Playas del Este
The mile's long Playas del Este are the city beaches of the Cuban capital. The very beautiful sandy beaches are located a good 20 km east of the city center and are a popular recreational destination. While Cubans visit the beaches more frequently during the summer months and especially on weekends, winter visitors are mostly rare. What to expect at the beaches, how best to get there and what else to consider when visiting, you will learn in this article.
A number of different beach sections belong to the Playas del Este, which extend over an area of about ten kilometers in length. While parts of the extensive beaches are very beautiful, other sections are not as nice. The most famous sections are the Playa Santa Maria and the Playa Guanabo.
From a tourist viewpoint, Playa Santa Maria del Mar is certainly the most important section. It is not only the longest, but also the most beautiful and the most suitable section for swimming. The beach is wide, there are very charming dunes with lots of white Caribbean sand and also some shadowing palm trees. In summer, many residents from Havana come, so it sometimes gets quite crowded. On these days, there is a flair that reminds a bit of Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana. During the winter, on the other hand, hardly any visitors show up. While the beach in Varadero is crowded with beachgoers, it is not uncommon to have the Playas del Este almost to oneself.
What to expect
Not far from the beach in Santa Maria there are several larger state hotels and also a few guest houses. Apart from these facilities, however, there is hardly any other (tourist) infrastructure.
A little further to the east, you will find the Playa Guanabo which is less beautiful and also less suitable for swimming – but still a nice Caribbean beach. Behind the beach lays Guanabo, which is an independent small town with population of about thirty thousand inhabitants. Despite being thirty kilometers from the city center, Guanabo is officially a district of the Cuban capital.
On the way between Santa Maria and Guanabo, one (inevitably) passes by the Gay Beach, which is located near the mouth of the small river Rio Boca Chica and is therefore called Playa Boca Chica. Here there is also a lagoon where the small island Mi Cayito is located, where you can visit a simple restaurant.
Beware of your valuables & red flags
On Havana's beaches, you should take care of your valuables or leave them better at your accommodation, especially when it is crowded. Umbrellas and sunbeds can be rented, whereby two sunbeds and one umbrella will cost 5 USD. If you do not want sunbeds, you should have enough sun protection with you, because there are very few shady places.
If a red flag is raised, it is better to avoid swimming. The Gulf Stream runs through the narrow Strait of Florida, which can cause strong currents that should not be underestimated. However, when the weather is appropriate, what is luckily mostly the case, the Playas del Este are a wonderful place to swim and relax. The beaches are in no way inferior to the well-known Vardero Beach, but are almost a bit more beautiful due to the dunes and, as described, often even not as full.
Eat, Drink & Restrooms
In Santa Maria you will find some simple snack bars and kiosks (see below), but they usually have neither good quality nor an attractive selection. In Guanabo, the supply situation is somewhat better, since more people live in the village and therefore there is a larger variety of shops. At none of the beaches you will find public toilets or showers, but there are guarded parking lots.
