Some good Salsa music, a couple of Mojito gone already, people enjoying the vibes and I’m looking at a blue and white stripes flag with a star in a red triangle. Yes, exactly, the Cuban flag. But wait I’m not yet there… I am just in a very central Casino in London and it’s nearly winter, my shift finished not long ago and I and my friends reach the only open place to have a drink at this time. -Chef life, it’s funny and your working hours are tricky sometimes that the pubs might be all closed for an easy pint with colleagues and friends.-
Having a little chat I can’t think of anything but Cuba, one of the places I would have liked to go since I was a child; so in the middle of a conversation, I interrupt my two friends. -Every time I come here, listening to this music and staring at this flag I see myself in a little village close to the beach dancing Salsa not too far from Havana.-
Apparently, I wasn’t the only one having this feeling, the same night we booked our tickets and so the days after I started to plan the trip. Three weeks in Cuba itinerary was our time to spend on this beautiful Caribbean Island.
As many of us experienced or might think before going to another place to visit, better not to put so many sights to see and cities, especially when is a country where public transport are not the best and you don’t know how moving around can be.
In this post, I will share with you, reader, my unforgettable three weeks experience in this stunning country, where culture and traditions meet happiness and beautiful people.
If you’re planning a three-week visit to Cuba or even less, this is the right place to collect some ideas and read some funny stories about the country I had the pleasure to explore.
Three weeks in Cuba Itinerary and adventure
3 days in Havana
L’Avana, Cuba’s capital city founded by the Spanish in the 16th century. Colourful, vibrant, cheerful and many other ways to describe this beautiful city. With lot of culture, arts and historic sites; squares and neighbourhoods, Old Havana claims to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site for nearly 40 years.
For our three days in Havana, we stayed in an uncle’s friend’s house, who travelled in and out of Cuba for 25 years, and he now lives in Havana for 10years. The sites we visit at first were just a few steps from the house and so luckily the ocean was just clearing my mind from the busy traffic and grey sky from London. Cojimar is a Havana district just 7km far from the old town, you can see “El Castillo de Cojimar” and in a bright blue colour a circular columns structure where is situated an Ernest Hemingway statue. The American novelist was very connected to this city due it’s love for fishing and cocktails and to the ispirations for “the old and the sea” novel.
The rest of the day we spent it into the Habana Vieja and got lost through the colorful and photogenic streets. And WOW, the vibes of this city are just amazing, the Jazz playing from the cocktail Bar, the live band performing Salsa and Mambo music for the happy dancers, and people smoking cigars on the edge of the road. Most of the day has gone in Habana, but before to leave the centre we stopped in a Bar knwon to be the birthplace of the Mojito cocktail (the same I was sipping in London when I booked the ticket to this paradise). La Bodeguita del medio, it’s room with walls covered with writing and signature of the pasts castomers, famous and not, is the setting of this beautiful first day in Cuba.
The next day in Havana we started it quite early (as still, the jetlag can be a sleeping problem) and the plan it is to visit some of the main Cultural Highlights. We reached again the centre and we walked by “Capitolio National” a building reminescent the White House in Washington; got in the “Museo de la Revolucion”, three floors museum where you learn more about the revolutionary period. The are many highlights to be vist or simply to be walked past. As the sun goes down we moved to Malecon, the eight-km esplanade, where we chill with a cold Cristal beer bought from a vendor and beautiful sunsets happening in front of me.
The nice thing about the old town is that can easly take 1 day to see all around, and in my opinion walking was the best way, but you have many spots where to drive around in a typical Chevrolet car from the 60s.
The third morning in Havana was quite funny and tricky as we went to buy a ticket for the next stop in Playa Giron. Viazul is the biggest bus company in Cuba territory, BUT.. for the tourist incresing in the Country I experienced the bus service is not able to support the number of people who wants to move around.
So we reached the Viazul Terminal with a Taxi and once there we crash into this crowded place, as starting to queue for the ticket counter we can see around us two diffrent services offered in the same place. A bus service with a “fixed” schedule daily and a Taxi Colectivo service (share Taxi). The decision was obvious only after having queued under the hot sun for more than an hour – Cuba is famous for its EASY life, the people are very relaxed and chilled, everyone takes their time to do anything, so make sure you’ll go there with the same mind set. – A taxi driver approches us and so we make a deal, the day after he would have pick us up and driven to Playa Giron for only 10CUC (againts the 6CUC for the bus)
So make sure you plan your transport ahead as can be unconforable if there will is no available bus or no taxi that drives you to your next stop.
