Cuba Guide
Varadero and Matanzas
Arrival
All international and most national flights arrive at the Juan Gualberto Gómez Airport ( 
45/24-7015 & 25-3614), 25km west of Varadero. The single terminal of this modern but modest airport has a bureau de change and credit card withdrawal facilities, an information centre and several car rental offices outside in the car park. There is no public bus service, although many hotels have buses waiting to pick up guests with reservations, and it may be worth talking to the driver or tour guide to see if there are any spare seats. There are always plenty of taxis, which will take you to the centre of Varadero for $25CUC ($85CUC to Havana).
The road you'll need to take when driving to Varadero, either from the airport or Havana, is the Vía Blanca, 6km north of the airport, which leads right to the bridge that's the only road link between the peninsula and the mainland. There's a $2CUC charge at a tollgate a few kilometres before the bridge.
All interprovincial buses, whether Víazul ( 45/61-4886) or Astro ( 45/61-2626), arrive at the small Terminal de Omnibus on Calle 36 and Autopista del Sur. There are five hotels within ten blocks of the terminal, some less than five minutes' walk away, though most are just beyond the sweat barrier for travellers with heavy baggage. There are often two or three taxis waiting out front, but if not, your best bet is to ring Taxi OK ( 45/61-4444 & 61-1616). At least half of central Varadero's hotels are within a $5CUC ride.