Distance from Varadero to Havana. From Havana to Varadero on your own, excursions to Varadero Taxi from Havana to Varadero

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This Cuban city can easily be described in one word - beach. 20 km of terry sandy coast, warm water of the Atlantic Ocean and an endless string of hotels create the atmosphere of Varadero. The beaches here have been ranked among the best in the world more than once. And even though Cuba is not yet spoiled by the benefits of civilization, and the journey here from Russia takes more than 13 hours, Russian tourists have long chosen this paradise.

Varadero belongs to the province of Matanzas and occupies the Hicacos Peninsula, which is 135 km from Havana. It is inhabited by 27 thousand local residents and X thousand tourists, and at any time of the year. People come here to swim and bask in the sun, listen to salsa rhythms and play golf, hang out at discos and sip rum. And, of course, breathe the air of Freedom.

A flight from Moscow to Varadero with connections in Belgium and Germany is possible. Round-trip ticket prices start from 800 USD, travel time is 22 hours or more.

It is convenient for St. Petersburg residents to fly to Varadero with a transfer in Vienna or Frankfurt am Main. The total travel time is from 16.5 hours, a one-way ticket costs about 420 USD. The second option is through Moscow and then directly to Havana.

From airport to city

Guides in Varadero

Entertainment and attractions

In the evening, return to the arms of Varadero for some reckless Cuban fun. Discos and dance shows are held everywhere in hotels and clubs; anyone can get here for 10 CUC. The most popular dance floors are found in the Casa de la Musica, the Internacional and Tuxpan hotels. You can dance to live music at the Calle 62 cafe or at the Mambo Club, and the place Cuevos Los Pirates is famous for its location - the club is built in a cave.

5 things to do in Varadero

1. Do sand therapy on the beach. And forget about everything.
2. Dance with a local amigo.
3. Play golf or a mini version of it.
4. Dine at Al Capone's house on Avenida Kawama.
5. Swim with dolphins.

Varadero for children

The Cuban resort is welcoming to young tourists. Many hotels have children's areas where neither a three-year-old nor a skeptical teenager will be bored. The main thing is to clarify the living conditions and the availability of a children's menu in advance.

Tired of beach and hotel animation, little travelers will not refuse to visit the dolphinarium. Here you are allowed not only to watch the dolphin show, but also to swim with them after the show. (office website).Jun

The best time to relax here is in the winter or off-season (November and April). There are many tourists, but the weather is more stable. In winter, the ocean warms up less and cold snaps occur, but they last only a few days.

We wanted to go to Cuba last year, but somehow it didn’t work out. The azure ocean was very attractive from photos on the Internet and there were a lot of rave reviews.

The most common destination is Varadero, where hotels often operate on an all-inclusive basis. We decided to go there for 2 weeks, to the BelleVue Palma Real hotel (a detailed review with many photos is attached).

We were lucky with the location of the hotel; it is located in the very center of Varadero, where all the attractions are concentrated and where there are places to go for a walk.

Almost all the attractions are indicated on such street maps, which is very convenient. 3 parts of one card. From the right edge of the city to the left.

Chickens walk everywhere in Varadero, lizards with curled tails run around, and some large birds, hawks, eagles or something similar fly around.

That's how they are.

Currency exchange in Varadero The first thing you will encounter upon arrival in Cuba is currency exchange.

For locals there are pesos, for tourists - convertible pesos (cookies). You can change money at the airport, which is difficult because you don’t have much time, or at a bank at the best rate. If you take an exchanger or a hotel reception, there will be a commission. As of today, the euro/cookie rate is 1.20, and the dollar/cookie rate is 0.86. The hotel commission is 3 units. There are 3 banks in Varadero, one next to our hotel, 2 others on street 36. To exchange at a bank you need a passport.

Varadero Center

We walked the entire center, worthwhile places are the famous Beatles cafe and a very beautiful park - JosonePark. A large green area with several cafes, a pond in which ducks and a goose swim. We also saw peacocks and a heron there. Entry is free and worth a visit. The Beatles cafe, by the way, is located on the edge of this park.

