day trips from havana

The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". I want emails from Road Affair with travel updates and marketing. Santa Maria del Mar is best equipped for tourists, offering easy to rent umbrellas, chairs, and watersports equipment. 11 Perfect Day Trips From Havana Cuba (2023)! - The World By Hege Fernando made the process very easy to Seen most of havana. THE 10 BEST Day Trips from Havana (UPDATED 2023) - Tripadvisor But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. She loves exploring independently along with husband Nigel. Trinidad & Cienfuegos 2 Day Tour Day 1: Havana - Trinidad. The caves are some of the most impressive in the Caribbean, and certainly the longest network of caves in Cuba. Our day trips from Havana offer the perfect opportunity to experience everything Havana has to offer with like-minded travellers. Check out this two day trip from Havana to Trinidad and Cienfuegos here. Plan a Viales Day Trip From Havana Where is Viales? But theres more to Jibacoa than just sunbathing and snorkeling. A regular taxi from Havana costs the equivalent of around US$100 to US$150 one way. We used My Cuban Taxi for two airport transfers (one from the airport to Havana, and one from the city back to the airport). For the Havana Bus Tour (to Playas del Este) and, , peppered with rare pin-cushion hills, is spectacular enough to warrant longer than a day trip if you have the time. The author spent a lot of time in Cuba and wrote many stories from the inspiration he gained here. The only logistical way to get to Matanzas from Havana for a day trip is either a private transfer (check prices here) or a taxi. This article was first published May 2018 and updated April 2023. Manuel English is great, and he is super nice, which made my trip to be really great. Also close to Matanzas, and the perfect distance away from Havana to make for an excellent day trip, the Yumuri Valley is a huge, lush area of green landscapes; its a wonderful place for hiking and outdoor exploration. Read about the history of Cuban Cocktails in our guide here. Visit Cinaga de Zapata National Park on a Havana Day Trip 5. I truly cannot say enough good things about Ren. 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Elsewhere, look out for matinee performances at the restored Teatro Sauto, and check out the pots and potions at the longstanding pharmaceutical museum. Varadero has long been the haunt of package holiday-makers from Europe, well before the island even began opening up to tourism. Half a dozen beaches are out this way, but Santa Mara del Mar with appreciable shade and the softest, cleanest sand is the best. Cojimar is one of those favorite spots, where Hemingway found inspiration on the coast for his book, The Old Man and the Sea, which helped him to win the Nobel Prize for literature. The UNESCO World Heritage Vinales Valley is around 2.5 hour drive from Havana. Playas del Este as a day trip from Havana 4. The Viales Valley with its gigantic "Mogotes" will be an experience to remember. This fabulous Havana Day Trip includes a short hike, a swim in the Cenotes de Cristal on the Zapata peninsula, and a typical Cuban lunch. The World Famous Bay Of Pigs! Viales from Havana - Havana Journeys Agree with the driver on a one-way fare if you'll spend more than a couple of hours in Cojmar, but ask for a round-trip offer if you only want a glimpse of the landmarks. Cuba's best seaside vacation spot, a 20km-long peninsula with powdery sand, bathtub-temperature sea and all-inclusive resorts, Varadero has all of the facilities required to get pleasure from a fun-filled day journey. With quick and affordable transport you can be on the beach in under half an hour enjoying a drink at a beach bar or on the sand under an umbrella. Less than a mile round trip hike makes it accessible for almost everyone, with a great swimming hole, stunning jungle landscape, and impressive views. The return journey from Varadero to Havana takes 2 hours, so youll be back in time for cocktails. Youll arrive at Varadero by 1130 and have five hours free to enjoy this gorgeous beach resort before returning to your hotel in Havana. This is a LONG day your trip will take 11 hours, but this is an amazing place to come. Share It! When the urge to get out of town hits, find respite at . Not far from the hustle and grit of Havanas city center is the palm-fringed coast known as Playas del Este (eastern beaches). , a well-preserved remnant of Cubas oldest coffee plantation. Ren is very knowledgeable about Cuba, and made sure to do additional research about places he was less familiar with. 3 Ways To Do An Amazing Day Trip From Varadero To Havana 2023! Here are the best times to visit Cuba's capital, Havana. Take a look at the amazing reviews and reserve your trip now. Then theres the beachs hinterland, where you can hike in the hills or explore some local caves. Probably the least known of the beach options on this list is Playa Jibacoa, a resort east of Havana past Playas del Este. All rights reserved. If youre based in Old Havana or Havana Centro (check out our where to stay in Havana guide here), then walking to the Ambos Mundos Hotel and the two cocktail bars is easy. Its very much worth making the journey though, in order to experience this UNESCO World Heritage Site in all its colorful glory. It sits just off the south coast near the middle of Cuba and is best known for its preserved colonial streets and architecture, which offer a glimpse into Cubas past and have earned Trinidad recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. When you book a hotel or tour that we link to, we may earn a commission. Playas del Este comprises a few beaches, including these: The nicest beaches in the area of Playas del Este are Marazul or Santa Maria. You can also take a day trip from Varadero to Matanzas its an easy one! 6:30 am - 8:00 pm The western region of Cuba is known for its very high-quality tobacco fields and its impressive landscapes. Since leaving the corporate world in 2014 Sarah has gone with the flow - and that works really well in Cuba. Then theres the important matter of sipping on rum cocktails and gorging yourself at Varaderos excellent restaurants. And having a daiquiri alongside the statue of Papa at the bar in El Floridita really is an experience. Havana is teeming with hole-in-the-wall restaurants, live music, and local handicraft shops, but theres far more to Cuba than its capital city. Hemingway lived in Finca Vigia until he returned to the USA in 1960 and it was here that he wrote much of The Old Man and the Sea, Islands in the Stream, and For Whom the Bell Tolls. Here are the best day trips from Havana to help you see what Cubas really like. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. Find day trips to take today or this coming weekend. Cubas Best is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca. As you can see, there are many great places to explore if you stay in Havana. For more flexibility, rent a car or hire a taxi with a driver for the day. Hiring a car and driver is your other option, with the drive taking roughly an hour. There are restaurants here, and bars and you can rent sunbeds and umbrellas for about US$5 a day. Heading back to Havana there are three key sites to visit on a Hemingway-themed day trip from Havana. 10 Epic Day Trips From Havana You Will Never Forget Our travel recommendations are based on our personal experiences and research, written by locals and travel experts with deep familiarity with the destination. It has glorious views over the bay, where the author used to fish, but the restaurant is also where Hemingway spent his time along with his friend Gregorio Fuentes captain of El Pilar in real life. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Which places provide the best day trips in Havana for groups? The reason that holidaymakers have sunned themselves here for years is that this small peninsula is simply beautiful. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Cayo Blanco Catamaran Trip from Varadero with Lobster Lunch. Havana Tours; Cuba Tours ; Day Tours ; Custom Tours ; Information ; Testimonials . If you want to spend more than a day on a visit to Varadero, then heres our guide on what to do in Varadero. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. While the beaches on Cuba's central and eastern cays tend to be the most famous for their white sand and warm waters, the island's western side has its own gems worth visiting. Nothing was too much trouble for them, and Xuri's knowledge of the city and the history was exceptional. Entry costs US$5 and the Cueva de Saturno is 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from Matanzas. Thank you! About a half-hour drive from central Havana, you'll find Playas del Este, a strip of several beaches on Havana's eastern edge. Apr 6, 2023 7 Min read. Getting there: Buses from Havana to Viales dont work for a day trip, so your choices are to go with a guided tour for the day or rent a car for the 2.5-hour drive each way. Head to Matanzas for a day trip from Havana 6. Artists will also love the opportunity to meet with the local artists here at their studios. THIS POST MAY CONTAIN COMPENSATED AND AFFILIATE LINKS. No part of this site may be reproduced without our written permission. Check out our frequently asked questions about Havana day trips below, or ask us yours in the comments. Marina Hemingway West Of Havana 4. IIve visited Havana twice but only on day trips. Danilo, our driver was lovely and his open top chevy was spectacular. Its the highest-rated trip from Havana, with a fabulous crew, great food, and a stunning beach. I would go back and ask for her again in a heart beat. Not much English for any of the drivers so a working knowledge of Spanish is a big plus as a passenger. Located between Havana and Viales, the Sierra del Rosario Biosphere Reserve and mountain range is one of the most beloved ecotourism spots and natural gems in Cuba. Colon is around a two-hour drive southeast of Havana, and its not the standard tourist attraction. So much knowledge and she All of the tour guides were fantastic and communication to organise the trip and the transport was seamless. How to get to Las Terrazas and Soroa from Havana: Book a day tour to Las Terrazas and Soroa at a Cubatur desk in any hotel lobby or take a colectivo (shared taxi mainly used by tourists) at the Viazul station and hop off at Rancho Curujey, near Las Terrazas. Your last stop on a Vinales day trip should be a cooling swim and cocktail at the Hotel Jazmines pool at the Vinales Valley lookout before heading back to Havana. Varadero to Havana Day Trip - World Travel Toucan But Trinidad isnt just historic; its also extremely pretty, thanks to colorful buildings like those around Plaza Mayor. Built in 1801, Cafetal Buenavista is theoldest coffee plantation in Cuba. Day Trips From Havana 1. Youll find an even better view if you hike to the top of Cerro de la Viga, a hill overlooking the town. For a great view of the landscape, head for Puente de Bacunayagua, the highway perched above it all. You can choose from several beaches here, with little chance of them being overcrowded. Daniel James Are you looking for ideas on getting from Havana to Trinidad, Cuba? Wifi is spotty, and instead of classic cars, horse-drawn carriages often transport visitors among sites. 