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It seems that in the sunny place, the sand and sea come
to an agreement to shine in unison, without
either one overpowering the other. With almost
12 miles of beach, Varadero, located on the
north coast of the Hicacos Peninsula in the
Matanzas province, has all the trappings of a
veritable paradise; powder sand, tranquil and
warm waters, which unfurl in all the shades of
blue and emerald, and a sun that never tires
of shinning. All these characteristics have
converted Varadero into one of the favorite
beach destinations of international tourism.
It is said that, during 19th
century, many sailors chose these tranquil
waters to repair their boats, so the place was
given the name Varadero, which means
“boatyard” in Spanish.
Towards 1930, large summer homes were built,
and two decades later tourism strategies were
developed in the area. Today it is an
important tourist development with 4 &
5-star hotels, specialized restaurants, discos
and marinas. A vestige of those old summer
homes is Dupont mansion, a beautiful house
that has been kept in its original condition,
down to the decoration and furniture, and from
its windows the beautiful sunsets could be
seen.
When in Varadero, the so-called spa-city, the
first thing to do is put on a bathing suit and
choose what sport to enjoy first: surfing,
beach volleyball, scuba diving or snorkeling
(to discover Varadero’s more than 40 types
of coral and its multi-color fish) or simply
laying out on the sand to let the sun do its
job.
If the choice is scuba diving, there are more
than 25 appropriate places for this activity,
from the Bay of Matanzas to the western part
of Sabana-Camaguey, where the Ojo de Megano,
an underwater cavern reaching 230 feet deep,
can be found.
Other interesting places to visit are its
dolphin reserve, parachuting center, Municipal
Museum, Art Gallery, and Ambrosio Cave,
located in an ancient ceremonial site, this
cave has 72 cave drawings on its inner walls.
One can also reach other points on the island
from Varadero, like Guama, Playa Larga and
Giron.
And when the sun goes done, the fun doesn’t
stop: there are always the cabarets and
discos, designed for all tastes, such as Afro
Cuban show that takes place in the depths of a
cave (the Cabaret Cueva del Pirata), or the
varied rhythms of the main hotels’ discos. |
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