Josone and its inhabitants.

Getting around Varadero

Various types of taxis ply around Varadero, from vintage cars to mopeds with a round awning at the back and horse-drawn carriages. We didn’t take a taxi, but tourists are often deceived and overcharged, so negotiate the price right away, or ask to turn on the meter. For mopeds the normal price is 3 cookies, for horse-drawn carts 5 cookies, no more. To see Varadero, I recommend double-decker red buses, they constantly run around the city, there are stops everywhere with a bus on a red background. They charge 5 kuk per person and you can ride all day and go out as many times as you need. Schedule from 9 to 19. All taxi drivers constantly honk at passing tourists and shout after them. On the streets they constantly come up with offers to buy cigars, buy at least something, or even just extend their hand.

Map of double decker bus stops.

Shops in Varadero

Within walking distance from the hotel there were 2 stores, unfortunately I don’t remember the exact names, one was Hicacos and the other was Panamericana. The rest is open markets. The first shopping center is just a lot of small shops. The second one is like a supermarket, but the selection of rum there is not very large, so we didn’t find anything special either.

It was on the red bus that we went to Plaza America, their main shopping center, to buy souvenirs. It also consists of many different shops, but on the ground floor there is a supermarket like our Pyaterochka "Mercado".

Vigilance is the first rule of traveling to Cuba!

They have the widest selection of rum. Satisfied, we bought it for souvenirs, go to the cash register and check it out. We dialed in 25 cookies, but at the cash register it was 30. Well, we think, okay, maybe we looked at the price wrong. I ask for a check, the cashier gives it, but there is no total amount on the check. We count the check again, it still comes out to 25 cookies. We approached the cashier and showed the required amount on the calculator, she blushed and waved her hand, apologized, saying that she had made a mistake and gave us 5 cookies. Be careful, always take receipts and count the amounts, even if in a large supermarket they try to heat it up like that, then what can we say about other places.

By the way, when they changed money at the bank, they were not yet so suspicious; they gave 120 kuk for 100 euros, although according to the bank statement they should have given 120.5. We didn’t pay attention to this, but I’m talking about vigilance. By the way, banks close at 5 o'clock and are closed on weekends.

Also, if you drive a little further than Plaza America, that is, a reserve with caves, you can get there by red bus, but we didn’t have time, unfortunately, it worked until 5 pm. Cost 5 CUC per person. You will be given a map that you will have to follow to find those caves.

Beach on Varadero

In principle, I won’t say that we rushed around Cuba and visited a lot of things, because we just wanted to lie on the beach and have a quiet, stress-free holiday. In terms of weather and water, November is not exactly the ideal month to travel to Cuba. Having read on the Internet that this was the beginning of the season, we went without hesitation, but out of 14 days there was only calm on 1 day, the rest of the time there were waves. Sometimes strong, sometimes weaker. But we swam almost every day, there was a real storm for literally 2 days, and in general even I, a person who is a poor swimmer and never goes deeper than “neck deep,” was able to jump on the waves. They don't knock you off your feet; at most, water will get into your ear. Often the waves would bring algae, and then it would become a bit eerie. They remove algae with a tractor along the entire embankment, but not very efficiently; they still remain lying on the sand. The water temperature is very comfortable, you can go in calmly, probably 28 degrees. The entrance to the water is good, smooth and sandy, you have to walk quite a bit to get to the depths.

As for the weather in general, it was cloudy and raining for a couple of days, just at that time there was a storm in the ocean. I was struck by the contrast in temperature between the sun and the shade. If you lie in the sun and it starts to get hot, then going into the shade it becomes fresh and you can even freeze. It’s not like in Moscow, if it’s hot, it’s either shade or not – it’s still stuffy. Another nice thing is that my husband and I didn’t get burned. We always get sunburned in Cyprus, and regardless of the sunscreen, we then peel off, but here my white-transparent skin calmly accepted the Cuban sun and became tanned.

How to go to Havana.

