Gaviota Travel Mart- 2019
As my first time going to Varadero/Havana I was a little nervous about the trip, but soon I realized that both destinations have so much to offer and it doesn’t matter what your budget is you can always find a great place to stay along with great activities and experiences.
We arrived to Varadero on September 28th, we had the opportunity of staying at Paradisus Princesa del Mar for the first 3 nights of our stay. As part of our FAM trip we were able to visit a lot of different hotels on top of the ones we were staying at – this was a great chance to get familiar with the product we sell.
We visited hotels ranging from 2 stars all the way up to 5 stars (Gran Caribe Punta Arena, Hotel los Delfines, Roc Arenas Doradas, Melia Internacional, Fiesta Americana Punta Varadero). During the time we spent at the hotels we were taken on a tour of all all the facilities – including rooms, beach, pools, restaurants, etc. -.
After spending the first 3 nights at Paradisus Princesa del Mar we took a transfer to Havana (around 2 hours). We stayed at Hotel Palacio de Cueto located in Old Havana; I loved this hotel not only because of the service but the location was amazing. We had a few hours to explore Old Havana one night and just by walking a few minutes we saw all kinds of restaurants, bars, museums. When walking along the street of Old Havana you can’t help but stop every few seconds to take pictures of everything you see.
We were able to go to 2 local restaurants while staying in Havana (El Buenaventura Restaurant and Tocororo Restaurant ), if you’re looking to experience authentic Cuban food you need to go to either one of these restaurants – both restaurants offer a selection of food and drinks along with live music to enjoy while eating. After our lunch we went on a walking tour around Havana where we were able to experience the historical side of Havana, we visited the Museum of Africa along with the Museum of Colonial Art.
On the second day of our stay in Havana we had the opportunity to go on a tour of the newest hotel that will be opening its doors to guests on November 2019 – SO/ Paseo del Prado-, along with the Iberostar Packard. If you’re looking to experience a 5 star hotel with great service and views, these 2 hotels are a great option – both have infinity pools with great views!
After our amazing days in Havana we went back to Varadero for the final 2 days of our stay. The journey to and from Havana is a whole experience by itself – if you’re able to stop you might have the chance to buy treats and fruits from a street vendor along with the chance to take amazing pictures, it honestly doesn’t even feel like a 2 hours’ drive with all the things you see.
The last 2 days in Varadero went by so fast, we had an excursion booked to Cayo Blanco – another place you need to see when in Varadero – on the catamaran (the ride on the catamaran is of around 40 minutes). This excursion caters to everyone, if you want to just relax on the beach and enjoy the sun or if you want to enjoy the music while eating and swim around you need to try this.
While on this trip I realized that not a lot of people know what Varadero and Havana have to offer- from food, music and museums to architecture and history; there’s something for everyone.
Written by: Maria Reyna
Staff of Hola Sun
