Xanadu Mansion Also known as Casa Dupont after its American millionaire owner, who owned a great part of the whole beautiful Hicacos Peninsula as well, this property was designed by the same architects who designed the Capitolio in Havana. This four-story mansion completed in 1929 and named Villa Xanadú, was dressed with Italian marble and precious wood. The roof was covered with green ceramic tiles with thermal insulation. The house was surrounded by a huge garden with rare plants ad features which included an iguana farm and a golf course. After the Cuban revolution, the chemical engineer escaped from Cuba leaving the village to the Cuban government, which turned it into the most elegant restaurant in Varadero in 1963. Restaurant Las Américas specializes in French cuisine. The dining room still keeps its original furniture, and the library includes books and photographs of the Dupont family. The large terrace overlooking the Varadero Golf Club is part of the bar area.

Plaza de la Vigía This square is located in the middle of the historic center of the city. It is connected to the outskirts by the Concordia and Calixto García bridges. A statue of an unknown soldier of the wars of independence is the middle of the square. Many of the city’s key sights: the Neo-Classical fire station (1898), the Palace of Justice (1826), the Museo Provincial, the Sauto Theater, and Ediciones Vigía.

Teatro Sauto Designed by an Italian architect, this lavish theater is the pride and joy of the city. Neo-classically structured with several Greek-inspired statues made of Carrara marble, the theater has various frescoes by the designer himself. The U-shaped interior is almost entirely covered with wood paneling. The auditorium first opened to the public in 1863 as Esteban Theater, in honor to the provincial governor who had financed its construction. It was later renamed Sauto Theater after a local pharmacist, a passionate theater-goer. Because of its exceptional acoustics, the versatile theater has been the chosen venue for all kinds of shows. Great 19th and 20th century Cuban artists have performed here as well as world famous ones.

Provincial Museum This museum occupies the Palacio del Junco, a bright blue porticoed building built in 1835-40. The museum’s collection includes documents and objects related to the history of the province from Pre Columbian times until 1959. One of the most interesting sections is the one devoted to the Colonial period.

Parque Libertad This is the city other large square, formerly a parade ground, where military parades were held in the 1800s. An impressive statue of José Martí is rises in the middle of the square surrounded by some attractive buildings: the Liceo Artístico y Literario (1860), the Casino Español (early 1900s), The Palacio del Gobierno, the Catedral de San Carlos, and the Museo Farmacéutico Ernesto Triolet.

Museo Farmacéutico Ernesto Triolet This fine example of a 19th-century pharmacy overlooking Parque Libertad was founded in 1882 by Ernesto Triolet and turned into a museum in 1964. Original French porcelain vases decorated by hand, others imported from the US, and an incredible quantity of small bottles with herbs, syrups and elixirs. The museum also has a collection of old labels, mortars and stills, and advertising posters boasting about the miraculous curative powers of Dr. Triolet’s remedies. A shop selling rare books on botany, medicine, chemistry and pharmaceuticals is also available at the museum.

Cuevas de Bellamar 5 Km to the southeast of Matanzas and discovered by chance by a slave in search of water, this fascinating cave offers public access just to the first 1500 m of the caves. This stretch includes caves and galleries covered with crystal formations in intriguing shapes. The tour here goes 26 m under the sea level, and visitors can see marine fossils dating from 26 million years ago.