Besides lying on the beach, we wanted to go to Havana. Not with a tour, not with a local guide, but independently. By the way, the excursion from the tour operator cost 80 CUC per person, the services of a local guide 100 pesos and you can take up to 4 people. There is an option to go on your own, on 36th Street there is a mini bus station (local guides in cars spend the day and night near it, not allowing you to go inside), there is a Viazul office there, they carry you for 10 kuk one way, for two it costs 40 kuk. There is a risk that there may not be enough tickets, since they are sold 30 minutes before departure and you need to stand in line. The ride takes 3 hours, longer than more expensive alternatives, since the bus calls at the airport and also at a neighboring city. There are toilets on the bus, but they are closed; a deliberate stop is made at a cafe where there is a paid toilet. By the way, all toilets in Cuba are paid, except for the airport and some restaurants. We left Varadero at 8 am, the last bus back leaves at 5 pm, and we left on it. It is extremely difficult to learn anything from Cubans, they do not understand English well, or they are simply too lazy to explain, until recently they did not know where to wait for the last bus in Havana, since no one could really explain, and in the Viazul office they brushed it off and said that any person will tell you. But one local guy nevertheless informed us, for which many thanks to him, we got off at the stop of old Havana, sat down there, the bus back was packed, there were also only 2 empty seats left, so I believe that the bus initially goes from Revolution Square ...in general, in order not to fly with tickets, you need to look for the Viazul office somewhere there.

Havana certainly makes an impression. Narrow streets, shabby houses against the background of the Capitol, the Cathedral and other attractions seem even romantic. We had a walking route, we visited: Cathedral Square, San Cristobal Cathedral, La Fuerza Fortress, Plaza de Armas, Capitol, Brotherhood Park, Malecon Embankment (La Cabaña Fortress and the Statue of Christ were seen from the embankment, we did not have time to get closer there ). We also visited a cigar factory. There are more cars in Havana, more people wanting to drag you somewhere, and more smells of exhaust fumes from vintage cars. It’s stuffy, hot, and you don’t know where to get away from the attacking tour guides and bicycle taxi drivers. If in Varadero they are all calmer, then here they are ready to tear them to pieces. But it’s worth going there; there will be a lot of impressions.

My trip around Cuba was not limited only to the capital; I decided to visit Varadero. Moreover, this city is famous for its beaches. In short, this is a resort paradise that is a must-visit. :)
Moreover, you don’t come to Cuba often; you want to see as much as possible during your trip.

From Havana to Varadero by bus

The first option I want to talk about is the bus. This is the only type of public transport that you can use for your trip.

Buses depart from the station of the Cuban capital.

There are several flights per day. The route is operated by Viazul.

You will have to spend about two or two and a half hours on the road.

Fare

The ticket costs 10 Cuban pesos (10 US dollars).

Purchase

You can buy a ticket on the carrier’s website (there is an English version there) or from the driver on the bus.

From Havana to Varadero by taxi

One of the popular travel options for this route among foreigners is a taxi.

Even if you arrived at the airport of the Cuban capital or another place, you can take a taxi and go to the resort of Varadero in comfort. This is cool because you don’t have to think about the road, where to go, the driver knows everything himself. A convenient option if you have a lot of things.
If you bargain, you can rent a car for 70 Cuban pesos (70 US dollars).

From Havana to Varadero by car

To travel to Varadero, you can also rent a car. There are a lot of companies in Havana that provide similar services. Just be careful when signing a rental contract, read all the clauses so that you don’t have to overpay. I like this option because you can rent a retro car. This island country is famous for such vehicles. The downside, of course, is that you won’t gain much speed in such cars, but I’m sure you will be impressed. :)

In Cuba, the roads are not very good; the repairs took place a long time ago, so there are often bumps and potholes. I recommend that you travel during daylight hours, otherwise it will be difficult to drive through all the bad areas at night. Of course, there are good sections, but I don’t recommend accelerating, because as soon as you pick up speed, a hole will immediately appear. Happiness will not last long. :)
The downside of such a trip is that there are practically no signs on Cuban roads, and a seventh sense or intuition will not help here. You can, of course, take one of the locals as a guide, they will give you some advice. But it is better to use a navigator.
There are few cars on the roads of Cuba; such transport is simply a luxury there. Therefore, get ready for the fact that you will have to overtake carts. By the way, you should be very careful with this, because domestic animals (cows, horses) walk freely on the roads and can cause trouble.

