Varadero and Playa Ancón are renowned as being some of Cuba’s prettiest beaches. These are beaches where you don’t need much else to do besides sit on the sand and take dips in the blue-green water.

Baracoa is the oldest town in Cuba, and has a black sand beach near the Dauba National Park. Take a boat trip to the Isla de la Juventud to see some of Cuba’s nature reserves. Cayos de Villa Clara connects to central Cuba via a long causeway, so you can easily drive to these remote beaches.

Windsurfing is a popular activity on Cayo Guillermo and Playa Santa Lucía. Varadero attracts a huge number of tourists, so it has very well­developed resources for visitors. María La Gorda has underwater caves where visitors can go on interesting scuba diving missions. The beach of the Bay of Pigs also has good snorkeling conditions.

Tell us what you want out of your beach vacation and we’ll tell you where to go. Our trip planners are local Cubans and experts on travel — the best possible resources for vacation information.