Varadero Beachfront

The nearest spots to Havana are on the vast stretch of white sand at Playas del Este, a short drive east of the capital. Different sections have different names, but identical conditions; cross to cross-onshore wind from the right, often with a gentle break over the sandbars offshore. The area is very popular with day-trippers, but there’s plenty of space. Just beyond, Este del Este is wide open to the north-easterly trade winds and shallow enough to throw up some good waves. It really starts to fire after a few days of strong wind, but it’s invariably onshore. 100km further east, the 25km-long peninsular at Varadero is Cuba’s tourist mecca, packed full of all-inclusive resorts. The most westerly launch is in front of Hotel Oasis where the flats behind the breakwater are great for freestyle, and there’s often a little wave over the reef outside. Oasis gets biggest when winter cold fronts bring strong northerly winds – but it’s a dangerous spot with sharp submerged rocks. Just 500m east, it’s much safer in the turquoise water off the white sandy palm-fringed beach at Club Karey. It’s another predominantly cross-onshore location but offers bigger waves and steadier wind than further up the peninsular. The trade wind is slightly more cross-shore and the water a little flatter along Varadero Beachfront to the end of peninsula. Here, in front of Hotel Paradisus Princesa del Mar, you’ll find Kite Beach. It’s onshore, but there’s a wide beach, fewer bathers, and plenty of space to launch – great for beginners. A few hours’ drive east, the resorts reappear in idyllic settings on the Jardines del Rey keys. On the most westerly, Cayo Guillermo, the tourist development is on a powder-white beach at Playa el Paso. There’s usually some breeze here, but it’s often onshore, the beach is small at high tide, and usually full of guests from the hotels. Nearby Playa Pillar is altogether emptier – nothing but shallow water, white sands, cross-onshore winds, and a 'rancho’ serving fresh scampi and beer. Onto the largest key of Cayo Coco, west of the major resort area is a sandy headland at Punta Coco. The windward coast has a nice long beach that usually sees a wave, sometimes with a point break a little way upwind. If the wind’s too onshore, the other side of the dunes at Playa Flamingo offers great freestyle, though the water is shallow in places. Playa Coloradas at the public east end of the Cayo Coco resort beaches is busier but gets some windswell, or kiters can ride upwind to find flat water in the shallows. In lee of the 27km causeway linking Cayo Coco with the mainland are several little beaches to pump a kite and have a little Roadside session among the flamingos. It's a tricky launch and the water’s really shallow, but super-flat. Back on the mainland but off the tourist trail, in the second most populous province of Holguin a tiny fishing village on the outskirts of Lora hosts a wonderful reefy little bay. It's a really tricky spot to launch, land and ride, but great for witnessing the isolated Cuban way of life. The peninsula opposite the nearby city of Gibara offers a really nice wave and a dead-flat lagoon. Way out east into the infamous Guantanamo province, Cañete up on the remote north-eastern tip is well exposed to the elements. It’s very rarely visited but offers freestyle on the huge lagoon or quality cross-onshore wavesailing over a long outer sandbar.