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Travel advice for Cuba
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Cuba
Book your individual trip, stress-free with local travel experts
written by Rough Guides Editors
updated 7.06.2023
Conjure up an image of the perfect Caribbean beach and you'll find Cuba's generous shoreline fits the description perfectly: stretches of powdery, bone-white sand – often freckled with shady palm trees – and limpid, turquoise waters. Here is our pick of the best beaches in Cuba – there's one to suit every need.
The information in this article is inspired by The Rough Guide to Cuba, your essential guide for visiting Cuba.
15 days / from2867 USD
Cuba - Family, Beach, and Culture
Enjoy a 2-week family adventure visiting highlights and hidden gems of Cuba. Marvel at the colonial architecture in Havana, enjoy a ride in a Classic Car, explore the forests close to Trinidad, and relax on white sandy beaches of Cayo Levisa - this trip packs it all into one itinerary.
customize ⤍5 days / from975 USD
Bike Cuba
A moderately challenging cycling holiday through Cuban countryside visiting the tobacco fields of Viñales Valley and a pristine Caribbean beach in Cayo Jutias.
customize ⤍13 days / from3399 USD
Western and Central Cuba by E-bike
Combine a leisurely activity with an insight into some of Cuba’s most fascinating cultural highlights on this new e-biking tour of Western and Central Cuba. Explore the tobacco region of Viñales, cycle along the Bay of Pigs and relax on the fine sandy beaches of Cayo Las Brujas.
customize ⤍8 days / from1829 USD
Family Trip - an active adventure
Take the family a step back in time: Explore Havana in classic cars and on foot, take a boat trip to the Cueva del Indio in Viñales and relax on the white, sandy beaches of Cayo Levisa.
customize ⤍8 days / from1861 USD
Salsa Cubana
Only have a few days? Take this Highlight Tour of Western Cuba to explore the main areas: From Havana over the Viñales valley to Trinidad and Che's monument in Santa Clara. This fast-paced itinerary is packed with highlights.
customize ⤍11 days / from2135 USD
Salsa Cubana - Extended
Cuba, the island of rum, salsa, and the revolution. Explore the island's Western highlights on this trip: From Havana over the Viñales Valley to the famous Bay of Pigs and Trinidad - this trip has no shortage of highlights.
customize ⤍6 days / from1495 USD
Compact Cuba: Havana to Trinidad
Fall in love with Cuba as you explore Havana’s enticing and fading colonial streets, where salsa music emanates from every window, and the sweet pungent aroma of cigar smoke holds the air. Continue to the beautiful colonial city of Trinidad, and the fascinating Bay of Pigs.
customize ⤍8 days / from1950 USD
The Culture and Beaches of Cuba: From Havana to Varadero
This trip takes in three distinctly different areas of Cuba: begin at the iconic, cultural hub of Havana, before travelling to the picturesque rural town of Viñales, and then onto the picture-perfect Varadero Beach, one of the best in the Caribbean. Strike the perfect balance with this unique trip!
customize ⤍15 days / from2561 USD
Cuba Completa - Off the beaten track
Go off-the-beaten-track in Cuba. Explore the birthplace of Fidel Castro, relax on Cayo Saetia, an island that used to be Fidel's private holiday home, and explore the Eastern part with Santiago de Cuba.
customize ⤍15 days / from3191 USD
Complete Cuba: Nature, Tradition and Sights of the Revolution
This evocative country offers everything from rich history to exquisite cuisine, idyllic beaches, unique landscapes and charming, colourful cities. Discover the best Cuba has to offer with the complete itinerary encompassing sights related to its literary past and the revolution.
customize ⤍8 days / from1836 USD
Highlights of Cuba: Havana, Trinidad and Cienfuegos
Discover the charismatic country of Cuba. Begin in the iconic city of Havana, where you'll explore the old town, and enjoy a classic car tour! Head into the country, to Viñales and then Trinidad, the former centre of Cuba's sugar production. Continue to the Bay of Pigs, then return to Havana.
customize ⤍8 days / from1585 USD
Western Skyline Ride
Saddle up and enjoy a week-long cycling holiday through Western Cuba. Cycle through the countryside visiting Las Terrazas and the tobacco fields of Viñales via the spectacular Skyline Trail.
customize ⤍5 days / from1062 USD
Havana: History and Hemingway
Havana is like nowhere else on earth: the jewel in Cuba's crown effortlessly blends dishevelled beauty with risqué and vibrant charm. Spend a few days exploring Havana, including the old town, Ernest Hemingway's favourite cigar smoke-filled jazz club, and a tour of the city in a classic car!
