Varadero is best known as a tourist resort town, with more than 17 miles of white sandy beaches. The first tourists visited Varadero as early as the 1870s, and for years it was considered an elite resort. In 1910 the annual rowing regatta was started; five years later the first hotel, named Varadero, which later was renamed as Club Nautico, was built. Tourism grew in the early 1930s. Many famous and infamous people stayed in Varadero, for example, Al Capone
After the Cuban Revolution in 1959, many mansions were expropriated from their rich owners. These mansions soon became museums.
Between the 1960s and 1980s Varadero transformed itself into a cultural center. The 1990s brought the start of another hotel building campaign, mostly in the 4-star and 5-star segment.
In addition to its most valued resource, the beach, Varadero has natural attractions such as a large national park and a chain of easily accessed virgin caves. Varadero receives more than 1 million tourists annually. While a new frontier for Americans, Varadero has been primarily visited by European and Canadian tourists for decades.
