Things to do in Varadero
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Grocery Store
There are grocery stores ; beside Aparthotel Varazul; at Caracol Pelicano; at Club Herradura and at Cabañas del Sol. Always check prices at these places, so the cashier doesn't overcharge you. Shops in the large resorts gouge their guests for mineral water etc.
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Calle 62
Set in the transition zone between old and new Varadero, this simple snack bar attracts clientele from both ends. It's good for a cheese sandwich during the day, and the ambience becomes feistier after dark with live music going on until midnight.
reviewed
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Galería de Arte Varadero
Antique jewelry, museum-quality silver and glass, paintings and other heirlooms from Varadero's bygone bourgeois days are sold here. As most items are of patrimonial importance, everything is already conveniently tagged with export permission.
reviewed
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Castel Nuovo
At the gateway to the peninsula stands one of the town's best pizza and pasta restaurants, a cheap, no-nonsense place where atmosphere is lively and the food comes fast. Skip the chicken, beef and fish dishes and go with the Italian fare.
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E
ARTex Handicraft Market
A small flea market opposite the Hotel Acuazul, ARTex Handicraft Market has an excellent selection of CDs, cassettes, T-shirts and even a few musical instruments. Also check out the proper ARTex store.
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Casa de las Américas
A retail outlet of the famous Havana cultural institution, this place sells CDs, books and art.
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Bar Benny
A tribute to Benny Moré, this place has a jazz-den energy, with black-and-white photos of the legendary musician lining the walls and his velvety voice oozing from the sound system. Post-beach cocktails and olives are recommended.
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Gran Parque de la Artesanía
The open-air artisans' market that once stood on the site of the Centro Comercial Hicacos has been reborn further down Av 1.
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Ranchón el Compay
There are not so many Varadero restaurants facing the beach, which makes this chirpy thatched-roof affair all the more alluring. Set just off the Parque Central, it serves lobster, shrimp and a mean filet mignon.
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Centro Todo En Uno Bowling Alley
Kids love the bolera (bowling alley) inside the Centro Todo En Uno, a complex with a giant, modern playground adjacent and lots of junk food, making this a good family destination away from the resorts.
reviewed
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Restaurante Mesón del Quijote
Next to a statue of Cervantes' famous Don who seems to be making off rather keenly toward the all-inclusive resorts, this restaurant is one of the eastern peninsula's only non-resort options. Perched on a grassy knoll above the Av las Américas, its Spanish-tinged menu makes a refreshing change from the all-you-can-eat buffet.
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Museo Municipal de Varadero
Working up the beach from Hotel Acuazul Varazul, you'll see many typical wooden beach houses with elegant wraparound porches. The most attractive of the bunch, Varadero's Museo Municipal, has been turned into a balconied chalet displaying period furniture and a snapshot of the resort's history.
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La Casa de Antigüedades
On the edge of Parque Josone, this is an old mansion crammed with antiques where beef, fish and shellfish dishes are served beneath chandeliers. It's the former home of Irenée Du Pont's butler, an example of how the other half lived.
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Barracuda Grill
In a thatched pavilion overlooking the beach on the grounds of the Barracuda Diving Center, this popular place has tasty fish and shellfish and it has satisfied many a post-dive appetite.
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Habana Café
Done up like Planet Hollywood meets the Tropicana, this place has a talented floor show followed by disco dancing. Expect the 35 plus set and a preponderance of guayabera shirts.
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Lai-Lai
An old stalwart set in a two-storey mansion on the beach, Lai Lai has traditional Chinese set menus with several courses. If you've been craving some wonton soup, crave no more.
reviewed
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Heladería Coppelia
What, a Coppelia with no queues? Set above the new shopping complex in Parque de las 8000 Taquillas, Varadero’s ice-cream cathedral is bright, airy and surprisingly uncrowded.
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Bar Mirador
On the top floor of the Mansión Xanadu, Bar Mirador is Varadero's ultimate romantic hangout where happy hour conveniently coincides with sunset cocktails.
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Restaurante Guamairé
For something different, this restaurant dishes up pineapple and crocodile kebabs reared at the Boca de Guamá crocodile farm. Perfectly legal in case you were wondering.
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Restaurante La Vicaria
Set meals of fish, pork or chicken include a beer - like all La Vicarias, the price and service make this one of the most popular places in town. There's also a nice garden.
reviewed
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Restaurante El Ranchón
A pleasant thatched dining hall overlooking the beach opposite Hotel Sunbeach. It's a simple, reasonable menu done well: shrimp with garlic, pork chops and fish fillets.
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La Góndola Pizzería
Close to Casa de la Miel La Colmena, this restaurant has delicious pizzas, lasagna and tortellini with Bolognese sauce. Head to the romantic dining room in the back.
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FM–17
With more local vibe than most Varadero visitors ever see, this simple place has sandwiches and burgers for CUC$1 to CUC$2, plus a free cabaret show nightly at 9pm.
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Bazar Varadero Publicigraf
In Parque Central; ceramics, T-shirts, books and more.
reviewed
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Discoteca la Bamba
Varadero's most modern video disco is at Hotel Tuxpán, in eastern Varadero. It plays mostly Latin music and is considered 'hot.'
reviewed