Search Results for 'Trinidad'

[kevin]

#13571 In reply to: entertainment Sat night |

Hi Mario thanks or your previous tips ,can I ask from Trinidad I was wanting to have a day check out beaches at cayo guilermo /pilar flamingo I know its a long strectch of rough road would you advise go for day in taxi if so how far is it or would I  be better staying near buy , after this our last few days will be heading back to Havana was thinking maybe 2or 3 days in casa in varedero before heading for airport in Havana home what do think   thanks once again .Kevin

[Mario Rizzi]

#13507 In reply to: Solo Cuba travel 14 days |

Hi, in my opinion, you will have more fun with this new schedule. You will have much more time to really see everything there is to see in Havana, Vinales and Trinidad. And, if ever you get bored of a particular area, you can always just leave early and explore a different area.

For example, near to Vinales there are 2 beaches. You can pay a simple local taxi to take you the beach, and the cost would probably be about 15$. If you want the taxi to wait for you and drive you back at the end of the day, it would cost 30 to 60cuc, depending on where you go. You can get cheaper deals sometimes.. you just have to ask around. Your casa landlord could easily set this up for you. Or, in the town square in Vinales, right in front of the park, there is a tourist information office with all the prices for the taxis on the window. There are also drivers in front of the office who can give discounts. The closest beaches are Cayo Jutias and Cayo Levisa. Cayo Levisa is actually an island, so you would have to take the ferry to get there. There are also some cheap excursions which will take you to the beach for a day, a meal is sometimes included too. So, if you get bored of Vinales, you can go exploring the beach.

Also, for taking a taxxi to Trinidad from Vinales, here is a tip. From Vinales to Trinidad, you can use a communal taxi. In Vinales, in front of the main square, there is a tourist information office with posters and prices marked all over the windows. In front there is almost always a taxi organizer who can help you arrange a taxi to Trinidad. The cost is about 40cuc per person. The organizers name is Leonardo. His phone number is 5 240 9142. He speaks a bit if English. But either tell your landlord to call him and organize the taxi, or go visit him in front of the tourist office. He has short, black hair and he will probably approach you if you look like a tourist. He can arrange the taxi to pick you up at your casa and take you, along with a car full of other people, to Trinidad, by way of Havana. It will be a 1950s station wagon or small truck.

Near Trinidad there are many cool things to see. You have to take a taxi to see them, but it won’t be very expensive, especially if you meet some people and can share the taxi cost with other tourists.

Have you had the chance to see my Trinidad guide? It has lots of information for free places to see in Trinidad. You can download the digital edition in .epub format here, for free (http://www.filedropper.com/havanatipsandtricks). The section at the end of the book tell you all about Trinidad and some very nice places to visit. The .epub file can be read on your phone or tablet or computer.

take care,

Mario

• This reply was modified 9 years, 2 months ago by Mario.

[MHoppema]

#13503 In reply to: Solo Cuba travel 14 days |

Hey Mario, thank you for your response!

I can see your point on staying longer in the same place and exploring. I still want to visit Vinales and Trinidad because I would like to see the beautiful valley and the colonial town aswell as the playa ancon.

My neem planning would be:

13, 14, 15, 16 Havana

17 travel to Vinales

18, 19, 20 Vinales

21 travel to Trinidad

22, 23, 24 Trinidad

25 travel to cienfuegos

26 travel to Havana

27 Departement from Havana

This will give me a more time to Explore every part.

I am doing this trip on a budget so I’m going to look into nice cheap excursions and activities around vinales and Trinidad.

Thank you again for the advies.

Kind regards,

MJH

[Mario]

#13495 In reply to: Solo Cuba travel 14 days |

Hi,

Your plan is ambitious. It is absolutely possible to do your plan exactly as you have written, but I wonder if this really is the best plan…

You should look at my posts over here (https://bestcubaguide.com/forums/topic/14-day-itinerary/) and see what I have recommended for other people for their 2 week stay in Cuba.

You say that “I want to see as much as possible.” An important thing to note is that it is usually better to stay in a few places where there is a lot to see rather than staying in many places where there is only a bit to see. In Havana, there is a lot to see. I recommend staying longer in Havana. In Santa Clara there is very little to see. The same goes for Pinar del Rio. Unless you have a particular thing that you want to see in these cities, you might want to bypass them.

