Cuba Varadero or Havana is better. Open left menu Varadero. From airport to city

If you decide to head to Liberty Island to relax on the Caribbean beaches and enjoy Cuban charm, you will have to decide where to fly: a direct flight to one of the resorts or to the capital.
In the first case, the most popular option is Varadero, where most tourists from Russia vacation. When choosing a destination, you will be looking for information on how Havana differs from Varadero, and we will help you with this.

Choosing wings

A direct flight from the Russian capital to Havana or Varadero takes approximately the same time - 11-12 hours, depending on whether the plane flies there or back. Otherwise, the flight conditions are slightly different:

• Regular direct flights to the capital of Cuba are operated by Aeroflot and Cuban airlines. The cost of a round-trip ticket is 40 thousand rubles and more, depending on how far in advance you book your flight.
• It will be a little cheaper to get to the capital of Liberty Island with a transfer at one of the European airports. Typically, Air France has the most profitable options - from 35 thousand rubles for a flight with a connection in Paris.
• If you are planning an independent trip without the participation of travel agencies, you can only get to Varadero with transfers and almost twice as expensive as to Havana. Canadian airlines have the lowest prices, but in order to buy a ticket on Air Canada, you will need a Canadian visa. There are no transit zones at airports in the country of the maple leaf.
• You can only fly to Varadero cheaper by charter, and therefore you will almost certainly have to buy a tour.

The only option to organize an independent trip to Varadero and not pay more than $1000 for tickets is to fly to the capital of Cuba, and then get from Havana to Varadero by land.

Sea and beaches

Varadero and Havana are located on the northern coast of Cuba. The Atlantic Ocean in these latitudes is very warm and you can swim almost all year round. In summer, the water temperature on the beaches of the northern part of the island reaches +28°C, and in winter it can drop to +20°C. However, it is much more convenient to organize a beach holiday in Varadero. It is there that the snow-white strip of sand stretches for more than 20 km, and hotels located right on the seashore are most suitable for a serene holiday and relaxation.
In Havana, within the city limits, there are no beaches in the general understanding of this, except for the rocky coast that stretches along the embankment. Only local boys usually swim there. To sunbathe on a real Cuban beach, tourists in Havana have to travel several kilometers by bus. The journey takes about half an hour, the ticket will cost a couple of euros. A taxi will cost an order of magnitude more, but is a little faster.
Keep in mind that Havana beaches, unlike the beaches of Varadero, do not offer any special infrastructure. Umbrellas and sun loungers are rare there, and to buy water or a cocktail, you will have to look for a roadside store or cafe. But there are more than enough natural delights in such places! The absence of hotels and other amenities of civilization makes you feel like Robinson.

About cultural heritage

Few people want to fly many thousands of kilometers just for a beach holiday. Inquisitive tourists will name the abundance of architectural attractions as the main advantage of Havana over Varadero. The old center of the capital of Cuba is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, and therefore city tours will be a pleasant addition to your beach holiday. Many people fly to Cuba just for the sake of Havana colonial architecture, the likes of which are few and far between in the world.
There is nothing special to admire in Varadero and a sightseeing tour of the resort on an open bus takes only an hour. However, while relaxing on the beaches of Varadero, you can always buy a two-day tour to Havana, where you will get to know all the delights of the Cuban capital.

Be realistic - demand the impossible
Ernesto Che Guevara

What associations did Cuba evoke in me before the trip? Like many - rum, cigars, Che Guevara, revolution. I dreamed of going there for a long time, but the right opportunity never presented itself. The impetus for my trip was a big event on the personal front - divorce. When I asked myself the question of where I would like to go in order to perk up and find strength, the answer came instantly and automatically - of course, Cuba. After all, Cuba is the “island of freedom,” and it was there that I was going to find it again.

The plane to Havana takes a long time - about 13 hours. All this time, in breaks from sleep, I read the city guide and felt my anticipation growing. I had to stay in Havana for two days, after which I planned to move to Varadero for a week - the land of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

On the first day, I decided to walk around Havana without resorting to the help of a guidebook, that is, I went “wherever my eyes looked.” My eyes and intuition led me first to the José Martí National Library (Avenida 20 de Mayo). The library is considered the largest in Cuba; its collection contains more than two million books.

Then, heading towards the Malecon, through alleys and back streets, I came out into a street with a lot of graffiti and a cluster of Cuban taxis - “tuk-tuks”, where I got into one of them and went for a ride around the city.

