| 3
weeks in Cuba exit Havana |
|
| Day
1 |
Havana
Arrival
After
arrival take a taxi to your hotel or casa particular
in Havana, costs for about 25 CUC
|
Day
2
&
Day 3 |
Havana
|
| Day
4 |
Havana
- Viñales
From
Havana to Pinar del Rio:
Taking the new freeway Havana
- Pinar
del Rio it is possible to avoid the old Central
Highway and to reduce the necessary time to cover the
distance between both points. In les then two hours
you arrive to the city of Pinar
del Rio.
There are approximately 180 km of distance.
The
trip is very pleasant. You can find florid fields, abudant
vegetation, valleys and some mountain chains, as the
Sierra de Rosario, one of the most beuatiful places
of the Isle. It is one of the reservation of the Biosphere
of the country.
This
route doesn't cross towns or cities. It starts in Havana
and it ends up in the city
of Pinar del Rio, capital of the province with the
same name, and the westernmost of the country. It is
located in the western end of the Isle.
All
Through this route, you will find in both sides of the
freeway landscapes and cultivated fields. Nevertheless,
you can choose certain deviations to get to small towns,
cities and very attractive touristic centers.
The
deviation could be:
In the km 50, you can move away from the freeway and
4 km far you will find the San Juan River, a place of
wild nature, cascades and small lakes, ideal to take
a bath and enjoy a camping day.
2 km far through the same highway you will get to La
Moka Hotel. This touristic center, located among
big trees and surrounded by pure, wild nature, is probably
one of the nicest and most pleasant places of the country.
Soroa.
A national park with a hotel,
a magnificent orchd garden, divers nature and the most
amazing Cuban flora. It laso counts on an observatory
that, to get there you will have to climb stones and
mountains, and finally, a great valley to your feet.
There
are some of the towns you will find if you cross the
city
of Pinar del Rio 5 to 20 km far: Artemisa, Candelaria,
San Critóbal, Los Palacios, Paso Real de San
Diego, Herraduras, Consolación del Sur, Viñales,
La Coloma, San Luis, San Juan y Martinez, Guane, Sandino
and Mantua.
You
can also, all along the iternerary, visit some touristic
places of interest like Los Portales Cave, La Güira,
which is a National Park, the Santino Tomás Cave,
the Mines of Matahambre, Cayo Levisa, Cayo Paraiso and
Maria La Gorda. All these places are located a few km
far from the city
of Pinar del Rio.
Cape
San Antonio is the westernmost point of the country
Just
before you arrive to the city
of Pinar del Rio, you can turn to the right and
there you will find a group of touristic places of great
value.
Among them it stands out the Viñales
Valley, a prominent height, in which you it is located
the Hotel
Los Jazmines. This is the most spectacular touristic
scenario in Cuba. It is a group of hummocks that surround
a great valley where you will find the famous Cuban
tabacco plantations.
Near
the valley you can find interesting places such as The
Indian Cave, the San
Vicente Hotel and Hotel
la Ermita.
|
| Day
5 |
Viñales
|
| Day
6 |
Viñales
- Cienfuegos
Back
to Havana and then down ....
This
is a fast freeway, without cities or towns to it sides.
It counts on two small deviations of 2 and 4 km that
will lead you to the towns of Nueva Paz, Vegas, Jagüey
Grande, Aguada de Pasajeros, among others. You will
cover through this fast freeway about 400 km.
The
City
of Cienfuegos is the most beautiful of the southern
coast. It is called La Perla del Sur (The Pearl of the
South). The Jagua
Hotel is besides Hotel
la Union the best place to stay. The city was built
with the electic style of the fifties. Its balconies
open up toward the Bay of Cienfuegos,
of calm and clean waters. There is also another hotel
very near the city, the Ranchon Luna Hotel, close to
the sea.
From
Havana to Guamá
Departing from Havana
you can take the highway about 200 km and arrive to
Zapata March.
Taking the highway heading Playa Girón near the
Central Australia, you will find Guamá, which
is the name of an original Taino village, as those belonging
to the Cuban ancient inhabitants when the Spanish came
to colonize the Isle.
Guamá
is a very special touristic center. It is the reproduction
of a Taino village on the water.
Beautiful indigenous style cabins are built on pivots
in the water. Hanging bridges link the residences to
the central point where there are a quay of yachts and
boats, a restaurant and a balcony.
About
30 km forward is located Playa Girón, a place
full history. There, the inviasion organised by the
CIA in April 1961 took place.
There are still remains of the infernal combat, which
happened about half a century ago. But now, there is
also a village, a school, a museum, a restaurant and
Hotel
Playa Girón. A few kilometers before is Hotel
Playa Larga, another historical invasion point.
From
Playa Girón to Cienfuegos
Less then 100 km seperate Playa Girón from Cienfuegos,
taking the southern coast and skirting the swamps. It
is a journey amid abundant vegetation very near to the
coast, small villages and scare cities.
The
Jagua
Hotel is a great place to lodge in Cienfuegos.
|
| Day
7 |
Cienfuegos
|
| Day
8 |
Cienfuegos
- Trinidad
From
Cienfuegos to Trinidad:
Skirting approximately 50 km of coast you can
get to Trinidad,
in a journey where very dens vegetation, valleys, plantations
of sugar and small towns are found.
Trinidad
city is like anyone would say "A city detained
in time", where large houses, cherches and buildings
of the XVII, XVIII and XIX can be admired just the way
they used to be at that time. It is a beautiful, kind
of an alive historical relic, because their new resedents
have taken charge of conserving it. It is not a "dull
city", but it is vivacious, loquacious, picturesque
and really nice.
