Editing Varadero (section)

==Tourism==
[[Image:VaraderoBeachfun.JPG|thumb|left|300 px|Varadero Beach gets 1 million foreign visitors per year.]]
Varadero is known as a tourist resort town, with more than 20&nbsp;km of white sandy beaches. The first tourists visited Varadero as early as the 1870s, and for years it was considered an elite resort. In 1910 the annual rowing regatta was started; five years later the first hotel, named Varadero, which later was renamed [[Club Náutico|Club Nautico]], was built. Tourism grew in the early 1930s as [[Irénée du Pont]], an American millionaire, built his estate on the peninsula (now Maison Xanadu or DuPont House). People who have stayed in the area include [[Al Capone]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.netssa.com/varadero.html |title=Varadero Cuba |website=www.netssa.com}}</ref>

After the [[Cuban Revolution]] in 1959, many mansions were expropriated from their rich owners. These mansions soon became museums.{{citation needed|date=July 2010}} As a symbol of the new integrated tourism for Cubans and foreign visitors of all social classes, the Park of the 8000 Cubicles (Parque de las 8000 Taquillas) was built in 1960. Visitors could leave their belongings in the basement of the park, had access to sanitary installations and gastronomic services on the first floor, and could rent bathing articles and swimsuits. The surroundings of the park became the center of the city.{{citation needed|date=August 2019}}

Between the 1960s and 1980s Varadero transformed itself into a cultural centre. During those years the central park (8000 Taquillas) (located between 44th and 46th Street) saw countless concerts, festivals and sporting events.<ref>[https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20080227010054/http://vg01.met.vgwort.de/na/1e192107fcf0569ba059995633e233?l=http://www.juventudrebelde.cu/UserFiles/File/impreso/icuba-2006-08-31.pdf Article from the Cuban newspaper ''Juventud Rebelde'' about an initiative of the inhabitants of Varadero that aims to save their traditions: ''Añoranza por el parque'' ("Longing for the Park")] see an external link to a translation below</ref>

The 1990s brought the start of another hotel building campaign, mostly in the 4-star and 5-star segment.{{citation needed|date=March 2020}} Many of the hotels are operated or co-owned by foreign businesses like [[Melia hotels|Meliá]], [[Barceló Hotels|Barceló]], TRYP, etc. (France's [[Club Med]] used to have a property but has since left Varadero.) As international tourism was opened up, the local population expanded with the arrival of people, some in key economic positions, from other parts of Cuba. As a consequence, Varadero has lost much of its social and cultural life and its traditions.{{citation needed|date=March 2020}} The central park, the cinema and various cultural meeting places were neglected in favor of a hotel-centred all-inclusive-tourism and finally closed. The International Carnival, an initiative of Cubans and foreigners started in the 1980s, also ceased.{{citation needed|date=August 2019}}

[[File:Cuban with a bike.JPG|thumbnail|right]]
In addition to the beach, Varadero has natural attractions such as caves and a chain of easily accessed virgin [[cays]].  There are also cultural, historical and environmental attractions in the vicinity, such as the cities of [[Matanzas, Cuba|Matanzas]] and [[Cárdenas, Cuba|Cárdenas]], the [[Zapata Peninsula]] and the resort of San Miguel de los Baños. Varadero, which is a free port, also possesses facilities for scuba diving, deep-sea fishing, yachting and other water sports.

Varadero receives more than 1 million tourists annually.<ref name="cubatravel" />

Varadero is primarily visited by European and Canadian tourists. The number of [[United States|U.S.]] tourists visiting Varadero, although increasing, has been limited because of the U.S. government [[United States embargo against Cuba|restrictions]] that make it difficult for U.S. citizens to visit Cuba as "tourists", as defined by US rules.

Varadero is home to one of two Canadian Consulates in Cuba.

=== Activities and attractions ===
[[File:Bridge in Cuba.jpg|thumb|Puente Bacunayagua bridge, outside Varadero]]
Varadero hotels offer catamaran cruises with snorkeling and a visit to the dolphin center, Delfinario, a coral-rimmed lagoon located 400 meters east of Marina Chapelín. Swimming and interacting with the dolphins along with dolphin shows are available here.<ref name=":2" /> Hotels can also supply kayaks or small boats for their guests. Fishing charts are available at Marlin Náutica y Marinas at Marina Chapelin. They also have sailboards and kiteboards.{{citation needed|date=August 2019}}

Other attractions in the area include the amusement park Centro Todo En Uno, Puente Bacunayagua, and an electric-powered Hershey train.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.varaderoguide.net/centrotodoenuno.html |title=Centro Todo en Uno {{!}} Varadero, Cuba |website=www.varaderoguide.net |access-date=2019-08-03}}</ref><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":2" />

Scuba diving is another attraction in Varadero. There are more than 30 dive sites, such as Parque Marino Cayo Piedras del Norte, where divers can view a sunken military vessel and a soviet military [[Antonov An-24|AN-24 aircraft]], and Ojo de Mégano, which has an underwater cave east of Varadero.<ref name=":2" />

=== Events and festivals ===
[[File:Varadero golf course.jpg|thumb|Varadero Golf Club]]

* Every year, in the month of June, Varadero hosts the Josone World Music Festival. Artists come to perform from different parts of Latin America and beyond. Concerts and open-air shows happen in different places of Varadero each year.<ref name=":4">{{cite web |url=http://www.varaderoguide.net/events_festivals.html |title=Events and Festivals {{!}} Varadero, Cuba |website=www.varaderoguide.net |access-date=2019-08-03}}</ref>
*Varadero Gourmet Festival is held annually between April and June.<ref name=":4" />
*A five-day [[Harley-Davidson]] motorcycle show and event is held every February, through [[Harlistas Cubanas]] (“Cuban Harley-riders”).<ref name=":2" />
*Varadero hosts the Melia Golf Club Cup event, held annually in the third week of October. It is followed by Los Cactus Varadero Golf Tournament, a two-day tournament held at [[Hotel Los Cactus]]’s [[Varadero Golf Club]].<ref name=":4"/>