Cuba Archives – bye:myself

CUBA – the complete travel guide

Posted on2019-11-262020-05-04AuthorRenata Green23 Comments

(Update October 2018)

Sharing info on a trip across Cuba is particularly challenging since things were changing so fast. After Barack Obama and the Rolling Stones had left, between us travellers it was consent that Cuba was standing at the dawning of a new era and that we were witnessing the last days of an expiring epoch.

bye:myself - Renata Green - byemyselftravels: Cuba Cienfuegos

Child of the Revolution.

But the truth of the matter is that it was only us foreigners having this impression and being all excited and sketching a great change. The local people were very dubious about it, and I can relate to that: when day in, day out you stand in line for the simplest, basic products, when even when you make a little money you cannot basically buy anything, when you don’t feel your personal life getting at least a little bit easier, than you probably see no reason to believe in some greater progress.

So anyway, we people from abroad felt witness to a historical moment and came in flocks (“before all the gringos will be allowed to go to Cuba and transform it into some kind of Caribbean Disney World” – everybody said so).

Until now, even after Fidel Castro’s death, nothing much changed in Cuba, and in the US Donald Trump is turning back the progress of world’s history. Maybe our prognosis was premature and things won’t change as fast as we hoped and at the same time feared.
Some facts: Cuba has a population of about 11.25 million people and a size of 109,884 sq km (approx. 42,426 sq mi). The climate is tropical, the official language Spanish (you might brush up yours on babbel) – and this is, of course, because Cuba used to be a Spanish colony.

In the 17th and 18th century, Africans were brought to Cuba as slaves to work on the sugar cane and tobacco fields. Cuba became an independent country, yet not fully sovereign due to the Platt Amendment that granted the USA the right to intervene at any time the interests of the US seemed impaired. This status – am I the only one who finds that bizarre? – was kept till 1934 and infamous Bahía de Guantánamo (Guantánamo Bay) is still part of this anachronism.

bye:myself - Renata Green - byemyselftravels: Cuba Santa Clara

More than half a century after the revolution, its heroes are everpresent: Posters of Camilo Cienfuegos and Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara decorating a pharmacy in Santa Clara.

In 1959, Cuban revolutionaries, guided by Fidel and Raúl Castro, Camilo Cienfuegos and Argentina-born Ernesto Guevara, aka Che, brought down the dictator – and US-puppet – Fulgencio Batista and founded a socialist state.
Although the idea of justice and equality, of health care and education for everybody, was a good and noble one, unfortunately, this revolution, too, was not only fair and square – and particularly the revolution’s pin-up Che was in charge of the re-education and the vision of the new man.

They often overdo it a bit with their honoring of the old swashbucklers: Here, the enduring Che is decorating a rooftop – and the lettering looks like an advertisement for really fast cars. And in all honesty, the slogan ‘Gentleman without blemish and fear’ does not make it better.

However, it was not the violation of human rights that lead to the still lasting US embargo, but the confiscation of companies and real estate owned by US-citizens and wealthy Cubans who eventually migrated to the US, mostly Miami.

Cash and Cards

There are two official currencies: The CUP (Peso Cubano) and the CUC (Peso Convertible). The CUC is pegged to the US Dollar, but be aware that when changing US$ to CUC, a fine of 10% is deduced. With other than US credit cards, you get money easily from ATMs, and there were ATMs everywhere I went, even in the smallest, secluded places.

byemyselftravelsbye:myself - Renata Green - byemyselftravels: Cuba Santiago de Cuba

People waiting at the bank in an invisible, thus strictly to be followed line.

The fact that Cuba has two parallel currencies makes things a bit more complicated, for travellers more expensive and cheating for locals easier. Still, I don’t get it why tourists pay willingly 1 CUC for using the bathroom in a country where it’s known that a teacher makes like 20 CUC a month. Aren’t these people thinking? How could this ever be the adequate price? I recommend – although it’s not legal – you try to get some of the local currency CUP (you get 25 CUP for one CUC). Many things have to be paid equally in CUC or CUP alike (e. g. a small pizza was 18 CUP or 0,70 CUC), but for instance, at non-touristy stores like the local pharmacy and the above-mentioned bathrooms, it’s handy to have a couple of CUP.

I need to point out that Cuba is, despite the difficult economic situation for the local people, rather costy, and the tendency of locals to milk the cow called tourists as much as they can make it even worse. So try to bargain, and if you have the feeling of being screwed over, you’re probably right. I got mainly cheated by (cab-)drivers, but I’ve heard all sorts of stories about shops, restaurants, etc. Although it’s hardly ever a big amount, for me it’s a matter of principle. I don’t like the feeling being taken for a moron.

Casas Particulares and Paladares

The best way to rest your head is to book yourself into a ‘casa particular’ since most hotels are run by the government and the employees are not so very service oriented. A ‘casa particular’ is someone’s private home licensed to rent rooms to tourists. Since the government has a firm grip on these private businesses, all the rooms are nice and meet international standards. The owners have to pay a certain amount to the government whether they rent the room or not, therefore they are keen not to leave rooms empty, hence the service is really good. It’s also advisable to eat not only breakfast but also another meal at the casa since the food is always better than what you get at (government run) restaurants. The only exception might be if you eat at a ‘Paladar’.

bye:myself - Renata Green - byemyselftravels: Cuba Havana

La Guarida where the movie Fresa y Chocolate was shot. You are seated in the original film set, but you also pay the equivalent of a Cuban monthly income for an average lunch; a high Cuban income.

A ‘Paladar’ is a legal, privately run diner. It can be a single table in a back room of a private home or a large, fancy and pricey restaurant. The food at Paladares is always better than at a restaurant run by the government, and since the owners have the interest to get and keep customers, they are friendly and attentive while waiters at the regular restaurant rather slack.

