Part of the CubaAtlas network
The best beaches in Cuba, coast by coast
730 beaches and cays sit in the open geographic record, across all 16 Cuban provinces. This guide walks the coastline from the northern cays to the far east so you can find the water that matches the trip — a reef, a resort strip, or an empty cove — and see exactly where it is before you go.
How “best” is decided here
No beach on this page is scored, star-rated, or ranked by a popularity number we cannot measure, and nothing is sponsored. Featured means one precise thing: the beach carries the atlas’s highest editorial interest rank and has a verified photograph, so it can lead a section honestly. Everything else is organised by where it physically is, along the coast. Only 574 of the 730 records are photographed today — a real gap we would rather show than paper over with stock imagery.
Featured stretches of coast
The photographed, highest-interest beaches — each links to its own atlas page and its exact point on the map.
Varadero
Varadero, also referred to as Playa Azul, is a resort town in the province of Matanzas, Cuba, and one of the largest resort areas in the Caribbean. Varadero Beach is rated one of the world's best beaches in TripAdvisor's Traveler's Choice Awards since 2019, ranking at number 9 as of January 2024. Common activities include fishing and excursions to Matanzas, Cárdenas, and the Península de Zapata.
Cayo Coco
Cayo Coco is an island on the north coast of central Cuba, known for its all-inclusive resorts. It lies within the Ciego de Ávila Province and is part of a chain of islands called Jardines del Rey. The cay is administered by the Morón municipality, has a surface area of 370 km2, and is named after the white ibis, locally called coco ('coconut') birds. The island is known for its long beaches and many resort hotels.
Cayo Guillermo
Cayo Guillermo is a cay of the Jardines del Rey archipelago. It is located on the northern coast of Cuba, between the Bay of Dogs and the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Ciego de Ávila Province, and lies in the Morón municipality.
Cayo Santa María
Cayo Santa María is an island off Cuba's north-central coast in the Jardines del Rey archipelago. The island is linked by road and bridge to the town of Caibarién on the main island. Cayo Santa María is well known for its white sand beaches and luxury all-inclusive resorts.
Guardalavaca
Guardalavaca is a town in the Holguín Province of Cuba. It is a tourist location due to its white sandy beaches and warm waters. Guardalavaca beach is protected by a large coral reef and is visited by both local Cubans and tourists. Most Cuban workers in the all-inclusive hotels are transported daily in buses from neighbouring cities like Holguin, Banes, and Rafael Freyre, as only a few Cubans live in Guardalavaca due to the small size of the resort. Between Guardalavaca and Playa Esmeralda are dry tropical forest where endemic Cuban birdlife like hummingbirds Cuban emerald can be seen.…
Playa Ancón
Playa Ancón is a beach destination in Sancti Spíritus province, Cuba. It is known for beaches, snorkeling, diving and waterfront.
Every coast, west to east
We’ve grouped the 730 beaches into five stretches of coastline. These are an editorial convenience, not official regions — each stretch names the provinces it covers so you can check the grouping yourself. Counts are live from the record; a province page holds the full list.
Jardines del Rey & the northern cays
250 beaches & caysThe offshore keys strung along the north-central coast — reached by causeway, ringed by reef, and home to Cuba's largest concentration of resort beaches.
Villa Clara103
+98 more on the province page
Camagüey98
+93 more on the province page
+44 more on the province page
Varadero & the Matanzas coast
83 beaches & caysThe Hicacos Peninsula and the beaches within reach of Havana — the most developed and most visited stretch of Cuban shoreline.
Trinidad & the south-central coast
39 beaches & caysCaribbean-facing beaches below the colonial towns of the interior, where the mountains come close to the sea.
+24 more on the province page
The far east — Holguín to Guantánamo
167 beaches & caysThe Atlantic beaches of the Oriente, from the resort strip at Guardalavaca to the black-and-gold sand coves beyond Baracoa.
Holguín63
+58 more on the province page
+30 more on the province page
+21 more on the province page
+12 more on the province page
Havana, the west & the Isle of Youth
191 beaches & caysThe city's own beaches, the tobacco-country coast of Pinar del Río, and the diving islands south of the mainland.
+60 more on the province page
+48 more on the province page
Artemisa44
+39 more on the province page
+13 more on the province page
+6 more on the province page
Plan a trip around the coast
See the coastline in 3D
Satellite imagery and terrain — every beach at its real point.
Where to stay & eat nearby
Places to stay and restaurants are drawn live from OpenStreetMap when you open a beach on the map — not a fixed list we let go stale.
Getting to the coast
Ground transport between airports, cities and the beaches.
Build an itinerary
Save beaches as you browse and turn them into a route.
Coverage & sources
730 beach and cay records across 16 provinces, from open geographic data (Wikidata and OpenStreetMap). 574 carry a verified Wikimedia Commons photograph; 485 carry a description. Water temperature, sand colour, crowd levels, safety flags, prices and availability are not in these sources, so this page does not state them — a beach guide that invents a “calm, uncrowded” label it cannot verify is worse than one that stays quiet.
Information only — CubaAtlas does not sell, book or rent anything, and is not affiliated with any resort, hotel or tour operator.
Guides & common questions
In-depth answers, one question at a time.
best beaches in Cuba
From Varadero to the Jardines del Rey cays and Holguin's north coast, here are Cuba's best beaches and how to choose the right stretch of sand for you.
best white sand cays in Cuba
Cuba's offshore cays hold its whitest sand and clearest shallows. A guide to Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo, Cayo Santa Maria and Cayo Largo del Sur.
best beaches in Cuba for families
Shallow, calm water and easy services make some Cuban beaches ideal for children. A family guide to Varadero, the Holguin coast and the cays.
best beaches near Havana
Just east of the capital, the Playas del Este put white sand within easy reach of Havana. A guide to Santa Maria del Mar, Guanabo and a day at the coast.
best beaches for diving and snorkelling in Cuba
Cuba's clear water and shore-entry reefs reward divers and snorkellers. A guide to the Bay of Pigs, Maria la Gorda and other underwater highlights.
Varadero beach guide
Everything to know about Varadero, Cuba's largest resort beach on the Hicacos Peninsula: the sand, the shallows, the setting and when to go.
best beaches in eastern Cuba
Eastern Cuba's Holguin coast trades flat cays for green, sheltered coves. A guide to Guardalavaca, Playa Esmeralda and Playa Pesquero.
quietest beaches in Cuba
Beyond the big resorts, Cuba has calmer, less crowded beaches. A guide to Cayo Largo, Playa Santa Lucia, Rancho Luna and finding quiet sand.
best all-inclusive beach areas in Cuba
Where Cuba's resort beaches cluster: Varadero, the Jardines del Rey and Villa Clara cays, and Holguin. A practical guide to the main beach areas.
best time to visit Cuba beaches
When to go for the calmest seas and clearest water at Cuba's beaches. A guide to the dry winter season and the Atlantic hurricane months.
More in the CubaAtlas network
Related guides across the network — each one its own resource on Cuba.
Playa de Cuba
Spanish-language Cuba beach discovery
Alquileres Cuba
Información del mercado de alquiler en Cuba
Beach Condo Cuba
Intro to Cuban beach-condo markets
Cuba Beach Condo Rentals
Beach-condo rentals (no stale/unavailable inventory)
Cuba Ocean Condos
Oceanfront condominium market
Cuba Rentals Pro
Rental market information