customize ⤍10 days / from2320 USD
Cuba: A Feast for the Senses
Welcome to Cuba, an unbeatable bucket-list destination that is a feast for all the senses. This trip will take you beyond Havana's city limits, with its cigar smoke-filled jazz bars, to discover other towns, rural villages and plantations across Cuba, not to mention the idyllic Varadero Beach.
customize ⤍17 days / from3593 USD
Mi Cuba Linda
Your journey starts and ends in Havana, with stops in Viñales, Cienfuegos, and Trinidad in between. Staying at Casa Particulares and dining at private restaurants allows an authentic peek into Cuban life. The grand finale awaits at an all-inclusive resort in Cayo Santa Maria, promising relaxation.
customize ⤍With 22km of creamy-white sands and cerulean waters, Cayo Coco has some of the best beaches in Cuba, hands down, and effortlessly draws holidaymakers to its shores. The best beaches are clustered on the north coast, dominated by the all-inclusive hotels whose tendrils are gradually spreading along the rest of the northern coastline.
Cayo Coco’s big three beaches are home to the all-inclusive and packed with boisterous activities. They are located on the narrow easternmost peninsula jutting out of the Cay’s north coast. For a pocket of tranquillity, escape the main beaches and head to Playa Los Flamencos. The beach offers 3km of fine sands and transparent waters where tangerine-coloured starfish float through the shallows. There’s also good snorkelling out to sea.
A more serene retreat than its rowdier neighbour Cayo Coco, tiny Cayo Guillermo boasts 4km of stunning near-deserted beaches. With such an abundance of largely untouched sand, there’s no shortage of options for a bit of solitude but one of the beaches in Cuba that shouldn’t be missed is the gorgeous Playa Pilar.
On the western tip of Cayo Guillermo, Playa Pilar is named after Ernest Hemingway’s yacht, Pilar, and was the author’s favourite hideaway in Cuba. With limpid clear shallows and squeaky-clean beaches, it is, without a doubt, the top beach choice on Guillermo, if not in the entire cays.
If you are staying in Havana and don't want to venture too far, check here for the best beaches close to Havana.
Needless to say, visiting Cuban beaches is one of the best things to do in Cuba. The northern cays, a network of small islets, interspersed by turquoise waters and mangrove colonies, form one of Cuba’s newest tourist resorts. The cays are linked to the mainland by an impressive 48km causeway making the trip here all part of the adventure.
At the far end of the chain lies Cayo Santa María, home to Playa Perla Blanca, one of the best beaches in Cuba. Its charm lies in its remote, untouched feel: it’s accessible, yet it has no facilities and is a bit of a trek to get to. But the journey, a total of 52km from the mainland, is worth it: the sand is as fine as it gets in Cuba.
Varadero is undoubtedly the package holiday resort in Cuba and the glut of all-inclusive hotels, restaurants, and tour operators are all here for one reason: the beach – one of the longest and one of the best beaches in Cuba. It may be popular but thanks to its sheer size there’s enough space for everyone to indulge in a few days of stress-free sloth.
Stretching almost the entire length of a 25km peninsula that shoots out from the mainland, Varadero fits the classic Caribbean image: downy sand that forms a runway between palm trees along one edge and unruffled, sparkling waters along the other.
Astoundingly beautiful and yet still deserted, Cayo Sabinal is so paradisiacal it’s almost eerie. It’s remained untouched thanks to it’s geographical isolation: to get here you have to drive 7km down a very bumpy dirt track, some of which is a causeway, a journey that no public transport and very few cars bother to make.
A number of beaches await you at the north side of the 30km-long coral key – the longest of which is Playa Los Pinos, a blindingly white beach that’s perfect for a few days of complete tranquillity. Here sugary sands stretch out to meet the transparent waters, while wild horses and deer roam through the woodland that borders the sand giving the beach an almost magical feel.
Playa Ancón is often touted as one of the best beaches in Cuba and it’s easy to see why: it’s one of the longest in the area and boasts a dazzling sweep of sand that arcs around glittering turquoise waters. The beach may have put the area on the tourist map, but it has managed to keep a natural feel, with trees and shrubs creeping down to the shoreline.
It’s a good jumping-off point for snorkelling and diving in the reefs around the shoreline, plus Trinidad, Cuba’s colonial gem is just a stone’s throw away.
Playa Ancón is often touted as one of the best beaches in Cuba © Anna Jedynak/Shutterstock
Simply translated as “turquoise beach”, it comes as no surprise to find that Playa Turquesa is one of the most beautiful beaches in the region. Filled with golden sand and bordered by mangrove forest at its eastern boundary, the shallow bay has a small coral reef a short swim offshore, while a strip of dense forest between the hotel Riu Playa Turquesa and the beach makes it feel perfectly undiscovered.
