Two days in Varadero: Cuba
Varadero was a continuation of our time in Cuba. After spending 3 days in Havana, we took a cab to Varadero. The ride was approximately two hours, not including a stop for the best Pina Coladas served in a pineapple. MUST make this stop - the pina coladas were the best we had so far! It’s a little restaurant in Bacunayagya, which is about 45 minutes before Varadero. Other than the famous Pina Coladas served at this little rest stop, it is better known as an observation deck for viewing the highest bridge in Cuba and getting a view of the Jumari Valley. This was a perfect little pick-me-up to break up the long car ride!
Melia Internacional Varadero All-Inclusive
So many mixed emotions regarding Melia. We had a little bit of mix-up at check-in which cost us an extra $500. Without any other options, we had to pay the extra amount. It caused a bit of panic as U.S. credit cards do not work on Cuban credit card machines. So, we had to use the web to pay the $500! Luckily, everything worked out at the end.
Melia is a beautiful new property. I believe it’s the newest property on the Varadero strip- one year old. The lobby opens up to a view of the courtyard, with the beach in the distant. It has two bars, one on the west end and another one on the east end of the entrance. Many other bars are scattered around the premises. Wifi is included with the stay. However, the passcode is limited to a five hour usage. After it runs out, guests can visit reception for additional time at no-charge.
We had booked Junior Suites with Ocean view. Not disappointed with the room layout, size, location, or the amazing beach view! However, both rooms had a very foul smell that slammed us in the face as soon as we entered. Hind and Ramsey’s room had an overflowing shower which caused a small flood in the foyer and bathroom. It took over 8 hours, and multiple calls and visits to reception, for the hotel to fix the issue. But we didn’t let that stop us from enjoying the pristine, white sand beaches!
After admiring the ocean from our balcony, we changed for the beach, grabbed a quick lunch, and hit the beach! Ah, the soft sand….and the warmth of the beaming sun! Lunch was at the buffet located right before you get on the beach. The food was OK- salads, grilled fish, pork & chicken (all grilled meats were over-cooked and dry). Be warned that they do not serve cocktails at the buffet, only wine. However, the bar located at the start of the beach has anything and everything - grab a drink before heading down to the beach as the service on the beach can be too slow.
Several relaxing hours later, it’s time to get ready for dinner! Now, this is where we have additional unexpected drama. The guys went to Sosa (Japanese) to make reservations when they opened at 5pm. However, they were informed that seating was not available. Actually, seating was not available at any of the restaurants except buffet. What the reception failed to inform us of at check-in, was that we must make dinner reservations right away to ensure we have seating. Ramsey was able to get reservations at the Sosa (Japanese) for the following night but nothing was available on the first night. We spoke with Rachel, manager of Customer Service, who booked us for dinner at 8:30pm at The Level, and ensured we are booked for Sosa the following night for 9pm.
Food at The Level was actually delicious! My favorite were the croquettes! The service was amazing, and on-point. However, we did not see why we were told to arrive early as the restaurant had only one or two other tables occupied.
After dinner we decided to skip the hotel entertainment going on that night at their outdoor bars, for the Beatles Bar in Varadero town. The casual bar features live Rock n’ Roll music all night, every night of the week, and offers a large outdoor standing/seating area. The band playing that night was amazing! They played so many nostalgic Rock & Alternative songs…from Nirvana, Metallica, Bon Jovi, and many many others! Every time we wanted to leave to check our other places, they would play another amazing song. After finally leaving the Beatles Bar, we walked a block down to another lively outdoor street party, but this time with pumping Latino music and salsa dancing in the middle of the street- Definitely worth exploring while in Varadero for a night out!
Day 2 in Varadero was spent on the beach for the first half of the day. After lunch, we spent it in the pool and the swim up bar enjoying their flavorful Pina Coladas. We had a better lunch experience than we did on Day 1. We tried the other lunch location the hotel offered, also buffet style. However, this time, they had a much larger variety of delicious food!
After several hours of soaking in the afternoon sun, we made our way via taxi to Varadero’s Street Market where they sell all kinds of local handcrafts and souvenirs: leather goods, straw hats, bracelets, paintings, wooden crafts, etc. You can easily spend hours going from stall to stall. Many of the items become repetitive but you will definitely walk out with several souvenirs you want to take back home for yourself or as gifts! Don’t forget to bargain!! We had an amazing cab driver who waited for us util we finished our shopping. Following the street market, we went on the hunt to buy the best local coffee where shockingly, we had to drive to four different stores to finally get our hands on it. We felt as if we had hit the jackpot with three bags of coffee! After the shopping and coffee hunt, we were back at the hotel to get ready to finally dine at their Japanese restaurant SOSA (so we thought..). We get dressed and meet for a quick drink at one of the outdoor bars that had some live Latin entertainment util our 9pm reservation. Another reservation drama!! We arrive downstairs at Sosa, at least 10 minutes prior to our reservation time, only to be informed by the host that our name was not on the list. Cut a long story short, with some help from the manager on duty that night, we were squeezed in to the Italian restaurant at closing time and rushed to eat before their closing time at 10pm. The head server there was amazing! She quickly brought our dishes out, ensured the wine glasses were always full, and was extremely apologetic for our experience at the resort. She definitely turned our night around with her cheerful demeanor.
Overall, the highlight for Varadero was definitely the stretch of beautifully soft, white sand beaches and crystal clear turquoise water! In addition, we really enjoyed the casual setting and live music at Beatles Bar and of course the Artisan Market. So, if you plan on adding Varadero to your Cuba itinerary, you don’t need more that two full days to make the best of your stay there. Unless all you want to do is lounge in the pool or at the beach. In that case, stay a while!
What to wear
It’s beach town! Hence, go casual during the day. Dress it up at night.
Women:
Bikinis/swimsuit
Swim cover-ups
Water shoes/flip flops
Sun dresses or shorts if you want to venture into town during the day
Dresses, rompers, jumpsuits for night dining and entertainment
Heels/pumps/cute evening shoes for dinner
Men:
Swimwear
Water shoes/flip flops
Shorts and t-shirts/polo if you want to venture into town during the day
Slacks and a nice button-down shirt or polo for night dining and entertainment
