page_title: Varadero
section_title: Sights and landmarks
hierarchical_section_title: Varadero / Sights and landmarks
caption_attribution_description: English: Xanadu Mansion, Hotel and restaurant in Varadero, Cuba
context_page_description: 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. Matanzas is named after the massacre of Spaniards by Indians in 1510. Varadero Beach was rated one of the world's best beaches in TripAdvisor's Traveler's Choice Awards of 2019, ranking at number two. Common activities include fishing and excursions to Matanzas, Cárdenas, and the Península de Zapata.
context_section_description: Mansión Xanadu is hotel and restaurant that was formerly a three-story mansion built by an American millionaire, Alfred Irénée Dupont de Nemours. Construction on this mansion cost Dupont $338,000. After the revolution in 1959, Dupont escaped Cuba and left the villa to the Cuban government. In 1963 it was named 'Las Américas', converting it to a luxury restaurant that served French cuisines. The dining room still has original furniture.
  Parque Retiro Josone, located on Avenida Primera y Calle 56, was established in 1942 by José Iturrioz, the Managing Director of the Arechabala Ronera which is the rum factory just outside Cárdenas.
  The Museo Municipal de Varadero located on Calle 57. Furniture and history are displayed in what used to be Leopoldo Abreu's summer home in the 1920s.
  Santa Elvira Church, a structure built from stones and wood, is a Catholic church that dates back to 1938. A horseshoe half-arch that ends with a cross located at the top serves as the bell tower.
  Reserva Ecológico Varahicacos is located at the island's east end of the peninsula near Punta Hicacos and provides 730 acres, which has long trails that lead to different caves. Cueva Ambrosio, discovered in the 1960s has Indian drawings along with 47 pre-Columbian symbols that are more than 3,000 years old. Cueva de los Musulmanes (Cave of Muslims) is located on a second trail. It was once used as an indigenous tomb. 
caption: Las Américas (Mansión Xanadú)
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