What to Expect in Varadero

Varadero, Cuba

We had a wonderful time in Varadero, Cuba! The beach and waters were beautiful and the weather was just so delightful. Before we left for Cuba, we got some tips from folks who have been there. Here are some helpful ones which worked for us!

1. Set low expectations on food. We got many accounts that the food in Cuba was bad, that it was bland. We did not think it was bad at all (unless maybe it is resort-specific?)! Anyway, with low expectations, we actually were pleasantly surprised. We went to Cuba not to eat American food. We did not go there to eat dimsum, sushi, pizza or burgers. We want to be immersed in the culture and eat Cuban food! Now, if you are staying in an all-inclusive (anywhere for that matter!), you really get tired of pretty much the same food everyday. This is when the ala carte becomes handy and you can add some variety to your meals.

We liked the Cuban rice with black beans. It was a nice change from the usual plain white rice. We also stuck to the grilled stuff—grilled fish, shrimps, pork, chicken and beef. How can you go wrong with that? 

Fish and Cuban rice with black beans

We did see some folks bring in their own condiments and spreads. I didn’t like their ketchup, which we tried with some fries. Beyond that, I made sure to eat food which did not require ketchup! I can have all of that back home! Some brought small peanut butter jars. I hope those people tried the local cheese because it was delicious! 

We also checked out a local restaurant. The lobster was not only beautifully presented in Barbacoa, it was delicious!

Trip Advisor-rated La Barbacoa restaurant, Varadero

Beautifully-presented grilled lobster at La Barbacoa, Varadero

Oh and do not get me started with the coffee… It is absolutely delicious! In this trip we also discovered the Spanish coffee (we usually get Irish if we want it spiked). It was so good—espresso with coffee and cocoa liquor. I have to attempt to make this at home!

Spanish Coffee in tiny plastic cup--Varadero, Cuba

2. Bring travel mugs. We brought those promotional ones we could actually leave behind. We used these mugs to refill filtered water, have a bigger mug of coffee (and mojitos and piña coladas!). Otherwise, you are left with having to go to the bar many times (and use up so many tiny plastic cups! I don’t think these are recycled!!)

Mojitos --Varadero, Cuba

3. Speaking of drinks. Surely the tour guide will advise you but water is filtered in the resorts and is safe to drink—except the tap! We did however, take oral anti-diarrhea prior to our trip to make sure we don’t spend our vacation in the toilet.

4. Bring mosquito repellent. It is not something to be alarmed about as we had no news about diseases related to mosquitoes at that time. However, you should be aware that there are mosquitoes and that repellent is highly recommended (as well as bringing along pants, long sleeves). I did not see any local stores or hotel convenience stores having these on stock. Hubby had zero bites while I got some, which just proves that my blood is tastier, right? :P Oh wait, don't tell the vampires!

5. What about gifts? There were some recommendations to bring goods/gifts that the Cubans don’t have access to due to the embargo. But these are mainly American goods. They do trade with Venezuela, the Netherlands, Canada and China. We saw many resort staff wearing Toronto shirts under their uniforms and having Canada pins and stickers. You can even find the Blue Jays logo stamped in some of their leather goods in the local markets! Point is, in my opinion, the locals already get enough of the gifts from Canadian tourists. I think they appreciate it, but as with any other destination, my sense is that they appreciate the cash more. So when you get your dollars changed, get some smaller bills for tips.

And other things we learned:

1. Make sure you have toilet paper, hand gel and tips (CUC—Cuban Convertible Peso) to use the toilet/washroom outside of your resort. On our day trip to Havana and while walking the streets of Varadero, we found out that there is a “charge” to use the toilet (even in the airport!). Well, at least there will be a person outside waiting for you to hand over a CUC to use the facilities. Some free toilets are reminiscent of a porta-potty experience and would not have toilet paper or soap available.

2. Going around Varadero—it is easy enough to walk to many stores selling souvenirs. There are also taxis, calesas, Coco taxis and Double decker buses which are reasonably priced.

Coco Taxi in Varadero, Cuba

Calesas in Varadero, Cuba

3. Prepare to unplug. Wifi is not a big thing over there. If you really MUST post, you can get Wifi cards for something like CUC$3 but the connection may be spotty (or use your roaming—but, really?!). It was a vacation for us so we were not expecting any emails. Roaming was reserved for emergencies, which thankfully we did not need to use. As for not being able to post on social media, it was a delightful break. I would daresay that unplugging is great for truly enjoying your vacation. Try it.