1. We have a range of private and group Havana day tours to choose from. Once a dry dock, Varadero became a vacation destination in 1887 when families first began building vacation homes there. How to get to Varadero from Havana: Book an air-conditioned Viazul bus at Terminal de mnibus (MLC$9; 34 hours). Cayo Jutias has a famous beach covered with starfish, and some spots for renting beach chairs and umbrellas. Its made it onto this list, however, because of the fact that this is a place that is completely untouched by tourism. THE 10 BEST Havana Tours & Excursions for 2023 (with Prices) - Tripadvisor Playas del Este as a day trip from Havana, 4. It will probably take all day, so many people will take the train one way and find quicker transport for the return leg. For an after-lunch spirit, opt for the mahogany-wood. Mafia Tour . Can you visit Cienfuegos on a day trip from Havana? Transport is relatively easy by taking a bus from Havana, though Vinales is just far enough from Havana that a day trip excursion to Viales is well worth it for hassle-free, comfortable travel. There are many day trips available from Havana that specifically take visitors here. We are well traveled and have high standards, and we were very happy with our tour guide - she was great and spoke excellent English. The bikes were very nice, with shock absorbers that made a huge difference especially in Central Havana. Playa Santa Maria del Mar is generally considered the nicest and most equipped of these beaches. A quick ferry ride will take you to the 18th-century fortress Castillo de Jagua. Just two hours west of Havana, the small town of Viales is in the heart of the countryside and on the edge of one of the most impressive landscapes in all of Cuba. Bar, Club & Pub Tours Paint & Pottery Studios. Not far from Havana you can find Las Terrazas, an area of unique flora and fauna that acts as a bio-reserve and is a much-loved day trip from Havana. Longer? Hes said to have gained some inspiration for his 1954 Nobel Prize-winning novel, The Old Man and the Sea here. You cant apply travel and transit times that you have at home to Cuba. My husband and I did our Havana day tour from Varadero on June 2, 2023. They were discovered in 1861 and have been an important tourist attraction ever since. We decided to do the old cars Havana. Combined with a nearby collection of dozens of old sugar mills, Trinidad is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its the perfect place for hiking and exploring rural Cuban life. Next stop Havana where Amy and Victor (driver didn't forget this time) met me and off we go for another day of site seeing and history. A little over three hours from Havana, day trips to these beaches will mean long days if youre not planning to spend at least one night, but theyre unforgettable destinations worth the trip. On day trips from Havana, you can take a horseback riding excursion through the valley to one of Cubas best tobacco plantations or take in the views over a local meal and drinks at Balcn del Valle. Our flight into Havana was delayed by almost two hours and it was a huge relief to see my name on a sign as we exited the airport. We never did get on the Hershey train but did spend time in Matanzas, which is good for a day trip from Havana if youre interested in something a little different. You can explore the Viales Valley on either a hike or a horseback ride. All-day tickets for T3 cost MLC$10 and services run from 9am to 7pm. Your email address will not be published. Locals will tell you that this is the most beautiful part of Cuba. He gives a perspective on life in Cuba and Cuban culture you will find in no guidebook. This sheltered, closed-off beach resort has a completely different vibe than the rest of the country. For the Havana Bus Tour (to Playas del Este) and Viazul buses (to Viales, Matanzas and Varadero), youll have to pay by credit card and will be charged in MLC, Cubas convertible currency, which has the same value as US dollars. Otherwise, its a 3.5-hour drive each way. 1. The area is adored for its mostly untouched green plains full of towering limestone hills, and there are also coffee and tobacco plantations in the area. We spent about two weeks in Cuba with Ren showing us around. The historic center of Havana may be a maze of stone buildings and narrow alleyways, all built far back in the colonial days, but away from these old streets and just 30-minutes along the coast is a different world. Cayo Jutias is likely the best day trips from Havana; while slightly further from Havana than Cayo Levisa, its connected to the mainland with a causeway that makes transportation easy. With a good amount of transportation options to get you here from Havana and great places to eat, and even accommodations nearby if you want to spend the night, theyre the perfect beach day (or long weekend) getaway. Cojmar really is just a fishing village, albeit a pretty one. Choose your options for beach day trips from Havana here. From beaches to mountains to historic cities and more, these road trips around Cuba offer access to the best of this enchanting island. Just east of Havanas old quarter is the charming fishing village of