Enjoying Cuba like a Local: A 2-Week Itinerary
I’ve always been and will always be an absolute advocate for the “do it like a local” approach for experiencing any place and culture to its fullest. But when it comes to Cuba, I encourage that mindset even more.
Cuba is plagued with coastal all-inclusive resorts in which through an I-only-mingle-with-tourists-in-my-isolated-bubble attitude you’ll never get a taste of the real Cuban way of life. If you want to enjoy some unforgettable moments, while truly getting to know the culture behind this enticing holiday destination, then I recommend you avoid those touristy resorts at all times.
Before going into detail about the itinerary we followed, I’d like to share some hints and learnings from our trip that will (hopefully) help you prepare and get you in the mood for this wonderful destination!
Travel back in time the moment you set foot in Cuba
Anyone that has ever visited Cuba can agree with the fact that the moment you land in Cuban territory it feels as if you travelled several decades back in time. Although Cuba is no longer under Castro’s communist regime, that culture and façade can be found everywhere in its streets. The vintage architectural pieces, the people enjoying their day-to-day chilling on the streets simply savouring the steady passing of time or the 1950s classic cars of all exotic colours driving up around its crowded streets, make sure to leave a mark on every visitor’s life.
Embrace the digital sabbatical
Internet in Cuba is pretty much a luxury, with availability in certain spots and only when you pay for it (there’s not even WiFi in the casas particulares). Please, try to use this time to fully enjoy this digital disconnection. We accessed internet only for two hours during our two-week stay and I have to admit that I do really miss that digital-detox sometimes. When you’re there you really don’t have to be connected to the world that awaits for you back home, so use this chance to fully immerse in your holidays. It’s holidays after all. There are many WiFi points such as city squares where you can access paid internet, and you’ll enjoy the view of multiple tourists just sitting down and looking at their mobile phones while they recharge their digital addictions.
Stay with locals in their casas particulares
In Cuba, almost every home is what it’s known as a casa particular (private home in Spanish). That means tourists can lodge in private homes together with the owners. Staying in a casa particular is genuinely a great experience, since you not only get the chance to mingle with locals and experience their lifestyle, but also to get a more personal and cosy service. Accommodation prices are great and you’ll see how attentive hosts are and how much effort they put into providing you with the best experience throughout your stay with their family.
You can be relaxed about finding a casa particular, since by asking any local you’ll find good deals all over the place. If you want to find a casa particular in advance, you can do that at websites such as Cuba Casa and Hostelworld. However, keep in mind that using these kind of platforms will cost you more money than what you’d normally pay at the casa. My advice then is to book the first one in Havana to assure you have a place to go immediately after you land in Cuba, and from there ask for recommendations for next casas to the previous family, taxi drivers, or anywhere when you reach the next destination. Just by walking around you’ll encounter casas particulares literally everywhere you walk by.
Ready, Steady, Go move those hips with some latin tunes
Salsa, reggaeton and other latin dancing styles are king in Cuba. You’ll be constantly exposed to this music everywhere you go. As the lights turn down and the end of the day is approaching, Cubans’ most favourite pastime is to enjoy joyful live music and practice some dance moves in the many dancing areas around the city, such as la Casa de la Musica (house of music in Spanish), which can be found in every city and town around the country.
Learn some basic Spanish
In Cuba, the majority of local people cannot speak proper English (if none at all). Learn some basic Spanish sentences and words to find your way around, or bring an offline Spanish dictionary (or a good vintage paper-style one).
Prepare to be (constantly) hit on
As a latin country with caliente blood, flirting and hitting on girls are habits tremendously well established within Cuban guys’ daily interactions. If you’re just travelling with girls, be mentally prepared to be whistled and approached non-stop on the streets (especially in places such as Havana). That doesn’t mean it’s unsafe, but for sure (at least in our case) it was never the most comfortable environment (unless that’s what you’re looking for, of course).
Beware of Jiñeteros (hustlers)
In Cuba, everyone and their grandmother are trying to sell you something: a taxi, a casa particular, a bike, an amazing restaurant the uncle of his brother-in-law owns… Be prepared for that and conscious about it. Don’t lose your temper but say NO firmly.
Bring along with you everything you need
Don’t count on buying it in Cuba. Supermarkets are somewhat scarce and their supply even more, with interminable queues for paying the few available items. We sadly forgot some basic medicines and our main suppliers for ibuprofens in Cuba were the other fellow tourists.
Find the way to move around the country that works best for you
You have several options to travel inside the country (locals just wait for a ride outside on the streets). Since you (hopefully) won’t be using the internet much, download maps.me on your app store and have offline access to a map from Cuba, it will become your best friend throughout your trip.