Also, Vinales is wonderful, but you might be wasting time if you are going to both Vinales and Trinidad. They are not the same, but they are similar. My recommendation would be to explore one area thoroughly rather than spending just 1 day in each place.

Also, consider the driving time to get from one destination to the other. The drive from Vinales to Trinidad would take about 6 hours if you have a private taxi and over 8 hours in the Viazul bus. It wastes a whole day. 

Also, you need time to plan excursions in each destination. If you want to go horseback riding in Vinales or Trinidad you have to plan that ahead of time. If you arrive just the day before, it might not happen. And then what if it rains and you cannot go…

I recommend you spend 4 days in Havana. See the city properly.

Then either go to Vinales or Trinidad. Or do both, but take it slow. Spend 3 days in Vinales. On the first day you can walk in the fields and see the plantations. Second day, go hiking on a hill. Third day, go on a horseback tour of the valley.

Then you can go to Trinidad. Take a communal taxi as I have described here (https://bestcubaguide.com/forums/topic/entertainment-sat-night/#post-13474)

But in Trinidad you will do similar things.. On the first day you can walk in the town. Second day, go hiking on a mountain. Third day, go on a horseback tour of the valley. But you can also go to the Topes de Collantes national park. It’s very beautiful. If you like these kinds of activities, you can easily spend 4 days in Trinidad. Plus there is a nice beach just beside Trinidad.

Then if you want, on your way back to Havana you can stop in Cienfuegos a bit. It’s a nice place, but most people only spend a few hours there or stop for the night if they are tired. There is not that much to do there.

If you take it slow in Cuba you will have more time to meet locals and learn about the culture and history. In Cuba the cities themselves are similar, in my opinion, but the people are different. I have always been happier to learn a few places very well rather than to see many places generally. Also, the advantage of seeing just a few places is that you waste less time driving around and have more time to relax and enjoy the surroundings.

have a great day,

Mario

 

 

 

 

[MHoppema]

#13488

Topic: Solo Cuba travel 14 days in forum General |

Hi, I’m a Dutch student and I from the 13th till the 27th of June I will be go on a solo travel to Cuba. I have made a little planning for myself but because it will be my first time in Cuba I need some expert opinion on how doable my plans are.

The plan that I made is:

13th: Arriving Havana

14th: exploring Havana

15th: exploring Havana

16th: Travel to Pinar del Rio

17th: Exploring Pinar del Rio

18th: Travel to Vinales

19th: Explore Vinales

20th: Travel to Cienfuego

21st: Explore Cienfuego

22nd: Travel to Trinidad

23th: Explore Trinidad

24th: Travel to Santa Clara

25th: Explore Santa Clara

26th: Travel to Havana

27th: Departure from Havana.

I know it is a lot in a short amount of time but I want to see as much as possible.

Maybe you have some tips on what to remove and what to keep.

 

Kind regards,

MJH

[Mario]

#13474 In reply to: entertainment Sat night |

Hey,

Playa Larga can be skipped. It’s a nice place but the beach is not wonderful. Basically you go there to spend a few days, check out the swamp and see some wildlife. But the beach itself is small and nothing so special and the area is undeveloped so there is not so much else. You are not missing much.

How are you getting from Vinales to Trinidad? My recommendation is to not take the Viazul. The trip is way too long. You are better off taking a taxi. The yellow state taxis are expensive, but a communal taxi will do the trip for about 45$ per person or less and the trip is much faster than with the Viazul. I think it takes about 6 hours, which is not so bad. And the landscape is nice.

In Vinales, in front of the main town square there is a tourist office. You will see it clearly while you are in Vinales since the town is so small. There are posters all over the office window with prices to take taxis to different destinations.

Outside the office you will find a taxi organizer. His name is Leonardo. His job is to group people into taxis. Tell him you want to go to Trinidad. He will organize a taxi to pick you up at your casa on the morning of your choice and the taxi will take you to Trinidad. It goes to Havana first, then maybe picks up and drops off some people, then goes to Trinidad. It’s very easy and the cost is reasonable. And it’s faster than the Viazul. The taxis usually hold about 9 people. They are old cars, but safe. The organizers name is Leonardo. His phone number is 5 240 9142. He speaks a bit if English. But either tell your landlord to call him and organize the taxi, or go visit him in front of the tourist office. He has cropped hair and he will probably approach you if you look like a tourist.

Have fun in Cuba!

