An impressive house located in the seaside resort of Varadero thrills tourists arriving in Cuba for its curious features and unique landscape: Xanadu. Tourist guides recall that Xanadu, Zanadu or Shangdu was the summer capital of Kublai Kan’s Mongol empire, which covered a large part of Asia.
In the case of Cuba, there is also a singular place called Xanadu that is linked to golf practice: a house built in 1928 by the French- American millionaire Irénée du Pont (1876-1963), president of the then DuPont Company.
For his temporary residence, the businessman chose one of the most paradisiacal places on the Hicacos peninsula - on the northern coast of Matanzas province - the Peñón de San Bernardino, designed in 1927 by architects Félix Cavarrocas and Evelio Govantes. The name of the house is linked to a poem describing the construction of the wonderful palace owned by the emperor Kublai Kan.
Precious woods such as mahogany, cedar, jiquí (Malpighia obovata) and sabicú (Lysiloma sabicú), as well as marble from Cuba, Spain and Italy, were used to construct the building, which stands out for its excellent location on the beach. Built on the aforementioned rock, it was the first stone building in Varadero, with three floors, seven rooms, three terraces (one of which is now a bar), seven balconies, a gazebo, a nine-hole golf course (now 18) and a wine cellar. The villa was built in the area where Cuba’s most beautiful beach, Varadero, is located, about 140 kilometers east of Havana, the Cuban capital. It is a true monument to eclecticism, designed with ideas that Du Pont himself seems to have brought to his understanding of architecture, but it is undoubtedly a beauty. The initial cost was $400,000, plus $200,000 for furniture.
Today, the Xanadu Mansion includes the Varadero Golf Club Hotel and Clubhouse. This luxury accommodation is a true architectural marvel which, from its seven balconies, offers a breathtaking view of the sea and the golf course, the property was carefully restored and repaired following the original construction plan.
CubaPLUS Latinos
CubaPLUS Guyana
CubaPLUS Travel