Classic Cuba with sumptuous sands to relax at the end
The whole experience of travelling around Cuba was pretty unique – we would definitely suggest researching locations and transport in advance. A lot of people we met during our trip to Cuba had arrived in the country without accommodation, or transport arranged – although from conversations it seemed that it is fairly easy to find accommodation on the day, that didn’t seem to be the case with transport. We were really lucky to have all our transfers booked in advance and never had an issue getting to places. We would definitely recommend to other visitors to get booked in advance in advance saving time and worry.
We stayed in Casas Particulares - these are like local guesthouses. The Cuban government allows residents to rent the spare rooms in their homes for extra income which allowed us to get a more local experience. Staying in the Casas was great – all of these offered more than we expected; the facilities were good, the hosts were friendly and genuinely put effort towards making our stay special.
Cuban food and restaurants – although quite limited in terms of choice and variety, we found the food tasty. The Cuban menu comprises of meat mainly (fish, chicken, pork, beef), rice with beans and banana chips which is very traditional. There were slight variations to this with some restaurants offering dishes like lobster, pizza and pasta. We found eating out relatively cheap – we were purposely going out to less touristy places as prices at these were much lower for food without compromising the quality.
Highlights of the trip
Viñales – a green valley surrounded by mountains with fantastic scenery and loads of opportunities to explore on foot. Viñales is popular for its tobacco farms, sugar plantations, cigar making and rum production, which we experienced first-hand on a day long horse-riding tour.
Trinidad – a picturesque colonial town that somehow feels frozen in time. Its streets are lined with cobbles and full of life. Unlike Havana, which seems a lot more advanced compared to Viñales and Trinidad, here the streets are full of horse carts, bicycles, tricycles with additional seats attached at the back, mopeds, Lada cars and other classical cars. The experience of walking around these streets is truly unique.
Old Havana, which is the historic city centre, has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city is full of beautiful old architecture and classic cars. We visited the museum of revolution which was one of the highlights and also did the Buena Vista Social Club show which was truly memorable.
Cayo Santa Maria – this is an island off Cuba's north central coast, linked to the mainland by just over 40 kilometres dry link. This was ideal for taking in the sun, generally not doing much and enjoying the sparkling blue water. To explore Cuban culture, we would recommend going outside the resort as this was a planned tourist development where employees were bused in. If you are looking for a stress-free tropical break, this place would be ideal though.
General comments – Cuba was very safe to travel around and even at night we felt safe walking around. It is fairly easy to get money from money exchange bureaus, however, make sure you have your passport with you. We purchased internet cards in Viñales which should have lasted us for our stay in Viñales and Trinidad, however connectivity was pretty much non-existent, so we stopped trying at the end. Havana and the resort were good for internet connectivity. Again, you need your passport to purchase an internet card. Essentially, everywhere you go, it is advisable to have your passport or another form of ID just in case.
Lastly, having water, hand sanitiser and wipes at any one time when out and about is not a bad idea, too. There is a lot of advice available online and loads of travel guides / blogs which are worth reading before your journey to Cuba.
With all the above said, we would definitely visit again and explore different parts of the island!