[b12kjc]

#13472 In reply to: entertainment Sat night |

Hi. As I thought with playa Larga I think we will take it off our tour , and head straight down to Trinidad for a few days and then work our way back up to Havana we love the national parks and were hoping that they won’t be to bad for mozzys in day and so staying in town or city evenings should be ok with some repellant we saw some pictures of people litter lily eaten alive and it was enough to put us of going to Cuba all together ! But we want to experience all the good things especially Havana the beaches and music so we still want to go . Just one last question as we are staying in Vinales after Havana the next stop was to be Trinidad it’s a heck of a long journey down if we don’t stop in Larga do you have a suggestion to break journey thanks Mario am just waiting on delivery  of paperback version of your guide so we don’t have to rely on the kindle being charged  thanks again Kevin

[Mario]

#13216 In reply to: 14 day itinerary??? |

Hi Jake,

On the Viazul you can take suitcases, no problem. You have space for 2 large suitcases I think, but you can probably bring as much as you want. Even if you want to bring a bike, it is usually fine. There is lots of space for luggage. Just be sure to arrive 30 minutes before departure so your bags can be placed in the bus luggage compartment.

I think your itinerary is good. Trinidad is far, especially from Vinales, but it’s not so bad. It’s like 6 hours by taxi or 10 hours by bus. At least you will get to see the Cuban countryside. It’s an adventure. I’ve done it before. If you have an open attitude and go with the flow, things are always fine. In Cuba I will tell you now, you will surely have small problems along the way. But if you just go with it and see life as an adventure it will be fine. If you start getting upset and hopeless in the face of minor adversities, then you will not like Cuba.

 

Anyway, if you can book your ticket on the Viazul from Havana to Vinales then you will be in a great position. This is the critical leg of the trip, in my opinion. Once you are out of Havana, it becomes much easier and cheaper to get taxis.

From Vinales to Trinidad, my recommendation is that you do not use the Viazul. You are far better off using a communal taxi. In Vinales, in front of the main square, there is a tourist information office with posters and prices marked all over the windows. In front there is almost always a taxi organizer who can help you arrange a taxi to Trinidad. The cost is about 40cuc per person. The organizers name is Leonardo. His phone number is 5 240 9142. He speaks a bit if English. But either tell your landlord to call him and organize the taxi, or go visit him in front of the tourist office. He has cropped hair and he will probably approach you if you look like a tourist. He can arrange the taxi to pick you up at your casa and take you, along with a car full of other people, to Trinidad, by way of Havana. It will be a 1950s station wagon or small truck.

In Havana there are taxi organizers too. I know 2 guys who hang around the omnibus terminal at the corner of Boyeros and 20 de Mayo streets. Here is their info. Angel 53 82 23 14 or Morito 54 26 86 77.

All the organizers are officially licensed by the state to work at this job. Leonardo is the best, in my opinion and he would be the first person to ask for any rides between Vinales, Havana and Trinidad. He knows everybody. Since he is mostly Spanish, it is best to ask your landlord to call him, or maybe your landlord has a personal contact that can help you… This is very common.

As for an English casa in Trinidad. Honestly, I don’t know one off the top of my head that speaks English really well. But all the landlords speak it to a degree and communication is not usually an issue.

I recommend looking at some of the casas I have listed in the casa section and seeing which ones you like in Trinidad. By clicking on the contact form on the casa page we can help you to book the casa. The same for Havana and Vinales.

The weather in Vinales is always hit it miss. I was there in early February and to be honest, the weather was terrible. Lots of rain and very cold. I only had one good day, but I made the most of it and went horseback riding in the valley. But this was an El nino year and Cuba got a lot of rain. The other times I have gone to Vinales it was mostly great. My recommendation is to not worry much about the weather. The crowds should be OK in early Feb. Everybody was saying that this was a record year for Vinales and that people were being forced to sleep in tents outside. I think it was mostly media hype. When I went I found a place in about 5 minutes by just walking around and knocking on doors. And I took photos of about 15 casas for my website and they were all vacant. There are more tourists than 3 years ago, but there are many more casas now too. And 99% of people who go to Vinales just hang around the main town square. For some reason almost nobody takes a horse ride through the valley. And really, in my opinion, that is the main attraction.

To get from Trinidad to varadero you can check with the Viazul. There are taxi organizers in Trinidad too who can help you. They usually hand around the Viazul terminal. If you just go there and say that you need to get to varadero and have 30cuc, they will find a way to do it. Maybe you have to pay 40cuc in the end, but still it’s a good deal and comparable in price to the Viazul. Always say you have less money than you are willing to spend. I almost always travel by just finding a communal taxi while I roam around. I used to take the Viazul a lot but I find the taxis are faster and I like that the schedules are more flexible.

