Cuba, known as the Caribbean pearl, is an enchanting island where nature, simplicity and joy of life of its inhabitants reign supreme. Years of economic embargo have put it into struggle, but it still stands relentless and willing to keep faith at the revolutionary spirit that put an end at the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista in 1959 by Fidel Castro's hand  with the help of the  legendary Argentine doctor Ernesto Che Guevara.

You cannot visit Cuba without breathing the revolution and its effects over the years, some good others not. But it's also blowing a wind of change and openness, think about the advent of the Internet in 2017 and the growth of private economic activities mainly related to tourism.

The days I spent on this Caribbean island were not enough to visit it overall. I preferred to keep slow my trip, without being overwhelmed by the anxiety of getting everywhere, but with the intention and hope of coming back one day or another and finish my tour.

In two weeks tour I dived in the decadent charm of Havana, enjoyed the nature in the Vinales valley with its tobacco plantations and its extraordinary red soil, I reached Cienfuegos and Trinidad, a World Heritage Site, I walked in the tropical forest of Guanayara, I got emotional in front of the Che's memorial  in Santa Clara and I rested on the beautiful white beaches in Cayo Santa Maria. During my tour I tasted excellent ron, a must in Mojito, Daiquiri, Pina Colada or Canchanchara cocktails, and I was accompanied by the joyful rhythms of salsa and raeggeton and the engaging sympathy of Cubans, open and spontaneous. A dreaming vacation impossible to forget.

Cuba is the biggest  Caribbean island  and is located between the Caribbean sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. 

Cuba has a tropical climate with two seasons, a dry season and a wet season. 

The dry season runs from late November to April and is characterized by low rainfall, beautiful weather, temperatures between 24 and 30 celsius degrees, while the wet season, from May to the end of November is characterized by heavy rains and high temperatures, above 32 celsius degrees with high humidity. If you can, try to avoid August September and October because the island in those months is frequently hit by hurricanes that are formed on the Atlantic ocean and then run toward  the Caribbean islands. I was there in March, the temperatures were always between 25 and 30 celsius degrees, the weather was sunny and dry. We only took a couple of evening downpours and a few windy days. 

- rent a car

It would seem the most comfortable solution because it's quite common in our way of traveling, but there are some disadvantages.

First of all prices are high, about 70 euros per day for a basic category car, plus 15 euro per day for the insurance. In addition it would be very stressful driving along the uneven and unsafe cuban roads, with lack of signs and no night lighting. Think about how it works on the highway: the speed limit is 100 km per hours, but you will have to share the carriage with horse-drawn carts, bicycles, motorcycles and people on foot who are hitchhiking or selling goods on the roadside. Furthermore, it is not unusual to see cars improvising U-turns or approching an overtake in a reckless manner. In any case, if you feel like choosing this option, download maps to be consulted offline during your trip.  For information and reservations, please check the carrentalcuba website.

- use collective taxis

Another cheap way to travel in Cuba is sharing a taxi, a so called collective taxi. They are usually old cars, mostly Chevrolet, with up to 6 seats available and you have to share it with other travelers. The lugguge is usually set and tie tight on the roof of the vehicule. You can book your seat asking to your homestay's owner or going to bus stations where you can find the lift you need. Prices re quite similar to viazul buses, but you probably will arrive sooner to your destination even if you'll be a little bit more uncomfortable.

- use a private taxi

Private taxis are absolutely the most comfortable and expensive transportation  but if you are not travelling alone and you can share the fee with someone else it's the way to travel in Cuba I definitely suggest. As arranged, the driver will show up at your hotel or casa particular and will drive you to the agreed destination.  

Talking about taxis, I chose to book the longest trips on line from home using the  taxivinalescuba web agency (click on the button down below).