Some 5km west from Guardalavaca, picture-perfect Playa Esmeralda (also known as Estero Ciego) boasts clear blue water, powdery sand speckled with thatched sunshades and two luxury hotels hidden from view by thoughtfully planted bushes and shrubs. If you want unashamed hassle-free luxury, where the intrusion of local culture is kept to a bare minimum, this is the place for you.
The resort of Guardalavaca is popular for good reason: a succession of gorgeous beaches sweeping around sheltered reefs, backed by a surrounding landscape of gentle hills and fields of sugar cane. One of the best beaches in the area is delightful Playa Guardalava, a 15000m stretch of dazzlingly white sand that draws both Cubans and tourists alike.
Running along the centre of the beach, a strip of palm and tamarind trees provides a cool walkway and dapples the sand with shade, while a number of stands are on hand to rent out snorkelling equipment.
On Isla de la Juventud’s most remote upturned hook of land, lies Punta Francés, where you’ll find the island’s top beach, Playa Francés. There is over 3km of beach in all, split by a sandy headland into two broad curves of soft, silver shore ringed on one side by the lush green of a woody, palm-specked thicket and on the other by the glassy Caribbean Sea.
The deserted tranquillity of this private world is all part of what makes it exceptional, though this is sometimes destroyed by hordes of cruise-ship visitors. Equally attractive are the nearby reefs; the beach lies within the island’s ecologically protected area, which is renowned for its superb diving.
East of Nueva Gerona, and an easy bike ride from town, Playa Paraíso beach is popular with locals, who call it “El Mini”. The small hoop of rather grubby, seaweed-strewn sand is somewhat redeemed by its friendly atmosphere and a striking hill behind, whose shadow lengthens over the beach in the afternoon.
Find some useful information in our list of tips for backpacking in Cuba.
The tiny islet of Cayo Largo del Sur, a narrow ribbon of land flanked by pale downy sands, is separated from Isla de la Juventud by 100km of sea. With no permanent population, it’s entirely geared to holiday-makers who are drawn here for the irresistible beaches and various watersports.
Protected from harsh winds and rough waves by the offshore coral reef, and with over 2km of stunning white sands, Playa Sirena, at the western tip of the cay, enjoys a deserved reputation as the most beautiful of all the beaches on Cayo Largo del Sur (if not in all of Cuba).
There are far superior dive sites around Cuba than the ones on the Varadero coast, but with several diving clubs on the peninsula, this is one of the best-served areas for diving. The clubs can offer diving equipment and instruction and can arrange excursions elsewhere in the province, commonly to the Península de Zapata in southern Matanzas.
Most of the local dive sites are on the coral reefs around the offshore cays to the east of Varadero, such as Playa Coral, with a coral reef just 30m from the shore along the coast towards Matanzas. As well as the standard coral reef visits, clubs usually offer night- and cave dives.
Hemmed in by salt flats on the northern coast, 128km from Camagüey, Santa Lucia is one of Cuba’s smaller beach resorts. Much more low-key than the packed resorts at Jardines del Rey, it’s perfect if you want to park yourself on the sand for a fortnight, soak up some rays and indulge in a few watersports.
The resort, such as it is, consists of little more than the beaches. The most famous of the beaches here, Playa Santa Lucia, is famous for having the rather thrilling experience of swimming with bull sharks. Remember, however, that shark diving is not for amateurs and you need to contact the Sharks Friends Dive Centre on the beach for a supervised shark dive.
The southern coast of Cayo Largo del Sur boasts some of the very best beaches in Cuba, with warm, shallow waters lapping onto a largely narrow ribbon of pale downy sand. For real solitude, you need to head off to the eastern beaches.
The lovely Playa los Cocos is seemingly endless and is one of the most beautiful beaches in Cayo Largo. It offers stunning views, white sands and peaceful settings. It is characterised by swaying palm trees and the presence of coconut palms, which probably gave the beach its name.
Fifteen kilometres east of Cojímar, the Vía Blanca reaches Havana’s nearest beaches. Playa Santa María del Mar, Playa Boca Ciega and Playa Guanabo, collectively known as the Playas del Este are one of the best beaches in Cuba. Hugging the Atlantic coast, these three swathes of fine sand form a long, twisting ochre ribbon that vanishes in the summer beneath the crush of weekend Habaneros and tourists.
Because of its proximity to Havana, Playa Santa María del Mar, usually just called Santa María, is the busiest and trendiest of the eastern beaches, with boombox reggaeton, watersports and beautiful bodies on sun loungers. Arguably the most attractive of the three beaches, with golden sands backed by grassland and a few palm trees, it’s also the most touristy and can feel a bit artificial.
Cuba is one of the best places for a family holiday. In our guide to the best places to go with kids, you will find other attractive family-friendly destinations.
Ready for a trip to Cuba? Check out the snapshot of The Rough Guide to Cuba.
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written by Rough Guides Editors
updated 7.06.2023
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