Of course the locals are in on the secret, but most tourists are completely in the dark! Just 20 minutes from Havana’s city centre you will find kilometres of golden sand beaches and warm Caribbean waters at Playas del Este.
This beautiful stretch of sparkling beach is just 18km’s to the East of Havana and there are many different areas to explore including Bacuranao, Tarará, El Mégano, Santa María del Mar, Boca Ciega and the town of Guanabo.
Make no mistake, this isn’t Varadero – there are no shiny new mega resorts here and the hotels that do occupy the stretch of beach are weary and run-down. But that shouldn’t put you off having a day at the beach if you are in Havana and looking for something to do. Besides, who can say no to transparent aquamarine waters and silky white sand.
Playas del Este also offers up the opportunity to interact with the locals as it is a popular spot for Cubans to come and relax through the summer months.
A quick guide to Playas del Este:
Tarará – a great place for yachting and diving
Santa María del Mar – Where most of the resorts (and tourists)
Boca Ciega – Popular with gay couples
Guanabo – the most Cuban part of the beach with shops and a night club. Most Casa Particular’s are found here
Want to visit Playas del Este? It is east enough to get a taxi to take you out to the beach for around 20CUC one way (make sure you negotiate a return price). Alternatively we can incorporate a half-day at the beach as part of one of our custom designed private Havana tours.
