Dance all night
Downtown Varadero has plenty of nightclubs and disco bars to suit all tastes.
Go snorkeling
There are lots of coral reefs all around Varadero. The sea water is clean and the fish are colorful and fun to watch!
There are few ways to snorkel near Varadero - as part of a tour or group excursion, or by renting an individual catamaran. In our opinion, the latter is the best, as the tour would cost per person, while individual catamaran rental is per tour. Plus, you won't encounter a crowd of people attacking a reef at the same time and you are not limited in time. At your resort, you will see signs for a private diving experience (with other activities in Varadero) for only 20 euros - take it!
TIP : Bring your own snorkeling gear when traveling to Cuba. Yes, if you don't have it, you will be given their standard equipment... but as we found out, the mask doesn't always fit, and the snorkel is a cheap thing.
Enjoy diving activities
Diving is not advertised too much in Cuba, unlike places like Mexico, as there aren’t many places that offer it. You’ll either have to bring your own gear or find a reputable place that would take you on a tour with your gear. Chances are it will be pretty expensive too…
The good news is that Cuba has some of the most spectacular diving sites in the world !
Sail on a catamaran
A catamaran excursion is one of the most popular excursions you can find in Varadero. A typical excursion includes: a catamaran sailing in the waters of the sea, a stop for snorkeling in a coral reef, a lobster lunch on an island, a visit to the ocean dolphinarium and interaction with dolphins, an open bar on board the boat.
TIP : When packing your swimsuit for the Cuba trip, don't forget your long sleeve top - one of those that surfers usually use - also called a Rash Guard . Get one for the kids too. You will enjoy this tour greatly. Since the whole day will be spent in the sun, even the strongest sunscreens won't prevent you from getting sunburned.
Rent a yacht
An alternative to an organized excursion is to rent a private yacht at the Varadero marina. You can do the same program as the catamaran, or do your own thing.
The obvious advantage is that it's just your family on board: you determine how much time you need to snorkel, you get incredible photo opportunities when you visit a dolphinarium - you're the only ones there. And for the lobster lunch, there's no queue: the staff will catch the lobster straight from the ocean and cook it for you on board.
Playing with dolphins
If you're traveling with kids, chances are your Varadero bucket list will have dolphins at the top. Right?! Good news, you have few options for interacting with dolphins.
First, your catamaran excursion includes a visit to a dolphinarium on the high seas, offered by all Varadero travel counters. If you decide to take it, and children under 5 years old come for free.
You can also go to the Dolphinarium right in the middle of the Varadero peninsula. They have a dolphin show, you can watch other aquatic animals living here and of course you can swim with the dolphins. Downside - this place is very expensive
Explore the caves
Two caves are worth mentioning here: the Saturno cave and the Ambrosio cave.
Cave of Ambrosio
Cueva de Ambrosio is located in the Varahicacos Ecological Reserve. There is quite a bit of history around you and you can see cave drawings left by indigenous people long ago. You can get to the reserve by taking an official tour or simply drive a taxi or scooter there and explore it on your own.
Saturn Cave
Cueva de Saturno is an absolutely magical place located on the western end of Varadero. Saturno is a cenote cave - a popular diving spot for snorkeling and swimming with a deepest point of almost 22 meters! You can rent snorkeling gear here, but bring your own if you can. Or you can simply choose to float in the water admiring the geological formations of the cave - both below and above you.
You can get to Saturno from Varadero as part of the tour circuit - the Jeep Safari tour has it included. But you can also go there yourself by taxi or scooter. If you do, try to arrive early in the day as the tours arrive very late.
Taste guarapo on a sugarcane excursion
A fun way to spend your day exploring and learning, especially if the weather isn't great for the beach, is to take the Sugar Cane Tour. Your kids will love the steam train experience that comes with it!
Drive through the Cuban hinterland with thriving sugarcane fields that stretch for miles to a sugarcane plantation. Here you can tour the sugar mill and learn about the machinery and techniques of sugarcane processing and taste authentic guarapo - a sweet and delicious sugarcane juice (adults can mix it with rum). A tour of Cardenas and a visit to the Oscar de Rojas Museums are also included in this Varadero excursion.
TIP : Bring your own reusable cup with you to get more guarapo and to avoid creating waste by accepting a plastic cup, only to throw it in the trash a moment later. Be sure to bring a sun hat and plenty of water.
Take a trip to Havana
There are plenty of things to do in Varadero, but you can't leave Cuba without experiencing Havana! Havana, the capital of Cuba, is definitely worth a visit.
You have two options for getting from Varadero to Havana - as part of an organized tour or by hiring a private car tour. The driving time from Varadero to Havana is about 2 to 2.5 hours - the roads are pretty good throughout Cuba and there is not much traffic but we saw a lot of construction work, hence the delays.
Varadero to Havana Excursion
The tour usually starts at 8am and leaves Havana at 4pm. You will be taken to Havana on a bus with other tourists. You will stop at the Fort, have lunch, then drive through New Havana (without stopping), go to Old Havana, take pictures in Revolution Square and spend two hours in a rum and cigar shop.
In our opinion, this tour is too short, misses some fun spots, and wastes your valuable time taking you to the rum and cigar shop because you can buy the same stuff in Varadero. …And you have a crowd behind you in all those photos! Oh…that sucks.
Rent a car
The best option is to rent a private car with driver and do an individual tour. This way you control the departure time (we had our car leave at 9am and we had enough sleep), and the time came back (we paid a little more and stayed in Havana until 6pm).
You most likely get a classic car with air conditioning. You go wherever you want and spend as much time as you want in the places of your choice.
Your driver can act as a tour guide AND a photographer!
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