THE ULTIMATE 10-DAY TRIP TO CUBA
Cuba is a Caribbean country with a rich culture and history that you can truly only experience in person. But the 1950s convertibles lining every street, the colorful building façades, and the stunning beaches are only part of the reason to travel there. The most impactful parts of my trip to Cuba were meeting the Cuban people, who are some of the nicest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting while traveling and seeing the impact of the country’s history on its present-day communities. Check out my itinerary for exploring the cities, towns, and beaches of Cuba below.
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HAVANA
Where to Stay: Hostels are virtually nonexistent in Cuba, so the best place to stay is at an Airbnb. All of the hosts that we met were extremely friendly so I believe you truly can’t go wrong.
Quick tip: One of the hardest parts about being in Cuba is that there isn’t any public wifi anywhere, including your Airbnb. You’ll notice walking around Havana that there will be lines of dozens of people waiting to pay $1 USD for just an hour of wifi. But wait! I have a secret: Head to one of the fancy hotels in town (we chose Hotel Inglaterra since it was close to our Airbnb) and at the front desk, they’ll sell you a wifi card but without the long wait in line.
My favorite nights in Cuba were spent in small, cramped Jazz bars watching multi-generational bands come together to play to their hearts’ content. The best thing about these jazz bands was that they were comprised of people of all shapes, sizes, ages, backgrounds, etc. who came together, seemingly unrehearsed, to play for hours in front of small crowds. My favorite jazz bar, pictured to the right, is called La Zorra y El Cuervo near Hotel Nacional in Havana.
The Cuban Art Factory is a large warehouse west of downtown Havana. During the day, the warehouse is used as an art museum, but on weekend nights it transforms into both a nightclub and an art museum. Be sure to get there early…and I mean EARLY (no later than 8 pm) because otherwise the line will extend around the block and you might not get in all night. Also, beware of the taxis that wait outside to take you home. Many of them will scam you out of some cash – one of their most frequent tricks is to pretend like you paid far too little when in reality they just switched your cash with a smaller bill when you weren’t looking.
The best part about Old Town Havana is that you can keep walking and wandering for hours and never feel bored. You might find yourself walking by the same places over and over again because the streets get a little confusing, but there will be a new site to see or a street parade each time you walk by. Check out my Unofficial Walking Tour of Old Town Havana here for an afternoon of exploration.
VINALES VALLEY
Viñales Valley is about a 3-hour drive southwest of Havana by taxi that’s rentable from wherever you’re staying. For us, we were in a tiny five-seater car with another couple, making it quite a cramped ride all the way over. Once arriving in Viñales, you’ll find a quaint village nestled in the valleys between gorgeous steep mountains. Viñales is a great way to see all that the country of Cuba has to offer outside of Havana, without needing to head too far. Check out some of the best activities to do in the region below.
By far my favorite activity in Viñales was booking a horseback riding tour through the valley, stopping to learn how to roll cigars and grow coffee and honey along the way. I’ve heard that smoking cigars can lead to some not-so-fun stomach issues, but these cigars were so smooth and natural that they lead to no issues whatsoever. At the coffee and honey farm, you can also purchase the freshest and sweetest honey I’ve ever tasted, and I still have a dingy old water bottle full of it in my pantry to this day.
This restaurant, a walk uphill from downtown Viñales, was the perfect glimpse into farm life in the valley. All of the food is farm-to-table directly from the restaurant land, and the view is inferior to none.
From Viñales, there are several day trips you can take to explore the surrounding area. Since this was my first trip to the Caribbean, I was determined to see some of that turquoise-colored water I’d heard so much about so we opted for a day trip to Cayo Jutías; a beach not too far north of Viñales. Like everything in Cuba, you’ll get there by van or taxi on a bumpy road through the Cuban countryside. Upon arrival at the beach, you’re encouraged to drink mojitos to your heart’s content – but note that the lawn chairs do cost money so make sure to rent one early before the beach gets crowded.
The closest you’ll come to a night out in Viñales Valley is drinking mojitos and watching salsa dancers at Centro Cultural Polo Montañez in the town center of Viñales. This was the best salsa show we saw in all of Cuba, with dancers dressed in elaborate costumes performing for us and at the end of the night, all members of the town came together to dance with one another and meet new people. It was the best opportunity to get to know strangers in Cuba.
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ABOUT ME
Welcome! I’m Natasha, a 27-year-old living in Manhattan and constantly itching to get out. I created Exploring Elsewhere to inspire those like me, 20-something women with shallow pockets and too few vacation days, to take adventurous solo trips in far-off lands.