The 6 Best Beaches in Cuba to discover (both on and off the beaten track)

If there’s one thing that comes to mind when you think about Cuba, it’s a perfect white sandy beach with crystal clear water. And boy, you aren’t wrong! From the famous, touristic wide stretches of sand to the hidden gems on the Southern coast, there’s a beach for everyone’s liking. Therefore, we present to you: the 6 best beaches in Cuba. Don’t go home without at least visiting one on this list!

As we visited only 2 top beaches in Cuba (we planned to visit a third as well, but Covid-19 threw a spanner in the works), we asked some other travel bloggers what their favourite Cuban beach is! We’ll be discussing these beaches in a counter-clockwise motion – which is also the route most travellers take when visiting Cuba.

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The best beaches in Cuba

#1 Playas del Este

There’s no doubt that Cuba has some of the best beaches in the world but many travellers think that they need to choose beach OR city when they come to Cuba. The truth is that they can have both.

Just 30 minutes outside the capital are the Havana beaches, also known as Playas del Este, which means the east beaches. They aren’t as spectacular as Varadero but they do have the white sands and turquoise blue waters. And unlike Varadero, which is mostly full of tourists, this is where locals go on weekends. If you’re looking for a Cuban experience, this is it.

The most active and one of the best beaches in Cuba near Havana is Santa Maria, where you’ll find most locals with their families blasting regaetton and drinking rum. You can rent an umbrella and beach chairs for only $2 each but you’ll need to get there before noon as it’s a popular beach.

There are lots of food stands and places to buy beer and rum, along with a convenience store if you want to buy some snacks or water.

Although there are hotels on this beach, most of them are subpar considering the expense. And once the sun goes down, so does the party as everyone leaves. It’s best to grab the tourist bus, which is $5 return and runs once an hour, to return back into Havana.

Contributed by Ayngelina from Bacon is Magic

#2 Cayo Jutías

Cayo or Playa Jutías is a wonderful stretch of white sand on the North coast of the Piñar del Río-peninsula. As it’s quite remote and there’s no accommodation either, most tourists visit as a day trip from nearby Viñales. However, it is possible to stay in this casa particular – which is the closest one to this pristine beach – and it gets some raving reviews.

Cayo Jutías beach is a lovely, quite narrow sandy beach with many mangrove areas which give it an adventurous feeling. And the water is so extremely clear, calm and shallow that it’s not only heaven to swim in, but it makes it a perfect Cuban beach for families!

In the central section, you can find the restaurant (try to avoid it if possible!) and a couple of beach chairs and umbrellas for rent. Both left and right there are more remote areas with natural shade and fewer tourists. The right leg of the beach is great for snorkelling as well.

Getting to Cayo Jutías, Cuba from Viñales is quite the trip as the road is in very bad conditions (they’ve been working on it though… for the last 9 years!). So, prepare for a 2-hour hot and bumpy ride in a classic car packed with other tourists. However, we found the beach to be so enjoyable that is was well worth the long day trip (you’ll be gone from 9AM to about 6PM).

#3 Playa Caletón

Playa Larga, Cuba is a small but colourful fishermen’s town in the Matanzas province and – together with Playa Girón – the closest home base for the Zapáta de Ciénaga National Park and the Bay of Pigs area. Although there’s a pretty decent beach in town – Playa Larga – we preferred the Caletón neighbourhood both for staying and for its beach. Don’t expect too much of the word neighbourhood though, it’s basically just one town – you can walk from Caletón to central Playa Larga in about 20 minutes.

Playa Caletón, Cuba is a bit more off the beaten track without being completely non-touristic but allows you to see more of real-life Cuba. The laid-back atmosphere and the colourful (guest) houses give it an awesome Caribbean vibe. Be warned that you might not want to leave anymore! There are a couple of small restaurants on the beach that allow you to use the lounges and beach chairs if you drink something. There’s also a bit of shade from a couple of big palm trees, which is always useful if you don’t want to burn under the hot Cuban sun. Also, the water is quite shallow (about knee-deep) for quite some time. Don’t expect a white sandy beach here, but the lack of groups of tourists and high buildings more than make up for that!

