Top 5 Cuban Beach Holiday Destinations

Cuba is a great location for a beach holiday in exotic surroundings – something that developers have known for a long while, resulting in lots of resorts springing up all over the country in the last few decades. Here are our picks of some of the most notable destinations if you can’t decide where to go!

Varadero

This is probably the most famous resort in Cuba thanks to its 20 km of white sand beaches and extensive tourist facilities. It is also the number one beach resort in Cuba for nightlife. There’s a huge variety of hotels to choose from on the sprawling site, as well as lots of nightlife options. If you want to do more than simply lie on the beach (although we wouldn’t blame you for doing just that!) you can go snorkelling, scuba diving, swimming and sightseeing.

Attractions of note here and in nearby Matanzas include the 18th-century San Severino castle, the Oscar Maria de Rojas Museum, the Varadero Museum and the eerie Calero funerary cave. Sample traditional Cuban cuisine at eateries like la Campana and Esquina Cuba, or focus on seafood at restaurants such as Albacora and La Vega.

Cayo Largo del Sur

If water sports are your thing, Cayo Largo del Sur off the coast of southern Cuba is the place to go. The island boasts a natural bounty consisting of colourful coral reefs, plenty of underwater vegetation and a huge variety of fish, birds and turtles, making it a great location for diving expeditions and hikes. There are around 25 km of beaches, so it should be easy to find the perfect sunbathing spot for your holiday!

You can also visit some of the other islands in the Canarreos archipelago on day trips; Cayo Rosario offers even more diving opportunities and the chance to spot iguanas, while Cayo Cantiles is pretty much one big monkey sanctuary.

Cayo Coco

It’s easy to associate all inclusive Cuba holidays with built up resorts, but Cayo Coco is one destination where you’ll be able to enjoy a relatively unspoilt landscape. Situated off Cuba’s northern coast and named after the white ibis – or coco – Cayo Coco boasts 22 km of beaches and plenty of palm trees, mangroves and coral.

The resort is pretty famous for its great fishing facilities, and is often named the best place to fish in the whole of Cuba. Diving is also a top sport here, although you would be forgiven for simply wanting to spend your holiday sunbathing.

Santa Lucia

Another highlight of northern Cuba, Santa Lucia is most well-known for its huge coral reef, which is among the largest in the Caribbean. It also doesn’t hurt that the destination is home to a fantastic 21 km white sand beach!

There’s much to see and do here if you fancy getting active and learning about local history. As well as the usual water sports, fishing and horse riding are also on the agenda, as is hill walking and cave exploration. The nearby city of Camaguey has plenty of cultural and historical sites if you want a change of pace – stroll around its winding streets and marvel at the multicoloured houses before venturing into the town squares and churches to get an idea of what the architecture was like here in the 18th century.

Guardalavaca

Guardalavaca is a picture-perfect resort that is often cited as one of the most stunning parts of Cuba. It’s something of a tired cliche, but the beach really is made up of lush white sand, and the waters truly sparkle in the sunlight – so if you’re looking for paradise, this could well be it!

There are several potential activities to indulge in if you book a holiday here. Go swimming with dolphins, visit the nearby city of Holguin for cultural sightseeing or head further inland for an excursion into spectacular mountain territory.

These are just a few of our suggestions – let us know in the comments section if you have any other recommendations to share.