An honest review of our Cuba getaway

Visiting Cuba made us realise how lucky we are to be British. This was by far the worst holiday we have ever had. However, if you are planning a visit, don’t let this put you off. Remember that travel is a subjective experience. Just because we disliked it, it doesn’t mean to say you will.

Issues we faced

We visited Cuba in June 2023 and hoped that this island paradise would be the best holiday we’ve ever had. We stayed in a hotel in a prime location, just across the road from downtown Varadero. First impressions of this hotel were good. The hotel itself was perched upon the sugar white sand of Varadero beach, the most beautiful beach we have ever seen. It also boasted multiple bars and restaurants, however, we soon realised that the food was extremely repetitive and of very poor hygiene as we ended up spending the majority of our visit ill.

After becoming ill from the hygiene of the food in the hotel, we decided to see if we could get some food from the supermarket. We soon realised why the food in the hotel was so repetitive. Cuba was in the middle of a food shortage, and it still remains that way in 2025. There was no food in the supermarkets, just some bottles of water, alcohol and plain crackers. Upon returning to the hotel, we questioned about the food shortage and found out that all Cuban’s had to live out of a ration book. That’s how scarce food was.

Making the best of a bad situation

Despite both being ill and having to cancel our trips to Havana and Cardenas, we tried to make the best out of a bad situation and explore what Varadero had to offer. Firstly, you can’t go to Cuba without lazing on the beach. It is simply the best beach we have ever seen. It was paradise. In addition to the lush white sand and crystal clear water, the best bit about the beach for us was the workers who travelled up and down the beach serving the freshest pina coladas. For $5 they were the best we ever had in Cuba.

Once we had enough of relaxing, we had a walk across the road into downtown Varadero. The town centre was lovely and charming with bright colours, street art, many places to eat and vibrant cocktail bars. We really enjoyed our time spent in the town centre.

As we found it too hot to eat full meals, we just snacked throughout the day. The best places we found to eat were Dino’s Pizzeria and Tacos y Crepes. There we’re many other places to eat in town such as La Barbacoa, Sakura, El Ancla and Bolshoi. Just ensure that the establishment is clean before you decide to eat.

Nightlife

Calle 62 transforms into entertainment central on a night. The whole street turns into a nightclub. People dancing tango to Latin tunes as well as professional entertainers made Calle 62 the place to be. The Cubans definitely know how to throw a good party. Our favourite of all the bars was Bar Bello, a chic, modern, rooftop cocktail bar. The best part, we spent $18 and ended the night really drunk. Exceptional value!

We also loved to spend a couple of hours in the air conditioned ambiance of Bar el Floridita. We were introduced to this place by a Canadian couple we met in our hotel. This place served up some amazing frozen cocktails and tapas. The frozen strawberry daiquiris really helped to cool us down when we had enough of the Caribbean heat. They also had a local band playing Latin and Cuban music which was a lovely touch and made it feel extremely traditional.

Another bar that we really enjoyed was the Beatles Bar. We treated this like our refuge. This places served up some nice food and even better drinks. It was like transporting back to the UK with the vast array of football and Beatles memorabilia hung up on the wall.

Parque Josone

This was by far the nicest place we visited in Varadero. This urban park was created as a celebration of the love between Jose and Onelia, hence, Josone. It was built in 1942 and for 21 years, was the home of these two lovers, until 1963. We found this place to be an oasis of tranquility. You can go on a boat trip around the lake, relax under the shade of the many palm trees. There is even a tasty Italian restaurant here, as well as a bar overlooking the lake. The workers pride themselves in serving the best pina colada in Varadero.

Would we go back?

We’re not saying we would never give Cuba another chance, however, until the political situation changes, we will not return. The country itself is beautiful and it is a real shame that the food shortages impacted our all inclusive holiday the way they did.