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Cuba, August 2007 -
Varadero
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Varadero
is the main holiday resort in Cuba for UK tourists. The peninsula
extends for over 13 miles and is lined with hotels. The actual
centre of Varadero is limited by western standards but you will find
a number of markets to buy souvenirs and places to eat.
Varadero can be found on the
north coast about 2 hours drive to the east of Havana. The nearest
main town is Matanzas. |
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Getting Around
The
Varadero Beach Tour bus runs up and down the length of Varadero
every 30 minutes during the day and early evening. It runs at quite
a gentle pace and it took around 45 minutes to get from the Marina
Palace to the centre of Varadero. Tickets were 5CUC and there was no
concessions for children.
Other alternatives are taxi or
the local bus. We didn't use these so I can't give any information
about them. |
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Shopping
The Plaza
America is the main shopping mall in Varadero. As well as
souvenir shops, you will also find a number of clothes shops,
restaurants and a bank. In general, the prices were pretty high for
everything. I did enjoy browsing the varies book stalls although
again, the prices were too high to justify buying any of the books.
You can get there using the Varadero Beach Tour Bus.
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Markets
There
were a number of markets selling various souvenirs in Varadero. If
you are prepared to look around and haggle a bit, you can pick up
some reasonable bargains. It was definitely cheaper here than in the
hotel.
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Al Capone
The
notorious Chicago gangster, Al Capone spent time in Cuba at the
National Hotel in Havana and also in Varadero. The Restaurant Casa
de Al is easy to get to by using the Beach Tour Bus. We stopped here
for 10 minutes to take some photos. The restaurant backs right onto
the beach. |
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Golf
Golf
isn't a game I know too much about but there is a professional golf
course in Varadero not far from the Plaza America.
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Mosquitos
The
biggest problem we found in Varadero was the mosquitoes. During the
day, there wasn't a problem but at night, it was a different story.
If you don't use mosquito repellent, you will be bitten....a lot !!!!
The
entertainment theatre was open air as was the Hemingway Bar and
these are the main areas where the mosquitoes get you. They also
managed to get into the room too although we were very careful with
opening and closing the doors.
You have
been warned.
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Wildlife
You don't
need to go on any excursions to see quite a variety of local
wildlife. Its just a matter of keeping your eyes open and looking
around. Unfortunately, we didn't get everything on camera, among the
things we missed were a pair of flamingos flying past, a small black
snake and a pelican.
Gallery >>
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Scuba Diving
As with
any tropical location, scuba diving is a great option in Cuba. I
normally try to use 5* PADI centres when deciding who to dive with
but in Cuba, PADI don't operate so I took the easy option and booked
up with the company over the road from our hotel. 4 days diving (2
dives per day, tanks, weights and guide) cost me 190CUC and I
brought my own equipment.
The dive
centre was reasonable. They tried to 'buddy' people up with divers
of similar ability and the dive guides knew what they were doing.
Nitrox
wasn't available at the dive centre I used although I did see it
advertised elsewhere. As PADI don't operate in Cuba, it isn't really
a place where you would learn to dive or take additional course.
There is a Cuban certification but I've no idea if it is
internationally recognised or not.
Gallery >>
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Excursions
As with
any tourist centre, there are plenty of choices for excursions. We'd
already done our sightseeing in Havana so we didn't do anything
except for a bit of scuba diving but some of the excursions on offer
are;
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