2 days in Cienaga de Zapata (Playa Giron)
After a two or three hours of journey, sitting at the back of a turquoise 60s Mercury car, we reach our final destination, Playa Giron. The “collectivo” left us on the main road (maybe the only road) and around us an only a couple of restaurant-bar, two museums and a few “Casa Particular”. We looked for one to stay in, we left our luggage and straight to the beach, into the crystal clear turquoise water. -If you decide to spend even one day in this area make sure you try “El cocodrilo” restaurant, the food is fresh and tasty and prices are low. –
The next day we booked a visit to “Cienaga de Zapata National Park”, so we drove with a guide inside the park, on our way to see Flamingos, Cuban tocororo (Cuba’s national bird), parrots, pelicans and other birds in their natural environment.
The activity inside the Cienaga de Zapata National Park are many, from birds watching to snorkling in the sea or just enjoying the beach.
3 days in Cienfuegos
Cubans are really helpful and happy people, you will realise once you’ll meet them. If you need to book your next move or need advice about a nice restaurant in the area they will be giving you tips. This is how we could move to our next destination on day 6th of the three weeks in Cuba.
Only one hour drive from Playa Giron (and a little more than 3h from Havana), you can find Cienfuegos. -The city is dubbed La Perla del Sur (Pearl of the South)-. With his French and Caribbean style architecture it will capture you within the first buildings. Leave your luggage and let the vibes take you for a walk. Palacio del Valle, Palacio de Governo, Parque Jose Martí, Teatro Tomás Terry, Berry Moore statue and other more site to see in the city by walking, ferry or even with a Taxi-bike service.
Two days can easly pass like this, eat in one of the many restaurants with terraces on the main road (Paseo el Prado), watch an art gallery and enjoy the many bars with live Jazz and Salsa music.
Day three in Cienfuengos region was planned to visit the stunning waterfall – El Nicho – situated just outside Topes de Collantes National Park. The location can be a day trip from either city, Cienfuegos or Trinidad. The visit to the waterfalls allows you to have a little swim in the cold, but amaizing, natural pool, only after a short hike trail into this peaceful forest that ends with a panoramic landscape.
3 days in Trinidad
Only in 90 minutes rides from Cienfuegos, you will be in Trinidad. Leaving early the Casa you can have a whole day in the city, getting lost trought the colourful streets, visit the famous historic centre where all the buildings are well preserved trought the years and other main sites, such as Plaza Mayor, Palacio Cantero, Museo Romantico…
Trinidad is another UNESCO World Heritage site and the second oldest city of the island. Very close to the city there are sites in nature to visit for a hiking day; our day 2 was spent in Topes de Collantes, the Salto de Caburni is 7 km round-trip not too easy but not impossible either. But it pays you off, the waterfall is a 60mt high and the natural pool is good to cool off after the walk.
The way back to the Casa was before sunset, so we got ready for dinner and a night out. The restaurant name is “Guitarra Mia”, after a little queue to go in we finnally had our tastefull dinner that I still have it in my mind. The rooms of the restaurant are filled of signatures of the previous customers , pictures of musicians, diffrents guitars and many clocks. So make sure, in Trinidad you’ll go to eat in this restaurant.
The more days you spend in Cuba, the more you will get into their culture and the more you will love this country.
On day three, after the lovely breakfast from the Casa Particular, we reach the bus terminal to book our ticket for the next stop, Santiago de Cuba. Yes exactly, we planned for the following day to travel with the bus during the night, so we could be in the second-largest city in Cuba by the morning on day 13th of the holiday. Plans not often goes well.. On the counter for the Viazul tickets the lady tell us there are no bus the next two days from Trinidad to Santiago and of course, without reason why. So our options was to reach Santa Clara by the same evening and jump on the bus from there wich was leaving at 10.30 pm, or wait some more days in Trinidad and plan for another destination. By the time me and my friends were discussing about it (in italian), a Taxi Collectivo driver got into the conversation saying he could have driven us the morning after, we tought about but we were at that point sure to catch the night bus from Santa Clara, so we could be in Santiago in the morning after. Apparently not many Taxi Collectivo drives after the sunset, so finding one collegue, who could bring us to the city, for him was a struggle too. We start to follow him trought the busy streets of the morning, – crossing bread vendors, people who are just opening their shop and children going to school- and he started to speak with this tall man about our need. Finally after talking with more then ten Taxi driver, we found one person who could drive us at 6.30pm for a two hours journey. So as the day was now shoertened, by only trying to book a bus ticket, we make a deal with the guy to take us for some hours at the beach, just for some nice relax. Playa Ancon is a white sand beach with bright light blue sea, only 15 minutes drive from Trinidad centre. We search for our shade tree and we chill with some food and drink. After sneaking a resort’s outdoor shower (as we wouldn’t have time to do it in Casa before to leave it) our driver was ready to brigh us back to Trinidad to pick up our bags and then GO..
