Starfish Varadero - All Inclusive
Going to Cuba is on so many of our friends’ bucket lists. Frozen in time as a result of its history, the warmth, charm and exuberance of this unique nation lies in Cubans themselves. Cuba will capture your heart with its people, music, cigars, rum and coffee. And if you want to relax on Varadero´s golden sands while sipping your mojito at the bar or just enjoying daily entertainement at the pool in the warm cuban sun, the Starfish Varadero All Inclusive Resort might be a great option for you.
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I spent one week in Cuba in December 2017 before Christmas. I visited Havana first for 3 days and took a shared taxi for 20€ from there to Starfish Varadero Resort (around 150km distance) where I stayed for 4 days before coming back to Havana and take my flight back to Europe.
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I found a roundtrip flight on Esky.com for 250€ from Amsterdam to Havana (8 hours stopover in Mexico City both ways) with Aeromexico. In order to take advantage of that kind of deals you have obviously to have flexibility of dates and also consider a stopover a positive thing if you get enough time to visit the place where you have to stay before your flight to your final destination.
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If you are planning to visit Cuba, chances are you need a visa to enter the country. Only travellers from 18 countries can freely travel to Cuba without any visa, so check if you need one before you book your trip.
You must also show an outbound flight from Cuba, otherwise, you won’t be able to board the plane.
Other than your visa or tourist card, make sure to print out all crucial documents before travelling to Cuba because there's no internet cafes in Cuba.
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Prior to 2015, Cuba internet was practically non-existent, but much has changed since then. In early 2015, the nation’s telecommunication provider, ETECSA, begun opening up Cuba Wifi Hotspots all over the country.
To access the Cuba Internet via the ETECSA Hotspot you will need an ETECSA prepaid Internet card. The cards come in 1 hour and 5-hour denominations and cost $1.5/hour (so that’s $1.5 for 1-hour card and $7.5 for a 5-hour card) and are sold at ETECSA offices across the country and in most hotels in Cuba also. Each ETECSA card has a unique Username (Usario) and Password (Contraseña), which you need to log into the ETECSA internet service. You can use the cards on your laptop or on your mobile phone.
Do not forget to log off, when you are done browsing. One of the biggest downsides of the cards is that they don’t always terminate the session when you disconnect from wifi.
Many websites do not work in this country like accomodation websites, therefore make sure to book your accommodation well in advance.
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Another important thing I must warn you about Cuba is it's dual currency, meaning you’ll encounter two types of money on your trip there.
As a traveller, you’ll automatically be given CUC (convertible pesos), aligned to US Dollars. Cubans, on the other hand, are payed in CUP which is sometimes referred to as pesos but also as “moneda nacional”. Although people say that CUC is the tourist currency, that’s not really the case. Cubans need to swap their CUP for CUC if they want to buy luxury items, too. 1 CUC = 24 CUP so make sure that you can tell the difference between the two. Having your change given back to you in CUP rather than CUC is a common scam in Cuba (and one that can end up costing you a fair amount of money.) Non Cubans shouldn’t have any CUPs on them.
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Even though the CUC is pegged at the exact same value as the American dollar, ironically, the banks charge a 10% fee for anyone exchanging USD for CUC. Instead, bring Euros, Mexican Pesos or Pound Sterling.
I recommend bringing at least 40€ per day even if you’re usually a strict budget traveller. You might not spend it all but you’ll have it as back up if you need it. You can use ATMs in Cuba but they don’t accept cards by American companies like American Express or Mastercard. Plus, the usage fee is around 4% so withdrawals can get expensive.
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Sometimes, a bus won’t go to the place you’re travelling to. This was the case when I wanted to get my hotel in Varadero. So, instead, I booked a shared taxi for 20€ (one way) at the "Casa Particular" where I stayed in Havana. What’s a Casa Particular, you might be asking? This is basically a room in someone’s house who has permission from the government to host guests. These can cost anywhere from 10€ to 50€ for basic rooms.
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You can also book a transfer with Viajes Kronos Cuba if you'd rather travel more comfortably.
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Cuba is famous for its stunning beaches and Varadero is considered its crown jewel: it's more than 20 km of excellent beaches, white a broad strip of fine, white sand along the shoreline, and a continental shelf that softly sinks into a warm, crystalclear sea of the most varied of blues.
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Starfish Varadero Resort offers you exactly the comfort of a private white sandy beach while you can enjoy the amenities and hospitality services of this beautiful 24-hour all-inclusive resort.
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The hotel nestled on the beach has five restaurants and six bars, swimming pools for kids and adults, daily entertainment, and a lot of activities. Surrounded by peaceful gardens, this resort is the perfect spot if you are looking for a relaxing beach vacation.
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This all-inclusive resort with 24h front desk service also offers a terrace, a complimentary children's club, tour/ticket assistance and fitness and laundry facilities. All 411 rooms offer balconies, minibars, and TVs with satellite channels. Hair dryers, phones, and free toiletries are among the other amenities that guests can find.
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This Varadero resort has plenty of sunbeds near the 2 non heated pools area and it is within 2km of Varahicacos Ecological Reserve, Ambrosio Park, Dolphinarium and Marlin Marina Chapelin, and around 35km from Varadero's Airport.
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I stayed in the Standard Room (18 square meters) with double bed. The room was clean and had a balcony with view to the pool area. The decoration wasn't fancy but sober with an ocean blue color in the bed sheets and curtains. In Cuba the power plugs and sockets are of type A, B, C and L. The standard voltage is 110 / 220 V and the standard frequency is 60 Hz.
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I definitely recommend this resort if you are looking for a family or couple all inclusive beach retreat.
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PS. - The average Cuban kids might have 1 toy, only 1, and it’s probably old and broken. And Cuban parents don’t buy toys because they are expensive and cheaply made. So if you can, bring toys, sports equipment or books to donate to the kids. They will love you, the parents will love you, and these are easy gifts to give to anybody.
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Also if you have extra toiletries or clothes, don’t hesitate to give them to your hosts in Casa Particulars. They will be more than happy to receive them and you will know they will be much appreciated and well used.
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