Family Roots and Varadero Sand
A six-night family-visit trip built for a Tampa diaspora family: unhurried days reconnecting with relatives in the port cities of Matanzas and Cárdenas, followed by a relaxed all-inclusive finish on the beaches of Varadero. Low on logistics, high on family time.
For: Diaspora families visiting relatives with children in tow
1 · Budget first
A transparent, itemised estimate for 2 travellers · 6 nights · resort tier. Every line is a planner range in USD — an estimate to budget with, not a quote.
| International airfare | $600 – $1,900 |
| Entry documents (tourist card) | $60 – $150 |
| Travel insurance | $80 – $300 |
| Accommodation | $900 – $2,220 |
| Local transportation | $530 – $1,040 |
| Food | $480 – $936 |
| Guides & activities | $60 – $160 |
| Connectivity | $30 – $110 |
| Tips | $30 – $120 |
| Water, laundry & sundries | $18 – $72 |
| Emergency reserve | $219 – $766 |
| Total (2 travellers) | $3,007 – $7,774 |
- Per traveller
- $1,504 – $3,887
- Per day
- $501 – $1,296
- Ground only (no airfare)
- $2,188 – $5,108
- Airfare est. / traveller
- $300 – $950
Basis: resort · comfortable food · private driver · 2 guided days.
Adjust every number in the planner →Estimates in USD to help you budget — not observed prices, quotes or guaranteed availability. Most US cards don’t work in Cuba; carry cash and keep the reserve.
2 · Fly in
Tampa (TPA) → Varadero (VRA) — Juan Gualberto Gómez
Cuba's #1 leisure gateway — the airport for Varadero, historically fed by Canadian and European charter carriers.
Example dates 2026-09-15 → 2026-09-21 (adjust on the live search). CubaAtlas books nothing — these open live results:
3 · Day by day
Where to sleep and dine each day is a real listing from the CubaAtlas provider dataset, nearest your base.
Morning
Land at Varadero and transfer the short way to Matanzas, the bridge-crossed 'Athens of Cuba', to settle in near the family.Afternoon
An easy first afternoon with relatives, walking the river bridges and the restored Plaza de la Vigía.Evening
A big family dinner in a Matanzas home, the reason the whole trip exists.DinnerRanchón del TenisrestaurantMap →Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)Open Matanzas on the map →Nearby: Varadero, Havana, CárdenasMorning
Visit the Pharmacy Museum and the grand Sauto theatre, then the neighbourhood where the family's story began.Afternoon
A gentle look at the birthplace of rumba, with a folkloric drumming demonstration the kids will remember.Evening
A relaxed paladar dinner with the extended family, over plates of local seafood.DinnerRanchón del TenisrestaurantMap →Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)Open Matanzas on the map →Nearby: Varadero, Havana, CárdenasMorning
Drive to nearby Cárdenas, the 'city of firsts' where Cuba's flag was first raised, to visit more relatives.Afternoon
A horse-and-cart ride past the crab statue and colonnaded streets, and the flag museum with the children.Evening
A homely family dinner in Cárdenas, unhurried and warm.Morning
Short transfer to Varadero and check into an all-inclusive resort on the long white-sand peninsula.Afternoon
First beach afternoon: swimming in the calm shallows and letting the kids loose on the sand.Evening
A buffet dinner at the resort, easy after days of visiting.StaySelectum Family Resort Varadero5★ · Varadero+53 45 624300Website ↗Map →Source: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)DinnerTerraza CubaVaradero(+53) 45 613640Map →Source: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)Open Varadero on the map →Nearby: Matanzas, Havana, CárdenasMorning
A lazy morning on the beach, with a catamaran or glass-bottom-boat trip out to the reef.Afternoon
Pool and beach time, with relatives able to come and share the resort day pass.Evening
A seafood dinner on the beach, the family together one more time.StaySelectum Family Resort Varadero5★ · Varadero+53 45 624300Website ↗Map →Source: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)DinnerTerraza CubaVaradero(+53) 45 613640Map →Source: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)Open Varadero on the map →Nearby: Matanzas, Havana, CárdenasMorning
A final swim and a slow packing-up as the children squeeze in one more hour on the sand.Afternoon
Short transfer to Varadero airport for the flight home, with goodbyes to the family.Evening
A last airport-side meal before the short hop back to Florida.StaySelectum Family Resort Varadero5★ · Varadero+53 45 624300Website ↗Map →Source: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)DinnerTerraza CubaVaradero(+53) 45 613640Map →Source: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)Open Varadero on the map →Nearby: Matanzas, Havana, Cárdenas
4 · Visa, entry & customs
Every visitor needs a Cuban tourist card (tarjeta del turista) plus a passport valid for the stay and proof of onward travel and medical insurance. Buy the tourist card before you fly — the price and colour depend on your departure country and airline.
Travelling under US jurisdiction: there is no general tourism licence. US persons travel under one of OFAC’s authorised categories — most commonly Support for the Cuban People or family visits — which carry record-keeping duties and a full-time-schedule requirement. The tourist card for US departures is the pink one. Confirm your category before you book.
5 · Book direct, or compare an agency
This plan is costed to book direct — the $4,709 (expected) above is what the trip actually costs, itemised, with no package margin. A travel agency bundles flights, hotel and transfers into one price and adds a service fee for the convenience. We don’t quote agencies (we’d never invent a price) — so take a package quote and compare it line-for-line against the breakdown above.
Operating United States agencies serving Cuba, if you prefer a package:
- Cuba Travel Services (CTS) ↗
Long-running US seller of scheduled and charter air to Cuba plus packages.
Sells: flights, charters, packages, hotels
- ABC Charters ↗
Miami charter operator to Havana and other Cuban cities.
Sells: flights, charters · +1-305-263-6555
- Marazul Charters ↗
One of the oldest US–Cuba travel providers.
Sells: flights, charters, packages
- Xael Charter ↗
Direct flights Miami/Orlando/Tampa to Havana, Cienfuegos, Santa Clara, Camagüey, Holguín; since 1988.
Sells: flights, charters, hotels, cars, tours · (305) 643-2200
- insightCuba ↗
Non-profit people-to-people and custom group tours; since 2000.
Sells: tours, packages
- Cubamax Travel ↗
Flights, packages, shipping and remittances; 13 Florida branches.
Sells: flights, packages, hotels, cars · +1-305-512-0303
CubaAtlas is non-commercial and takes no commission. Agency links go straight to the operator; we don’t book, broker or earn from them.
Every Cuba agency, compiled — with the free equivalent for each →Questions
- How much does the "Family Roots and Varadero Sand" trip cost?
- An estimated $3,007–$7,774 all-in for 2 traveller(s) over 6 nights ($2,355 per traveller expected), including airfare, lodging, food, transport and a reserve. It is a planner estimate, not a quote — you book each part direct, with no agency margin.
- Do I need a visa to travel to Cuba?
- Every visitor needs a Cuban tourist card. Travellers under US jurisdiction have no general tourism licence and travel under an OFAC category such as Support for the Cuban People or family visits. See the CubaAtlas visa & entry guide.
- When is the best time for this trip?
- Best months: December to April, or summer to match school holidays.
- Can I book this trip on CubaAtlas?
- No — CubaAtlas is a free, non-commercial planner. It gives you the itinerary, the budget, live flight-search links and real hotel and restaurant listings, and you arrange each part directly at the source. We book nothing and take no commission.