Famous for its perfect white sandy beaches and clear blue water-sea, Varadero, located on a 12-mile (18-kilometers) peninsula in Hicacos, Matanzas Province, is the holiday resort destination of Cuba. Although only a little over 5.5 square miles (14 square kilometers) long, the city accounts for 55 percent of all hotel bookings in Cuba! With such a high hotel-booking rate, you'll no doubt not be surprised to hear that Varadero has some of the nicest places to stay in Cuba today. It also offers visitors with an abundance of activities to be getting on with whilst they're there. However, the city has not lost its neighborly charm and you'll soon feel at home in this paradise resort.
HISTORYPart of the allure of Varadero is the fact that people have been in this part of the world for a lot long than the Spanish. Originally inhabited by the Siboney Indians, Native American Indian influence can be seen in a number of the popular tourist attractions - including the San Ambrosio cave. Varadero was to undertake other change in its fortunes, first with the conquest of the Spanish invaders, and then again with the influx of African slaves who came here to work the salt mines, before becoming what it is today. However, even today, as well as being the tourist destination of Cuba, Varadero is known as the "ciudad de los puentes" - the city of bridges - due to the large number of bridges that crisscross this peninsula.
i