Marinas · north coast
Marina Gaviota Varadero
The country's biggest marina by berths, on the Hicacos Peninsula.
At the eastern tip of the Hicacos Peninsula, beyond Varadero's 20-kilometre resort strip, Marina Gaviota is the largest marina in Cuba by capacity and a designated port of entry. Purpose-built for the tourism trade, it is the most developed yacht harbour in the country and the anchor of the north-central cruising grounds. Its sheltered basins sit behind the peninsula that shelters the whole of Cárdenas Bay.
Cruising grounds
Varadero is the best jumping-off point for the Jardines del Rey — the chain of reef-fringed resort cays running east toward Cayo Guillermo and Cayo Coco — while a westward passage leads back to Havana. The shallow, clear water and steady trade winds make this a reliable sailing coast for much of the year.
Getting there & what’s nearby
Juan Gualberto Gómez International Airport (VRA) is only a few minutes away, and the Varadero beach resorts, with their hotels, dive centres and restaurants, adjoin the marina directly. The colonial city of Matanzas and the Bay of Pigs day-trips are within reach by road.
Sailing season & conditions
Tucked behind the Hicacos Peninsula, the marina basins stay well sheltered, but the open water east toward the cays is exposed to the trade winds that blow steadily across the north coast for much of the year. Winter cold fronts bring the occasional strong northerly; the settled, warmer months suit the shallow reef passages of the Jardines del Rey best. The hurricane season runs June to November, and the low resort cays offer little natural shelter, so cruising plans here watch the tropical forecast closely.
Clearing in here
Marina Gaviota Varadero is a designated port of entry, so private vessels can complete customs, immigration and Guarda Frontera formalities on arrival. Read the clearance roadmap and maritime formalities before you sail.
Where it is
On Cuba’s north coast at Varadero.
See Marina Gaviota Varadero on the map →