The drive was fun and long, the Taxi was from the early 50s, with a little fan on the dashboard, the noise from the car sometimes let us thought we wouldn’t have reach Santa Clara 🙂 By 9.30pm we were there, at the terminal, full of other Taxis waiting their next customers, some backpackers for the same reason as our and locals sitted in the wainting room. And here we are waiting the bus for Santiago de Cuba, a bus that came with an hour and half delay and took 14 hours to reach the final stop. Aww, Cuba, the country that takes it easy.
3 days in Santiago de Cuba
Nothing but the flight was booked in advance for this trip, we decide it to take it easy and wild, what would have been we just go with the flow, a wise decision? I’m not sure but I loved it how it was. By the way, the trip with the bus was a kind of nightmare, unconfortable seats, close to the toilet and engine, each of the bus stop was way to long and many in the middle of nothing, just like he has to drop someone home or go to take some food in his house and last but no least.. FREEZING COLD. So prefer the Taxi when possibile, or bring a jumper or, anyway dress proprer, not as you were in Cuba with 30°c.
When we reached Santiago we looked for a specific Casa Particular that shows on Lonley Planet guide (who was with us the entire trip) “Casa Yoyi”, the hall was full of plants everywhere and the host offers us a coffee, so we seated on the terrace and enjoy the chat with the family. After having our energies back we walked towards the city. My first impression about Santiago was unexpected, as during the days in Cuba some people told us wasn’t worth the visit, but we liked it so much. It is very similar to Havana but with a sparkle that I’m not able to describe. The main square is Plaza de Dolores, all around you can see colonial and eclectic buildings that makes you fell stuck in time. As the time goes fast the sunset is close to happen we move just two blocks, reaching another famous square. Céspedes Park and from there to the Hotel Casa Granda’s terrace where you can have your Daiquiri overlooking at sunset falling behind the Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción.
The second day was spent between Cementery de Santa Ifigenia, where Fidel Castro and others notable Cubans, who make some how history for their country, the Bacardy Rum Factory and Don Diego Velázquez’ Home (worth the visit and the woman who takes care are so proud to tell you some history background). Walking the streets in Santiago you will be amused by the many bar and restaurants with live music and full dance floor, so make sure you enter one of them and enjoy their contagious happy mood.
On the third day we had a quick visit to the “Castillo del Moro” and some more time to chill in these beautiful city street before our second night bus experience.
Santiago de Cuba is surrounded by other beautiful sites, unfortunately we couldn't visit due the short time there, but if you get the chance hike in Pico Tarquinio National Park and Parque National de la Gran Piedra, visit Bayamo and Guantanamo City.
3 days in Cayo Coco
After 10 hours spent in the night bus, around 7 am we reached Ciego de Avila and we run into a old couple in their house’s terrace preparing food and coffee to sell for breakfast to the early people going to work, and to us. You will find some people who does that, and trust me is a must try to add to the cuban experience, they always been so nice, smiling, good and the prices are perfect (pan con tortilla is just 1CUC). Walking in the little city we could easly come across many “Taxi collectivo”, we had a deal with the driver and for 110CUC he drove us to the resort and return.
“unfortunately” we had to book a resort for this staying as this part of Cuba has no Casa Particular but only Hotels and Resorts. The prices were still affordable as february is low season in Cuba.
The first day in Cayo Coco was spent between the swimming pool and the ocean situated just in front of our room, as the resort was all-inclusive rate we had couple of Cuba libre under the warm sun with some chill cuban Jazz played live before sunset.
The next day we had a fresh breakfast and went to the reception to book our “Hop on Hop off” bus service, basically a bus that stops by all the resorts from Cayo Coco to Cayo Guillermo, the last stop is the best beach of this archipelago – Playa Pillar. Surrended by dunes, this beach is one of the most beautiful beaches of Cuba and Caribbean. The white sand and the turquoise and calm water makes you fell you want to stay there forever. When I was there it wasn’t busy at all, we almost have the whole beach for us. On the way back to the resort we stopped by the mall “La Gaviota” to see what it was like, but honeslty I don’t recommend, for the high prices and it’s a proper turist trap. The night in the resort was fun, we had the chance to see the show and talk with this cuban rock group of very young and talented guys.
Third and last day of the island we spent it between the beaches close to the resort, Playa Larga and Playa las Colorada. In the late evening we took, the last night bus of this unforgettable trip, to Viñales
3 days in Viñales
Day 18th of my three weeks itinerary in Cuba , switched completely landscape. From crystal clear ocean, white sands and only resort area, we arrived in Viñales where you will be surrended by this green nature that almost hugs you and makes you feel loved. – On my experience, even if there are lots of tourists, still there aren’t excuses not to visit this area.- It is not a coincidence that Viñales Valley was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List