In varadero there are organizers and communal taxis hanging around the main town square and the Viazul terminal. You might have to bargain for a good deal. Taxis in varadero love to overcharge. Your best bet is to find a couple of other tourists going back to Havana and to share a ride. A state taxi usually charges 90$ for a car load. It holds 4 passengers. So if you pay about 23$ each, it all works out. The Viazul would make the trip for 10cuc, but this leg if the route is almost always packed. Sometimes you can find a minibus which will make the trip for 15cuc per passenger. Either way, I can honestly tell you that transport is not a huge issue. The taxi drivers are always ready to hustle for money and as long as you have a bit of cash, you can get to where you want to go.

Take care man and just ask if you have more questions.

Mario

[Jake]

#13205 In reply to: 14 day itinerary??? |

Hi Mario,

Thank you for the information – I also now have a copy of your book 🙂

I think we will stick with the Viazul, it seems to be the better option – Can you take suitcases on board?

I have made a rough itinerary, which I would be interested to hear your thoughts on? Is Trinidad a bit too far? Is there a quicker way to get there than the bus? Would a taxi be worth doing and roughly what would the cost be? Can you recommend an English speaking Casa in Trinidad?

Day 1              Fly to Havana

Days 2-4         Havana

Day 5              Travel to Vinales

Days 6-7          Vinales

Day 8               Travel to Trinidad

Day 9-10s        Trinidad

Day 11              Travel to Varadero

Days 12-13       Varadero

Day 14              Travel to Havana – Fly Home

I am heavily into photography so am hoping to get a few nice shots in Vinales. Thinking on going in early Feb, to avoid the crowds so much – is the weather good at this time?

Sorry to bombard you with questions.

Thanks in advance!

Jake

[Mario]

#13137 In reply to: 14 day itinerary??? |

Hi Jake,

Vinales and varadero will be great. But just note that in late February and a lot of March, both places will be loaded with tourists and the hotels especially in varadero will be pretty expensive. It is March break for many people in Canada. Lots of young people will go to Cuba during this time. Also, if the USA keeps opening the tourist gates to Cuba then there will be some American spring breakers too. There is not much you can do about it, but plan accordingly.

 

With this info in mind, you should know that renting a vehicle will be difficult in this time period. It is always hard to find a rental car and I don’t think it’s worth the trouble.

 

The easiest way to get from Havana to either Vinales or varadero is to use either a taxi or the national bus service, called the Viazul. The bus is cheap, but takes about twice as long as a taxi. A taxi to Vinales or varadero from Havana is about 95$. It’s not so bad and you can maybe share the cost if you find another couple to come with you.

Note that the valley is a natural park and cars cannot enter it. If you want to explore the valley you can either hike in it or rent horses. I recommend going with a horse tour. It cost about 5$ per hour per person. It’s pretty cheap.

Between Vinales and varadero there is only Havana as the major city. I would not really suggest stopping anywhere else along the trip. Vinales is the top nature spot and varadero is the top beach. And Havana is the biggest city, so you are already hitting all 3 areas. Another popular place is Trinidad, but that is about 4 hours drive east of varadero.. It’s pretty far and it’s similar to Vinales, but a bit more developed.

 

As for not speaking any Spanish… You will be OK, but it really does help if you speak a bit. You will get cheaper deals and everything will be easier. Most Cubans do not speak English. They always find a way to  communicate… But still. If you are interested in learning a bit of Spanish quickly, I would suggest the Michel Thomas course. You can find it online and download it, sometimes even for free if you know your way around the internet. It’s a great course and you can probably learn a base of Spanish in about 1 week.

Anyway, if you have more questions, just ask.

 

All the best,

Mario

[Mario Rizzi]

#13074 In reply to: Tour information |

Hi,

Domenica 10: da L’Havana verso Vinales: con tappa a cayo Levisa – As you mention, you have to get to the beach early (by 10am) in order to take the ferry to the island. You might have trouble finding a taxi which will leave Havana and make it in time to get to the ferry dock before it leaves. The trip from Havana to Cayo Levisa will take about 2 hours.  But the highway to the cayo is not good. There might be delays. You can do it, but if there is any delay, you will miss the ferry. Also, are you sure you want to plan a day at the beach so far in advance? What if it rains that day? I recommend going to Vinales first, spending a day there and then, if the weather is good, plan a trip to Cayo Levisa or cayo Jutias, which is also nice.