Regarding infrastructure, this will be a little difficult along the way:

• In general, there are very few gas stations on the island, you will come across one or two along the way, so as soon as you see it, refuel immediately, even if you only use a quarter of the tank;
• there will be no hotels along the way either;
• There are practically no cafes or shops, but there will often be stalls with fruits and vegetables.

In addition, local police may sometimes stand on the road checking documents. Be polite.
You can get to Varadero from Havana by car in two to three hours, depending on what speed you pick up and whether you stop along the way.
Regarding fuel, the cost of 1 liter of gasoline in Cuba is 1.3 Cuban pesos (1.3 US dollars). The journey will take about 10-12 liters (it will cost 13-15 Cuban pesos or 13-15 US dollars).

Other options

The railway is no longer a travel option; trains do not operate on this route.
If you like to take risks, you can try hitchhiking. Locals willingly pick up foreigners, they want to earn extra money :)

Bottom line

I went to Varadero by bus. You know, either I was lucky, or it’s true that there are flights for tourists, and there are separate ones for locals. For foreigners, the trip, of course, is more expensive, but such buses are more comfortable, that’s a fact. The air conditioning worked, the seats were soft, and the interior was clean. In short, I really liked it. I recommend this option, because it is both budget-friendly and convenient.

Post-instructions on how to get from Havana Airport in Cuba to Havana and the most popular resort on the island - Varadero.

• Havana airport code: HAV
• International airport name: Jose Marti International Airport
• Airport address: Avenida Nguyen Van Troi, Boyeros, La Habana, Cuba
• Local time: GMT -5
• Opening hours: 24 hours a day
• Visa: A visa to Cuba for Russians and Belarusians is not required when staying on the island for no more than 30 days. Citizens of Ukraine must obtain a visa to visit Cuba. A passport for visiting Cuba is valid for at least 1 month from the end of the trip. When arriving in Cuba, you must fill out a migration card in two copies.
• Currency of Cuba: Cuban peso, 1 peso = 100 centavos. Current exchange rate: 1 Cuban peso = 0.03 US dollars or 2.2 rubles. You can safely change money at the airport, because... the rate is the same everywhere.
• Date of construction of the airport: 1930
• Passenger turnover at Havana Airport: more than 4 million passengers
• Airfare Moscow – Havana: from 390 US dollars roundtrip
• Regular Aeroflot flights from Moscow fly from Russia to Havana airport.
• Location of Havana airport: Cuba island, 11 km south of Havana
• Distance to resorts: Havana Airport - Varadero 170 km
• Airport phone: (53 7) 266 4644 / (53 7) 33 5777
• Weather at Havana Airport throughout the year: the hottest months and the warmest sea are from July to September (average air temperature: +30 +32 °C, average water temperature: +30 °C), the coldest and windiest months are from January to March (average air temperature: + 25 +27 °С)
• Services at the airport Havana: ATMs, post office, currency exchange offices, paid Internet, smoking areas, offices of travel agencies and tour operators, car rental offices, taxi stand, VIP lounge, pharmacy, elevators, playroom for children, rum and cigarette shop, restaurants, cafeterias . The airport does not have luggage storage, hotel or free internet access.
• Beaches closest to the airport: Playa de Este (42 km from the airport), Playa de Jaimanitas (22 km from the airport)

Brief description of the airport

José Martí International Airport in Havana is the largest international airport on the island of liberty and a hub for Cuban airlines Cubana de Aviación. The airport connects Cuba with other Caribbean islands, the USA and Latin America, as well as Europe. The airport in Havana is the only airport in Cuba with regular direct flights from Russia. Travel time Moscow – Havana is 13 hours, flights depart every day.