My plan was to see in three weeks at least the below-described places, visit sites and venues of historical and cultural importance, meet the people, hike, and bike a little in nature and hang out on the beach. Most travellers go from the Western part around Viñales to the center and end up in Trinidad. I managed to go all the way from West to East by busses but eventually did fly back to Havana.

I organized and booked everything – like accommodations, buses, flight – beforehand, which made travelling really easy and avoided problems, delays, and disappointments.

This is the route I’ve travelled….

….and these are the places I’ve visited

(click on the caption or the picture)

And if you choose to pin this post, please use one of these pictures:

Complete Guide to HAVANA

Posted on2019-11-262020-05-04AuthorRenata Green5 Comments

(Update October 2018)

I know many people who just love Havana. The fun, the sun, the salsa, the malecon. Well, I’m not dancing salsa and I’m certainly not dancing salsa in Cuba where even a one-legged veteran sways way better than me. So I’m focussing on the city by day, and although there’s a lot to see, I didn’t find Havana very charming.

Synonym for Havana – the inevitable malecon

But charming or not – it’s one of world’s mystic dream destinations, so here comes a guide.

There is a well maintained historic center, it is on the Unesco World Heritage list – and therefore well maintained. Otherwise, Havana is nice if you like rotten. I normally do like rotten, but I dislike rotten with rotting food and dogs and their excrements. My highlight of rotten was when I – and many, many other people – was walking down a street and all of a sudden there was a deafening noise. No big deal, just a balcony (!) that fell down on the walkway. And since God likes Cubans and doesn’t want anybody to get in trouble, nobody got hurt.

Rotten to the core – literally.

Havana is a big city – Cuba’s capital and home to more than 2 million people. Although it is divided in fifteen boroughs, most travellers stick to three of them: The brushed up Habana Vieja – the historic center that, of course, is also on the list of world heritage sites.

Everything you imagine is Cuban, Habana Vieja will give to you.

Adjacent to it is the Centro – which is probably the most Cuban part. There is not much to see but crumbling buildings and lots of garbage.

Well, as the sun sets golden over one of the endless streets stretching across Havana’s Centro, even this part of the city looks mystic.

And then there is Vedado, a rather bourgeois, posh, a bit boring neighborhood with the biggest share of socialist architecture.

Actually, one of the architectural atrocities is the Edificio FOCSA, a 121 meters high skyscraper built in the mid-1950s. There are apartments and stores and two radio stations – but most of all, there is a restaurant and a bar all the way up. Since these are government-owned businesses, prices are pretty civil – the mojito with your million dollar view is 3,50 CUC.

Drink with a view.

Of course one can fill two to three days with either cheesy pseudo sultry Caribbean “cuba in the 50s”-activities like being chauffeured up and down the boulevards in one of the old American street cruisers. And if that alone isn’t tacky enough, they now have pink painted ones with hello kitty on it; I ‘kit’ you not!

Is this what will come after the revolution? Well, hello kitty!

Besides the fact that I’m not so fond of Kitty, I also find it a bit obscene to pay the equivalent of an average Cuban monthly income for one hour in this tacky vehicle.

What I like are the hop on-hop off buses you can board at the Parque Central. They cost 10 CUC for a day which is far more than you’d pay for a local bus, but they bring you conveniently to all the places of interest you want to go. But to avoid major disappointments, look at them as means of transportation since the explanations are….expendable.

There are three routes: Route number one is really only for those who are lame or extremely lazy since it cruises Habana Vieja – which everybody with two feet can easily explore walking.

Start at the Parque Central, take a look around, see the Capitolino and the legendary Hotel Inglaterra and then walk down the Paseo del Prado.

As you turn right at the Calle Trocadero, walk one block to get to Havana’s most important museums.

There are so many really good paintings – that nobody gets to see since they are not
published in books and it is forbidden to take pictures. What a waste.
(Photo: Caseyjd, Selfportrait of Jorge Arche, straightened and trimmed, cropped to 5:7, CC BY-SA 4.0)

There is the really good museum Palacio de Bellas Artes, that hardly any traveller visits.

The entrance fee is 8 CUP for locals and 8 CUC for visitors and it gives you access to two buildings.
What’s annoying is that there is neither a good catalog of the vast permanent collection nor a selection of e. g. postcards or brochures; and you’re not allowed to take pictures.

Actually, in every hall, there is at least one guard who barks loudly “no pictures” as soon as you look at your phone to check the time. They bark it with a heavy Spanish accent and make you feel like a villainous contra.

I remembered these good people very often on my trip through Cuba: every time I had to wait for hours at an Etecsa office to buy an internet card and there was one single person sitting there moving very, very, very slowly, taking shorter or longer breaks for no apparent reason – or the time when I almost missed my intercity bus because the one and only lady supplying passengers with tickets had to have her lunch that very moment, and – well, there were many situations when I remembered that these offices were not understaffed because there is no labor force in Cuba but because the labor force is divided in a moronic way.

Young pioneers – please promise me that you’ll never become bitter old bats barking in museums!

I know that this was – and obviously still is – a problem in socialist countries, but I don’t understand why, since it has nothing to do with the system itself. Marx didn’t command that there ought to be many people uselessly barking at museums while important and frequented institutions such as the post office and the bus company should remain understaffed, did he!?

Anyway, back to the Palacio de Bellas Artes, which is really big and packed with the exquisite Cuban artists such as Jorge Arche, whose work would be considered “The New Objectivity”, Marcelo Pogolotti’s modernistic, Bauhaus-ish paintings glorifying the working class, pop-artist Raúl Martínez’ expressive, colorful canvasses, to point out only a few.

