Italian travel writer names what she deems to be Cuba's Best 31 Beaches

It’s not easy to impress Sardinia-raised, Claudia Tavani, who spent her childhood and teenagehood revelling in some of the world’s most dazzling beaches. As an islander herself and someone who grew up surrounded by the most crystalline shorelines, it’s not easy to convince her that any beach is better or more beautiful than those in her native Sardinia. She has been to the Maldives, she has been to Thailand, she has been to Bali, she has been to the Dominican Republic, she has even been to Antigua and for all of its 365 beaches worth she wasn’t even that impressed; she didn’t find them to be that special. Talk about Cuba however and she concedes that the majority of the island’s beaches “are simply gorgeous”, even to a self-declared beach expert like her.

After touring the island and getting acquainted with an impressively long list of Cuba beaches, Tavani recently wrote an article listing “The 31 Best Beaches in Cuba”, according to her. Here, we share her list with you and let you in on far more Cuban coastal beauties that you probably were aware of. In fact, many Cubans won’t probably be familiar with at least half of the beaches mentioned in Tavani’s list.

In Matanzas, you will, of course, find the ultra-popular and quintessential Varadero mentioned, and that´s despite the tourist crowds and the fact that it´s nowadays lined by over 50 hotels and resorts. Still, it more than 20 kilometres of turquoise shoreline maintains its beauty and allure as fresh as ever.

In Tavani’s list you’ll find some of the most popular and developed Cuban beaches, which means that whatever the amount of development you throw at them it doesn’t diminish their beauty (at least not yet) as well as some perfectly secluded beach coves where you’ll hardly come across another soul.

If you’re a serious beach-bum and self-confessed beach lover, next time you go on Cuba holidays you should aim to check off as many as you can from this list:

1. Cayo Jutias in Pinar del Rio
2. Maria La Gorda in Pinar del Rio
3. Cayo Levisa in Pinar del Rio
4. Playas del Este in Havana
5. Bahia de Cochinos in Matanzas
6. Playa Los Cocos in Matanzas
7. Playa Giron in Matanzas
8. Caleta Buena in Matanzas
9. Playa Larga in Matanzas
10. Varadero in Matanzas
11. Playa Coral in Matanzas
12. Rancho Luna in Cienfuegos
13. Punta La Cueva in Cienfuegos
14. Playa Ancon in Sancti Spiritus
15. Cayo Blanco in Sancti Spiritus
16. Playa Los Cocos in Camaguey
17. Playa Santa Lucia in Camaguey
18. Cayo Sabinal in Camaguey
19. Playa Pesquero in Holguin
20. Guardalavaca in Holguin
21. Playa Blanca in Holguin
22. Playa Caletones in Holguin
23. Playa Los Bajos in Holguin
24. Playa de Morales in Holguin
25. Playa Cazonal in Santiago de Cuba
26. Playa Siboney in Santiago de Cuba
27. Playa Nava in Baracoa, Guantanamo
28. Playa Maguana in Baracoa, Guantanamo
29. Playa Paraiso in Cayo Largo del Sur
30. Playa Los Flamencos in Cayo Coco
31. Playa Pilar in Cayo Guillermo

Have you made it to any of them yet? If so, which one's your favourite Cuban beach? Or do you have more than one favourite? Let us know in the comments section below.