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You'll won't find legal Casas Particular in the area of Varadero, it's not alowed by the government, for a Cuban, to start a Casa in this area. Although there are some "Red Triangle" casas, those casas are only for Cubans, tourists are not alowed to stay in these casas particulares...Of course you can do stuburn and search yourself an ilegal Casa Particular, and you will find them, but remember when they will find out you risk to get thrown out on the streets at night by the police, and the owner of the Casa will have a big problem ...

• Varadero Hotels

Cuba's privileged geographic position, it's broad continental shelf (70.000 square kilometers, with edges almost totally covered by carefully preserved coral reeves), and its crystal clear waters (underwater horizontal visibility of 30 meters, or 98 feet, and tempatures usually higher than 24 Centigrade) make the island an ideal site for diving and snorkling.

Varadero has 32 wellestablished diving sites at Matanzas bay and on the western side of Sabana-Camaguey archipelago, home of a must for any experienced diver: the Ojos del Megano Blue Hole, and enormous under-water cave located between the Los Cabezotes and Mega-no Chico reefs, at the Bay of Cadiz.

Three International diving centers have branches in the Peninsula, all of them with coaches and dive masters certified by the World Federation of Under-water Activities and the American-Canadian Under-water Certification, and with modern equipment and transportation means.

Most hotels also offer diving courses for beginners, and some tourist packages include in their price a number of day- and night-time dives, in the open sea or at underwater caves.

A national network of specialized medical services and decompression chambers are available as well to guarentee maximum safety in this activity, which is highly in demand in these beautiful natural surroundings.

- The only park of its kind in Cuba, and suited both for snorkling and diving, it is located some 8 nautical miles northeast of Varadero and extends over an area of 2 square nautical miles. The park combines beauty adventure, and security, and features among its attractions the sunken remains of a yacht, a rocket launcher boat, a 102-meter long frigate, an AN-2 passenger plane, and a towboat, deliberately disposed of to create this attactive sea.

- One the way to the "Juan Gualberto Gomez International Airport", the Saturno Cave provides lovers of underwater world with an option that is different: diving through the crystal-clear waters of this 150 meter long and 20 feet deep, cavern, ideal for speleological exploration.

- Here again is a different proposition, also available for those staying at Varadero. Bay of Pigs, on the Zapata Swamp, and only 105 km from Varadero, features 2 diving centers and 14 open sea and underwater cave-diving sites, with superb conditions for the so-called wall diving.

• Diving Courses

Nature tourism, a product of growing demand in the International tourism market, has a promising site at the eastern end of the Hicacos Peninsula, with its rich natural diversity. A practical virginal zone, the area covers 31% of the total territory of the Peninsula and was declared an ecological reserve in 1974 in consideration of its exceptional natural botanical and fauna values. The area is home of the largest, most well preserved forest and coastal vating scenery.

- Extending 9 green hectares and located almost in the center of Varadero, this park offers a varried of dining and bar service. It was originally designed as a country retreat, with its huge stone mansion, fine woodwork and glasses, and an artificial lake, and was completed in 1942. Its name is formed from the first three letters of the names of its first owners: Jose and Onelia, his wife. The park has a sugar cane juice stand, and a bar, "La Gruta", right on the lake side. It also has a swimming pool, and a children party hall, and can be leased for banquets, business dinners, and feasts.

- Most of them of great archeological value, some of them underwater, others turned into night clubs, the Varadero Caves and their surroundings deserve all attention of the visitor.

- Two out of the 15 archeological sites discovered at the Peninsula that reveal the customs of the area's indigenous population are both located in the Varahicos natural Park. The first one is a 250-meter long cave with five interconnected galleries. Inside there are 72 rupestrian paintings, which constitute one of the largest sets of such drawings in the Caribbean islands. During the colonial period, it also served as safe heaven for maroons, or Black runaway slaves.

- Remains of who was reportedly the most ancient inhabitanat off Cuba, dating back to some 8.000 years, were found in this cave, where an Indian cemetery was also disco vered in which 66 induviduals, and 1 skull showing Europoid features, were identified. The cave is located some 15 km from the town of Cantel, South of Varadero.

- Proclaimed a National Monument, this cave has great archeological, scientific, and natural values. It is located in an area known as Predios de Camarioca, on the Matanzas-Varadero Highway. Aside from the evidences of pre-Colombian communities that were discovered in them, the cave's 8 km of galleries shelter several local fauna species and show secundary formations that turn it into a true natural wonder.

