Planning a Trip

Getting There

By Plane -- The Juan Gualberto Gómez International Airport (tel. 45/24-7015; airport code VRA) is located 18km (11 miles) west of Varadero, roughly midway between Matanzas and Varadero. Direct charter and scheduled commercial flights arrive in Varadero from Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Cancún, Nassau, Montego Bay, and most major European hubs. The major international carriers servicing Varadero include Air Canada, Air Transat, British Airways, Condor, Martinair, Mexicana, KLM, and LTU. A taxi between the airport and Varadero costs CUC$25 to CUC$30 (US$27-US$32/£14-£16). If you coincide with a Víazul departure, it will cost you CUC$6 (US$6.50/£3.25) to the bus station and an additional CUC$2 (US$2.15/£1.10) on another Víazul bus to your hotel.

By Bus -- Víazul (tel. 7/881-1413 in Havana, or 45/61-4886 in Varadero; www.viazul.com) has three buses daily for Varadero, leaving Havana at 8am, noon, and 6pm. The trip takes 3 hours to Varadero. The return buses for Havana leave Varadero at 8am, 11:25am, and 6pm. The fare is CUC$10 (US$11/£5.40) each way. Víazul also has a daily bus from Varadero to Trinidad leaving at 7:30am (6 hr.; CUC$20/US$22/£11 each way). The return bus leaves Trinidad at 2:25pm. The bus to Santiago leaves at 9:25pm (15 hr.; CUC$49/US$53/£26 each way). The return bus leaves Santiago at 8:30pm. The bus station is located at Calle 36 and the Autopista del Sur.

In addition, most of the hotels and tour agencies in Havana can arrange transportation on periodic transfer buses to Varadero, including a pickup at your hotel. In a similar vein, all of the hotels and tour agencies in Varadero can book you on similar buses heading back to the hotels and airport in Havana. The fare is CUC$25 to CUC$35 (US$27-US$38/£14-£19) each way.

By Car -- Varadero is connected to Havana by a modern, four-lane, coastal highway, the Vía Blanca, that begins as you exit the tunnel connecting Habana Vieja with Habana del Este. It's a straightforward, scenic drive to Matanzas. The highway then threads its way through Matanzas, generally hugging close to the coast, and continues on the final 40km (25 miles) to Varadero. About 13km (8 miles) outside of Varadero there's a tollbooth (CUC$2/US$2.15/£1.10 per vehicle each way). The trip generally takes around 2 hours. A taxi between Havana and Varadero costs around CUC$80 (US$86/£43).

Special Moment: Take a Detour

At 110m (361 ft.), the Bacuanayagua Bridge is the highest in Cuba. It spans the beautiful Yumurí Valley. Most tourist buses will stop here for a quick break and photo opportunity, and if you are driving, you'll probably want to do so as well. A rugged side road leads off the highway if you want to explore this largely undeveloped valley. The bridge is located 7km (4 1/4 miles) west of Matanzas, right on the Vía Blanca en route from Havana to Matanzas and Varadero.

Getting Around

Taxis are plentiful in Varadero. A trip from one end of the peninsula to the other costs from CUC$13 to CUC$15 (US$14-US$16/£7-£8.10), and most trips to other places in the area cost CUC$5 to CUC$10 (US$5.40-US$11/£2.70-£5.40). If by some chance you can't flag one down, or there's none hanging around your hotel, you can call Cubataxi (tel. 45/61-4444), Transgaviota (tel. 45/61-9761), or Transtur (tel. 45/61-4444). Víazul now offers a transfer from the station to any hotel in Varadero for CUC$2 (US$2.15/£1.10) after the long-distance buses pull in. As in Havana, open-air Coco Taxis are also available for CUC$25 (US$27/£14) per hour. In theory, they should charge CUC$.50 (US55¢/27p) a kilometer, but they often cost more than a metered taxi. A horse-and-carriage ride costs CUC$10 (US$11/£5.40) for a city tour.

Sol Melía operates a free open-air tourist train between various points of the peninsula. The Varadero Beach Tour buses (tel. 45/66-8992) that ply a loop from one end of Varadero to the other operate a day pass, with unlimited use of the route; it costs CUC$5 (US$5.40/£2.70) per day.

One of the best ways to get around Varadero is on a scooter. Rental agencies abound. Most rent modern, easy-to-use Vespa-style scooters for CUC$12 to CUC$15 (US$13-US$16/£6.50-£8) per hour, and CUC$24 to CUC$30 (US$26-US$32/£13-£16) per day.

There are a host of car-rental agencies at the airport and around town. Virtually every hotel either has a car-rental desk, or can easily facilitate renting a car. The official contacts for the various agencies are Cubacar (tel. 45/66-7326), Havanautos (tel. 45/61-4409), Transtur (tel. 45/66-7715), and Vía Rent a Car (tel. 45/61-9001).

Orientation

Cubatur, Cubanacán, and Havanatur have offices all over Varadero and in the hotels. CADECA (tel. 45/66-7870) is at the airport and Avenida Paya between Calles 41 and 42, and Banco Financiero Internacional (tel. 45/66-7002) is at Avenida 1 and Calle 32. The Banco de Crédito and Comercio (tel. 45/61-2616), Avenida 1 (btw. Calles 35 and 36) has a Visa ATM. The Clínica Internacional Varadero, Avenida 1 and Calle 61 (tel. 45/66-8611), is open 24 hours for emergency and routine medical care. It also has a 24-hour pharmacy. Etecsa has an office with Internet access open daily at the corner of Avenida 1 and Calle 30. Infotur, a network of information offices, has its base at Calle 13 and Avenida 1 (tel. 45/66-5966; infovar@enet.cu).