If you don’t want to hang around on the beach all day, make sure to book a birdwatching tour in the Ciénaga de Zapáta NP (flamingos!), visit Playa Girón and its museum about the failed Bay of Pigs invasion or go snorkelling or diving in one of the best snorkel locations in Cuba!

We ended up staying 9 nights in Casa Ana and can not recommend it enough. Ana, Giraldo and their daughter Gleybis became our Cuban family and we hope to see them again one day! Check out our complete review of Casa Ana here.

Check out our complete guide to Playa Larga for more information on its beaches, sights, accommodation and restaurants!

#4 Playa La Boca

You’ll find Playa La Boca just 5 kilometres from the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Trinidad (take a taxi for 5-8 CUC, there are no buses or rent a bike and get some exercise en route). 

This sleepy little village has a couple of streets with several places to eat and a couple of pop-up bars, where local rum and cold beer can be found alongside fresh fruit juice. 

The beach here is sandy, with a small naturally sheltered pool that’s excellent for snorkelling with children.  There are rocks and a few benches where you can picnic, but few other facilities here, other than what’s in the village – luckily that’s just across the road from the beach!  You’ll also find fabulous casa particulars here in which to stay with glorious views of the beach and the ocean that provide breakfast on the terrace. 

Bar El Coral provides snacks and drinks closest to the beach and a little further inland the Hostal El Barco does great lobster and other seafood dinners.  Stay at the Hostal Terraza al Mar La Boca for great views and fab breakfasts. There are few facilities here at Playa La Boca, this is definitely a local experience and it is all the richer for it.

Contributed by Sarah from Cuba’s Best

#5 Cayo Coco

Cayo Coco is known internationally as one of the top vacation destinations in Cuba. Although not the most cultural place in Cuba, if you are looking for a beautiful beach then Cayo Coco really hits the mark.

The white sand and turquoise waters are some of the most idyllic in Cuba. Not to mention it is just a short 30-minute drive to most accommodations in Cayo Coco so if you have limited time for your vacation you can get started right away!

Outside of all-inclusive resorts, accommodation is quite limited in Cayo Coco, Cuba. Back when we stayed on the island, we didn’t have the same sustainable mission we do today. But now that we do we would suggest you opt for Melia Cuba. It is a five-star resort and one of the only hotels in Cuba which has started implementing sustainable practices into their everyday business activities. 

Outside of lounging by the pool or beach and taking part in activities at your resort, there are a great number of excursions. There is good diving in the area and some awesome boat tours. If you travel just outside of Cayo Coco you can visit Redonda Lagoon, visit the Patria Sugar Mill Museum or take part in a cigar rolling class – something we highly recommend you do!

Contributed by sustainable travel bloggers Oksana & Max from Drink Tea & Travel.

#6 Varadero

Varadero in Cuba is a gorgeous stretch of beach, with classically Caribbean white sand and inviting turquoise waters. Most of the hotels here are large, all-inclusive megaresorts, which if you’re looking for hearty buffet breakfasts, free-flowing drinks and a place to kick-back and relax, will certainly fit the bill. Guests can enjoy sprawling selections of swimming pools, plenty of on-site activities and private sections of the beach, most of which are kitted out with sunbeds, parasols and cabanas for hotel guests only.

There are also some casas particulares now bookable on or near Varadero beach, but most choose to stay in the all-inclusive for the ease of eating and drinking on site.

While Varadero isn’t exactly the place to go if you want to interact with traditional Cuban culture, there are a few activities you can enjoy nearby such as the Varadero Street Market, the House of Rum and the Varahicacos Ecological Reserve which will give you a taste of ‘real Cuba’.

Beautiful Varadero can easily be reached from Havana or directly from the airport and there are various options to choose from. The first option is to simply take a taxi to Varadero. This will take around two hours from Havana and will set you back around $100 each way. The second is the bus (either Transtur or Viazul) which takes between two and three hours and costs between $10-15. Lastly is the train from Le Coubre Station in Havana which is a slow but cheap option, taking four hours but costing less than $5.

Contributed by Chrysoula from Travel Passionate