This agency was a very good surprise. The website is userfriendly, employees are efficient and so are the drivers. You can check prices for every destination and if you want to book your taxi you'll have to pay 10% of the fee with your credit card, while the balance is due in cash at the driver.  I booked the following sections: Havana - Vinales, Vinales - Cienfuegos and Cayo Santa Maria - Havana. I wanted to be sure to be comfy during those long transfer and as we were three people we shared the fee and we spent good hours talking with our driver and enjoyed beautiful landscapes along the road.

The agency will ask for the pick up address and the destination address, so the driver will be able to pick you up at theright place and take you to your destination.

The drivers I met showed up on time with good air conditioned cars, the last was actually a brand new one !

Here some prices for the mains segments:

Havana- Vinales    190 km   80 cuc ( 80 euros)

Vianles - Cienfuegos   475 km    150 cuc (150 euros)

Cienfuegos - Trinidad   85 km   50 cuc ( 50 euros)

Trinidad - Santa Clara   170 km   75 cuc (75 euros)

Santa Clara - Cayo Santa Maria 110 km   80 cuc ( 80 euros)

Cayo Santa Maria - Havana 419 km   220 cuc (220 euros)

For the segment Cinefuegos - Trinidad and Trinidad -Cayo Santa Maria via Santa Clara (with a stop of a couple of hours ) I took a taxi found there. If you prefer not to book taxis in advance don't worry, the offer is huge and the prices are a little bit lower then the agency, even if the cars are not so good (windows and ac couldn't work for example).

In Cuba there are plenty of possibilities for accommodation, but you need to know how to choose the right one in the right area.

I strongly advise against hotels because they are really expensive, especially in Havana, and they don't offer the service you would expect. The best solution arepresented by casas particulares, rooms in private houses rented to tourists for very reasonable prices. Some have become actual bed and breakfasts, but breakfast is never included in the price of the room, it usually costs 5 cuc and includes: milk or coffee, a guava smoothie, a fruit dish, usually pineapple, papaya and guava , a fried egg or omelette and bread, butter and jam. It will be almost the same everywhere.

I booked all the casas particulares from Italy and I was always satisfied. The rooms were clean although modest in decor, with private bathroom and comfortable and functional shower. With this standard, always in a central position, I never spent more than 15 euros per person per night.

In Havana I chose  Habana Vieja, in Vinales the main street of the town in a house with an inner garden, so very quiet, in Cienfuegos a few steps from the central street, in Trinidad a few minutes walk from the central plaza major and in Cayo Santa Maria in an all-inclusive resort on the beach (there's no other choice there).

One more thing: watch out for beds. Read the room description carefully and look at the photos with attention. Often in  double rooms they provide a French bed, which is definitely too small for two people. Make sure your bed is at least a queen, which is our standard double, if you don't want to sleep uncomfortable all through your vacation.

My proposals

L'Avana

La terraza de prado

Vinales

Casa Colonial Dany y Carlos

Cienfuegos

BR& Hostal Sunrise

Trinidad

Casa Giroud

Cayo Santa Maria

Grand Memories Santa Maria

Down below a box  for searching your accomodation. Have a good booking !

Day 1

In order to enter Cuba it is necessary to have:

• The passport with residual validity of at least 6 months
• The entry visa (tarjeta turistica) that you can buy online on specialized websites, at Cuba's Consulates or directly from the airlines company you chose if they perform this service.
• A Health insurance, mandatory since 2010 to enter the country, it can be purchased on specialized sites or from the airlines company you chose.

For simplicity I decided to buy a visa and health insurance directly from the airline company when I bought my ticket. I paid 25 euros for the visa and 36 euros for the insurance. 

You can collect the documents at the check in desk the day of the departure as well as the boarding pass.

The entry practices are quite easy and fast and after the passport control is overcome and your lugguge is withdrawn, the last step you need to take is to get some local currency.

Leaving the small airport, on the left, you will find an exchange office where you can change your euros  in CUC, the convertible pesos used by tourists, or you can withdraw them from ATMs.

During your holiday it will be easier for you to change your cash at big hotels, even if at higher rates, because at the bank branches there are always very long queues that discourage waiting.

