Things To Do in Varadero

This is a beach destination and, aside from lying on the beach and swimming in the clear waters of the Straits of Florida, most of the attractions and activities here are either found or conducted on or under the water. The nicest spot to visit in "downtown" Varadero is the Parque Josone, Avenida 1 between Calles 55 and 58 (tel. 45/66-7228), a beautifully maintained little city park with cool, shady grounds and gardens. There are paths winding around and over little lakes with fountains, several restaurants, and food stands, and the park is dotted with gazebos and park benches. The park is open daily from 9am to 11pm.

If it's raining, or you just can't take any more sunbathing, active adventures, or shopping, you could make a quick visit to the Museo Municipal Varadero, Calle 57 and Avenida de la Playa (tel. 45/61-3189). Open daily from 10am to 7pm (CUC$1), the exhibits inside are of less interest and appeal than the beautiful old building that houses the collection. The perfectly maintained blue-and-white, two-story wooden building, built by architect Leopoldo Abreus from Cienfuegos, has a gingerbread trim and red-tile roof; it is a tribute to colonial Caribbean architecture.

Near the Marina Chapelín, on the ocean side of the road, you'll find the Delfinario, Autopista Sur Km 12 (tel. 45/66-8031). Open daily from 9:30am to 5pm, this attraction offers a 40-minute show with trained dolphins at 11am and 3:30pm. Admission is CUC$15; it's CUC$5 extra to take photos and CUC$89 for a 15-minute swimming session with the dolphins if booked through a hotel. While this place is highly touted by tour agencies, I personally find this type of attraction -- and this one in particular -- to be depressing and on the cruel side.

If you want a bird's-eye view of things, the Centro Internacional de Deportes Aéreos, Vía Blanca Km 1.5, off a little side road across from the Marina Dársena (tel. 45/66-7256), offers parachute jumps and ultralight flights. Tandem parachuting costs CUC$160 per person. Ultralight flights start at CUC$45 for 10 minutes. You can also usually find ultralight flights leaving from different spots up and down the beach.

The Varadero Golf Club (tel. 45/66-8482; www.varaderogolfclub.com) features a lovely little resort course, with plenty of water, few trees, and almost no rough. There are beautiful views of Cárdenas Bay from most holes. Greens fees run CUC$70 for a round, plus an extra CUC$50 for a cart. Club rental will cost you CUC$50. You can play a twilight round of 9 holes for CUC$48 after 4pm.

A large swath of the eastern end of the peninsula is protected as the Parque Ecológico Varahicacos (Varadero Ecological Park). There are some gentle paths through the scrub forests here, and you can visit a series of small caves, some of which contain ancient indigenous pictographs. The park is broken up into two sections, with a small area close to the major hotel district, and the larger section farther east. It's open daily from 9am to 4:30pm; admission is CUC$3.

There's no lack of souvenir stands, T-shirt outlets, and overpriced hotel gift shops here, but good shopping options are limited. For clothes, shoes, beach accessories and toiletries head to the Centro Comercial Hicacos (Parque del 8000 Taquillas) at Av. 1 between Calles 44 and 46. There are several outdoor arts and crafts markets around Varadero; the best, Artesanía, is at Avenida 1 and Calle 12. The Plaza de los Artesanos at Avenida 1 between Calles 46 and 47 is also good. ARTex has stores at each of these sites, as well as at Avenida 1 and Calle 35. At each, you will find a broad (and standard) collection of trinkets, T-shirts, musical instruments, posters, and CDs.

Taller de Cerámica Artística, Avenida 1 between Calles 59 and 60 (tel. 45/66-7829), is a working pottery studio and factory with a broad selection of finished goods for sale. Some are quite good and quite expensive. The work ranges from abstract and artistic to purely functional. You can usually watch a potter at work while shopping.

For a dense collection and variety of shops, Plaza las Américas, Autopista Sur Km 11 (tel. 45/66-8181) has a modern mini-mall and convention center with clothing boutiques and T-shirt shops, along with an art gallery and a music shop thrown in. There's even a small supermarket here, and several restaurants.

If you want cigars, the best-stocked shop in Varadero is Casa de los Tabacos, Avenida 1 and Calle 38 (tel. 45/61-4719). They usually have one or two rollers making fresh stogies here, and there's a comfortable bar for enjoying their wares, while sipping a glass of rum or a strong espresso.

Almost every hotel here has some form of nightly entertainment, usually a Broadway theater review or local cabaret-style show. These can vary from sadly comic to totally professional. Most give way to a dance party. By far, the biggest and best cabaret show, the Tropicana Matanzas, is located about 20 minutes away on the outskirts of Matanzas; see "Matanzas After Dark," earlier in this chapter for details. Other cabaret options include the Cabaret Continental at Varadero Internacional (tel. 45/66-7038; cover CUC$25); the Mambo Club at Gran Hotel, Carretera Las Morlas Km 14 (tel. 45/66-8565; cover CUC$10); and the Palacio de La Rumba at the Hotel Bella Costa, Avenida Las Américas (tel. 45/66-8210; cover CUC$10).

The new Egrem-run Casa de la Música, Avenida Playa between Calle 42 and 43 (tel. 45/66-7568), kicks off at 10:30pm with different shows and turns into a disco afterward. Admission is CUC$10. It's open Tuesday to Sunday.

Perhaps my favorite place for a show is the new La Comparsita, Calle 60 and Avenida 3 (tel. 45/66-7415), which is a lovely open-air space that evokes the feel of a colonial-era courtyard. There are good sightlines from all the tables here and an excellent nightly show from 10:30pm with wide-ranging Cuban music and dance styles. Admission is CUC$3. The place also has a happening bar upstairs.

Cueva del Pirata, Autopista Sur Km 11 (tel. 45/66-7751), is a midsize cave that has been converted into a popular cabaret and dance club. Lights create eerie shadows among the stalactites. The cabaret show begins around 10:30pm from Monday to Saturday and has a pronounced Afro-Cuban emphasis. It's followed by dancing to either a live band or a DJ. Admission is CUC$10.

The Mirador, atop the Mansión Xanadú (tel. 45/66-8482), is a good spot for a quiet drink with a nice view.