The best beaches in Cuba

21.07.2023 - 07:31 / roughguides.com / Ernest Hemingway

Conjure up an image of the perfect Caribbean beach and you'll find Cuba's generous shoreline fits the description perfectly: stretches of powdery, bone-white sand – often freckled with shady palm trees – and limpid, turquoise waters. Here is our pick of the best beaches in Cuba – there's one to suit every need.

The information in this article is inspired by The Rough Guide to Cuba , your essential guide for visiting Cuba .

With 22km of creamy-white sands and cerulean waters, Cayo Coco has some of the best beaches in Cuba, hands down, and effortlessly draws holidaymakers to its shores. The best beaches are clustered on the north coast, dominated by the all-inclusive hotels whose tendrils are gradually spreading along the rest of the northern coastline.

Cayo Coco’s big three beaches are home to the all-inclusive and packed with boisterous activities. They are located on the narrow easternmost peninsula jutting out of the Cay’s north coast. For a pocket of tranquillity, escape the main beaches and head to Playa Los Flamencos. The beach offers 3km of fine sands and transparent waters where tangerine-coloured starfish float through the shallows. There’s also good snorkelling out to sea.

Bridge over the green water of Cayo Coco © Shutterstock

A more serene retreat than its rowdier neighbour Cayo Coco, tiny Cayo Guillermo boasts 4km of stunning near-deserted beaches. With such an abundance of largely untouched sand, there’s no shortage of options for a bit of solitude but one of the beaches in Cuba that shouldn’t be missed is the gorgeous Playa Pilar.

On the western tip of Cayo Guillermo, Playa Pilar is named after Ernest Hemingway’s yacht, Pilar, and was the author’s favourite hideaway in Cuba. With limpid clear shallows and squeaky-clean beaches, it is, without a doubt, the top beach choice on Guillermo, if not in the entire cays.

If you are staying in Havana and don't want to venture too far, check here for the best beaches close to Havana.

Cayo Guillermo © Shutterstock

Needless to say, visiting Cuban beaches is one of the best things to do in Cuba. The northern cays, a network of small islets, interspersed by turquoise waters and mangrove colonies, form one of Cuba’s newest tourist resorts. The cays are linked to the mainland by an impressive 48km causeway making the trip here all part of the adventure.

At the far end of the chain lies Cayo Santa María, home to Playa Perla Blanca, one of the best beaches in Cuba. Its charm lies in its remote, untouched feel: it’s accessible, yet it has no facilities and is a bit of a trek to get to. But the journey, a total of 52km from the mainland, is worth it: the sand is as fine as it gets in Cuba.

The white beach of La Perla Blanca, Cuba © Shutterstock

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