Havana Airport Terminals

Havana Airport has 4 passenger terminals and 1 cargo terminal.

• Terminal 1 – Domestic flights within Cuba
• Terminal 2 – charter flights from the USA
• Terminal 3 – international flights (including flights from Russia)
• Terminal 5 – flights from the Caribbean

Shuttle buses run between individual terminals.

Among the most popular ways to travel from Havana airport to the center and resorts are bus, taxi, shuttle, and rental car.

Shuttle bus

This travel option is available to those who have purchased a package tour with transfer to their resort. When leaving the airport terminal, you will be greeted by a representative from your tour operator who will tell you which bus you need to take. Some tourists who fly to Cuba on their own make arrangements with transfer guides in advance and travel to their hotel on a bus with other tourists for 25-30 CUC per seat.

Bus to Havana and Varadero

There are no direct comfortable buses from the airport to the center of Havana. Local buses depart from Terminal 1, but fares are charged in Cuban pesos (CUP) rather than Cuban convertible pesos (CUC). The fact is that the money that is exchanged in exchange offices for tourists is the Cuban convertible peso, created specifically for the tourism sector and currency shops. Residents of the country make payments in Cuban pesos.

Some tourists get sophisticated and go from the airport to the highway, where they can wait for hours for a city bus P12 or P16 to get to Havana on a budget. The fare for this bus is 10 pesos for an adult and 5 pesos for a child. The operating hours of the route are approximate, even airport staff may not know it - from approximately 6 am to 21 pm. However, for me, searching for such a bus and waiting for it for a long time in the heat is a dubious pleasure, especially after a many-hour transatlantic flight.

To get to Varadero, you will first need to take a taxi to the bus station in Havana. The address of the bus station in Havana from which buses depart: Ave. 26 y Zoológico, Nuevo Vedado. Buses on the most popular route - Havana - Varadero - run 4 times a day. Travel time is 3 hours, ticket price is 10 US dollars. In Varadero, the bus station is located at Calle 36 y Autopista. Bus tickets are available for sale online at Viazul.com or at the ticket office at the bus station. In addition to Viazul buses, Cuba also has a budget bus carrier, Astro Bus.

Car rental

All rental companies at Havana Airport are located in the arrivals area or near the parking lot. In Terminal 3 there are offices of local car rental companies Cubacar, Rex, Havanautos and Via Transgaviota. It is recommended to book a car in advance, because... During high season, demand for rental cars often exceeds supply. Depending on the time of year and class of car, prices vary from 50 to 125 CUC per day. It is obligatory to purchase insurance at a cost of 15 cookies per day.

It only makes sense to rent a car at the airport if you are going straight from the airport to your resort. If you want to first explore the capital - Havana - then you will not need a car. In this case, you can rent it later in the capital itself.

Travel time by car from Havana Airport: 30 minutes to Havana, 1 hour to Playa de Este, 2 hours to Varadero. On the roads of Cuba you can often see Russian cars from the 1950s: Zils, Ladas, Muscovites. Traffic is not too busy. By car you can reach the most remote corners of Cuba and will not depend on public transport. For example, to the popular Russian hotels Iberostar, Amigo Atlantico, Brisas del Caribe.

If you don’t want to drive yourself, you can book an individual excursion with a driver around the entire island, which will take into account all your wishes.

Taxi transfer from Havana airport

Airport transfer is one of the most convenient ways to get to your resort or hotel. Local taxis can be taken from the stands located in front of all terminals. A taxi ride from the airport to the center of Havana takes approximately 20-30 minutes and costs 20-25 CUC (equivalent to 20-25 USD) one way. Always agree on the cost of the trip in advance, because... Although some taxis are equipped with meters, they are rarely turned on. Please note that taxis for locals are different from taxis for tourists. They are not equipped with air conditioning, broken and not always clean. But the fare for them is very low. There are now fewer and fewer rare taxi cars in Cuba, and orange modern Hyundai and Skoda taxi cars drive from the airport to the city.