Havana is a city of contrasts, and this will probably be confirmed by everyone who has been there. The poverty of city neighborhoods and the wealth of the fashionable Miramar district, bright colored cars and dark dirty entrances of houses, historical monuments and mountains of garbage, dark skin and snow-white smiles. And how memorable the views of the residents of Havana are. When you meet their eyes, you feel the very spirit of a freedom-loving, independent people who, despite the lack of luxury, have never lost their enthusiasm and thirst for life.

After the taxi driver dropped me off near the Malecon, I went to an inconspicuous local cafe and ordered a Cuba Libre cocktail. The cocktail turned out to be very tasty, because it was prepared from the broad Cuban soul for the no less broad Russian soul.

The day was approaching evening, I went for a walk along the embankment, enjoying the sea air, and every minute becoming more and more convinced that now I was exactly where I should be.

I spent the next day exploring classic Havana sights. The walk began from Revolution Square, where the Jose Marti memorial and the Ministry of Defense building with a huge portrait of Che Guevara are located.

Then I came to the majestic building of the former Cuban Parliament, now the Congress Center - the Capitol. Near the Capitol, bright American and Soviet retro cars are lined up, inviting everyone to take a photo.

And then the streets of Old Havana led me to Cathedral Square. One of the main decorations of the square is the cathedral, which is stunning in its architecture (its second name is St. Christopher’s Cathedral).

Ernest Hemingway’s favorite hotel is located nearby, from the terrace of which you can enjoy a beautiful view of the Old Town, where you can take spectacular photographs.

In the same part of the city there is also a cigar factory, where everyone can watch the process of rolling cigars and, of course, buy them as souvenirs.

In the afternoon I went to the souvenir market located on the Malecon embankment. Here I bought a bunch of little things to remember Cuba and again went for a walk along the embankment, sipping a fresh coconut cocktail along the way.

The rest of the evening can be spent in the famous Havana nightclub Casa de la Musica or in one of the Cuban restaurants, where a tourist from Russia will definitely receive a warm welcome. It was in one of these restaurants that I had a farewell evening with Havana, a city that will forever remain in my heart.

The next day the bus took me to the Hicacos Peninsula, which is 140 km from Havana. On this peninsula is the resort town of Varadero, whose beach in 1992 was recognized by UNESCO as one of the cleanest in the world.

For me, this beach also turned out to be the most beautiful beach I have ever seen in my life. An absolutely transparent ocean of all shades of blue and green, changing depending on what point you look at it from, sand that creaks under your feet like starch, unforgettable sunrises and sunsets...

Deciding to diversify my vacation, I purchased a circular sightseeing tour throughout Varadero on a double-decker open bus. You can board this bus at any stop and get off at any convenient place. I decided to take a walk through the Hosone Natural Park, where parrots and lizards live and rare plants grow. The park is simply surrounded by greenery; there are many gazebos and several small interconnecting lakes on its territory, on which I took a boat ride. Hosone Park is a great place for those who want to get some shade from the sun.

Seventy-five kilometers from Varadero is the city of Matanzas, where I went to get away from tourist Cuba and look at the life of ordinary Cubans.

There are a huge number of interesting places in Cuba, which, unfortunately, I was not able to see during the 10 days of the trip - this is the unique city of Trinidad, the Viñales Valley, the statue of Christ in Havana. Every traveler will find something of his own in Cuba.

But whatever attraction you choose, it’s definitely worth:

• Try a cocktail made from sugar cane juice and rum;
• Take a walk along the Malecon promenade;
• Ride a Cuban tuk-tuk;
• Watch the “exhibits from the car museum” drive by;
• Dance salsa with a Cuban;
• Sing the song “about Che Guevara” a thousand and one times.

And if you ask me why Cuba has taken a special place in my soul, then I will answer with conviction that Cuba is a mixture of memories of colorful cars and houses, wide smiles of passers-by, the taste of rum in the evenings and strong Cuban coffee in the mornings, the melody of a song Hasta Siempre Comandante Che Guevara. Cuba is exactly the place where you will definitely want to return after learning Spanish and learning how to dance salsa. Cuba is an island where a piece of your soul will forever remain after returning to your homeland...

Helpful Tips:

• Do not touch the Portuguese man-of-war jellyfish, it is very dangerous;
• Bring euros, not dollars. Due to the tense political relations between the United States and Cuba, it is very unprofitable to exchange dollars for local currency;
• Take a Spanish phrasebook with you if you plan to travel further from tourist areas.