Martedi 12: Eventuali tappe intermedie, 2 notti a Cienfuegos (da lì si può andare a Playa Giron/Playa Larga o Rancho Luna al mare); – Most people do not stay 2 nights in Cienfuegos. There is not much to see there. 1 night is enough. Playa Giron is not so good. You are better off going to Playa Larga and maybe visiting Caleta Buena for a day. It’s a beautiful area where you can swim with fish.

Giovedi 14: Trinidad. 2 notti a Trinidad; – Ok

Sabato 16: direzione Moron con sosta intermedia a Sancti Spiritus e pernottamento a Moron; – Ok, but what do you plan to do in Moron or Sancti Spiritus? These are small towns and there is not much action there. And Moron is very far from Trinidad.

Domenica 17: da Moron direzione mare in zona dei Cayos (ad es. Cayo Guillermo o Cayo Coco) e farvi 3 giorni di mare; – The cayos are nice, but these places are distant and there are no casas to rent on these beaches. There are only a few state hotels and they are expensive. Do you already have your reservations? You should only plan to visit these areas if you already have a reservation.

Martedi 19: Remedios con pernottamento; – Remedios is a very small town. There are many tourists who go because they read about it on Cuba-Junky and it was recently put in the Lonely Planet travel guide. But honestly, there is nothing in Remedios. Many people who visit Remedios are surprised and disappointed.

Mercoledi 20: ritorno a L’Havana con Santa Clara (museo Che Guevara) come tappa intermedia – There is not so much to see in Santa Clara either. It’s a nice place. There are some museums and the people are nice, but what is your goal for the trip? Do you just want to visit small towns in Cuba to take photos?

—-

Your trip is ok. It is possible to do everything you want. My only main change would be to visit Vinales first and then go to Cayo Levisa or Jutias.

——

But, my main concern is, will you be happy with a trip like this? In my opinion, you will be spending a very long time in taxis and buses, driving all around Cuba, for no reason. In my opinion, you should only visit these small towns if you have a real reason to go there. Or else you will just be walking around trying to find something to do, and there is not much.

Is this your first time in Cuba? If your goal is to have fun, meet some locals, make friends, see the Cuban countryside, cities and the beaches, then I would recommend a different itinerary.

 

April 9 – Havana -Walk around the city during the day. It will be Saturday, so there will clubs and bars to go to at night.

April 10 – You stay in Havana. Explore Vedado and Centro Havana. There is lots to see and do.

April 11 – Go to Vinales. If you leave Havana in the morning you can arrive there by about noon. Relax on your first day. Walk on the farms or climb a hill (mogote). And tell your casa landlord to book a horseback tour for you for the next morning (cost is about 5cuc per person per hour.) I recommend you tell your landlord to call Juan Mayito. He is a horse guide and charges about 4 to 5 cuc per hour – 53364542. He is good because if you feel comfortable on a horse, then he will allow you to run in the fields. You don’t always have to go slowly with the horse.

April 12 – You go on your horseback tour. It will be very fun. Visit Cueva de Silencio too and you can swim in an underground lake. Bring a bathing suit or go in your underwear, or naked. The cost to go to the cave is only about 2cuc. You should go.

April 13 – You can go to Cayo Jutias or Cayo Levisa. Cayo Jutias is more popular and it only costs 15cuc per person to take a taxi there. Cayo Levisa costs 30cuc per person, but that also includes the ferry to get to the island.

April 14 – You leave Vinales and go to Playa Larga. The beach where you have to stay is called Caleton. There are casas there. The first day you can walk around the town (it is very small) or stay on the beach, or take a taxi to Playa Giron just to see the museum for a few hours. (Playa Giron is not very good…)

April 15 – You can go to Caleta Buena. It will cost about 25 to 30$ to get there. It’s a very nice place. You have to pay extra to enter the Caleta Buena place, but you get unlimited drinks and a good lunch.

April 16 – You can go to Trinidad. Personally, I find Trinidad is expensive and very touristy. But it is a popular destination and it is beautiful. The first day you are there you can ask the taxi driver to bring you to El Mirador to see the valley, and you can also go to the Manaca Iznaga estate. It will be Saturday night, so you can go to a disco… there is a nice disco in a cave which is interesting and popular (Disco Ayala)

April 17 – You can explore the town of Trinidad and relax. There is also a beach near the city (Playa Ancon) or you can go to the port area of Trinidad, which is called Casilda. You can also hike in the mountain or the valley.

