Varadero has a town, which is full of Cubans. Cubans flock to the beach on the weekends. Yes, their are souvenir shops, but I would not classify the town as "commercial". The resort hotels, that cater to many Canadians, are clustered on the far end of the peninsula, and provide their own beaches and their own nightlife, so many guests do not venture off grounds.
I am not fond of resort hotels, as zachary may know, preferring smaller, local B and Bs, in Cuba as in Brazil. So far, I have not prioritized the cayos, which like Jibacoa do have lovely beaches, because they have solely resort hotels; there is no staff family or local housing or opportunity to meet Cubans except those employed to serve you..
There seems to be some hike for hotel guests of Memories Jibacoa that passes a few local houses:
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopi...ince_Cuba.html