Discussion

My friend lives there, but she still doesn’t have time to come. It's really beautiful there.

I would also recommend sea urchin slippers; my husband managed to step on a urchin in Havana. . Well, if suddenly someone decides to swim there. And the beaches of Varadero are really wonderful and I really want to come back)

Comment on the article "Holidays in Cuba - on your own: walks in Havana and Varadero beach"

Holidays in Cuba: sights of Havana and Varadero beach. Hemingway's hotel, Malecon promenade, graffiti, rum and cigar factory. They started a new life in Cuba, later in Argentina and Holidays in Cuba - on their own: walks in Havana and Varadero beach.

Cuba, Varadero June 27 (Tue) 2017 - July 07 (Fri) 2017 10 nights Hotel Bellevue Puntarena Playa Caleta 1st beach line 2 adults All inclusive 70 thousand Tour price includes: accommodation, airfare, fuel tax, meals, medical insurance, transfer, guide services.

We were on holiday in Varadero. We went to Havana with the Tropicana show. And “Non-tourist Cuba” is El Nicho, Trinidad, Cienfuegos, Santa Clara (2 days with an overnight stay with locals in Trinidad). In Havana, it is still better to contact private guides in advance. Since we liked the operator...

Holidays in Cuba - on your own: walks around Havana and Varadero beach. Deciding to diversify my vacation, I purchased a circular sightseeing tour throughout Varadero on a double-decker open bus. You can take this bus at any stop and get off at...

Cuba. Excursions. Tourism packages. Traveling abroad and in Russia: buying a tour, booking a hotel, visa, passport, ticket Has anyone flown to Cuba with children? Holidays in Cuba - on your own: walks around Havana and Varadero beach. Last minute tours to Cuba and...

Look at other discussions: Cuba on March 8 at a super price. Tourism packages. Travel abroad and in Russia: purchase Holidays in Cuba: sights of Havana and Varadero beach. Hemingway's hotel, Malecon promenade, graffiti, rum and cigar factory.

Check out other discussions: Varadero (Cuba): an exotic destination in the Atlantic. Holidays in Cuba - on your own: walks around Havana and Varadero beach. Deciding to diversify my vacation, I purchased a circular sightseeing tour throughout Varadero on a two-story open-air...

Cuba.. Exotic countries. Tourism packages. Traveling abroad and in Russia: buying a tour, booking a hotel Didn't find what you were looking for? Look at other discussions: A friend is inviting me to Cuba in August. Holidays in Cuba: sights of Havana and Varadero beach.

cube question. ...I find it difficult to choose a section. Tourism packages. Traveling abroad and in Russia: buying a tour, booking a hotel, visa, passport, ticket, tour operator Please tell me in April Cuba - Varadero, 1 adult 9-14 days. All meals, any dates, thank you!

Well, you can go to Cuba to Varadero, for example, from there you can go to Havana, you can take, for example, a combo tour Havana + Varadero! It’s better to be closer to Havana so that there is something to see. As for prices for Cuba, I can only refer to the Internet - touristskidki.ru, 1001 tours...

Good afternoon. The two of us would like to fly to Cuba, Varadero on September 16-18 for 8-9 days. Look at other discussions: Cuba on March 8 at a super price. Tourism packages. Traveling abroad and in Russia: buying a tour, booking a hotel, visa, passport, ticket...

depending on what you want for the baby >. depending on what you want for your baby... there is no animation in Russian, there are only Sol Sirenas Coral animators, but the hotel itself is a bit old... of the good fours, look at the Iberostar Tainos - it will give all the fives a head start...

I looked at Heads and Tails about Havana... but they didn’t show anything interesting... I just want to decide for myself whether I need to go on vacation in Cuba - on my own: walks around Havana and Varadero beach. Recommend a good hotel in Cuba.

Holidays in Cuba - on your own: walks around Havana and Varadero beach. Holidays in Cuba: sights of Havana and Varadero beach. If you need a good hotel, I would recommend: Melia Marina Varadero 5* with departure 29.09 for 11 nights 119 thousand rubles.

Holidays in Cuba - on your own: walks around Havana and Varadero beach. They brought rum and cigars from there, but they didn’t take coffee. We want to go with children, 1 year old, 9 years old and 10 years old. We returned from Cuba today. We flew direct to Varadero. We flew with Pegasus.