The Palacio can be visited from Tuesday to Saturday from 9 a. m. to 5 p. m. and Sundays from 10 a. m. to 2 p. m.

The same ticket grants access to the older building, the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, which is located next to the Parque Central. Its main focus is on international art – and the most picturesque part is the beautifully painted ceiling that slowly falls apart. Through the gaps you can actually see the sky and birds are nesting on the wall’s edges – it’s sort of a morbid beauty, thus certainly not on purpose.

Talking about museums – there is, of course, the Museo de la Revolución not to be missed. Guess what I’ve learned there: La revolución was a good thing and the boy band around Fidel good and brave people.

The neoclassicist museum building used to be the Presidential Palace of all Cuban presidents from Mario García Menocal to Fulgencio Batista.

As a matter of fact, regarding what was going on during Batista, of course, it was right to change things, to grant people free healthcare, to give them access to profound education (although Cubans have much less access to information, to certain literature etc. they are impressively educated and well informed). It’s just that the information at the museum are not very balanced and the red flag is hitting you right in your face and the crude propaganda adds a caricature feel to it.

The museum can be visited every day from 9.30 a. m. to 4 p. m.

Che, Ernesto and Camilo Cienfuegos – this sculpture makes them look like a boyband.

Around the museum are more memorials like the Granma, a yacht that brought revolutionaries from Mexico to Cuba; today, the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party is named after this old lady.

If there were only one street to walk in Havana – it would be Calle O’Reilly that connects on about one mile the Prado with the very center of Habana Vieja, the Plaza de Armas with all the historic buildings around and the charming atmosphere, created mainly by the numerous booksellers around the park.

Plaza de Armas – let’s get a bit philosophic: Books can be weapons, too….

To learn more about Havanas past, there is a nice museum in the square’s vicinity – the Museo de la cuidad, focusing on Havana’s colonial past, showing furniture, personal items, and photos.

Walk down south along calle Obispo which runs between rows of really beautiful houses – well maintained since that’s the price of being on the UNESCO world heritage list. There are cafés and small shops and it’s cute and has very little to do with real Cuban life.

Fuente de los leones in front of the Basilica at the Plaza de San Francisco,

At the Plaza de San Francisco you might want to turn right into calle Amargura to either visit the Museo del Chocolate or sample Cuban chocolate products – including their very rich hot chocolate – at the Casa del Chocolate; or both.

If you turn left into Calle San Ignacio and follow the street all the way south, you’ll get to the Mercado Artesanal – a dorado for those who enjoy Caribbean handicraft and art in bright colors.

Just so you get to see another street with similar buildings, walk back up on calle Cuba and turn right at calle Muralla which takes you to one of the most important squares in Habana Vieja, the Plaza Vieja.

Already in the early morning, there is a lot of artistic activity going on on Plaza Vieja…..

….while the Plaza de la Catedral is still pretty dreamy.

To get from Plaza Vieja to the Plaza de la Catedral, walk six blocks up on calle Mercaderes.

By the way, to the left, on calle Empedrado is the legendary Bodeguita del Medio. To those who love these clichés: Be their guest – cheers.

Yes, I keep writing smack about all these legendary places all the tourists run to – and look at me cheering in the camera at El Floridita Bar – the cheesiest of the cheesiest. But it was my last evening and I go all sentimental leaving.

Of course, there are more plazas and rincones – which is corners – and shops and bars all over Habana Vieja and one can spend easily one to two days just walking and looking.

Take a close look: Jose Martí is carrying a dove on his index finger; the dove is real….he is not.

Like I said, the boroughs Habana Vieja and Centro are divided by the Parque Central and the adjacent Prado.

Before you go to the Centro district, walk down south into calle Cárdenas, leading from the Parque Central to the main train station (Estación Central de Ferrocarriles). Here, some true architectural treasures can be found: An astonishing variety of Art Nouveau houses that bring immediately Antoní Gaudí’s building to mind, so it’s not surprising that these gems also stem from a Catalan, namely Baltazar Ustrell.

Talking ’bout Catalans in Cuba: Due to economic misery in Spain, from the beginning of the 19th century on many Catalans came to emergent, wealthy Cuba as immigrant workers, hence the cultural connection. You’ll find a really good novel on this subject below in the “Rating”-section.

Catalonian architecture in Havana.

El Centro, located west of the Parque, is far less polished than Habana Vieja – actually, it’s not polished at all, it isn’t even cleaned. There are not so many sights and historic buildings – that’s probably exactly why.

For me, the most important sight was the Paladar La Guarida. After having seen the movie Fresa y Chocolate, I was like these people that come to Dubrovnik because of Game of Thrones: I had to see everything related to that film.

Already the entrance is just amazing.

So I actually made a reservation a couple of weeks ahead – on the internet – to get a seat and be allowed to fork over the equivalent of a Cuban teacher’s monthly income to have lunch. A nice lunch, but still.

Dining on a film set: The probably most exclusive paladar “La Guarida”

If you also want to waste money like a thrilled teenager, here is there address:

La Guarida
418 Concordia
Havana
Phone: + 53 – 7 – 8669047

They are open daily for lunch from noon to 4 p. m. and for dinner from 6 p. m. to 11.45 p. m.

Make sure to have a reservation.

Another funky place in Havana’s Centro is the Callejon de Hamel – actually already bordering the Vedado district. Many Cuban artists use the scarceness of material to their favor and create their work in an impressively ingenious way with what’s just available. When they decorated the Callejon, there must have been lots of bathtubs available, because they are used lavishly.

Callejon de Hamel between El Centro and Vedado.