Cojmar, famous for hosting Ernest Hemingways maritime adventures back in the 1940s and 1950s. Just outside the city of Matanzas lies the Yumur Valley, another great destination to visit from Havana. Theres more on the train and Hershey in Cuba on tramz.com. Take an early ride 140km (87 miles) east of Havana center and youll be sitting under a palm leaf umbrella before 10am. Eight hours? Read about the history of Cuban Cocktails in our guide here. Its an elegant, colorful and charming place, where laid-back life continues along the coast as it always has, with little care in the world. Whether youre looking for a beach getaway, an adventure sports hotspot, or something in between, these Havana day trip spots have it all. As the best-known beach destination in Cuba, Varadero is a natural pick for a Havana day trip. visit Cienfuegos as part of a tour to Trinidad, The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Tikal in Guatemala. The view over the sunbathed peninsula is simply unparalleled. Youll know that youre in the right place by all the photos of Hemingway, including ones with him alongside Fidel Castro. Details here. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Following the Yumur River, this valley is lined on either side by high mountains that create a dramatic landscape. Visit Cojimar and Finca La Vigia on a Day Trip from Havana, FAQs Frequently Asked Questions about Havana Day Trips. You can compare car rental deals and find the lowest prices at Rentalcars.com, an aggregation site that searches and displays prices and availability from hundreds of car rental companies, helping you find the best possible car for your budget. The town of Vinales is a small place, and the population of this wild, rugged area is sparse, meaning that the valley and the mountains here are almost untouched. Nothing couldve compared to this experience and I couldnt recommend it enough to anyone who is interested. We also used this company to travel from Old Havana to Fusterlandia, outside of the central part of the city. This is the day trip from Havana for Hemingway fans. This little town is a slow-paced community, where it's possible to meet locals in a 100% Cuban environment. Catching a bus from Havana to Trinidad is usually the cheapest way to make the trip. (check out our list of great books set in Cuba here). If you want to spend more than a day at Las Terrazas then the Hotel Moka was the first eco-hotel in Cuba and there are several Casa particulars here too Villa Juanita and Villa Tres Hermanas are highly recommended. The view over the sunbathed peninsula is simply unparalleled. We went from Havana to Vinales. Why not book this Hemingway-themed day trip with an English-speaking guide, and personal driver and see all these places without any stress? You can explore the Yumur Valley with four-wheel drive or on horseback, which indicates just how rural this area is. Once part of a grubby warehouse district beside the San Juan River, this attractive waterside promenade has become the citys beating heart dotted with free-to-enter galleries, public sculpture and a lively ensemble of bars and restaurants, including the cafe-cum-art-collective, Artys. This ecovillage in the Sierra del Rosario mountains is at the heart of Cubas first UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Finca Vigia is a recommended visit on our 2 days in Havana Itinerary. Your email address will not be published. Once a sleepy agricultural town, Airbnb has helped transform Vinales110 miles west of Havanainto a popular tourist destination. Sarah's an avid reader and traveller and loves exploring the culture of Cuba through food, drinks, hiking trails and hidden corners. Thank you Havana true colors and Raul for an extraordinary experience and a trip to remember. Cesar was incredible! has all the amenities required to enjoy a fun-filled day trip. Best HAVANA TO VINALES Day Trips (in 2020) | Havana 60 I have made forever friends and memories, learned so much about Cuban culture and society, and grown as a person overall. Havana Day Tours | Cuban Adventures Were Jos and Carley, the creators behind Home to Havana. Then youll get to see Saturno Cave ( and take a dip in the water if youd like. Our day trips from Havana offer the perfect opportunity to experience everything Havana has to offer with like-minded travellers. A drive into the heart of the undulating and verdant Sierra del Rosario range, Cubas first UnescoBiosphere Reserve,is a sure tonic for fatigue and worry. The A-frame structures covered in shaggy fronds you will see are drying houses for the worlds finest cigar tobacco, grown throughout this part of Pinar del Ro province. Olga made this the best trip ever. It's can be a bit to travel for a day trip, especially coming back to Havana after spending all day at the beach. This is a company policy for the safety of our guests and staff. Spend the day lying in the sun, swimming or snorkeling. Getting there: There is only one bus each way per day from Havana to Las Terrazas, with the journey taking up to three hours. We spent about two weeks in Cuba with Ren showing us around. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 10 Best Day Trips from Havana, Cuba - Road Affair Of course, youll have a number of impressive resorts to choose from as well. The farmland and countryside just outside of Havana make for a fascinating day trip in which youll get to see an entirely different side of the city.

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day trips from havana