Organized Tours

All of the tour agencies in town offer a host of guided excursions to the principal cities and attractions within striking distance of Varadero. Options include half-day tours to Matanzas or Cárdenas, day tours to Havana or Trinidad, and overnight excursions to Cayo Largo, Cayo Coco, or Santiago de Cuba. Rates run around CUC$15 (US$16/£8.10) for half-day tours and from CUC$49 to CUC$99 (US$53-US$107/£26-£53) for full-day excursions. Overnight trips vary widely depending on the means of travel (air or bus) and the type of accommodations. Your best bet for booking any of these is to check at your hotel, or contact Cubanacán, Calle 24, between Avenida 1 and Avenida de la Playa (tel. 45/66-7836; www.cubanacan.cu); Gaviota Tours, Calle 56 and Avenida de la Playa (tel. 45/61-1844); or Havanatur, Avenida de la Playa, between Calles 33 and 34 (tel. 45/66-7589).

Gran Car (tel. 45/61-0555) offers various trips for CUC$166 to CUC$187 (US$179-US$202/£90-£101), including a day trip spent tooling around Havana in a classic car. The trip includes a tour of Habana Vieja, with stops at the four major plazas, as well as a visit to a cigar factory, the Plaza de la Revolución, and a stop at the Hotel Nacional. Classic car trips start at CUC$30 (US$32/£16) for 2 hours.