Ironically, Castro had ridden to power in the late 1950s on the disgust of the Cuban people over the repression and corruption of dictator Fulgencio Batista, who had turned Cuba into an anything-goes tourism Bohemia for Americans. Varadero was a resort during that era, but most of its visitors were wealthy Cubans. After the revolution, it fell into serious disrepair. In just 10 years, though, the Cubans and their foreign partners have transformed Varadero into the jewel of Cuba's tourist initiative. In 10 years the place has changed so much.'' At the luxury hotels, small music combos churn out a Caribbean beat in the cool shade of open-air bistros, while tourists sip exotic drinks, some paddling their way up to bars built into swimming pools.
Children laugh and splash in the surf, while young couples try their luck sailing catamarans.
Foursomes of sunburned men in bright print shirts whack their way around a verdant new golf course. Buses ferry tourists on excursions to a nearby limestone cave or on scuba diving expeditions. Others ride in a submarine with windows all around so tourists can see the wonders of the coral reefs. In short, Varadero is a newer version of the traditional Caribbean vacation spots like Cancun or the Bahamas. Varadero's long, thin peninsula is a beehive of activity, with construction cranes and bulldozers laboring away as the skeletons of several massive new resorts rise from the sand dunes.