Whilst many visitors on their Cuba holidays are more than content to lie on the warm, sandy beaches of Varadero and make the most of the various all-inclusive cocktail bars offered at their luxury Cuban hotels, there is also plenty to explore in the surrounding area for the more active tourist.

One of the main attractions of Varadero is the stunning caves that make up the region, of which the most popular are the Bellamar Caves, featuring stalagmite formations and carsick crystals. But whilst these natural elements may both be considered breathtaking, what really sets the Bellamar Caves apart from any other are the painted frescoes on the cave walls. These, along with the fossilised remains, show evidence that they were inhabited many years ago.

The Delfinario is definitely worth visiting on your Cuba holidays, particularly if you plan on travelling with young children. This venue is both the place to go to swim with dolphins and to attend one of the world-famous dolphin shows. The dolphins are kept in a natural fresh-water lagoon and approach their keeper when they want to appear in the show, and not vice-versa. Whilst adults can enjoy a couple of hours swimming with these playful porpoises, smaller children can be carried into the water in life-jackets for photographs.

However, the highlight of Varadero is definitely the native flora and fauna of the area. Varadero is located in Cuba's Matanzas Province, which is best known as the region where The Bay of Pigs Invasion took place. The Cienaga De Zapata nature reserve, located in this area, is the only place in the world that you can spot the rare bee hummingbird. On your Cuba holiday, joining a bird-watching tour is your best bet of spotting one of these elusive birds. This is because the qualified guides, that lead the tours, not only know all the signs to watch out for, but also the most popular nesting areas in the national park. As well as bee hummingbirds, a tour of the Cienaga De Zapata National Park will give you the opportunity to spot native birds, such as the Cuban crow and the Neotropical Cormorant. This National Park is considered by many avid ornithologists to be the best place in the world for bird-watching, and as such the guides who work in the area are passionate about what they do. Many of them can even emulate the cries and catcalls of numerous Cuban birds, which is definitely worth seeing on your holidays in Cuba.

Located a short walk away from Cienaga De Zapata is the Criadero Cocodrillo Centre; the largest crocodile centre in Cuba. Criadero has been instrumental in the breeding of the Cuban crocodile, a crocodile, which is currently only found in the wild at the Cienaga De Zapata Swamps. Holding one of the centre's baby crocodiles is both a rare and thrilling privilege, which will provide the perfect ending to your Cuba holiday.

About the Author

Rob Santry is a Cuba holiday expert for key2holidays, an online tour operator offering Cuba holidays, as well as trips to Australia, the Caribbean, Europe, Egypt, the Far East, the Maldives, the Seychelles, Dubai and the Arabian Gulf. Key2holidays has a dedicated team of experienced travel consultants to share their knowledge and help you to plan and book your ideal holiday.