Holidays in Cuba - on your own: walks around Havana and Varadero beach. Holidays in Cuba: sights of Havana and Varadero beach. If you need a good hotel, I would recommend: Melia Marina Varadero 5* with departure 29.09 for 11 nights 119 thousand rubles.

I was there this June, in Varadero money is spent there only on a car, rum, cigars, coffee, in general everything else is not expensive there, of the above the most expensive, a car is not at all difficult to fly. The best holiday in Cuba is on your own: walks around Havana and Varadero beach.

Holidays in Cuba - on your own: walks around Havana and Varadero beach. Last minute tours to Cuba and the Dominican Republic. We returned from Cuba today. We flew direct to Varadero. We flew with Pegasus. With children 14 and 16 years old. What specifically are you interested in on vacation?

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Surprise, delight, nostalgia. Cuba will capture you with a hurricane of impressions and will not let you go until the last day of your vacation. And once you’ve fastened yourself on the plane, you seem to wake up and realize that you left a piece of your real self here, that you were happy here. It's like having a magical dream and then waking up crying. And it’s not even about luxurious beaches, pristine nature, revolutionary romance, masterpieces of colonial architecture and never-failing Cubans. Cuba is a different, unusual and unusual world. Cuba is “a holiday that is always with you.” This is what the great Hemingway said about Paris... or about Cuba, where he lived so long and happily and wrote his best works? The best resorts in Cuba and the most interesting places are in our review.

How to get there?

By plane. This year, regular carriers operate direct flights from Moscow to Havana, while charter flights fly directly to Varadero. Flight time is approximately 12 hours. If you use flights of European airlines, then in addition to Havana and Varadero you can also get to Santiago de Cuba and Holguin. And take advantage of the opportunity to make a transfer in Europe - for some this makes a long flight easier.

Which resort should you choose?

There are more than a dozen resorts in Cuba. An important point - since any of them (except Varadero) still need to be flown by local airlines, it is better to plan the first and last night in Havana. Why - read on.

Varadero

The undisputed leader in the rating of tourist preferences of Russians. The local airport is only 40 km away, or can be reached from Havana in 2 hours by car. Varadero is somewhat reminiscent of Cancun, a narrow sand spit 25 km long cut into the Atlantic Ocean. Along its entire length there are hotels of international hotel chains, there is a large congress center by local standards with a supermarket for tourists, about a dozen decent nightclubs, bars and discos, a marina with yachts and catamarans, and a dolphinarium. The local population is represented only by hotel staff, taxi drivers and other service people. The entire resort is one large tourist area closed to ordinary Cubans. Most of the entertainment is on site, which, like food and drinks, is already included in the price of your stay. Each hotel offers excursions to various interesting places, you can book fishing or diving. The only inconvenience is the long distances between hotels, shopping and entertainment spots. You have to travel by taxi. In the evening, you can go to a theatrical performance or show at your hotel, or look for adventure on the side in one of the local clubs. Many tourists prefer not to sit still and rent vehicles. The best rent-a-car services (repeated personal experience) are offered by the local REX office. Prices are central European.

Cayo Coco

Several years ago, Cuban tourism authorities placed their bets on the development of this region. Today there is a modern airport (about an hour's flight from Havana) and excellent roads. But everything is being built very carefully; the island has the status of a state biosphere reserve with a huge number of rare birds. The colony of pink flamingos alone numbers more than 40 thousand individuals, who stop in these parts to rest during seasonal migrations. Perhaps you too will be lucky enough to see the sky pink with birds. And if not, flamingos, like our cats, can easily walk on their own on hotel lawns. It is comfortable to relax on Cayo Coco with children. The milky sandy beaches are wide and long, the entrance to the water is gentle everywhere. Even in the coldest winter (very rarely, no more than once every 10 years), the sea water temperature does not drop below 23 °C, and the air temperature does not drop below 25 °C. Usually this is a comfortable 26–28 °C air and water. All club hotels, as we like, operate on “All Inclusive”, “four” and “five” are very decent. The island is connected to the Great Land (La Isla Grande, as the Cubans call their homeland) by a 17 km long causeway. Therefore, it is very easy to go on an excursion to interesting places in Cuba.

