Varadero
Varadero is a resort town located in the province of Matanzas, Cuba. It is located between the Straits of Florida and the Bay of Cárdenas on the Hicacos Peninsula. It is the biggest resort town in Cuba, as well as being the biggest one in the Caribbean. Its situated eight miles east of Havana and is located at the end of the Via Blanca highway. The first recorded accounts of Varadero is in the middle of the sixteenth century. At that point in time it was used as a dry dock and also used because of its extensive system of salt mines which supplied the Spanish Fleet of the Americas with the much needed mineral. But, the town wasn’t officially founded as a city until December 5, 1887. This is when a group of ten families obtained official permission from the city of Cárdenas to build vacation homes in the area.
Today, the primary economic activity of the city comes from its thriving tourist trade. As early as the nineteenth century, Varadero attracts tourist from all over the world and was considered the playground of the rich. Later, in 1910 the first annual regatta was started. Then in 1915, the first hotel, the Club Nautico was built. But, the area didn’t go through its most extensive tourist boom until an American millionaire named Irénée du Pont Nemours built his vast estate here. From then on, many notable famous and infamous celebrities stayed in the city including famous Chicago gangster Al Capone.
In 1959, many mansions were seized from their private owners according to eminent domain laws enacted during the Cuban Revolution. In 1960 the Parque de las 8000 Taquillas (or Park of Eight Thousand Cubicles) was built as the centerpiece of the new Cuban tourist policy, one that portrayed Varadero as a resort town suitable for every social and economic stratification. Having created itself as the cultural center of Cuba, Varadero went on to begin an ambitious hotel building project during the mid-nineties. These projects included many four and five star hotels that were operated by various foreign business. This opened up the city to international tourism and caused the local population to surge. Many people attribute this exponential rise in the population and the diversity of the new residents to the erosion of cultural life in Varadero. This left many of the cities notable cultural centers like the cinema and the central park in a state of neglect as the city concentrated its efforts on the newer hotels and resorts.
Varadero is known for its sparkling waters, and its twelve miles of white sandy beaches. But, it also has unspoiled and easily accessible cays and a network of natural caves. There are also facilities for deep sea fishing, yachting and scuba diving. Beyond its natural beauty, Varadero also has numerous cultural and historical attractions. One of the most prominent of these is the Castillo san Severino. The Castillo san Severino is the oldest building in the city and is typical of the eighteenth century Spanish fortification method of architecture. Its construction began in 1693 and was completed in the middle of the nineteenth century. Its main features include a drawbridge, moat and four barbette; Our Lady of Rosario, Santa Ana, San Agustin and San Ignacio. It was declared a National Monument of Cuba in 1978.
Other attractions in Varadero include a whole host of hotels, clubs, discos and resorts such as the Iberostar Varadero, Blau Varadero Hotel Cuba, Iberostar Tainos, Sandals Royal Hicacos, Paradisus Princesa del Mar Resort & Spa, Iberostar Laguna Azul, Melia Las Antillas, Paradisus Varadero, Melia Las Americas and the Hotel Oasis Las Morlas. Restaurants in the city include the Bodegon Criollo, Antiguedades, the Dante, Kiki’s, Meson del Quijote, El Melaito
Palma Real, La Campana, La Casa del Chef and the Pizza Nova Restaurant.
