When travelling to a country you’ve never been
to before it’s always hard to decide what to see and do. It’s even harder if
you only have a week for it. In case it’s a country totally different from most
of the common destinations it seems impossible to check out all the top sights.
It’s achievable tough if you have a plan well-defined and you collect all the
necessary information before travel.
Here is an itinerary how to explore Cuba in 168 hours. Attention: if you want
to lie on the beach and drink mojitos, skip this post. It’s for adventurous
travellers who want to see as much as they can.
First of all you have to decide how to travel.
As public transportation in Cuba
is very weak it is highly recommended to rent
a car. Eco category vehicles are available from 20-30 EUR/day and you are
free, don’t have to conform yourself to bus schedules and other travellers.
You have the right vehicle, now you should
define the main points of your trip. A week is not long enough to drive around
the whole island, so I’d advise you to stay in the western region of Cuba. The area
located west to Havana can be easily visited
from the capital; it’s more comfortable if you have the first nights pre-booked
at one of the over 30
Havana hotels. Better hotels are usually full or over-booked, so not to be
forced to compromise book 2-4 weeks in
advance.
What should you not miss? Here is a short
itinerary for your trip including the most popular and need-to-be-seen places.
Day 00: planes usually arrive in Havana in
the afternoon and evening hours; after a long flight just go to your hotel, take
a shower and walk in the near to become acclimatized. It goes smoother if you
buy a bottle of Havana Club and drink some starting shots.
Days 01-02: exploring the capital of Cuba. Most of
the sights are located in the Old Town of Havana; it’s easier to do walking
trips if your hotel is located here. When staying in other districts of the
city (like Vedado, Miramar,
Playa) you have to take a taxi to get into the center. It should cost 5-8 pesos,
don’t pay more!
During two full days you can visit several
places, don’t miss these: Cathedral
Square, Bodeguita del Medio Bar, Hotel Ambos Mundos, Obispo Street, Capitolio, Partagás
Fábrica Cigar Factory, Floridita Bar and Restaurant, Plaza de Armas, Real
Fuerza, the ruins of Old Havana, Plaza Vieja, Havana Club Rum Museum,.
Located out of the Old Town but worth seeing is
the Finca la Vigia (former residence of Hemingway),
Tropicana Show, Castillo del Morro fortress, Plaza de la Revolución or Cristobal
Colón Necropolis (a very nice cemetery).
Day 03: It’s time to move to the west: do a
day trip to Viñales Valley (150 km from Havana). Visit one of the tobacco plantations
of Pinar del Río province and from the lookout tower you can admire the
picturesque valley. There’s also a nice cave in which you can go on a speedboat
trip and at the entrance you can have lunch and drink a cocktail, unless you
are the one driving. On the way to/from the valley stop at Soroa and walk an
hour in the beautiful orchid garden and swim in the waterfall. For the night
drive back to Havana.
Day 04: Here comes a long drive (180+80km),
but it's worth the hours spent in the car as palm gardens, orange and banana
plantations will edge your way leading from Havana to Guamá. This area is
located on the Península de Zapata (Shoe Peninsula) and has special flora and
fauna. Visit the nature reserve, the crocodile farm and the Indian village. Not
far from here in the Bay of Pigs you can swim in
a beautiful lagoon. Don’t be afraid to try the crocodile dish at the restaurant
near the lagoon. It is recommended to spend this night in Cienfuegos; it will be one more hour of
drive.
Day 06: Get into the center of Trinidad. The cobbled streets, colorful houses, Spanish
squares make you feel being in the colonial times. Do not forget to drink a
honey-rum cocktail at the famous Canchanchara Bar and visit the Romantic Museum. The Hacienda Manaca Iznaga (former
estate of the family with an exhibition of thraldom) and the lookout tower of
the Sugar Mills’ Valley worth a visit too. In the afternoon hours drive to
Varadero; it’s one of the most popular beaches of Cuba. It will take about 3,5-4
hours.
Days 07: Relax. You have at least half a day
until you have to pack your suitcase and depart to the airport. Enjoy the white
sandy beach, turquoise water, shadow of a palm tree and your icy Cuba Libre.
All the beach hotels operate on an all inclusive board and besides food and
drink many water sports are included in the price too. If you can’t sit down
even for a few hours to get a canoe, kayak, water bike or learn salsa at the
beach.
Every holiday must end once, after a late lunch
it’s time to get to the airport and fly home with the lifelong experiences you
got in this wonderful Caribbean country.