From there, my movie-tour led me to the Heladería La Coppelia where the two main protagonists met – hence the movie’s title.

As a matter of fact, it’s rather the myth than the taste of the ice cream, but try for yourself:

Heladería La Coppelia
2111 Calle L
Havana
Phone: + 53 – 7 – 8326184

The ice cream parlor is open from Monday to Friday from 9 a. m. to 8 p. m. – seriously?! Who closes an ice cream parlor on weekends?! Cubans do.

To see more of the mostly more modern sights in the Vedado district, I recommend going on the hop on-hop off tour #2 which covers this area. Here, it makes actually sense since it’s pretty widespread and walking wouldn’t be an option because of the distances.

If you want to get away from Havana’s hustle and bustle and hang out on the beach a bit, you can take hop on-hop off tour #3 which is the beach route. The Playas del Este, the beaches east of Havana, are nice and clean and not overcrowded by foreigners. The bus from the Parque Central goes every 30 minutes. I got off at Tropicoco and had a great time.

Playa del Este at Tropicoco…

…spontaneous live concert included – quite normal in Cuba.

This map should show you all the places worth visiting and mentioned in this post:

Do you want to read about all the other beautiful places I’ve visited in Cuba?

Then go to the main post and take your pick!

If you choose to pin this post, please use these pictures:

Complete Guide to VINALES

Posted on2019-11-262020-05-04AuthorRenata Green1 Comment

(Update October 2018)

After Havana, almost everybody goes to Viñales, and everybody is right because it’s really beautiful and remained still fairly untouched.

bye:myself - Renata Green - byemyselftravels: Cuba Vinales

Cuba undisturbed.

Viñales has less than 30,000 inhabitants – many of whom live and work on small remote farms. Tourism, of course, has become a far more lucrative source of income, hence almost each one of the small, wooden, two storey houses has the famous Casa Particular sign out.

The landscape is sumptuous, the work for men and animals alike will be hard, though.

However, I’ve heard many stories of people who came to Viñales on the afternoon bus and had no reservation and had to either go back all the way to Havana or just spend the night in the park.
I haven’t witnessed anything like that, but I would say, reservation is recommendable.

Once you’re settled at your Casa Particular, you can enjoy the sumptuous landscape hiking or biking, or you can take the Transtur hop on hop off-bus for 5 CUC, which doesn’t really make sense since that way you miss all the tiny moments and glances on Cuban life which are one of Viñales’ strongest suites.

Viñales – where horse and carriage are not just a tourist attraction.

The best way to move around is on a bike. One can go West to see the Mural de la Prehistoria, but most importantly the tobacco fields, oxen and farmers – and of course the wonderful mogotes, high limestone cones. To see them like in a fairytale covered in mist, you have to get up really early in the morning – at six latest! But the sight will move you to tears!

If the lush landscape, the rolling hills, the picturesque mogotes, the lawns, and the fields are not enough greenery for you, they actually have a botanic garden. Coals to Newcastle, that’s all I can say.

God must have been in his most generous mood when He created Viñales.

On one of the mogotes live the aquaticos, an ancient sect. Unfortunately, it’s not so easy to find the right way uphill, and local people pester you that you cannot go alone and need a guide and that would cost only 8 CUC. It’s annoying. Maybe you want to agree on a tour with someone your Casa Particular recommends. That way, you probably still pay the 8 CUC but at least they spare you the pestering. Your host will also be able to arrange bike rental for you – this costs something like 10 to 12 CUC per day.

Note: Do not expect your host or people who you befriend to seriously negotiate a good price for you. Remember, you are a guest that will be parting tomorrow; their neighbor, colleague, friend or cousin will stay and due to the system based on scarcity, they depend on each other.I’ve heard tourists complain about that and being disenchanted that their new friend let the cab driver screw them over; I do understand their disappointment, but I think that neither of us can actually imagine how complex everyday life and relationships become in this economy of immense scarcity.

Going up North from the village center, you get to two caves, Cueva de San Miguel and Cueva del Indio, where a boatman navigates the visitors through the subterranean river. Next to the Cueva del Indio is the Rancho San Vicente, an idyllic, agricultural piece of land to be visited.

Rancho San Vicente – a peaceful, decelerated place.

Unfortunately, also there was a young man who first insisted to guide me or rent me a horse, and then he wanted 3 CUC because I intended to climb up a national small forest. Only when I asked him to show me some sort of ID that he’s supposed to collect money, he backed off.

I met travellers who were extremely annoyed and repulsed by the constant cheating, the demanding money for no reason, charging far too much etc. One guy told me, he couldn’t sleep at night if he would charge triple of the real price like some Cubans do.

Although I was also tired of people taking advantage of me, I found his comment pretty ignorant and I think he strongly underestimates the hardship of life in Cuba. It’s certainly not ok how (some!) people try to get the maximum from the tourists, but people there hardly have a chance to make money, and I think that over the last decades they learned to grab whatever they can of fear that the next day they won’t be anything left. I saw a lady on the plane from Baracoa to Havana taking this little seat cover that’s under your head, you know, this little piece of cheap fabric they put on the seats. What for? I think the scarcity makes people grab whatever they reach – whether they need it or not.

We have it so easy to be honest. And don’t give me this “I have to work for my money, too”-crap – let’s get real: everybody going to Cuba at least has the money to….go to Cuba.

So I think it’s their right to try to screw me over, and it’s my right not to let them. Fair deal.

Talking ’bout deals: Viñales might also be a good place to buy some cigars – basically fresh from the field. Since I just wanted a small souvenir, I bought a pack of ten pieces at a small finca on the outward road to Havana. I cannot tell you anything about the quality, for me, it was just a souvenir. If you want to buy larger quantities of really good stuff – you have to confide in your host or buy the pricey, sealed stuff at official stores for a pretty high price.