April 18 – You can go to the Topes de Collante natural reserve. Your casas landlord can help you plan this. It is a very nice place to visit, high up in the mountains. You will see nature and many beautiful things.

April 19 – You have 2 options – Either you go east (to the cayos – cayo Coco or Guillermo) or you go west, to Varadero, with maybe a short stop at Cienfuegos as you are along the way. Either way, you can spend April 19, 20, and 21 at a beach. Honestly, the cayos are a bit more beautiful, but there are not many hotels there and they are more expensive. Also, they are far away from Havana and Trinidad, so you will waste a lot of time in taxis. If it was me, I would just go to Varadero. The beach is almost as nice, and there are many hotels to choose from and they are much cheaper. Also there are many bars and clubs and restaurants. And it is only 2 hours away from Havana, so I can relax more, rather than being always in a taxi.

April 22 – Return to Havana

April 23 – Leave Cuba

 

Tell me what you think.

Have a great day,

Mario

[Mario]

#13042 In reply to: 14 days in Cuba |

Hi. I do not think that 1000 USD is enough. You might be able to use only 1000USD, but it will be a tight budget. There will not be much space for anything extra. It also depends a lot on what kind of a spender you are. If you are very frugal, then it will be ok. But if you like to drink and have fun, you will need more money. It also depends on how many friends you are going with and how much money they bring. If you are going with 2 or 3 other friends and you will be sharing the cost of taxis and rooms with them, then it will be ok. But if you will be taking a taxi by yourself and renting a private apartment, then your money will go very fast.

 

The usual recommendation for money is to bring about $100USD per day.

 

Also, there is still the 10% penalty on USD exchange. So your 1000USD will only be worth 900$ USD once you get to Cuba. The penalty is supposed to be removed soon, but as far as I know, it is still in place.

 

As for places to visit. I would say Habana, Varadero and Giron are good places. Also, you might like to visit Trinidad, which is about 2 hours east of Giron. It is a very popular place with nice architecture and nature. Also, near Trinidad is the Topes de Collantes natural park which is very beautiful.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Mario

[Stefano]

#13001

Topic: Tour information in forum General |

Hi Mario,

can you please let me know if the tour written below makes sense or it is too tough?

• Sabato 9: Arrivo a L’Havana;

• Domenica 10: da L’Havana verso Vinales: con tappa a cayo Levisa (spiaggia spettacolare vicino a Vinales raggiungibile con traghetto, dovete arrivare alla spiaggia in mattinata senno non ci sono più traghetti). Notte a Vinales;

• Lunedi 11: giornata a Vinales; si possono fare belle escursioni a cavallo;

• Martedi 12: Eventuali tappe intermedie, 2 notti a Cienfuegos (da lì si può andare a Playa Giron/Playa Larga o Rancho Luna al mare);

• Giovedi 14: Trinidad. 2 notti a Trinidad;

• Sabato 16: direzione Moron con sosta intermedia a Sancti Spiritus e pernottamento a Moron;

• Domenica 17: da Moron direzione mare in zona dei Cayos (ad es. Cayo Guillermo o Cayo Coco) e farvi 3 giorni di mare;

• Martedi 19: Remedios con pernottamento;

• Mercoledi 20: ritorno a L’Havana con Santa Clara (museo Che Guevara) come tappa intermedia

• Giovedi 21: L’Havana;

• Venerdi 22: L’Havana;

• Sabato 23: partenza.

[Mario]

#12005 In reply to: 14 day itinerary??? |

 Hi, ok, I will give you some facts and then some opinion. And then some questions that you should ask yourself, to best determine where you want to go.