If you intend instead to rely on ATMs you will find them scattered in every town, but remember to notify your vacation in Cuba because due to the embargo the transactions are checked more carefully and the risk to have your card blocked is real and the consequences can be very annoying, a you can imagine.

I decided to take a combo approach: I brought some euros with me in cash but I also took money from the ATMs if necessary. Sometimes it was easier to change cash at some big hotels if an ATM was not available and vice versa, if there was not a hotel nearby I took money at an ATM.

Once you have changed your money, take a taxi and let it lead you  to the city center at about 25 to 30 cuc. Arrived at your destination ... let the holiday begin!

Day 2

Havana is a fascinating city, enriched with colonial buildings, vintage cars and musicians playing at every street corner. Quite poor but full of dignity, it offers itself to tourists in all its natural decadent beauty and its great vitality.

Your visit cannot but start from Old Havana (Habana Vieja), the very true heart of the city. You can get in it by crossing the Paseo del Prado, a beautiful tree-lined avenue where an interesting art market takes place on weekends. Arrived at the Parque Central, where you can enjoy a beautiful view of the Inglaterra hotel and the Capitolio Nacional, you can dive in the narrow alleys of the oldest part of Havana and let yourself be transported into a truly evocative world.

One of the main streets, the lively Calle Obispo is full of souvenir shops, local crafts and bars where you can sip something refreshing while listening to great live music. Go along towards Plaza des Armas, the old town center, and from there you can visit the Castillo de la Real Fuerza, Plaza Vieja, Plaza de la Catedral, Calle Mercaderes and all the other highlights.

A stop not to be missed in Habana Vieja is at the Bodeguita del Medio, the historic restaurant in Calle Empedrado, where Hemingway used to drink  Mojitos. Although the place is now assaulted by tourists and prices are above-average, you can still enjoy excellent Havana Club-based cocktails, have lunch with tasty Creole dishes and listen to live Cuban music.

In the evening you can dine in one of the downtown restaurants with a very well cooked lobster with rice, vegetables and fried banana. Really exquisite.

Day 3

Today you can start the day with a great breakfast in one of the best old Havana cafés. It is called El Cafè and is located in Calle Amargura. As it is not  easy to find, it will repay your effort with a delicious breakfast: in the menu you can find pancakes with fruit and honey, bread, butter and jam, omelettes or fried eggs with bacon, cups of yogurt, sandwiches with chicken or ham and vegetarian sandwiches with vegetables and avocado , milk and coffee, delicious fruit juices and ginger drinks. You will start the day in a good mood.

Leaving El Cafè, in 10 minutes walk you will be in the square where Calle Obispo begin. From there take a Coco Taxi  to  Plaza de la Revolucion (10 CUC - 10 euros). Coco Taxis are  three-wheeled motorcycles that can carry up to three people. They are yellow and very agile in city traffic. The ride will be fun, enjoy it.

Plaza della Revolucion is not that interesting. It deserve a visit just for the images of Che and Camilo Cienfuegos, heroes of the revolution, posted on the facades of the Cuban government buildings . Ask the coco taxi driver to wait for you, take some photos and then you can leave .

Ask the driver to drive you at the museum de la revolucion. It worth a visit if you want to learn something about  the cuban revolution and see some memorabilia related to that period: photos, military clothes and shoes, copies of flyers and front pages of newspapers, various utensils, , busts of the revolution heroes and much more.

At sunset, or if you prefer after dinner, take a relaxing walk on the famous Malecon, the promenade by the sea in Havana city. It comes alive at nightfall with people who want to have fun with friends, a bottle of rum and some chat with tourists.

Day 4

It's finally time to leave for the island tour. First stop: the Vinales Valley. If you book a taxi with the agency I recommended above in this article, the driver will wait for you on the street in front of your casa particular at the time you agreed on. 