- Although driving a car gives you the flexibility and freedom of travelling whenever and wherever you want, renting one in Cuba has an existential problem: The cars are not “available” until they are physically returned, so it’s not possible to “book” one in a traditional sense — the car company either has one when you’re there or it doesn’t. Because of this, I’d recommend to not book one unless the owner of the casa particular has one. Furthermore, beware of the quality of the roads and how locals drive along them.
- Viazul bus: They cover most of the country to reasonable prices and the best thing is that they run quite punctual. However, keep in mind distances as most of the times they are not so comfortable with no air conditioning or WiFi (no big surprises here). To be honest we took the bus twice (from Viñales to Trinidad, and from Trinidad to Havana) and it was pretty okey and cheap.
- Taxi: While you might think that driving around in a 1950s Ford or Buick will be expensive, many are private taxis — and they’re rarely more pricey than regular taxis. It can also be easier and cheaper to take a taxi colectivo (communal taxi which is shared with other people) on long distances than a Viazul bus. We took a taxi colectivo from Havana to Viñales and based on the time that took and the price it was much more worth it than the bus (you can ask the owner of the casa particular to arrange a taxi colectivo for you).
General practicalities
Money and currencies
The Cuban Peso (CUP) and the Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC) are both accepted and widely spread in the country, though neither is exchangeable in foreign markets. The CUC is equal to the dollar and worth 25 times as much as the CUP. However, while locals handle more their daily lives in CUP, nearly all consumer goods are priced in CUC and that will be the currency you can extract from ATMs. My advice regarding money: always carry small change with you and leave your always-paying-with-bank-card behaviour behind, that’s just simply not possible in Cuba. You can get money directly from the ATMs at the airport (change rates were the same for me than anywhere else), and more convenient and cheaper than at an exchange house.
VISA
You can order it online, or go to the Cuban Consulate in your closest city and get it immediately for 22 EUR. You can also order it for someone else if you’re travelling together but it will cost you more if the person for whom it’s requested doesn’t pick it up in person.
Health and vaccinations
There are no big vaccinations recommendations, but general wisdom: better don’t drink water from the tap. Locals’ inmune systems are used to the water but we’re definitely not.
Our 14-day itinerary
Same as with our trip to Costa Rica, we focused on quality over quantity and on enjoying more in-depth a few spots around Cuba that fully fitted the range of experiences we were looking for. My advice is avoid the rush of trying to go everywhere (you’re on holidays after all), and never underestimate the amount of time it’ll take you to travel between locations.
The following itinerary gave us the chance to experience the Cuban lifestyle, step outside the rush of our daily lives, enjoy peaceful and fascinating turquoise and white sceneries, hike and get lost around nature and in general, have an unforgettable time.
Days 1 to 3: La Habana, Cuba’s passionate heart
Havana’s unique mixture of culture, history, economy and weather provide you with a one-of-a-kind opportunity to enjoy the most diverse and fun experiences. From delightful walks with no direction through its crowded streets and colourful vintage architectural pieces, to the most unusual forms of transportation born through a history of economic difficulties. From delicious drinks and delicate beaches that make the heated temperatures more bearable, to music and spontaneous street communal dances. There’s a wide variety of things to do and see in Havana that will surely keep you entertained throughout your complete stay.
What to do in Havana
- Walk around Habana Vieja: Use the first day for discovering to the place (you’ll probably arrive in the early morning if you’re coming from Europe). I recommend staying in a casa particular in the area of Habana Vieja (Havana’s Old Town), which first took root in 1519 and lead out to Havana as we know it today. It’s one of the historical highlights of Latin America, a unique architectural masterpiece where picturesque squares and grandiose palaces live in harmony to give birth to an urban community still emerging from the economic chaos of the 1990s. The result is magnificence and lament, inspiration and frustration, joy and grief, excellence and deprivation all together.
- Visit a cigar factory and buy some Cuban cigars, not in the factory but directly from the workers themselves. This will make the purchase much cheaper and will assure that the money goes to the cooperative and the workers themselves. You can visit one of the workers’ houses by asking at the owner of your casa particular. Remember to bargain and keep some space for buying a few more (non-commercialised) cigars in Viñales from the Tabaco plantation workers.
- Take a ride in a 1950's car: Everywhere in Havana you will find more than one option to ride in cars that have been rolling for over 60 years. In the 1960s the U.S. embargoed all trade activities with Cuba, American car imports into Cuba stopped and people stayed with the ones they’ve acquired in the previous years. Added to the impossibility to buy new cars, there was the one of acquiring and repairing pieces from the old ones, and until today you can see (and admire) the miracles car drivers work out to keep these magnificent cars running. Our car was a Chevrolet turquoise masterpiece from 1951, and if you’re open to hearing the drivers’ stories you’ll be definitely fascinated by them. With the car ride you’ll get the chance to go through Havana’s streets and see some of the city spotlights such as the Necrópolis Cristobal Colón, Plaza de la Revolución or Hotel Nacional. Kind of a touristic trap but definitely a must-do.