Other souvenirs can be bought at the small, quite nice street market on Calle Ceferino Fernandez.

Viñales is a good place to stock up on tobacco and cigars.

If you have enough time – which, unfortunately, I didn’t, you should absolutely go to some of the nicest Cuban beaches from here – either Cayo Jutías West of Viñales or Cayo Levisa in the East. On this isle, Cubans are not allowed – what I find vile- so you have to bring your passport to prove that you are not one of them; creapy’n’crappy.

This map should give you an idea where to go once you’re in Viñales:

Do you want to read about all the other beautiful places I’ve visited in Cuba?

Then go to the main post and take your pick!

If you choose to pin this post, please use this picture:

Complete Guide to CIENFUEGOS

Posted on2019-11-262020-05-04AuthorRenata GreenLeave a comment

(Update October 2018)

At first glance, the city of Cienfuegos does not have that much to offer – except its incredible beauty.

Not only due to its proximity to Trinidad, where everybody goes, it’s absolutely worth a stopover for one or two days.

Classic Sunday concert on the Paseo El Prado

It was settled by French immigrants in 1819 and kept its colonial charm over the years.

A stroll along the Paseo El Prado….as if in southern Europe; except maybe for the young pioneers.

As a matter of fact, it deemed less Cuban than most other cities: There are many stores and business in the center which looks like many pedestrian shopping streets in southern regions.

At one of the houses along the Prado: A piece of art in the making; and what a unique motive the artist has chosen.

The houses look well maintained. There is at least one supermarket that has actually groceries – and where you can pay with CUP and with CUC, too. If you’ve been to Cuba, you will understand what a big deal and how unusual this is. No scarcity, no shortage – what’s wrong with this place?!

It’s not Fifth Avenue, I give you that. But for Cuba, this is very posh.

The main activity in Cienfuegos should be strolling; strolling up and down the very French boulevard Paseo El Prado and its side streets towards the Parque José Martí; don’t miss the famous – and now of course slowly falling apart – Teatro Tomás Terry.

So here the central park is called after Jose Martí, the great Cuban writer and philosopher; and there he stands waving. The blue building behind him is the Museo Provincial and on the left, the building with the big cupola is the Palacio de Gobierno, the Governmental Palace. It cannot be visited.

Regarding architectonic attractions, the sightseeing tour of Cienfuegos is easy since they are all located on or around the Parque: The Teatro Tomás Terry on the north side – where during the day all the tour buses are parked, so that you hardly can get a decent picture of it.

On the east side is the Catedral de la Purisima Concepcion, built in 1833.

One of the iconic buildings that made the historic center of Cienfuegos a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005: Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.

On the southern side of the square are the Museum and the Governmental Palace, around in the corner in the west are the Palacio Ferrer and finally the Federation of Writers and Artists.

The Arco de Triunfo – celebrating the Cuban Republic. In the background the famous Teatro Tomás Terry. I find it very confusing that this theater has been named after a magnate who was involved in slave trade, born in Venezuela and buried in Paris. Not so very much a revolutionary.

In the park is not only José Marti, but also a gazebo and even an Arc de Triomphe – built in 1902 supposedly by a bunch of passionate workers who celebrated victory and independence.

Cienfuegos’ nicest stroll, of course, is along the Malecón, which I find much more beautiful and majestic than the one in Havana, by the way.

Where the blue of the sky meets the blue of the water – Cienfuegos’ Malecón.

There are a couple of nice stops where you can get a drink and a complimentary Salsa concert: First of all, there is the elegant yacht club – again: it’s incredible that there is a place like this in Cuba!

The sun shines through the Yacht Club Cienfuegos.

Mojitos and complimentary Salsa concerts wherever you go.

But actually, it’s very good that it is there: At the government-owned places, food and drinks are at fixed standard prices. While regarding the food you shouldn’t bother, good Mojitos at 3 CUC are a great bargain!

You know how I always thoroughly write down the addresses and phone numbers and link the name to the business’ or museum’s website? Well, in a guide to Cuba, unfortunately it is hardly possible since most of the places do not have a website, sometimes it’s even not possible to find a real address online. Therefore, at the end of each chapter, you’ll find a map that shows you where to find all these great spots; and maybe one day there will be referring sites and I will update my posts – and google will be happy, too.

So the fun never stops in Cienfuegos since only a ten minutes walk farther is another fantastic waterhole – one that you wouldn’t expect in Cuba, neither: The Palacio de Valle, built by Italian architect Alfredo Colli from 1913 to 1917 in Moorish style.

A quirky place: Palacio de Valle.

They have rooftop seating- and mojitos are 3 CUC and the Salsa band plays on – ¡life is good!

By the way, the Casa Particular where I stayed and that I’m recommending in the Rating-chapter is just a ten minutes walk from either the Yacht Club or the Palacio de Valle – so another reason to stay there. On the other hand, it’s 15 to 20 minutes to walk to the center – so it’s totally up to you.

Depending on how long you stay in Cienfuegos – and I find one can stay there pretty long – there are at least two-day trips you should join. I say join since in Cienfuegos it’s actually easy to do a tour with a governmental tour agent: Havanatur, Cubatur, Cubanacan – they all offer day trips. I booked with Cubanacan – the office is at Paseo del Prado – and got a whole day trip for 35 CUC to the waterfalls at El Nicho, lunch included.

Turquoise waters that visitors can even swim in.

While in Cienfuegos a trip with Cubanacan worked out like a charm, in other places it was hopeless: The person in charge of the office came late or didn’t show up at all or for some reason was not able to book a tour or….it’s a governmental company – nuff said.