Once arrived in Vinales after 2 hours and a half trip, you'll be immediately aware of being in a very small and cosy village in the countryside very appreciated from tourists. Along the main road there are casas particulares painted with lively colors and welcoming porches, restaurants and bars cheaper than in Havana. Besides cuban cuisine you can eat typical spanish tapas too, and drink cocktails with Havana Club at a very good price. You'll also be surprised by the fact that almost all the restaurants have wifi free, something you are not going to find so easily elsewhere. 

After the check in, enjoy a tasty lunch and take your time to visit the valley, one of the best places in Cuba. It is famous for its red soil, for the mogotes, some kind of rounded rock formations rising from the ground, and for tobacco plantations. The valley can be visited in different ways: on foot, riding a bike or riding a horse. I chose the most exciting way, I tried for the firs time in my life to ride a horse, and I haven't been disappointed at all, it was awesome. It's a must in Vinales Valley, it's  pity not to try this experience. There are a lot of tourist agencies which can organize your tour. I chose Horse Riding in Vinales.

From their website it is possible to fill a booking form: pick the day you want to have the ride and tell them for how many hours. It will cost 5 cuc (5 euros) per hour per person.  In response you'll receive an e mail confirmation and a map with the meeting point sign on it. Don't worry, the meeting point is few minutes away from the village center, It will be very easy to find. On the website there are some information on the excursion and some advice on what it is better to wear: comfy shoes (sneakers or hiking shoes) and long pants (leggings for women are good). During the ride you'll be driven through tobacco plantations where you'll be able to taste and buy some cuban cigars and there will be a stop to a little lake for a swim, so bring with you also a swimming suit.

I chose a 4 hours ride and I can assure you that time flies so fast. The horses are very quiet and sweet, you don't have to do anything, just let them guide you down the path. They know the track by heart and there's no danger at all, so if you have never ridden a horse as I didn't,  don't worry, you are in good hands. The only thing you have to worry about is the backache you're gonna feel the day after.

During the night enjoy the laidback and joyfull  atmosphere in the cuban countryside. The receepe is always the same: a good dinner, a mojito or a daikiri, live music and dancing to the rythm of the salsa. 

Day 5

After the horseback ride the best you can do is to get some rest on a white sandy beach. From Vinales valley you have two choices:  Cayo Jutias and Cayo Levisa. The first one it can be reached with a collective taxi in two hours ride, while to go to the second one you have to add at the two hours ride, 25 minutes by ferryboat, which leave from Palma Rubia at 10 am every morning.

I chose to go to Cayo Jutìas because is nearer, more wild and cheaper.

Ask your casa particular landlord to book you a seat on a collective taxi that every morning leave for Cayo Jutias. Actually it is not a regular taxi, but a truck which can take 40 people onboard. The driver make some stops in Vinales to pick up all the tourists, so he will pick you up at your casa particular at the time they told you to be ready. Before getting up the truck you have to pay the round ticket: 20 cuc (about 20 euros) per person. 

During the ride, you'll have the chance to enjoy an amazing view through the windows. Humble villages, lush greenery with palms, people busy doing their chores.

Once arrived, the driver will give you information about the time and the meeting point to come back to Vinales.

Cayo Jutias' beach is really beautiful. It is very long with white sand and many mangroves which make it very wild. The day I was there it was very windy, so it looked wild even more.

On the beach you'll find a bar/restaurant where you will be able to taste a very good grilled lobster and rent sunbed for 3 cuc per day. Enjoy the crystal clear waters and a little bit of relax, but pay attention at sunburns. I suggest to use a very high protection sunscreen cream.

Day 6

Today you're going to have a long trip: the transfer from Vinales to Cienfuegos. 

If you choose to get a taxi you will arrive in about 5 hours. I chose to leave Vianles at 9.00 am and at 2 pm I was checking in my casa particular's room in the town centre.

Cienfuegos is really pretty. It has European features because the first inhabitants were french colonialists.