Cayo Guillermo

This paradise is essentially a continuation of Cayo Coco. Another 20 minutes along the dam and you are there. We can say that this is Cayo Coco in miniature. There are even fewer hotels and tourists, and the sand on the beach is half a shade whiter. And a very unusual color of the sea. All shades of blue and green colors seem to touch in layers, but do not mix and shine in the sun. The local atmosphere of bliss and peace is guaranteed to relax even the most tired traveler. It was here that the great Hemingway wrote most of the novel “Islands in the Ocean,” inspired by the local beauty. And very close, literally 5 km away, a huge reef begins, a diver’s dream, which stretches almost to Nassau, the coast of the Hawaiian Islands. By the way, the sand on the beach does not burn your bare feet at all, even at midday. The color is so white that the sun's rays are reflected from it almost completely.

Cayo Santa Maria

Over the course of about 20 years, Canadian engineers designed and Cuban workers built a nearly 50-kilometer causeway that connected land to the islands of Cayo Santa Maria and Cayo Ensenachos. There is also a small local airport, Las Brujas. The flight from Havana will take an hour and minutes on a small ATR-42 of local airlines. The hotel base on the islands is small, but very decent, only 4* and 5*. Naturally, everything is All inclusive. The hotel areas are huge, the buildings are no taller than a palm tree, and the length of the beach in some reaches 10 km. A great place for romantic couples and families with children. The holiday is intimate and calm. Of course, it’s more expensive (not much) than in Varadero, because everything is imported. The only inconvenience is that mosquitoes appear in the evening hours at sunset.

By the way, this is typical for most islands, because there are a lot of mangroves around. Cubans are very sensitive to their ecology and rarely use aerial fumigation. Therefore, you can ask for repellents free of charge at the reception and without having to touch the mosquito nets in the rooms. Nature here is so close to man that after a few days you will no longer be surprised by the huge colored shells washed up on the beach by the morning wave. And if you party until nightfall (the rhythms of salsa at the hotel disco accompanied by a “mojito”, “daiquiri”, “Cuba Libro” or “piña colada” make you forget to keep track of time), then on the beach it’s so easy to see a giant sea turtle the size of a piano or burning fires in the darkness, dozens of eyes of palm crabs in the thickets of blooming bougainvillea near your bungalow. How to relieve beach boredom? Take a tour of Santa Clara. You need to return along the dam to the shore and it will take about another half hour to get to one of the main revolutionary attractions of Cuba. This is a memorial to Che Guevara and a museum of his life and struggle. You definitely won't regret it!

Cayo Largo

Knowledgeable tourists choose a holiday on this island in the Caribbean for its excellent beaches, silence and amazing diving. There are few hotels, mostly 4*. Here you can have a good and inexpensive holiday for two or just fly (1 hour 15 minutes) from Varadero or Havana for a one-day excursion. Important advice - sunscreen should be applied in a thick layer (especially in the first days of vacation) not after swimming, but before entering the sea. Here the sand is so white, and the water is so clean and transparent that the sun's rays in the water are practically not refracted, but are completely reflected from the white bottom. The effect of tanning under water occurs. Don't get burned!

Resorts in Holguin province

Cubans believe that somewhere in these places in 1792, Christopher Columbus set foot on the coast of Cuba and was amazed by the whiteness of the sand and the crystal clearness of the sea waters. The province of Holguin is the most economically developed region of Cuba and the birthplace of Fidel. The flight from Havana takes 2 hours 20 minutes. The country's elite resorts are located on the beaches of Esmeralda, Pesquero and Guardelavaca. And the best resort hotel in Cuba, Paradisus Rio de Oro, traditionally accommodates top government officials and wealthy tourists from France and Italy in its villas. This is a real haven for lovers of water sports and diving. And from here it is convenient to go on an excursion to Santiago de Cuba, the unofficial “Caribbean” capital of the country. Reckless and cheerful, the city is definitely worth at least a short visit. Stop by the 26th of July Museum, which is located in the left wing of the former Moncada barracks, the Museum of Piracy, and in the evening, be sure to watch a colorful costume show at the local branch of Havana's Tropicana.

Havana

To be in Cuba and not visit Havana is an unforgivable omission. Moreover, a standard three-hour guided tour will only whet your curiosity. But a day or two is just it. This is an amazing city, it is completely different from the world capitals that tourists are used to. We will talk about it and which seaside resorts in the country were undeservedly deprived of the attention of Russian tour operators in our next review. If by that time you haven’t dropped everything and come here, inspired by this article.

• Last minute tours Worldwide

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.