Cuba

‘I love places that make you realise how tiny you and your problems are!’

Cuba... the three C’s - Culture, Colour and Cars!! 

What a place!!!! As soon as you land at the airport you realise what a magnificent place this is full of fun and music. 

With its dramatic mountainous landscapes, unspoilt valleys, fields of sugarcanes, tobacco plantations, the most beautiful beaches and colourful cities, what’s not to love! 

This place is definitely somewhere worth visiting and exploring, expect the unexpected! 

There are so many places to visit and so many things to see and do. Here’s where we went... 

Havana 

Cuba’s carefree capital!!! Also known as La Habaná... What a place, this is somewhere that has to be on your list. The cobblestone streets are surrounded by old and unique building, there’s something to see round every corner. Men playing dominoes or chess in the streets while women sit in doorways watching the world go by, markets are set up on street corners and salsa music is played all around. The one thing you will notice is there’s colour everywhere, from the shops to the cars, from the buildings to the people... such a beautiful place. 

There are two places here you must visit as well as exploring the streets. Castillo De Los Tres Reyes Del Morro is a fort that sits at the entrance of the capital. Inside are several exhibitions, but the construction itself is worth a visit. At 9pm each day a cannon ceremony is held in the grounds, get there earlier for a good spot, the canon is loud though be  warned! 

Colon Cemetery is the second-largest in the world. What makes this cemetery is its funerary monuments, sculptures and mausoleums that create a sort of open-air museum. Worth a visit and worth hearing the story’s that are linked to some of the tombs, especially La Milagrosa’s grave where you can make a wish. You are meant to approach the tomb and knock on the cement grave, say your name and think of your wish, place your offering, then back away from the grave for as long as you can without turning your back to her. 

Varadero 

This is where we stayed in Cuba as our base. Varadero is situated on Cuba’s narrow Hicacos Peninsula, it is a popular beach resort town. Along its 20km of Atlantic Ocean coastline is a string of all-inclusive hotel, spa complexes, and golf courses.

We walked miles of the coastline most days and enjoyed looking at the different hotels and seeing all the water sports on offer, from diving to fishing, to kayaking and snorkelling. 

Varadero is a good base to explore Cuba and enjoy some relaxing time, beautiful white sands and clear blue waters. There is also a town that can be visited by the local bus which takes minutes with restaurants and quirky shops to explore, and a harbour to book boat trips from and visit market stalls for some local souvenirs.  

Cayo Blanco

A island off Cuba that we went to by catamaran from Varadero harbour. A beautiful place but not one of the best beaches, clear waters but sand covered in seaweed and only small. We was lucky enough to swim with dolphins as part of the boat trip not far from the island and we did some snorkelling as well as explored the island. Great wildlife as well as underwater Marine life.

Trinidad

Trinidad is a town in central Cuba, known for its colonial old town and cobblestone streets. When traveling to Cuba and deciding on what cities to visit, a few nights in Trinidad Cuba should be a must. Trinidad is Cuba’s best-preserved colonial town, with the old part of Trinidad being a UNESCO heritage site since 1988. Trinidad, like most colonial towns, is gorgeous with brightly coloured buildings and has so much to see, explore and taste! 

If you are looking for something else to do then only half hours drive away is El Nicho Waterfalls which is kind of like a natural version of a water park. There is a small entrance fee (which is covered by the price of some tours if booked through them.) The focus is on the series of small waterfalls and the swimming in the natural pools they feed into, but there are also a number of nature hikes in the countryside around the falls themselves. It’s not what you could consider to be a difficult walk, since there are only around 1.5 km of paths here.

My advice is arrive early to avoid crowds! 

Matanzas

Matanzas is an interesting city and the surroundings in Matanzas even more.

While Matanzas doesn’t have any major attractions, there’s actually a lot you can see on a quick stroll through the city. The buildings are worth looking at, without having to go inside them.

The main areas to explore in Matanzas are centred around two areas: Parque Libertad & Plaza de la Vigil.

There are a few things to do just out of Matanzas too.

Cave Bellamar is one of the main tourist attractions. It’s a cave 40 meters deep and 750 meters long. It’s quite humid and hot… but it’s great! There is tons of light, so you can actually see around, it’s beautiful.

Cave Saturno is also worth a visit and this cave has a natural pool that you can swim in. 

We did a boat trip on River Canimar which led us up a beautiful stretch of water and we saw lots of wildlife and birds on this trip. Worth a visit but I will say the boats are not in the best condition so just be wary and check it works before you leave. This is Cuba remember!

We also visited a ranch up in the mountains called Gaviota where we were given a traditional fresh Cuban meal and a tour around the farm, this is where I learnt pineapples grow in the ground. Great tour and also a great owner who loved visitors. 

Viñales

Viñales is a tranquilo haven less than three hours from Cuba’s capital, Havana.

The mountains are beautiful, the farmers grow the best tobacco, and tourists come every day by the busload.

The main street was named after Salvador Cisneros Betancourt, who was a leader in the war of independence and has lots of colourful wooden building on the street. The central plaza has art galleries and a church which can be explored and on a Saturday morning there's a farmer's market at the plaza which sells delicious fresh products.

There are several caves here which you can go and explore and even swim in, some are only accessed through horse back or walking though. 

There are dozens of tobacco and coffee farms that love to explain the manufacturing process and sell their goods, many tour companies will take you to the farms. 

Cuba is a beautiful place!!!! 

Don’t miss out and read my Top Tips blog to help you with your travels a bit more.