You can spend the afternoon strolling around the main town square Parque Josè Martì and along Avenida 54, as known as "the Boulevard", a nice pedonal road full of market stalls and shops. There you can find the wifi and of course the internet cards outlaw vendors.

At sunset get a horse-drawn carriage to Punta Gorda to see the sun going down the ocean. The red sun cast an amazing light and everything take orange shades. You can can back on foot, along the seaside and have dinner.

After dinner it's nice to drink a cocktail to the bar  El Palatino, an old fashioned place in Parque Josè Marti.

Day 7

Today you can finish your tour in Cienfuegos visiting  Palacio Ferrer with a couple of cuc. It is eautiful with its high ceilings, its wide rooms and the great panorama you'll enjoy from its terraces. You can spend half morning doing some shopping (clothes, leather sandals, necklaces, bracelets, cigar holders, pictures, handicraft, postcards and magnets).

In the afternoon it's time to leave for Trinidad de Cuba, Unesco heritage. I asked for a taxi to my casa particular landlord and I paid 40 cuc for 70 km. The road is really evocative. A tongue of tarmac cut the cuban countryside and suddenly you can make out the shining ocean on your right side.

Trinidad is one of the cutest town I've ever seen, with its cobbled roads and multi-colored houses. The sky is almost always blue, the sun is strong and the laidback and joyful atmosphere make it charming even if it is crowded with tourists from all over the world all the time. In the afternoon you can have a stroll, taste a Canchanchara (dark rum, water, honey and lemon juice) to the namesake bar, have some rest on Plaza Major staircase (wifi moment) and spend the night to the  casa de la musica, listening to very good cuban live music.

Day 8

The added value of Trinidad is  Playa Ancon, a beautiful beach with cristal clear waters at about 10 km far from the town center.

You can go out early in the morning and look for a taxi, so easy, because the offer is high and prices affordable. You can negotiate the fee, it's up to you. We payed 20 cuc to a driver, Giovanni, who offered to take us to Playa Ancon and to come back to pick us up at 4 pm. We gsve him 10 cuc in the morning and other 10 cuc at the end of the day. We also accepted his offer to drive us to Cayo Santa Maria, our next stage of the tour, because we trusted him, he was nice, young, his car was in a good shape and the price was good.

Playa Ancon is a very beautiful beach. There are free straw beach umbrella at your disposal ("shadow is free") and if you want you can rent sunbed for few cucs. There are a couple of restaurants but we didn't need them because there was a  guy walking up and down the beach selling very good slices of pizza and others who took our order and brought us cocktails under our umbrella. A kind of service I'm not used to, but that way you give them the possibility to earn some money.

Day 9

Trinidad surroundings are amazing indeed. After spending a day on the beach you could explore the Gran Parque Natural Topes de Collantes. If you are a nature lover and an outdoor life lover you can't miss this lush tropical forests reserve area. 

In Trinidad the Cubatur travel agency organize daily tours  in jeep or on trucks. I chose the excursion on truck to the Parque Guanayara, at about 18 km from Trinidad, near the village Topes de Collantes at 800 meters above sea level. I booked the previous day on my way back from Playa Ancon and I payed with credit card 42 euros per person. The meeting point was in front of the agency at 9 o' clock the day after with a nice tour guide and other tourists.

Don't forget to bring with you a sweatshirt or a windstoper because the truck is open and the trip can be very windy and cool. The tour consists in an easy hike in the forest, where you can see a lot of species, coffee and bananas plantations, palms and bamboos. In addition, if you are lucky enough you'll have the chance to see the amazing hummingbird. During the hike there will be a stop for a swim in emerald waters and a good lunch is also included. They will take you back in Trinidad in late afternoon.

Day 10

Today is a transfer day towards the sea and some relax:  destination Cayo Santa Maria via Santa Clara. If you choose to use a taxi as I did, it will take about 4 or 5 hours to get there, Santa Clara visit not included.

