Varadero Beach

The 20-km beach running along the north shore of the Hicacos Peninsula is what brings most visitors to Varadero, and it delivers. The sand is fine and white, the water is warm and clear enough to see the bottom for several metres, and the gentle shelf means it's safe for swimming across most of its length.

The beach is divided into sections, some fronting the large all-inclusive resorts, others nominally public. In practice the main beach access points are easy to find and the water is open to all. The western end, nearest Varadero town, tends to be quieter than the resort section in the middle. Water sports rentals — kayaks, pedalos, windsurfers — are available at multiple points.

things to do sight swimming
A story
The beach at Varadero is among the longest in the Caribbean — around 20 km from tip to tip of the Hicacos Peninsula. The sand is white because it is largely made of finely ground coral and shell rather than mineral rock, and the water's turquoise colour comes from the shallow shelf that extends a considerable distance from shore before dropping away. At the height of the resort era before the Revolution, American celebrities including Ernest Hemingway and Al Capone are said to have taken holidays here.