Once you achieve getting on a tour, it’s totally worth it.

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Complete Guide to TRINIDAD

Posted on2019-11-262020-05-04AuthorRenata GreenLeave a comment

(Update October 2018)

Synonymous to Cuba, Trinidad is its own cliché. The traveller finds exactly what he expects and that makes it so void and boring.

Here you have it all: The cobblestones, the colorful houses, and the indispensable oldtimer – ¡Bienvenidos en Trinidad!

Yes, the streets are paved with cobblestones, yes, the facades are colonial and brightly painted, yes, the antique shops are filled with – who would have guessed? – antiques, yes, at the casa de la musica the musica is great and jineteros (in other countries they are called gigolos) are waiting for tourists to dance Salsa and get their drinks paid.

Everything in Trinidad, at least in the central neighborhoods, is made for tourists. Everyone wants a piece of this huge, yummy tourist cake, but it is a tad bizarre when an old man is walking around with a donkey that’s wearing a sing “foto 0,50 CUC”. He and his donkey probably have walked these stupid cobble stones for ages – and then one day he understood that this could be a lucrative tourist attraction. Or people who offer CUP with Che Guevara on it demanding a tenfold of the coins’ worth. Or a gentleman walking around in a caricaturish Zoot Suit volunteering for pictures – I don’t know how much he charges since he did not have a donkey with a price tag on it.
All this is understandable, but it’s not good. Not for the tourists, not for the country and on a long term not for the Cuban people.

It’s a curse – but real life can be so picturesque.

So go, walk the cobblestone streets, take pictures of the colonial facades, climb the tower of the Convento de San Francisco de Asis to get a wonderful view at the city and its surroundings. But do it preferably either in the morning or in the later evening when at least the groups and day trippers are gone. I’m not promising you to be there by yourself – ever; but at least all the pushy awing will be gone.

View of the city and its rural surroundings from the Convento de San Francisco de Asis.

Of course, everything is beautiful here – and the center of beautiful is the Plaza Mayor. On its north side is the old Casa Padrón that today houses the Museum of Archeology. On the east side are the Palacio Brunet, built in 1812 by José Mariano Borrell y Padrón and now housing the Museo Romántico, the Romantic Museum. Next to it is another neoclassical building which was completed in 1892, the Iglesia Parroquial de la Santísima Trinidad, Church of the Holy Trinity.

The Casa Azul’s backyard and in the backdrop the Church of the Holy Trinity.

Now, on the south side of the square is a light blue building – hence also known as the Casa Azul, the blue house – that houses the Museo de Arquitectura Colonial, the Colonial Architecture Museum. As a matter of fact, it used to belong to the wealthy Sánchez Iznaga family and shows practically their belongings; so don’t expect a museum in the sense of….museum.

Modern art on crumbling walls at the Galería de Arte Universal Benito Ortiz – I see that every other year at the Biennial in Venice; you’re on the right track of artsy hipness, Cuba!

Being an art enthusiast, the building on the west side is my favorite: There you find the Galería de Arte Universal Benito Ortiz which is far more than just an art gallery. It’s rather a cultural center where also young artists find working spaces and the opportunity to exhibit their work. The exhibition of traditional lace handicraft from Trinidad on the first floor is not to be missed.

The Plaza Mayor surrounded by all these iconic buildings mainly in yellow and blue. At the end of the street the famous Convento de San Francisco de Asis

If you are into antiques, the Calle Desengaño will be just perfect for you: Peeping left and right into houses, shops, and galleries, you’ll see the most amazing things.
Walking further north, you’ll get a glance at what real life in Trinidad is like since here live more of the black folks who obviously do not get such a big share of the fat tourism cake.

Casa de la musica – on this square, locals and tourists alike enjoy really good bands and sway to the rhythm of salsa.

Every Cuban city has a casa de la musica and a casa de la trova. What makes Trinidad’s casa de la musica more agreable is the fact that it’s not a casa but a court so that you enjoy the musica and your mojito in the fresh air with the moon and the stars above – and that’s pretty nice.

If you need more – and most of all more original – party time, check out the Discoteca Alaya which is actually located in a cave. Very unique party experience.

About 15 kilometers west of Trinidad is the Playa Ancon – some say it’s wonderful, others find it to be Cuba’s worse beach. Find out for yourself by either cycling on a rental bike – good luck, it’s Cuba, hence it’s hot and the roads are…Cuban – or taking a shuttle bus. You can inquire about the exact hours at the Cubanacan office on calle Frank País. Of course, there is also the option of going by cab, but then you should be carpooling with others.

Cycling on the cobblestone streets – you better get your butt padded.

A really nice tour is a trip by cart and horse to the Valle de los Ingenios. You get to climb to a waterfall and take a refreshing dip, you get to sample some ‘Guarapo’, juice pressed from sugar cane, and you learn a lot about the sugar cane history and industry in the region. It’s a nice day out.

There are different ways to explore the sugar mill valley: On horseback, by horse cart….

….and there is even the option to take a train – which some say is nervewracking slow.

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Complete Guide to SANTA CLARA

Posted on2019-11-262020-05-04AuthorRenata GreenLeave a comment

(Update October 2018)

After the touristy amusement park that is Trinidad, the bus “back to Cuba” took me to Santa Clara, mostly known for its historical sights like Che Guevara’s mausoleum and the Monumento a la Toma del Tren Blindado, a train that transported weapons, ammunition and provisions for Batista’s troops. But they hadn’t reckoned with brave Che Guevara and his men who raided the thing. Cuban artist José Delarra created a memorial of four authentic wagons.

The memorial Monumento a la Toma del Tren Blindado is open Monday to Saturday from 9 a. m. to 5.30 p. m.