Our driver Giovanni showed up at our front door on time at 9 am sharp as arranged . The trip toward Santa Clara was lovely. We went through little villages in full activitiy: open shops, market stalls, motorbikes and horse carriages everywhere. Sometimes somebody raised his arm to ask for a lift to Giovanni, but he politely denied it saying with a gesture of his hand that the taxi was full. 

Santa Clara is not that special, except for is nice central square. The main character here, the star is the "Che" and the events of cuban revolution that he led through victory in the last battle.

For that reason there's a mausoleum dedicated to him that it got me very emotional !

In addition to the Mausoleum of Che, it is possible to visit the place where the train symbol of Santa Clara's Battle, which took place between 29th of December 1958 and 1st of January 1959, is kept. Loaded with weapons and ammunition it should have brought reinforcements to Batista's troops, instead he was attacked and derailed by the soldiers led by Che. This was the key event of the revolution which led to the final victory.

After the lovely stop in Santa Clara it's time to go on with your transfer to Cayo Santa Maria.

Make sure to have your passport and your reservation handy, because only not Cuban people can have access to the Cayo so along the road you'll find a police checkpoint and you'll have to pay a toll to go on. The road that get you to the Cayo is spectacular. It's a tarmac tongue 40 km long cutting the sea in two, you can see water on your right and water on your left, and it will take you to the paradise. Now you can start to relax yourself and sip a good cocktail in front of the sea.

Day 11, 12 e 13

I'm not an all inclusive resort lover, actually my experience in Cuba was the first one after many years of travelling. Booking a resort is the only way you can stay on the Cayo, there are no other accomodation. Spend the night in a casa prticular in the nearest town (Remedios) wouldn't worth it, because the cost of the taxi to go and come back would be more expensive than the overnight in a front sea resort. 

If you are not a fan too of this kind of accomodation you won't suffer so much I ssure you. Enjoy the crystal clear water, the beach bars which make tons of cocktails and hamburgers, the sun, the reading and relax yourself. You are diving in a wonderful mother nature masterpiece.

Day 14

Today is a transfer day to Havana city. Book a taxi for the early hours in the morning. If you leave at 9 am you'll get to Havana city at 2 pm. In case of delay for some kind of problems along the road you won't be damaged at all and you will have time to work them out. Once arrived in the city you'll have all the time you want to have some rest, take a shower and go out for a stroll through the nice alleys of the cuban capital. You can go in all the places you liked the most or visit some new places. Don't forget to have your last lobster for dinner. 

Giorno 15

This is your last day in Cuba. It's time to pack and be ready for your leaving. If you have your flight in the evening as I had you have still some time to enjoy Havana city. Ask your casa particular landlord for a taxi to go to the airport, for the chance to leave your luggage during the day and take a shower before leaving. Usually it's no big deal. In the place I was I took a shower in their own bathroom because they hadn't a spare room, it was very kind of them.

Once you fix the taxi - luggage - shower problem, if you haven't buy yet cigars, rum havana club and magnets for your fridge this is the right time. Some shopping is always good and makes you feel happy. 

I had some cuban money left, so I decided to have some fun. I enjoyed them with nice food, good cocktails and some new experience. I went to a Fortune-teller in plaza de la Catedral and I paid 10 cuc. A very big colored woman devoted to Santeria watered me with roses water, gave me a benediction, read the cards and gave me an amuleth for good luck. She was talking in Spanish so I didn't understand all she said  but somehow it was a very nice and crazy experience.

If you have some time left you can take also a city tour on one of the pink chevrolet which bring tourists around. Go to Parque Central and you'll find what you'are looking for. The tour lasts one hourand it costs 60 cuc (60 euros). Obviously if you are not alone you can split the expence. I found the tour very funny: the wind throughout your hairs, the high volume of raeggeton music and a nice chat with the driver are the ingredients of this experience.

Your holiday is ended for good. Get on your taxi and head to the airport. Have a safe flight and ...see you 

at the next adventure