- Located near Matanzas city, this cave system was discovered in 1861 and is considered the island's oldest tourist attraction of its kind. Its more than 28 explored cavities treasure large mural paintings, numerous fossils, and evidences of communities that inhabited the area some 1600 years ago. Proclaimed a National Monument in 1987, it is well-knwn for its capricious crystallized formations, among them the one called "El Manto de Colon" (Columbus' Cloak) an emble-matic 12 meter high column formed by a stalagmite and a stalacite that fused together. Programmed tours take the visitor down for a length of 1500 meters, half the caves' total extension.

• Excursion Cueva de Bellamar

Cueva de los Musulmanes
Monument
Varadero

Santa Elvira Church - It date back from 1938, with an irregular structure in which stones and wood are predominant. The church, whose local tile roof rests on thick beams, has double doors and windows. The upper front side features a suspended half arch that serves as the bell tower and ends in a cross.

Parque Retiro Josone
1ra. y 56, Varadero, tel:5-667228, A parque since 1942, with beautiful trees and tropical flowers, a little lake where birds love to stay, it's possible to row a boat at this lake

Artistic Ceramics Workshop - An important intitution that specializes in the making of high quality, low supply ceramics.

Art Gallery - It exhibits paintings, sculptures, engravings, serigraphs, cloths, photographs, as well as original paintings and reproductions of renowned Matanzas artists. Exhibits also extend to works by contemporary Cuban painters, like Manuel Mendive, Flora Fong, and Zaida del Rio.

Museo Municipal (History Museum), Calle 57 y Playa, tel:5-613189. A museum about the people of Varadero and tourism, they also have an Indian art collection. This museum is interesting because of its building, a beautiful blue-white chalet with earthenware tiles, is a good example of how popular the American style was in the beginning of the 20th century

Restaurante Las Americas (Villa Xanadu), Avenida Las Americas, Reparto Las Torres, tel:5-667750. Between 1920 and 1950 an American named Alfred Irenee Dupont de Nemours dared to buy the Hicacos peninsula from Spanisch decendents of a planters family. By this time on this peninsula only where a few houses. Dupont sold little pieces of ground to Cubans and Americans, and in a short time this area changed into a gambling and prostitution center of Cuba. Dupont asked the 2 architectures who desined the Capitolio to build a Villa in front of San Bernardino, the highest point of Varadero. They succeed in 1929 with this 4 story building Villa Xanadu, by that time it costs $338.000. In 1959 after the revolution Dupont fled and left the Villa. The Cuban government changed the place into a chique restaurant in 1963, Las Americas. Next to this restaurant you can play some golf at the largest golf court of Cuba.

Golf
With a design that meets the highest international standards, the Varadero Golf Club has presently the only professional, 18-hole par 72 golf course in Cuba. Experts in the field consider it to be among the most well-planned courses of the Caribbean circuit, as it masterfully combines the easy bogey with the difficult par, in addition to other numerous attractions.

These include sand traps; fairways in the shape of the islands and inner lakes; and broad and well protected greens, with slopes that can put to test the skills of even the most experienced player. Although its 6.850 yards (6.269 meter) are not short of ideal streches for the beginner, where it is always possible to regain the lost strikes.

The course runs from San Bernardino Hill, the highest point at varadero beach, all the way down; on the hilltop the Club House Villa Xanadu Mansion.

• Book Hotel Villa Xanadu

With its conveniently located, modern, well equipped, and functional Plaza America Convention Center, in addition to several other hotel conference facilities, Varadero beach is an ideal destination for conference tourism and incentive trips.

All of these facilities meet the standards of the International Association of Congress Palaces, and have the neccessary qualified personnel for all kinds of meeting projects.

The diversity of cultural, sports, and recreational options, together with the many natural sites at varadero and the nearby cities of matanzas and Havana; the solid hotel infrastructure of more than 1.600 five-star and some 7.600 four-star rooms; the guarantee of quality services, and sea transportation facilities that exist, all make Varadero a great place for an unforgettable incentive trip.

When the evening comes, the look and the pace of Varadero change, and the more than one hundred exciting discotheques, bars, and night clubs open for the enjoyment of those in search of good time out.

So even though most hotels have party halls, piano bars, and excellent tourist animation programs, a cheerful, excited crowd can be seen filling the night places, something that the visitor is encouraged to also do.

Euros: Cuba Will Accept Euros for Tourist Operations in Varadero Cuban authorities will accept euros for operations at tourist facilities in Varadero, starting in June 2002.

Cuban Tourism Minister Ibrahim Ferradáz said that commercial transactions will begin in an experimental manner, but this experience may expand to the rest of the country. Transactions in euros will be accepted in Varadero, since 40 percent of tourists concentrate in that region. If the project works out, it will be expanded to the rest of the country.