Can you rent an apartment in Varadero?
Question: My husband and I are nearing retirement. We would like to plan to live in an apartment within Varadero for a month or two each year, for January to end of March.
Answer: There are no casas particulares or apartments for rent in Varadero. This is also the case in other resort areas such as Playa Santa Lucía and Guardalavaca. In these three areas, all of which are among the country’s most popular tourist destinations, legislation prohibits the operation of private rental of accommodation and the encouragement of formal hotel operations.
While you may be able to find a casa particular or an apartment for rent in Varadero, you should be aware that it is illegal and that this “option” should be avoided. Regardless of what you are told, there are no exceptions in Varadero to operate a Casa particular.
Thus you have two options: either rent a legal Casa particular or apartment in the two towns that are closest to Varadero – Cardenas (12 km from Varadero) and Matanzas (36 km west of Varadero) – or find a suitable hotel in Varadero. With persistence, one can find smaller, more affordable and more intimate hotel accommodations.
Yes. In Cuba you can rent whole apartments… and if you are not Cuban you can not buy a house. Although you can request and become Cuban Citizen (process for me unknown) or become a resident (also unknown if that happens)
Since January 2011, it is possible to rent rooms or two-bedroom apartments with one shared bathroom in Varadero. There is a list for that and other towns in Cuba on http://www.cubacasas.net, a not-for-profit site — also available in Français and Español.
Then maybe it’s a good idea to start a real estate business in Varadero since there’s no casas particulares. 🙂
Great post.
Cheers,
Pedro L.