Local in Varadero

What are the endlessly white beaches on Varadero, when is the rainy season there, where does the history of Cuba come from and other facts have already been written on the Internet an infinite number of times.
Therefore, without dwelling on general information about Cuba and Varadero, I will immediately move on to specific questions that came to my mind when I was just planning to go to Cuba, for example: if you fly to Cuba through Havana, then how to go to Varadero on your own, what are the prices for taxis and Is it possible to pre-order a transfer from Havana to Varadero, and also if you fly to Varadero by charter, how can you go on an excursion to Havana yourself? Perhaps you also have some of the questions listed above. Here I answer!)

Moscow – Varadero: direct flights and flights via Havana.

When you plan to travel to a country on your own, in this case to Cuba, the most expensive purchases are air travel and hotel accommodation. Therefore, I approached the purchase of an air ticket to Cuba very carefully: I monitored prices from different airlines, followed promotions and discounts, signed up to send cheap tickets from aviasales.ru , was waiting for charter flights.
As a result, I bought an air ticket to Cuba on the route Irkutsk-Moscow-Havana-Moscow-Irkutsk for only 57 thousand rubles, which by Irkutsk standards, taking into account the expensive flight to Moscow, is very cheap.

You can get to Varadero in Cuba as follows: direct flight Moscow – Varadero , and through Havana.

Direct flight Moscow-Varadero it takes the same amount of time as a Moscow-Havana flight, but such flights do not always happen. For example, Nordwind Airlines (North Wind Airlines) has charter flights in the Moscow-Varadero direction.
You can navigate prices and availability of direct flights from Moscow to Varadero using the low price calendar:

You can get from Moscow to Varadero via Havana.
If you compare the prices for flights Moscow-Varadero and Moscow-Havana, the difference can be more than 10 thousand rubles in favor of a flight to Havana.

Flight over Varadero)

I wrote about prices for air tickets to Cuba (Moscow-Havana), as well as how to book and buy air tickets to Havana online

You will find all the information about how to find accommodation when arriving in Havana, book accommodation in Havana in advance, and about transfers from Havana airport to the city in the article
If you are not going to stay in Havana and immediately want to go to Varadero then...

How to get from Havana airport to Varadero on your own.

The distance from Havana to Varadero is 134 km.
Travel from Havana to Varadero You can travel on your own by using the Viasul intercity bus. In general, it is cheaper to travel around Cuba by these buses than by taxi or shared taxi. Buses have a convenient schedule, and bus stations are located only in Havana, far from the center, and for example in Varadero, Trinidad, Santa Clara, etc. right in the city.
The fare to Varadero from Havana is 9.5 cookies (which is equal to 9.5 euros). Travel time – 3 hours.
Intercity buses from Havana to Varadero run several times a day. Bus schedule - screenshot from the official website of Viasul):

Bus schedule from Havana to Varadero (screenshot from the Viazul website page)

When planning a trip to Varadero, you should once again look at the schedule directly on the website: http://www.viazul.com/index.php

Transfer Havana-Varadero, taxi prices from Havana to Varadero.

Transfer prices from Havana to Varadero range around 150 CUC. If you catch a taxi collectively, then this cost is divided among all passengers. Approximately 25 cookies per person in a 6-seater car.
You can catch taxis and shared taxis in the central square in Havana or near the Viazul bus terminal, as well as at Havana airport.
You can order a transfer from Havana to Varadero in advance through the service Kiwi taxi .
You can book a Havana-Varadero transfer or find out the price using this form:

Excursions to Varadero: Cayo Blanco island and swimming with dolphins.

When vacationing in Varadero, travel companies offer a variety of excursions. We liked an excursion to an island in the Atlantic Ocean - Cayo Blanco. In principle, the island will not be something outlandish for sophisticated travelers. An ordinary island, white sand, emerald water.

Cayo Blanco island, the sky was gloomy, and eventually it started raining)

The excursion lured us with the opportunity to swim with dolphins.
However, we were very disappointed with how things turned out.
And so, they take you to the island on a comfortable catamaran.