- Join the many live music shows and improvised dances that can be found everywhere around the city.
- Have a beer on the Malecón: Drinking on the streets is allowed in Cuba, so take advantage of that. If you seat on the rocks of the Malecón seawall, you’ll be able to enjoy peaceful views from the city and the water.
- Cross the bay in the ferry: The Ferry Terminal in Old Havana connects that side of the bay to the towns of Casablanca and Regla. When reaching Casablanca, you can walk up the hill until you reach the top crowned by a 20m high statue of Jesus Christ. That statue is surrounded by nature and a sitting area from where you can enjoy breath-taking views of the city of Havana. In the surroundings, you’ll be able to find La Cabaña, a 18th century fortress complex that you can enjoy a walk inside. They also host some cultural inside the fortress so keep an eye on that (there was a book fair when we visited).
Where to eat and drink
- At Plaza Vieja: Azucar Lounge and Fábrica de la Cerveza
- Ciclo Cuba Café, the location is perfect near the ferry area and the prices are incredibly good (try the Havana Special cocktail, simply delicious)
- TOKE street food: Amazing and incredibly cheap streat food place! You can grab a full lunch for two with some snacks, sandwiches and drinks for around 5 EUR (yes, you read that right!)
Transport to our next destination
In order to get to Viñales, we shared a taxi collectivo with 3 other people that was directly arranged from our casa owner. Based on the distance and the price (20–25 EUR per person), it was definitely the best option to get to the the next destination.
Days 4 to 7: Viñales, Cuba’s scenic vineyard
Viñales is located in the Western terrain of the island. This small agricultural town with colourful colonial-era wooden houses offers every visitor a relaxed and wonderful scenery and stopover that no one should miss. From the riddle of mountains and rusted-coloured tobacco plantations, to the heavenly turquoise-water and white-sand beaches in the North coast, Viñales offers a relaxed and chilled atmosphere with several activities of a diverse nature. In this town, everyone knows everyone else, and a typical night involves sitting on a sillón (rocking chair) on a rustic porch calmly looking at the sky, or practicing some salsa moves in the town’s Casa de la Música.
We stayed 3 full days in Viñales, on top of the extra afternoon we had when we were travelling from Havana. In my opinion that was the perfect length of stay for us, as we were able to enjoy the town during the day and at night, visit the tobacco plantations and relax at the dreamy north coast. We stayed at the casa particular Nelffis, and it was beyond perfect. The place is beautiful and comfortable, and the family extremely friendly and helpful. Nelffis makes sure to help you out with everything and that you have the perfect stay. Plus, her breakfast and dinners are also delicious!
What to do in Viñales
- Walk around its streets: Viñales is really small and is composed by a mains street where most of the establishments are located (including the money exchange house, bank, supermarket and bus terminal). Walking this street you end up on the main square where the Polo Montañez Cultural Center is located. There is no much to sightsee inside the town but you can use a couple of hours to walk around and enjoy it.
- Join an event at Palenque de los Cimarrones: Palenque is a big green area located towards the north of Viñales (you’ll have to get there with a taxi) where they have almost every night some events and concerts. When we went there was a reggaeton festival, couldn’t have been more fun!
- Unwind at Cayo Jutias: Cayo Jutias is paradise right at your fingertips. Located in the northern area of Viñales, and at about a distance of 50km, you’ll have to get a taxi to get there (roads are horrible and for such a short distance it takes around two hours to get there, but it’s SO worth it). You can either take the taxi colectivo (that comes back at a prearranged time) and pay around 20 CUC per person, or you can “hire” your own taxi driver (one of your casa particular owner’s brothers, pay him 50 CUC and he takes you there, stays with you and comes back at the time of your convenience. Once you’re in Cayo Jutias you’ll see the wonders it contains: the most turquoise water and whitest sand I’ve ever seen, beautiful nature surrounding and following the coastline, and in general a peaceful and paradiseac vibe. And the best of all: not an all-inclusive destination. Go there, and drink a CocoLoco!
- Tabacco plantations horse ride: Viñales is surrounded by fertile tobacco plantations as far as the eye can see. You can visit and learn about them by booking a horse riding tour, during which you’ll get the chance to not only ride through endless fields of green tobacco and red soil in Viñales, but also to interact with the local farmers harvesting the leaves that will later become Cuba’s world famous cigars.