José Delarra created also Che Guevara’s mausoleum that he’s sharing with some of his fellow fighters. It’s located at the other end of the indeed extensive Plaza de la Revolución.

Coming back from the Armored Train Park towards the city center, you cross the Rio Cubanicay and to your left is a small, very charming coffee bar called Café-Museo Revolución.

Nope, this is not somebody’s living room, this is a Café where you get very good….café – and you don’t get bored sipping it since there is so much to see. If this was around the corner from my flat, I’d be a regular for sure.

You should definitely stop there for coffee and a curious look around.

Café-Museo Revolución
Calle Independencia 313
50100 Santa Clara
Phone: + 53 – 5 – 2511017
The café is open from Monday to Saturday from 11 a. m. to 11 p. m.

At the mausoleum, I couldn’t help but remember how I waited over an hour in the sun in front of the Etecsa phone company in Viñales to buy a scratch card for the internet. Well here, at the museum, were standing three ladies barking at everybody who used the wrong door to appreciate the late Ernesto Guevara’s belongings and life story. Apart from the fact that people would have found out pretty fast that they started the tour at the wrong end of his lifeline, I believe that one woman barking orders to use the other door would be enough. Nope, three women standing side by side barking that Ernesto’s life began with his birth and not his death.

The mausoleum is open daily from 8 a. m. to 9 p. m.

Colorful streetlife on the street Céspedes.

Besides these two main touristy spots, Santa Clara surprised me with lots of – compared to other countries of course fairly one-sided and ‘tamed’ – street art.

Surprisingly in Santa Clara many ‘murales’ emphasize the importance of a strong, objective press.

There is a pretty curious sight in Santa Clara – it’s a streetcorner dedicated to the Beatles. Obviously, it’s not as famous as all the memorials dedicated to this other boy group – the trio Castro, Guevara, and Cienfuegos – hence still worth a look.

Created on December 8, 2014 – the date John Lennon was murdered – by artists Guillermo Pérez Alonso, Wilfredo Rodríguez, and Liván Díaz to honor this band that – yes: revolutionized – the world of music.

Another nice thing to do is just walking around, observing Cuban life, visit a cigar factory (you have to buy the ticket one day before your visit) and buy some cigars. A perfect spot to do so is

Fabrica de Tabacos Constantino Pérez Carrodegua
Calle Maceo 181
Santa Clara

A sure place to buy some really good cigars is just in front of the factory – not cheap, no cheat.

La Veguita
Calle Maceo 176
Santa Clara

Like every decent Latino city, Santa Clara also has a central park, here it’s called Leoncio Vidal after the Cuban revolutionary who fought for Cuba’s independence in the late 19th century.

At the south-west side of the park is the famous Hotel Santa Clara Libre: Built in 1954, it is Santa Clara’s highest building and was therefore used by the revolutionaries as an observation point. Today, it still is a hotel and on the ground floor is a movie theater called after Camilo Cienfuegos; there was probably already too much Che in the city so they picked his rebel buddy to name the cinema.

Although this is a big hotel with air condition and what not, you’ll be always much more pampered if you stay with a family at a Casa Particular, take it from me.

Talking ’bout private businesses: One of the best restaurants with excellent food, friendly service and a very pleasant live background music I’ve been to in all Cuba is the Florida Center, located about two blocks East of Parque Vidal on the calle Colón. They are also a casa particular on calle Maestra Nicolasa, so don’t get confused.

Florida Center
Maestra Nicolasa 74
Santa Clara
Phone: + 53 – 42 – 208161

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Complete Guide to CAMAGÜEY

Posted on2019-11-262020-05-04AuthorRenata GreenLeave a comment

(Update October 2018)

On the way from Santa Clara to the beaches of Isla Santa Lucia, a stopover at Camagüey came handy; and going by Viazul, it was inevitable, anyway.

bye:myself - Renata Green - byemyselftravels: Cuba Camagüey

Plaze del Carmen and Iglesia Nuestra Señora del Carmen

Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have visited – I had already so many idyllic midsized cities on my list – and missed out on a really pleasant place. Whereby – one day also was enough.

Camagüey has over 320,000 inhabitants which makes it actually Cuba’s third largest city. Here, the main square is called after Ignacio Agramonte y Loynáz, a revolutionary in the Ten Years’ War from 1868 to 1878 when Cuba was seeking independence from the Spanish. He was born in what today is Camagüey and his native house can be visited.

A central meeting point of Camagüey: Parque Ignacio Agramonte

On the southern side of the square is the Iglesia Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria and on the west side yet another Casa de la Trova, here named after Patricio Ballagas which makes sense since not only was he born in Camagüey, this composer and guitarist also had an important impact on the trova music.

My favorite side is the northern one since there is the Maqueta de la Ciudad de Camagüey, i. e. the city en miniature, and next to it the Café Cuidad, one of the nicest cafés I’ve been to in Cuba. You get excellent coffee in a pretty worldly ambiance – and you get internet access, provided you have your scratch-card.

Plaza San Juan de Dios with lots of stalls with handicrafts and souvenirs during the day, lots of good food at night; and the church San Juan de Dios to the right.

To get a bit of a Mexican feel, just walk down two blocks south from the Parque and you’ll get to the Plaza San Juan de Dios. Here you get to see one of the most exquisite ensembles of well-preserved colonial architecture from the 18the century.

Another famous and very alluring square is the Plaza del Carmen, whereby not only the plaza itself deserves your attention but also the calle Marín Varona leading there: There are beautiful structures, lots of small bars, shops, and galleries – all lovingly decorated with lanterns and flowers.

Martha Jimenez’ neighbors are life-size and sculpted after real Camagüeyans.

