While Cuba is also a fascinating cultural and nature-lover's destination recognised by eight Unesco World Heritage sites (for everything from historical and architectural gems to biodiversity-crammed nature reserves), the majority of the 2-million-plus visitors who fly into the country each year come to spend time on the island's glorious coastline.

With over 300 paradisiacal beaches to choose from, Cuba is a coastal holiday destination par excellence. And fortunately Cuba has beaches to suit all tastes: pristine powder-soft white beaches lapped by breakerless shores and well-provisioned with beach loungers and hotel restaurants; wilder and more remote beaches where locals will catch seafood and prepare it for you while you dip in the ocean and tiny desolate islands where lopsided coconut trees and tropical pines provide much needed shade from the robust Caribbean sun.

By far, the greatest number of Cuba's beach tourists are those who visit the all-inclusive resorts. Here flights, hotel accommodation, all meals and drinks and most activities are included in a single package price. The only extras guests need to budget for are excursions outside of the resort, some watersports such as scuba diving and tipping.

The popularity of these holidays has further been increased by the advent of affordable all-inclusive package tours from the UK, Canada and mainland Europe where a week's trip to a mid-range resort out of season can sometimes be cheaper than buying just the airfare on its own for the same period. This has had the positive effect of opening Cuba up as a destination to those who would not previously be able to afford Caribbean holidays or those travelling on weaker currencies such as the rand.

Guests, however, do need to be quite selective when booking a package tour to Cuba and do their research to see that it's going meet their expectations.

For example, some resorts are more suited to families, while others cater mainly for honeymooners, singles or retirees. Some hotels attract a mix of nationalities while others have strong connections with agencies in just one or two countries.

As Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean, its beaches are varied and while most resorts are built on waveless pristine powdery white shores, some beaches do have breaking waves and yellow, black (called black but actually grey) or pebbly sands.

The next question to ask yourself is which part of Cuba to go to. The island has 11 international airports, most of which are tiny and many cater almost exclusively for the international package tour market, so if you're travelling with a tour group you will be able to get to most corners of the country quite easily.

Independent travellers should be aware though that they may need to travel to one of the larger international airports (Havana, Varadero or Santiago de Cuba, for example) and make their connections from there. And while many all-inclusive beach resorts will allow you to book a few nights at their hotel from within Cuba, some won't, and it will almost always be more expensive per night than if you travel as part of a package tour.

Undoubtedly the most popular destination for beach holidays on the island (attracting an estimated half a million visitors annually) is the peninsula of Varadero. Situated 140km east of Havana, it has the added benefit of being close enough to the capital to allow for day trip excursions. With more than 50 hotels along a slender peninsula and arguably some of Cuba's best beaches, Varadero is Cuba's Cancun.

It sports mid and top-end all-inclusive hotels with the most elaborate and expensive resorts situated to the east of the peninsula.

Guardalavaca (which literally means "Guard the cow") is another resort hot spot. Located in the Holguin province to the east of the island, Guardalavaca is beautiful and has a more laid-back reputation, despite the fact that it has at least one five-star resort and one of the largest swimming pools in the country. Sporting four mid-range hotels and 20km of unbroken tranquil white beaches and turquoise waters, Playa Santa Lucia is particularly popular with Canadian and Italian tourists. This resort is more isolated than most and is placed 112km north-east of the nearest airport in the city of Camaguey.

Cayo Coco, to the north of the country, is Cuba's most visited island. It's the country's fourth largest and is linked to the mainland by a 27km causeway. In turn it adjoins to the smaller keys of Cayo Guillermo and Cayo Romano by separate causeways. Cayo Coco is idyllic, has various excellent beach hotels on offer as well as its own international airport. The only negative aspect of this spot is that a kind of "tourism apartheid" is in force whereby Cuban visitors are not allowed to visit the island or stay at any of its resorts.

Cayo Largo del Sur is only accessible by aircraft (sometimes quite small aircraft) and getting there is half the fun. This island is unusual in that some of the hotel chains in operation allow you to stay at one of their hotels and use the facilities of any of their other resorts on the island. This halcyon paradise is well worth a visit.

Independent travellers can also try the beach at Maria la Gorda (charmingly translated as "Fat Mary") and the islands of Cayo Levisa and Cayo Jutias, all in the Pinar del Rio province. Both little islands are tropical and unspoilt and make for excellent day trips with options such as snorkelling. Cayo Levisa also offers quaint beach hut accommodation although book ahead as these fill up very quickly. Playa Ancon just outside the city of Trinidad and Playa Maguana near the city of Baracoa are quiet and laid-back and highly recommended for whiling away balmy Caribbean afternoons with moguitos or coconut cocktails in hand.

Sourced with thanks from IOL Travel