Matanzas

This province is one of the most popular areas for visiting tourists, largely because of its varied topography and natural beauty.

The north of the province is marked by rolling hills and the beach resort of Varadero, the south is home to a large area of swamp land and the beach of Giron, better known as the Bay of Pigs.

Central Matanzas is a long stretch of rolling plains whose red and fertile soils produce the highest yield of sugar crop in the country. Other crops such a tobacco, citrus fruits and vegetables are also produced in abundance.

Matanzas City:

Matanzas, 42 km west of Varadero, is busy and grimy. Behind a deep bay, it came into its own during the 19th century when it served as the country's sugar capital.

On the classic, leafy main square, Parque Libertad, the Pharmaceutical Museum is a wonderfully preserved chemist's shop, also there are plenty of interesting buildings, monuments and museums to keep you occupied like Museo Historico Provincial, Teatro Sauto, Cathedral of San Carlos, Bellamar Caverns...

Varadero:

It is Cuba's principal beach resort (the 20 km long, virtually uninterrupted whitesand beach with shallow, clean waters is the main attraction), with dozens of hotels and restaurants, streetside bars, fastfood cafes, and grocery shops, Varadero is like any large resort the world over, so if you want to eat and drink well, sunbathe under a clear blue sky, swim in warm, turquoise tranquil waters that caress endless stretches of pure white sand, then Varadero is for you.

Cardenas:

The city is laid out in a typical grid pattern with the most important street, Avenida Cespedes, intersecting Parque Colon, the focal point for city life. Other places to visit are Oscar Maria de Rojas Museum, Catedral de la Immaculada Concepcion, Plaza Molokoff, Casa Natal de Jose Antonio Echevarria...

Zapata Peninsula:

The peninsula is a huge natural reserve for all manner of wildlife including local and migratory birds, lizards, crocodiles and rock crabs, you can see penned reptiles at the crocodile farm at La Boca.

A more appealing prospect is picturesque Guama (it is a group of tiny islands connected by wooden bridges).The area is also home to one of the largest underground cave and lake systems in Latin America.

To the east of the peninsula lie a number of good and relatively secluded beaches, the most popular of which are Playa Larga and Playa Giron, one major attraction is the excellent Museo Playa Giron, which serves as an emotive memorial to the unsuccesful Bay of Pigs invasion.