 

So, first, facts

1. The trip from Holguin to Havana is about 12 to 14 hours, in the Viazul bus. It costs 44cuc per person. You can take a car and maybe pay just a bit more, and it will be faster, but not much faster. It’s always a long trip. And with a car, it is more dangerous. I have done it in a car, and would probably not do it again. The highway from Holguin to Havana is mostly only 2 lanes… one lane in each direction. It’s pretty scary to be driving at 100km per hour and then have another car or bus, just inches away from you, driving at the same speed, in the opposite direction. It’s a beautiful drive through the country… stunning… But you have to trust your driver.
2. To get from Havana to Vinales is another 3 or 4 hours by bus. 2.5 hours by car. 
3. To get to Parque Nacional Peninsula de Gunanahacabibes (Let’s just call it Maria la Gorda beach) is another few hours.  All told, to get from Holguin to Maria la Gorda is like 17 hours, if everything goes well… That’s basically a day in the bus, and it can easily take longer. 
4. Varadero is touristy. But 90% of the beaches in Cuba are touristy. Tourism is the main force in the economy of Cuba. If there is a good beach, it’s safe to say that other people will be there. The hidden beaches all have defects (rocky, hard to get to, no shade, deep water, coarse sand, polluted, jellyfish issues, etc… But there are hidden beaches which are good enough. And I too like finding them, and have found some nice ones. And they are closer to Holguin than they are to Havana. I will explain this later.
5. Around Holguin, there are some nice towns and major cities and popular beaches. Within a couple of hours of Holguin there are the cities of Camaguey, La Tunas and Santiago. There are the beaches of Manzanillo, Guardalavaca and Santa Lucia. There is the national park near Baracoa and the Parque Turquino with Cuba’s tallest mountain.

 

Opinion:

I get maybe 5 messages per week for people landing in Havana and asking me how they can visit the eastern side of the island. They want to leave Havana and go to Santiago and Baracoa and Holguin…. And I have to be honest and tell them that while they can do that, it takes a long bus ride and there is really nothing that they will see on that side of the island that they cannot see closer to Havana. And the same can be said if you are landing in Holguin. My opinion would be to stay in the eastern part of the island and explore it and enjoy it… And not waste time in a bus trying to see the western part. It’s really not worth it. I have been to the eastern parts of Cuba many times, and I prefer those areas much more than the western parts.

Vinales is beautiful. It’s one of my favorite parts of Cuba. But its a valley… Scenic, yes, but it’s a valley. And you can find valleys that are very similar in the national parks around Santiago.

Trinidad is beautiful. It’s an old world town, surrounded by a valley. The architecture dates back to the 1600s… But in the end, it’s just a cluster of old houses in a valley. It’s fun, and you can do a lot, but how many old houses are you going to visit? And, honestly, everything in Cuba dates back hundreds of years.. In Baracoa, close to Holguin, Christopher Columbus landed in the 1480s and established the first settlement in the new world. That’s even more interesting to me. And Baracoa is connected to the rest of Cuba by just a dirt road.. so the place is very remote and well preserved.

90% of tourists come to Cuba via Havana or Varadero. If you want to get off the tourist path, then you have a huge advantage by coming in through Holguin. Use it to your advantage. Don’t waste it by arriving in Holguin and then immediately getting on the Havana tourist path.

I can understand why you would want to go to Trinidad, Vinales and Maria la Gorda. They are all beautiful places, and they have all been covered extensively on Lonely Planet and other websites. The reason for this is because they are mobbed with tourists day and night. These same tourists rarely get to see the eastern part of the island, because it is far away and off the beaten track… There is far less info on things to see near Holguin. This is your huge advantage. And I can’t tell you all the places, because not even I know them, but part of the experience in Cuba is discovering them for yourself.

 

My Itinerary for you – 

Day 1) Land in Holguin. Check it out. Take a bici taxi tour around the city. Maybe it costs 20cuc and takes 2 hours. Go for it. I have done it and loved it.

Day 2) more exploration in Holguin. Climb the Loma de la Cruz (giant hill in the middle of the city).

Day 3) Go to Santiago de Cuba. Explore the city. It’s large and hot, and honestly, I don’t like it. But see it anyway.

Day 4) More Santiago. It has a rich history. It was the former capital city. There is lots to do. Did I mention, it will be hot?.. Very hot.

Day 5) Go to the mountains. West of the city there are the Sierra Maestra mountains and the Pico Turquino (highest peak in Cuba). In this area, Fidel Castro hid with his small army and staged many attacks on the government, during the revolution. This area is super rich in history, not to mention that it is stunningly beautiful and way off the tourist path. Go horseback riding and hiking. You probably won’t find many photos of this online.. mostly because only hardcore tourists make it this far.

Day 6) Explore the mountains more or stay in a small town beside the reserve. There are thousands of beaches along this mountain range, along the ocean side… Ask a local taxi driver to drop you off somewhere and wait a few hours. It will not be expensive. Have a day in the sun. You deserve it.

