Cuba is one of a few destinations which own all the elements used for creating a dream scenario: white sand, tropical sun, tall palm trees and pristine water…
What else can one person wish for their perfect vacation? With this brief story about Cuba’s most beautiful beaches, feel free to get settled down in your favorite chair and begin planning which one of them will you visit first…
Cuba is most definitely one of the prettiest Caribbean pearls. Sun, beach, sea, cocktails, music, culture… Those are the words that make you think of this magical island. And as long as we are talking about beaches, here are some you must visit while staying there.
Let us begin with Cayo Largo (cayo is Spanish for cay). There you can expect 26km of ideal white sand with ethereally turquoise seas and colorful sea reefs. This is the ideal beach for those who love very warm sea water and all day long lying in the warm Caribbean sun. A large part of this beach is available for local people too, which is really rare in this island, it is mostly oriented towards foreign tourists. If you want to enjoy sun and play beach volleyball with the locals, Cayo Largo is the place for you.
Proceed with your Cuban beaches tour on one which is a little bit different than the last one, even tough they are on the same cay. And by that we don’t mean any less beautiful or exotic, but a lot more interactive and made for adventurous people. Playa Sirena is a paradise for diving, snorkeling, kayaking and sailing. Even though it’s pretty much tucked in from the wind and sea waves, it gives ideal conditions for water sports. Tourists who have visited this beach, share the experience of one of the most beautiful underwater scenes, exotic fishes and colorful corals.
While you are on Playa Sirena and if you have the courage, don’t miss out on the opportunity to go to Cayo Iguana island, which is one of the worlds largest animal preserves. Only 700 meters of trails gives you the opportunity to enjoy in wilderness and see iguanas, and for those less brave ones, we recommend swimming in isolated and very intimate caves.
Playa Ancon is available only for tourists, so if you want to blend in with the locals, it may not be the place for you. But, it has two great things on the plus side: six kilometers of white sand, and immediate access to historical town of Trinidad, which you should check out. It’s settled on a narrow peninsula which is a beautiful sandy beach from one side, and swamp area from the other. It is suitable for underwater fishing, diving and other water sports. The sea is more calm here than on the other side, large waves appear often, so you might as well be careful and follow the instructions shown on the place.
In Playa Coco you will witness a unique spectacle. While you’re resting on your comfortable hammocks and sun beds, absorbing sunrays or enjoying in the shallow waters, or even playing beach volleyball, you can see some pretty unordinary local tenants of this area – pink flamingos and white ibis birds. Actually, this part of the island is occupied by more than 160 species of different exotic birds, so if you are in fact a birdwatcher, this will be your favorite beach.
Some Cuban beaches are very important historical monuments too. Playa Cajobabo, set east of Guantanamo is the place where famous national heroes landed, Maximo Gomez and Jose Marti, so they could take part in Spanish colonies fights in 1895. Near Pig Bay there’s also Playa Giron where the rebels, USA mercenaries started the invasion on April 17th 1961. whose mission was to overthrow Fidel Castro. You can be informed on this topics in a few museums close to this beaches.
If you just want to relax, sunbathe and have a good time, the right beaches for you are located in Varadero. In this area, luxury hotels, restaurants and bars can be found, so you will be under the impression that you are in miniature Miami Beach, not on Cuba. Like on the most Cuban beaches, access is limited for the locals here as well, so the visitors are mostly Americans, Canadians and Europeans. Varadero begun it’s development in 1872. but the biggest boom was in the late 30s in the 20th century, when Irene Du Pont, American businessman and a renewed member of the highest American social class built a fascinating villa right there in Varadero, with a private mini airport and marina and named it Xanadu. Many other American flooded Varadero by following his example, and so began the tourist blooming of the place. Some of the famous regular visitors are Al Capone, Carry Grant and Ava Gardner.
