Simple answer - no! Nobody should visit Havana on the strength of the quality of the beaches - if you are looking for a beach-based holiday then you should look elsewhere - but what beaches there are that are worth spending any time on are all to the east of the city. The Club Acuaria is located near the Marina Hemingway which is a big attraction for yachties but only because this is the nearest mooring for visiting yachts and cruisers calling in at Havana. It can make for a pleasant day out but there's not much else to see and do and if you want an all-inclusive beach based hotel then best to look elsewhere.

And if you are interested in staying here because you want to use it as a base for exploring the city then once again there are better places to stay in. Marina Hemingway is on the far western edges of the city - it's even beyond Mirimar which is where you'll find the nearest beaches - still a taxi ride away rather than within walking distance. Expect to pay in the region of at least 25 and possibly up to 30 CUCs for a taxi into Havana Vieja which is where all the main tourist sights are situated on the western edge of the city. In other words it's going to cost you up to £50 for every return trip you make into old Havana unless you are a confident Spanish speaker with loads of time on your hands and willing to take a chance on the buses.

The better bet would be to do what many visitors do - fly into Havana and spend a few days in hotel in the heart of the city and then head out to one of the beach resorts for the rest of your stay. Cuba has some beautiful beaches - but none of them are close by to Havana. The beaches in the immediate vicinity of Havana are understandably popular with the locals but few tourists frequent them because there are immeasureably better ones to be found elsewhere on the island. If you really do want to base yourself at a beachy place near Havana then I would suggest that you look to stay to either the east of the city or no further west than Mirimar - either way still a 15/20 CUC taxi ride back into Havana Vieja but not so hard on the pocket.

SM