Originally Posted by
VidaNaPraia
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
Every other day, Memories has a hike at 9 a.m., visiting a local 91-year-old farmer and his sugar cane plantation, a blind septuagenarian hatmaker, and a few other Cuban guajiros. You also stroll by handicrafts sellers along the rural road, see horse-pulled carts, and may well get another surprise or two. On the alternate days, also at 9, you can do a group hike up the "mountain" behind the hotel. This one is a bit arduous but doable unless you are frail, and from the top the views of the hotel, beaches and gulf are majestic.
My issue with Varadero is principally the size and the hordes of tourists. Might as well be on any other Caribbean island. As for those, nothing tops Barbados in my view.