Varadero 2020 – the Best Beach Project

The Cuban Ministry of Tourism (MINTUR) is aiming to make Varadero the Best Beach in the World for 2020 by calling all residents and guests to help “to maintain the cleanliness of the streets, green areas and our beautiful beach,” according to the official Cuban news media.

The Cuban tourist authorities are reminding tourists and residents alike to place their litter in waste disposal containers, park their vehicles only in designated parking areas and not on the beaches. MINTUR is also advising tourists to walk via the walkways and trails to access the beaches.

It’s all about reducing one’s carbon footprint. The call to make Varadero “the best beach in the world 2020” is also a plea to people to respect nature and the planet we live on. Simple and commonsense recommendations such as “removing food debris and the containers used, removing cigarette butts in the sand, taking care of and keeping the environment clean and avoiding damaging or removing any kind of plant in the sands,” should be adhered to by tourists at all times. Responsible travel is one of the ways we can protect our planet.

It takes Mother Nature years to break down items such as aluminum cans, glass bottles, plastics, paper, cardboard, cigarette butts, as well as chewing gum – some of the more common trash items left on the beach by tourists who visit Varadero’s resort beaches.

The call is part of a strategy to make Varadero the best “environmental beach” in 2020.

Varadero, located on the western peninsula of Hicacos in the province of Matazas, is Cuba’s prime sun and beach destination and the second greatest tourist attraction after the City of Havana.

Each year, Varadero greets more than 1.5 million visitors. This year Varadero was nominated by Travelers Choice 2019 awards, as the second best beach in the world by the TripAdvisor website.

World-famous Varadero is 23 kilometers in length offering white sands and azure blue waters. Varadero has been experiencing some beach erosion due to rising sea levels over the last few years, a problem which the Cuban government is dealing with.

Varadero offers 52 hotels and resorts with more than 21,000 hotel rooms, many of them managed by international hotel corporations such as the Meliá, Iberostar and Globalia, and the Canadian Blue Diamond Resorts.

Cuba’s hotel infrastructure development plans over the next few years include adding 3,000 more rooms in 5-star hotels and resorts, a shopping center, a Continental cabaret, a new golf course and hotel, a theme park, as well as new cultural events such as the Varadero Josone Music Festival, which takes place in August.

MINTUR’s strategy to make Varadero the Best Beach in the World 2020 is also a strategy to promote responsible tourism and sustainable travel, limiting the negative effects of tourism on the planet.