Cuba Independently? Es Posible! #9: Varadero

Varadero

Varadero is Cuba’s equivalent to Cancun in Mexico or the Costa del Sol in Spain; we booked five nights here as we were envisaging needing a rest after a whirlwind tour of the island. We stayed at the Villa Tortuga, a spacious complex with beach access and a swimming pool, which we used frequently as during our stay as the strong north winds prevented any snorkelling due to the sea being too rough to swim in.

All meals were buffet style and of mixed quality, the best being a Cuban evening serving suckling pig etc. All beverages were included in the deal but these proved to be pale imitations of the cocktails served elsewhere on our travels and even the beers were imported from elsewhere in the Caribbean.

We found this a little disconcerting as 90% of tourists to Cuba spend the majority of their time in this resort that effectively bans Cubans from entering unless they work in the tourism industry here. Therefore, the real Cuba is not actually experienced and people only return with a view that the whole of Cuba is like Varadero, an equally misleading assumption like saying, Torremolinos is quintessentially Spain.

We had a depressing visit to the remaining area of a supposed Ecological Reserve of the Varadero peninsula and talked to the local ecologist, who informed us that the remaining coastal forest with its ancient cacti is doomed to be ploughed under to satisfy the need to raise foreign currency from increasing package beach tourism. He seemed quite impressed that we had made the effort to visit this part of the peninsula and not stayed in the confines of our hotel.

Another excursion is on the “Varasub” a hybrid of a boat and submarine that takes tourists out on an hour long trip to view the coral reef and the hundreds of fish associated with it off the coast. At $25 a head this seems expensive though the views of the schools of fish are breathtaking.

I think we were all in agreement when we decided to eat out at a local restaurant rather than face a final night of buffet meals.

Yank Tank

All I can say is Cuba we love you and I for one certainly look forward to making your acquaintance again hopefully in the not too distant future.

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