Tourism Investment — Varadero & Matanzas
A tourism-sector mission flown into Varadero: the resort market, the management-contract and joint-venture reality with Cuban partners, and the services (excursions, gastronomy, transport) around the peninsula and Matanzas.
For: Hospitality & tourism-services investors
1 · Budget first
A transparent, itemised estimate for 1 traveller · 5 nights · business tier. Every line is a planner range in USD — an estimate to budget with, not a quote.
| International airfare | $300 – $950 |
| Entry documents (tourist card) | $30 – $75 |
| Travel insurance | $40 – $150 |
| Accommodation | $475 – $975 |
| Local transportation | $450 – $885 |
| Food | $450 – $825 |
| Guides & activities | $200 – $600 |
| Connectivity | $15 – $55 |
| Tips | $25 – $100 |
| Water, laundry & sundries | $15 – $60 |
| Emergency reserve | $170 – $559 |
| Total (1 traveller) | $2,170 – $5,234 |
- Per traveller
- $2,170 – $5,234
- Per day
- $434 – $1,047
- Ground only (no airfare)
- $1,700 – $3,725
- Airfare est. / traveller
- $300 – $950
Basis: business hotel · business food · private driver · 5 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 → 2026-09-20 (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 Juan Gualberto Gómez; the peninsula.Afternoon
Market overview: the resort strip, occupancy, the operators.Evening
Working dinner near the marina.Business step: Read the CubaAtlas tourism sector & foreign-investment sections.
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
Assess the hotel product and management-contract model.Afternoon
Services gaps — excursions, gastronomy, transport.Evening
Dinner with an operator.Business step: Meet a MINTUR-group contact on JV / management terms.
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
Drive to Matanzas — the city that supplies the resorts.Afternoon
Construction, labour and supply base.Evening
Return; dinner.Business step: Counsel session on structure and approvals.
DinnerRanchón del TenisrestaurantMap →Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)Open Matanzas on the map →Nearby: Varadero, Havana, CárdenasMorning
Drive to Havana for institutional meetings.Afternoon
Foreign-investment approval path (MINCEX / ProCuba).Evening
Dinner in Havana.Business step: ProCuba orientation request.
StayHotel Blau Arenal Habana Beach4★ · Grupo Cubanacán · La Habana(53 7) 77991200/ 77991274Website ↗Map →Source: Cuba Travel (MINTUR official portal)DinnerCantabria, Restaurante Hotel Armadores de SantanderCimex · Internacional · La Habana(537)8628000Map →Source: Cuba Travel (MINTUR official portal)Open Havana on the map →Nearby: Viñales, Varadero, MatanzasMorning
Write up against the guide's checklist.Afternoon
Transfer to the airport.Evening
Flight out.Business step: Submit a CubaAtlas research request.
StayHotel Blau Arenal Habana Beach4★ · Grupo Cubanacán · La Habana(53 7) 77991200/ 77991274Website ↗Map →Source: Cuba Travel (MINTUR official portal)DinnerCantabria, Restaurante Hotel Armadores de SantanderCimex · Internacional · La Habana(537)8628000Map →Source: Cuba Travel (MINTUR official portal)Open Havana on the map →Nearby: Viñales, Varadero, Matanzas
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 · Shipping & commercial issues
Bringing goods, samples or equipment is a commercial import, not baggage: most inputs move through a Cuban state comercializadora, and a foreign business operates under a Law 118 form (joint venture, wholly-foreign enterprise, or international economic-association contract). Currency is a real constraint — plan around MLC/USD accounts.
Embargo / OFAC: the US embargo restricts what US persons and, in places, third parties can do with Cuba. Property transactions and many dealings carry sanctions exposure — this is orientation, not legal advice. Verify with counsel and the relevant ministry before committing.
Sectors in focus: Tourism & hospitality · Real estate & construction · Food & gastronomy
Orientation only. Hotel management contracts, JV terms with MINTUR groups (Gaviota, Cubanacán, Gran Caribe) and the Law 118 framework are summarised with sources in the CubaAtlas guide; MINTUR and counsel confirm terms.
6 · Book direct, or compare an agency
This plan is costed to book direct — the $3,298 (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 "Tourism Investment — Varadero & Matanzas" trip cost?
- An estimated $2,170–$5,234 all-in for 1 traveller(s) over 5 nights ($3,298 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: Year-round; peak visibility November–April.
- 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.