- Practice some moves at la Casa de la Música: As the night starts, the lights go off and the plaza (square in Spanish) illuminates and vibrates and the sound of salsa can be heard everywhere in the town.
Transport to our next destination
In order to get to Trinidad, we took a Viazul bus that takes around 10 hours. It’s quite a long ride but based on the distance and price we considered it was a better and cheaper choice than a taxi colectivo. Don’t expect many commodities during the bus ride, but you’ll survive.
Days 8 to 13: Trinidad, Cuba’s colonial reflection
Trinidad is Cuba’s best preserved colonial city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it was certainly our favourite part of the trip. It was one of the first cities founded by the Spanish, and the importation of African slaves that followed lead quickly to a wealth growth as for the peak in production of sugar cane, cattle and tobacco. This economic growth can be felt in every corner of Trinidad: from colourful 1950’s self-preserved cars, to 1850’s architecture that magnificently raise in the form of extravagant palaces, large plazas and colourful colonial homes from rich plantations owners.
There is such a wide variety of things you can do in Trinidad, and that’s why in the end we decided to stay there for 6 days (some people said it was too long, but to be completely honest it just felt like the perfect amount of time!). You can walk around the city through its cobblestoned streets, enjoy some live music in the plaza and step in the Casa de la Música for some salsa dance moves, chat with locals, visit the many fascinating colonial museums, or refresh yourself with some fresh sugar cane juice or a jump in the water in Playa Alcón.
We stayed with Mayra and her family, and they are the best hosts you could ask for. Caring, attentive and fun to be around. They are located in the centre (well, everything is nearby in Trinidad), just next to Convento de San Francisco de Asis. Their rooftop terrace is incredible for a bit of sunbathing and sunset views! You can contact them through this email address.
What to do in Trinidad
- Hang out in Plaza Mayor: Plaza Mayor is the heart of Trinidad, which developed surrounded by flourished gardens and cobblestoned streets. You can listen to the live music while drinking a fantastic mojito at night and enjoy the peaceful and chilled lifestyle as time passes by.
- Climb the Bell Tower at Convento de San Francisco de Asis.
- Follow the Photographic Walking Tour of Trinidad
- Relax and sunbathe at Playa Ancon: Not compatrable to the beauty of Cayo Jutias, but Playa Alcon still has a beautiful beach to offer. Getting there only takes around 20 minutes with the taxi colectivo (2 CUC per person if the taxi goes full). It’s cheaper and more comfy than the bus (5 CUC) and takes less time. You can also rent a bike for the day and cycle to the beach (8 CUC), which takes you around an hour. Keep in mind the sun and hot temperatures at certain times of the day.
- Hike around Cuban’s isolated green forests: Nearby Viñales, you can find the national park of Topes de Collantes. You can go there easily with a taxi colectivo (you can find a deal of 40 CUC for two people, or 60 CUC for 4 people), and you’ll get transport and a 3 or 4 -hour timespan to do hiking through the multiple hiking trails in the park. We did Vegas Grandes due to its beautiful waterfalls.
Where to eat and drink
- Taberna La Botija: During our stay in Trinidad we visited this restaurant probably around 5 times. Situated next to our casa, the food portions are huge and varied, drinks are good, and there’s fantastic live music every night. The interior is beautifully decorated and the atmosphere is wonderful. Definitely a MUST-GO if you visit Trinidad (there’s always a waiting line at 7–8 pm so try to have an early or late dinner).
- Restaurante Sabor a Mi: Beautiful restaurant with a lovely indoor terrace. We had a fantastic dinner with quite elaborated dished for a really affordable price. I totally recommend it! Plato principal around 10 CUC big dish (fish or meat) with veggies chips rice (pumpkin) cream and dessert. Don’t miss out the cheese cream!
- Paladar La Nueva Era: Quite pricey for Cuban standards but it has several terraces beautifully decorated with lighting, and there’s always fantastic live music. The mojitos are great, and if you reach the highest terrace you will have priceless views of Trinidad and surroundings. I’d recommend come here after dinner for some drinks.
- Disco Ayala Las Cuevas: 5CUC each and it’s the BEST CLUB EVER. The nightclub is located in a HUGE cave, and if the place was not amazing enough on itself the great music does the rest: perfect balance between latin music combined with electro.
- La Creperie at Plaza Mayor: Perfect place to grab a quick bite in between cheap and great mojitos and piña coladas.
Transport to our next destination
In order to get back to Havana, we took again a Viazul bus that tooks us 7 hours this time.
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This post was originally published on my travel blog Wandering Serendipity.
