13. Playa Coral: one of the best beaches in Cuba for shore snorkelling
There are far superior dive sites around Cuba than the ones on the
Varadero coast, but with several diving clubs on the peninsula, this is one of the best-served areas for diving. The clubs can offer diving equipment and instruction and can arrange excursions elsewhere in the province, commonly to the Península de Zapata in southern Matanzas.
Most of the local dive sites are on the coral reefs around the offshore cays to the east of Varadero, such as Playa Coral, with a coral reef just 30m from the shore along the coast towards Matanzas. As well as the standard coral reef visits, clubs usually offer night- and cave dives.
14. Playa Santa Lucia: for shark feeding adventures
Hemmed in by salt flats on the northern coast, 128km from
Camagüey, Santa Lucia is one of Cuba’s smaller beach resorts. Much more low-key than the packed resorts at Jardines del Rey, it’s perfect if you want to park yourself on the sand for a fortnight, soak up some rays and indulge in a few watersports.
The resort, such as it is, consists of little more than the beaches. The most famous of the beaches here, Playa Santa Lucia, is famous for having the rather thrilling experience of swimming with bull sharks. Remember, however, that shark diving is not for amateurs and you need to contact the Sharks Friends Dive Centre on the beach for a supervised shark dive.
Our favourite tailor-made trip:
- Cuba Completa - Off the beaten track - Explore the birthplace of Fidel Castro, relax on Cayo Saetia, an island that used to be Fidel's private holiday home, and explore the Eastern part with Santiago de Cuba.