¡Hola! Cuba!

I have traveled to 29 different countries in the world, predominately in Europe, North America and Asia. In February 2017, I had the honor of celebrating my 30th destination in Varadero, Cuba (via Trip Advisor). Varadero is home to a 13-mile long white sandy beach which has been listed by Trip Advisor as one of the "top beaches in the world" (2016). Cuba is a very popular holiday spot for Canadians and according to the statistics, 1.2 million Canucks visit the island each year (see LINK).

I joined my parents for a week long winter break and stayed at the oldest resort on the island -- Club Kawama (via Grande Caribe), which was founded as a gentleman's club in the early 1930's and currently runs as an all-inclusive beach-front resort hotel. It is the largest resort on Cuba, and the guests are typically from Canada, Germany or Russia (!!).

Let's tour the resort and beach itself. Later posts will showcase a self-walk and bus tour I took of the local town. Enjoy!

Villa house on the resort. Each villa holds about 5 rooms. Our room was on the second floor.

        

Sculpture & pine tree on the resort grounds.

Club Kawama had about three swimming pools, one for children and two for adults. I managed to shoot pics of the kid's pool and main adult pool near the lobby...

Kid's pool with slide & showers.

Adult pool -- kids could swim in a shallower pool attached to this one. Taken with blue filter.

The resort had 2 buffet restaurants, several bars, 3 specialty restaurants, a snack house, and this cozy coffee house, which was quite popular for those to chat and meet other guests.

The coffee hut.

My personal favorite were the lizards running about the resort grounds. They loved to lie out in the sun during the daytime heat, but as soon as a human approached, would scurry off in hiding. I managed to snap this one from the snack bar and using my 60x zoom lens....

I am not a zoologist nor a biologist, so I am not sure the name of this type of lizard.
They are harmless and have cute, curly tails.

The reason most visit Cuba is to soak up the sun on the beaches. Varadero beach is probably the most popular beach resort area on Cuba and it's easy to see why. It's a public beach, so you will see locals here on weekends especially, but the best part? The government forbids vendors and speedboats on and around this beach, so it is very quiet, relaxing, and stress free for tourists.

Beach chairs are free to use -- no charge (unlike Thailand!!!).

These photos I took while sitting from my lounger one day. It's easy to see why this beach has been rated as best in the world....

Beach coconuts. Taken with blue filter.

Volleyball net. Free for guests.

The temperature during February was about 29 C daily, with the hottest time of the day between 11:00 ~ 16:00. Surprisingly, the beach turned out to be a cool spot during the daytime, as the breeze from the ocean made the temperatures much cooler. I actually brought a blanket most days to my lounger as the wind was a little chilly (well, as a cat-like person, I really love the heat!).

I hope you enjoyed the photos from Varadero, Cuba. Be sure to check back to see pictures taken from the town and local artists next week.

Enjoy beaches & islands!

~ INFORMATION ~

Varadero Cuba is about 4 hours by airplane from Toronto and the east coast of Canada. See Skyscanner for flight times and costs.

Where to stay?
Club Kawama is an all-inclusive resort right on Varadero beach. It's a 3-star resort, so don't expect beautiful rooms, but it's good value for your money. Our cost for one week was $800 per person, including flight + airport transfers + food + alcohol + medical insurance.
There are a large number of resorts on the island and most are all-inclusive. It's recommended to book a 4-star or higher hotel as Cuban standards are slightly lower than other resort islands in the world. However, I didn't have any complaints about Club Kawama. It was comfortable and clean.

Best times to visit Cuba?
November to March is high season, due to many "snowbirds" (Canadians trying to escape the long winter).

Safety: 
Cuba is a very safe country with no terrorism and low crime. The only thing to watch out for are pick-pockets. I recommend locking your valuables in your luggage, rather than the hotel safe (which could have a master key).
Female travelers may be approached by local men. The majority are very friendly and non-threatening, however, just be cautious.