Catamaran in Marina Marlin Bay, Varadero

Drinks and snacks are included in the price of the excursion. First, as with all sea excursions in countries located near seas and oceans, the first stop is at a coral reef. Everyone is given masks and snorkels.
If you have been to the Red Sea in Egypt, then you will most likely be disappointed with snorkeling off the coast of Varadero. Compared to the flora and fauna of the Red Sea, the Atlantic Ocean (at least in this part - near Varadero) is greatly inferior. However, there are still colorful fish.

Next is the announced swimming with dolphins. We bought this excursion just for this pleasure.
The price for an excursion from Varadero to Cayo Blanco is 110 CUC (110 euros). If you do not swim with dolphins, the price of the excursion will be lower - 80 CUC.
On excursion brochures, photographs of this attraction look something like this:

me and a dolphin, and no one around) And if it weren’t for the life jacket, then one could say that this was a chance meeting in the ocean)

In reality, everything is much simpler - like this.

Mini-aquarium and trained dolphin)

A couple of trained dolphins swim in this mini-dolphinarium and free swimming with them is prohibited. It’s also not possible to take photographs, since there are a lot of people and everyone stands in a line with their backs to the pier. There is a professional photographer working on site who, for 10 cookies (10 euros), is ready to photograph you without other people. The trainer will give commands, the dolphin will perform (for example, lie on the palm of your hand) and the photographer will photograph how you supposedly hold the dolphin. The photographs will be ready in the evening of the same day and they will be delivered to you directly to the hotel or to the private office.
Ride a dolphin for 10 seconds (one tiny circle) - 10 cookies. Only in this case does it become possible to take photos yourself. Otherwise, you need to order a photographer.

An indescribable feeling, of course, but I didn’t have time to enjoy the process in 10 seconds)

But there is also a plus in this excursion. Lunch is included in the price and this is the only place in Cuba where we managed to eat plenty of seafood. On an excursion to Cayo Blanco, there is a buffet for lunch and you can eat until you burst.

Lunch on Cayo Blanco

The excursion to Cayo Blanca begins from the very beautiful Marlin Marina bay. We were a little envious of those who lived at the BLAU VARADERO hotel - they immediately ran from the catamaran to their rooms to relax after such an eventful journey across the expanses of the Atlantic) And we went to the center of Varadero, since we rented accommodation from the locals.

Excursion from Varadero to Havana: book your own tour of Havana.

Having arrived in Cuba on your own, you can book excursions at the offices of the CUBA TOUR company. In Varadero, the Cuba Tour office is located in a shopping center located right in the center of Varadero. This is one of the largest travel companies in Cuba. But small local travel agencies also sell excursions to Havana.
Attention! If you buy a tour to Varadero from a travel agency, it will be either in English or Spanish.
A tour of Havana with a Russian-speaking guide can be ordered from local residents:

You can go on an excursion to Havana on your own, without a travel agency. Walk along the streets of Old and New Havana or take a tour bus (omnibus), which departs every 15 minutes from the central square in Havana. The cost of such an excursion is 10 cookies per person. The bus runs to the sights of Havana. You can leave and enter throughout the day using one ticket. The audio guide tells about Havana in English.

Architecture of Old Havana

You can get from Varadero to Havana in the same way as from Havana to Varadero, in several ways:
1) by intercity bus of the Viasul company, cost – 9.5 CUC, travel time – 3 hours.
Buses run several times a day.
Schedules and prices from the Viazul website from Varadero to Havana:

Varadero-Havana

2) by taxi. Prices start from 150 CUC.

3) by taxi collectively. Price 25 CUC per person based on 6 beds.
You can catch taxis and shared taxis near the Viazul bus terminal in Varadero or on the main street of Varadero.

I wish you a wonderful holiday on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.
Sincerely, Katya Bashkurova.
I would be glad if you share your impressions or your experience of vacationing in Cuba in the comments.

local population on Varadero beach, Cuba