Blau Varadero

Varadero


Suspend your judgment on Varadero’s tallest and most architecturally unsubtle resort. Trying hard to imitate an Aztec pyramid from the outside (why?), the interior is nothing short of spectacular: a 14-story enclosed courtyard embellished by hundreds of hanging plants, some falling for over 80m. Huge rooms are surgically clean and the higher ones have the best views in Varadero.

Downstairs, you’re in resort land, so expect loquacious poolside entertainers, beer in plastic cups and iffy Michael Jackson theme nights.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Varadero attractions

1. Cueva de Ambrosio

1.03 MILES

For something completely different in Varadero's tourist circus, decamp to this large cave 500m beyond the Club Amigo Varadero on the Autopista Sur. It's…

2. Reserva Ecológica Varahicacos

1.59 MILES

The Varahicacos is about all that's left of the 'wild' Hicacos Peninsula: hotel developers have been chomping away at its edges for years. There are three…

3. Mansión Xanadú

2.64 MILES

Everything east of Varadero's small stone water tower (it looks like an old Spanish fort, but was built in the 1930s) once belonged to the Du Pont family…

4. Marina Gaviota

3.23 MILES

At the peninsula's eastern tip, state-run Gaviota's impressive marina, built in the early 2010s, encompasses a wide malecón (main street), luxury…

5. Parque Josone

5.34 MILES

If you're set on sightseeing in Varadero, ensconce yourself in this pretty green oasis. These landscaped gardens date back to 1940 and take their name…

6. Iglesia de Santa Elvira

5.83 MILES

Just east of Parque Central is this tiny colonial-style building resembling a displaced alpine chapel.

7. Cayo Piedras del Norte

7.69 MILES

Located 5km north of Playa las Calaveras (one hour by boat), Cayo Piedras del Norte has been made into a 'marine park' through the deliberate sinking of…

8. Arechabala Rum Factory

9.78 MILES

To the northwest of the center of Cárdenas, in the industrial zone, is this famous rum factory founded in 1878 by Spanish immigrant José Arechabala…