Varadero is Cuba's most famous beach, synonymous with vacations and summer. For those of us living on this island, Varadero is an escape from the daily grind.
It's the time to disconnect from reality, forget about problems, and vibe with the sea, friends, and Caribbean vibes.
This weekend, along with part of my team at Estilo Viajero, we took our first trip to Varadero. The first dip of the year.
Part of our team was already in Varadero (two days before us), and since their arrival, they warned us about the rough sea (nothing unusual for this time of year).
Throughout the journey from Havana to Varadero, I kept looking out the window, just hoping the sea would calm down by daybreak. Sometimes we lost sight of the sea for a few minutes, and all I could think about was for the wind to calm down, to let us enjoy.
Before I knew it, we were crossing the Bacunayagua Bridge, or in other words, we had arrived in Matanzas, then the city of Varadero, and finally the Varadero toll booth (we had arrived).
Around 8:30 in the morning, we all got off the bus at the designated park for ventures like ours. This time, we were welcomed by the part of our team that had already been in the resort for two days.
We wasted no time giving instructions to the group with us, shared some tips from seasoned travelers, and wished them a good day.
After the chat, my "special envoys" informed me that red flags were flying everywhere, and lifeguards didn't allow anyone near the shore.
My world collapsed at that moment.
Thoughts of the 40 clients who had chosen us, my team, and how a beach day wouldn't involve the beach raced through my head. I won't deny it hit me hard, and at first, I tried to enter the sea, but the water pushed me back, and the wind made me freeze.
We had to accept the situation and make the most of the remaining day (the weather wasn't in our hands).
After some thought... we decided to head to Varadero Boulevard and set up a game of "Domino de Tankes".
That's our affectionate name for our domino championship.
We pushed two tables together, ordered this beer dispenser (we colloquially call it a "beer belly" or more formally, a beer dispenser in my country).
And so the championship was on, as you can see, all very impromptu.
Yes, dominoes are something that can't be missing in the backpack, and on some trips, they're a fundamental part of the routine.
After crowning the winning pair of the First Domino de Tankes Varadero 2024, we decided to have lunch right there.
Our team has gotten used to bringing packed lunches from home to save money and for safety (since we had a bad experience that left us a bit traumatized).
After lunch, we decided to go out and enjoy a bit of Varadero's life.
This time I was with my partner, who had never visited Varadero before, so we decided to enter Josone Park and show them around a bit, as it doesn't fit the famous idea of beaches and resorts that Varadero is known for.
The park's name comes from the combination of its creators' names (José and Onelia = Josone). The park has a beautiful history that we'll be talking about in upcoming posts, so let's go back...
Since it was their first time in these parts, we decided to rent some boats and take a ride on the lagoon (*30 minutes for 300 CUP, or less than 1 USD*). During our ride, we came across this peculiar friend.
Do you know what animal it is? If so, leave it in the comments.
We spent quite a while here, as we both love nature, and it's a peaceful place. We took the opportunity to enjoy some snacks by the lagoon (I missed a good piña colada, the one here didn't look very good, so I didn't order it).
The truth is, time flew by, and we had an amazing time. The tranquility and peace that this place transmits are priceless.
I wanted to show them more things, there were things I didn't get to show them, especially Varadero's Starbuck (*well, it's not called that, but it's the closest thing to the franchise in Cuba*).
On the way back, we made our usual stop at the Bacunayagua Bridge Viewpoint, one of the largest engineering works in Cuba. The bridge rises about 142 meters above sea level and was built in 19XX. Of course, we took the customary selfie and continued on to Havana.
The day didn't go as planned; imagine going to the beach and not being able to swim. Luckily, I was with my team, and we all wanted to make the best of it. We deserved a different day, especially since it was the beginning of our vacation, our last vacation together, so every day counts.
We have little time left to finish university and maybe be apart for a while, so these days together, we couldn't waste them. We had made the trip, we were far from home, so we had to enjoy it however it turned out. It wasn't the time to be upset.
And that's when I remember... *Improvised plans are the best.*
That's the motto of an old friend, and he's right. It was a very different day from what we had planned.
I had never seen the sea like that before; the best thing we did was not to swim and heed the warnings of the place (they say a girl drowned that afternoon). For us, and especially for my partner, this day won't be forgotten, because we managed to turn it into one of those days that don't come often.
We'll be back in Varadero soon and of course we'll revisit Josone Park, and I hope this time we can enjoy the beach. If we don't enjoy the beach, we already have other plans that I'll be talking about in a few days, so don't go too far because there's still a lot of travel content and especially weekend vibes.
See you soon