Day 7) Go back to Santiago and take the Viazul, or a taxi to Baracoa. You will not regret this trip. Baracoa is a poor, ocean side community, and the first place settled by Columbus in Cuba. It has a large mountain and the huge Toa river passing beside it. Bathe in the river and walk through the jungle leading to the mountain. It rains every day in Baracoa… And honestly, if you don’t like rain, it gets old pretty fast, but if you rent bikes and really get to explore the area, you will be distracted by the beautiful scenery and not mind so much.

Day 8) Still in Baracoa…

Day 9) Get a taxi to take you to Moa. A small town.. But it’s the only town in the area which has taxi service. There is a dirt road leading there. Get to the town, and then hop in another taxi to go to Guardalavaca Beach.. Or you can just hang around Moa and explore the area.. There are hundreds of isolated beaches in this area.

Day 10) Guardalavaca is maybe the second or third best beach in Cuba, and far lower in tourists that Varadero. You might like it. Also the area is large, so you can easily go 5 minutes away and find you own beach refuge. Stay a few days enjoying this area.. You will not regret it. Meet locals and they will tell you about and probably take you to their favorite places. Do it… In Guardalavaca there are some tourist resorts. There are not many casas particulares. You might have to stay in a nearby town, in a casa, and then either go to Guardalavaca for the beach or find a different beach (always in the same area) closer to your casa. It’s not hard. As I said, there are beaches everywhere in this location.

Day 13) Return to Holguin. You have just completed the exact route that most foreigners to Cuba would only dream of. You missed Havana, Vinales and Trinidad and Varadero… Missed them completely.. But you got to experience Cuba’s western tip, fully. Cubans call this area the Oriente… And you saw it, before 99% of other people. Before all the other tourists ruin it.

 

And next time, if you want to see the western side of Cuba, make sure to land in Havana… And you can see what a different world that place is.. (It’s not as good).

 

Questions and tips:

1. Did I totally mess your plans up with my itinerary? Trust me, if I was going to Holguin, this is what I would do.
2. Why do you want to go to Havana? I just came back from 5 weeks there. It’s beautiful, yes, but it’s not the be all and end all of Cuba. Nothing says that you have to visit Havana while in Cuba. If your friends say that you have to visit Havana while in Cuba, they are wrong.
3. Vinales and Trinidad. Again, beautiful, but Cuba is filled with beautiful places. Do you want to find your own, or just visit places that are already visited by thousands of people each day?
4. Varadero has beautiful beaches. I love Varadero, despite the commercial atmosphere. Guardalavaca or any beaches along the eastern keys will be just as nice with a lot fewer tourists. 
5. Maria la Gorda beach. People go here for scuba. It’s the best scuba in Cuba, they say. But more than that, it has a scuba complex with lodging and a whole system set up for tourism. That’s probably the reason it is the most popular scuba area. But or else, you can do scuba all over Cuba, and the facilities are almost as good. A good guide can show you reefs and all sorts of nice things. In my opinion, there is no reason to drive 15 hours to a beach, when you are on an island with hundreds of beautiful beaches.

Sorry if some parts of this message seem overly direct. I was in a very good mood while writing it, but I think I was just a bit jealous of your plans and tense because I wish I could be planning this trip myself. And sometimes my writing is just a bit less emotional than I would like. But I think you are in a perfect position to have a very memorable and special trip to Cuba. I honestly want you to take advantage of that. And on your subsequent trips, you can do the western route and see the well worn Cuba trails. That’s my opinion.

 

take care

Mario Rizzi

 

 

 

[emileejanetombs]

#12002 In reply to: 14 day itinerary??? |

Hi, my partner and I are travelling to Cuba for two weeks from May 8th. We know it’s a big country so don’t want to try to cram everything in and are wondering how to schedule our itinerary. We want to visit some of the well-known spots like Vinales for the tobacco plantations and the mountains, Havana and Trinidad but not sure what else to cover. We love finding off-the-beaten track beaches and spots that not many people would know about so althoguh it looks beautiful we are less interested in Varadero as it looks too touristy for us. Is it possible to travel to and stay in places like Parque Nacional Peninsula de Gunanahacabibes? The beaches there look untouched! We fly into and out from Holguin and plan to get a bus north but not sure if there is anywhere in Holguin or around or on the way up that we should stop in? Please help with suggestions. Thanks,

Emilee and Joe