You
can lodge in several casa
particulares and hotels:
Las
Cuevas, Brisas
del Mar, Ancón,
Costa
Sur, the luxery Gran
Iberostar Trinidad or the idylic Finca
Maria Dolores
In the outskirts of the city you can stay in Topes
de Collantes
|
| Day
9 |
Trinidad
|
Day
10
&
Day 11 |
Trinidad
- Ciego de Avila -
Jardines del Rey
Up
to Ciego de Avila today.
On the way you could stop at the Che
Guevara Memorial in Santa Clara.
From
Santa Clara to Sancti Spiritus:
For about 100 km of highway there is a quick route amid
nature to both sides.
In
Sancti
Spiritus, capital of the province
with the same name, you can lodge in the Zaza Hotel
and in the outskirts in Topes
de Collantes.
From
Sancti Spiritus to Ciego de Avila:
Continuing for the Central Highway you can find the
cities of Jatibonico, Majagua and Jicotea. About 100
km of distance, with beautiful places to both sides,
you can see flat territories.
From
Ciego de Avila to Morón:
Driving
the highway from Ciego
de Avila to Morón, for a deviation of
the Central Highway you arrive to an important city
of the Ciego
de Avila province, Morón.
From
Morón to Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo:
The city of Morón has gained greater significance
due to the construction of the highway to Cayo
Coco, about 60 km outside the largest island.
You can get there either by plane or car.
By
earth, a long way on the sea takes you to one of the
most beautiful islands in Cuba. It posseses marvelous
beaches,
typical vegetation, wild fauna like flamingos and a
quiet sea.
Cayo
Coco and the neighbour island Cayo Guillermo have several
luxery
resorts to stay: Melia
Cayo Coco, Sol
Club Cayo Coco, Melia
Cayo Guillermo, Sol
Cayo Guillermo, Iberostar
Daiquirí, The
Gaviota Hotel Playa Coco and more ...
Unfortunately you won't find casa
particulares on the islands of Jardines
del Rey
|
| Day
12 |
Ciego
de Avila - Camaguey
From
Ciego de Avila to Camagüey:
Taking
the Central Highway it is a 150 km trip crossing the
center of the island and passing by small and distant
towns. Here you will be able to see sugar cane fields
to both sides, cattle and fruit-bearing territories.
Following
this route you will find the small cities of Colorado,
Gaspar, Piedrecita, Alganabo, "Carlos Manuel of
Cespedes" and a bigger one Florida.
Then
you get to Camagüey,
one of Cuba's historical cities, among the first ones
been founded by Spaniards in the Isle. It is a city
with many old buildings, churches, parks and squares.
It is very well conserved that's why people can appreciate
the typical city that the Spaniards used to settled
down in their colonies.
The
best hotel is Camagüey
Hotel, two kilometers far from downtown. From
this place you can enjoy two quite different types of
distraction.
One
is Santa
Lucia, a beach 60 km far from the city. It
is a beautiful coast of sand and sea.
Four comfertable and modern hotels allow the visitor
to lodge and enjoy the charms of the place. In Santa
Lucia, besides taking a bath in its calm waters it is
also possible either the aquatic activity, yatismo,
diving, and fishing or driving to Cayo Sabinal. This
is a magnificent territory with beautiful beaches and
cabins to lodge.
|
| Day
13 |
Camaguey
|
| Day
14 |
Camaguey
- Las Tunas - Holguin
From
Camagüey to Las Tunas:
About 250 km seperated both cities, which are capitals
of the provinces with the same names.
Driving for the Central Highway you can pass by nice
and small towns such as Sibanicú and Cascorro,
until getting to Las
Tunas. Some kilometers before arriving to the city,
the visitor can lodge in El Cornito, a typical country
facility very appropriate to the place.
From
Las Tunas to Holguin:
About 220 km seperate both cities. Following the Central
Highway you arrive to Holguin,
one of the bigger cities in Cuba. On the way you will
find little towns and one bigger: Buenaventura. In this
province you can lodge in hotels such as: Pernik, El
Bosque or El Mirador de Mayabe
Already
in Holguin
you can arrange a journey to charming places. To the
north, there are approximately 70 km of beautiful beaches,
among them: Guardalavaca, Esmeralda, Don Lino and Pesquero
Nuevo. The cemetery, the Taino village, the Bahia del
Naranjo, all are spectacular places not far from the
city.
|
| Day
15 |
Holguin
- Baracoa
From
Mayarí to Moa:
It is an intricate trip going into the thick and sometimes
inhospitable nature of the area.
About 100 km seperate one point from the other. Moa
is an industrial city subordinated to a famous plant
that produces nickel and the best cobalt in the world.
All its inhabitants are somehow associate to that powerful
industry.
Hotel Miraflores allows to lodge in the city.
From
Moa to Baracoa:
This is a great route. About 350 km seperate both points.
A journey is for the oriental center of the island,
rather descending towards the South until getting to
the lengthened tip of Cuba. At the same time it becomes
a magnificent route to travel by the oriental area of
the country until arriving to Baracoa City,
where there is La Rusa Hotel for lodging.
|
Day
16
&
Day 17 |
Baracoa
|
| Day
18 |
Baracoa
- Santiago de Cuba
All
along the famous La Farola raod through the mountains
with spectacular views. After this you will drive along
the southernmost coast of Cuba through Guantanamo to
Santiago de Cuba
Drop
off your rental car in the center of Santiago de Cuba
|
| Day
19 |
Santiago
de Cuba
|
| Day
20 |
Santiago
de Cuba - Havana
Take
a domestic flight back to Havana, from there a taxi
to your hotel or casa particular
|
| Day
21 |
Havana
Departure |
|
