The Laguna de Maya is part of a flora and fauna reserve on the coast that also incorporates Playa Coral. Located 2km inland from the beach, it comprises a snack-bar-restaurant by the eponymous lake with boat rental (CUC$5 for two hours) and a short 600m trail through the coastal forest.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
19.47 MILES
Enhance your taste for bucolic provincial life away from the razzmatazz of Matanzas Province's north coast at this ecological farm 14km northeast of San…
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8.62 MILES
For a mappable view of mildewed Matanzas on one side and the broccoli-green Valle de Yumurí on the other, climb 1.5km northeast of the center up Calle 306…
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8.16 MILES
Imagine. You're tramping through Matanzas' tatty streets wondering whether the 'Athens of Cuba' moniker is just a local joke when you stumble upon this…
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17.54 MILES
A gorgeous ruin lying truly abandoned in the middle of small-town Cuba that's heavy with atmosphere and still shines (despite the mildew) with a…
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16.41 MILES
Cuba's second-oldest museum (after the Museo Bacardí in Santiago) offers a selection of weird artifacts, including a strangulation chair from 1830, a face…
16.55 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…
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3.91 MILES
Boat trips on the Río Canímar, 8km east of Matanzas, are a truly magical experience. Gnarly mangroves dip their jungle-like branches into the ebbing water…
0.54 MILES
Your closest bet for shore snorkeling in the Varadero area is Playa Coral, on the old coastal road, about 3km off the Vía Blanca, halfway between Matanzas…
Nearby attractions
0.54 MILES
Your closest bet for shore snorkeling in the Varadero area is Playa Coral, on the old coastal road, about 3km off the Vía Blanca, halfway between Matanzas…
1.46 MILES
The freshwater Cueva de Saturno, 1km south of the Vía Blanca by the road to Varadero's international airport, is a highly popular (ie crowded)…
2.37 MILES
A less-visited cave system off the Matanzas–Varadero highway near Boca de Camarioca, where highlights include Amerindian cave paintings. The cave is…
3.87 MILES
On the western side of the Río Canímar bridge, 8km east of Matanzas, a road runs 1km down to a cove presided over by the four guns of this yellow-painted…
5. Parque Turístico Río Canímar
3.91 MILES
Boat trips on the Río Canímar, 8km east of Matanzas, are a truly magical experience. Gnarly mangroves dip their jungle-like branches into the ebbing water…
6.71 MILES
Cuba's oldest tourist attraction, according to local propaganda, lies 5km southeast of Matanzas and is 300,000 years old. There are 2500m of caves here,…
6.73 MILES
Northeast of Versalles lies this formidable bastion, built by the Spanish in 1735 as part of Cuba's defensive ring. It was tested early on by the British;…
8. Iglesia de San Pedro Apóstol
7.71 MILES
Dominating the scruffy Versalles neighborhood is this fine neoclassical church, which was refurbished inside and out in the mid-2010s. The interior is…