The property market in Matanzas: Varadero, Cárdenas and the city

Matanzas is the province where tourism shapes the property market most. Varadero concentrates the highest rental demand in Cuba outside Havana, and that demand spills over into Cárdenas and Santa Marta, where much of the resort workforce lives and where prices are considerably more rational.

Buying on the Hicacos peninsula is a special case with its own rules and a very thin market; before negotiating anything there, confirm with a notary what can be acquired and under what conditions. For most buyers, the realistic transaction is in Cárdenas, Santa Marta or in the city of Matanzas itself.

Matanzas city has a different, more traditional market: colonial and republican houses in the historic centre, with high ceilings and good floor areas, prices far below Havana, and real urban life. It is one of the best value-for-money markets in the country for anyone who does not need to be in the capital.

To the south, Playa Girón and the Zapata Swamp form a small, seasonal market tied to diving and nature tourism.

Neighbourhoods and areas

• Varadero
• Cárdenas
• Santa Marta
• Matanzas city
• Versalles
• Playa Girón
• Jovellanos

What to check before buying here

• check_circleIf the goal is renting to tourists, confirm with the ONAT which licences the specific format and locality require.
• check_circleIn Varadero and its surroundings, first verify what type of acquisition the rules allow at that location.
• check_circleCorrosion and salt damage along the whole coastal strip.
• check_circleIn the historic centre of Matanzas, the state of roofs and timber floor structures.

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