A Winter Getaway

Havana or Varadero - where to go on my annual February vacation? Either one would be a great place to be in the middle of a Canadian winter but where would I enjoy myself the most?

I know Havana - I love Havana - but I've been there twice before. Now Varadero I've never been to and the lure of the white sandy beaches coupled with the crystal clear turquoise blue water won out. The fact that my destination was just over three hours from Toronto followed by a short half hour bus ride to my hotel didn't hurt either! I booked my trip and looked forward to seven lazy days on the beach.

Check in at the Melia Varadero was painless - I even managed to get upgraded to an ocean view room at no extra charge. My first day was spent getting oriented - exploring the lush hotel grounds, the adjacent properties, wandering along the beach, going in and out of the ocean and getting the obligatory 'first day on vacation sun burn.' I travel a lot and yet still do that - I get caught up in what I'm doing and forget the lotion. Don't do that in Cuba, it's hot and you will burn