The plaza’s strongest suit and a real tourist magnet are the local people you meet here. They seem a bit stiff? Well, that’s because they were cast from bronze by artist Martha Jimenez Perez, originally from Holguín, but living and working in Camagüey. At house number 282 you can visit her studio and store – and maybe you are lucky and run into Ms Martha herself.

As a globetrotter, I thought it might be a good idea to visit the church Santo Cristo del Buen Viaje – which might ensure a happy progression of my coming trips. And what can I say, so far, it’s working like a charm. Good thing is, that the adjacent cemetery is pretty well maintained and with the artistic gravestones a bit of an outdoor museum.

Cemetery of Camagüey with the church Santo Cristo del Buen Viaje in the backdrop.

What really amazed me after having been to Cuba for quite a while were the shopping streets and the stores in Camagüey.

‘The Bronze Titan’ Antonio Maceo – here actually made of bronze- overlooking Camagüey’s shopping dorado.

I do not want to assert that they are just like in capitalist countries and what is called ‘mall’ in Cuba makes us smile. But in Camagüey, the stores are not empty, there are actually goods there – sometimes even in bulks.
People shop. And you can shop, too, since they have some really nice handcraft like little leather pouches for about 1 CUC and ceramic houses for about 3 CUC and they look nice and not like tourist crap.

Shopping street Calle Maceo.

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Complete Guide to PLAYA SANTA LUCIA

Posted on2019-11-252020-05-04AuthorRenata Green1 Comment

(Update October 2018)

In Santa Lucia, like in Camagüey, I ended up at a Casa Particular that I’ve never booked, hence I cannot tell you the people’s name.

bye:myself - Renata Green - byemyselftravels: Cuba Playa Santa Lucia Camagüey

Secluded and very, very nice: Playa del Coco.

This happened to me a couple of times although I’ve booked every accommodation by Email weeks ahead.

I have the impression that people just take everybody in who shows up at their door step and transfer the people that were booked for that period to their relatives or neighbors. Since the legal casas are strictly controlled and all the owners are nice, this is not a problem (and you certainly don’t end up squatting on the street), but it is a peculiar practice.

Anyway, this casa was located at the entrance to Santa Lucia where there is basically nothing, and the beach is not very well maintained. But of the two days there, I spent one on Playa del Coco. Now this beach, although not very long, is synonymous for paradise; very, very beautiful. You have to drive about 10 miles along a bumpy dust road, though, so it’s not so easy to reach, but absolutely worth it!

Oh, these colors! Ah, this water! Don’t let the big tourist companies spoil Playa de Coco!

The second day I’ve spent on the beach in front of the touristy hotel Villa Coral Club. This is an ok beach, not comparable to the secluded paradise of Playa del Coco, but still nice.

And that’s it for Santa Lucia: If you want to stay only for a couple of days on the beach, go diving and have a cocktail at one of the hotel bars, this is a good spot since you get here by Viazul from Camagüey in under two hours. It’s not suitable for an all beach vacation, but I find that an all beach vacation in an interesting, inspiring place like Cuba is a waste of time, anyway. paradisic days

A little tip: If you need to do your banking or intend to buy a scratch card for the internet, do it here. Since all the tourists (mainly Canadian) seem to stay at their all inclusive hotels, there are neither queues at the bank or ATM nor at the Etecsa office (on the main road close to the hotels).

Until this day I’m not sure if I was supposed to stay with these people and if the other ones, where I actually had booked a room, aren’t still waiting for me, my hosts were really lovely and sweet – and so was the farewell-cake they made for me and the lovely couple from Chile that stayed there with me.

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Complete Guide to SANTIAGO de CUBA

Posted on2019-11-252020-05-04AuthorRenata GreenLeave a comment

(Update October 2018)

Most of the travellers that I met on my trip across Cuba visited only the western part – from Viñales to Trinidad. I did that, too – but then I got to the less explored and visited east – and just loved it.

bye:myself - Renata Green - byemyselftravels: Cuba Santiago de Cuba

Good morning, Santiago! Walking in the wee hours to the Viazul bus station.

All the cities I’ve visited after Trinidad were much more…Cuban. Less tourists, more locals.

Although Santiago de Cuba is not only the isle’s second largest city but also the country’s second capital from 1522 till 1589; the first one was Baracoa – we’ll get there later; literally.

Santiago has a certain artsy vibe to it, and I felt very comfortable here.

Here, the central park is called Parque Céspedes and it’s the perfect central point for exploring the city.

Overlooking Santiago de Cuba from the Casa Granda’s rooftop bar.

To get a first good view of the city, just go up to the roof bar of the hotel Casa Granda (this is not a typo, it’s actually Grand-a).

While regarding service it’s annoying that employees at public, governmental businesses don’t give a damn, there is an advantage to it: They don’t care if you use the bathroom without buying or consuming something, they are completely unconcerned if you use the facilities although you’re not a guest or customer – that’s really good.

Next to the Casa Granda, on the square’s southern side, is the Santa Basílica Metropolitana Iglesia Catedral, Santiago’s majestic cathedral.

The two beautiful towers of Santiago’s cathedral can be spotted even from the side streets.

On the square’s west side is the Casa de Diego Velazquez, a Spanish conquistador’s former residence. The building, completed in the early 1600the century, will probably be one of the oldest Cuban residences. Today, it houses the Museo de Ambiente Historico Cubano.
While the upstairs used to be the residential part, the lower level was a gold foundry and you can still admire the furnace that was used for melting gold.

From the Casa Granda, the Casa de Diego Velazquez deems almost humble: it’s the building with the black balconies right across the square.

Leaving the parque to the east, there are some museums you shouldn’t miss: On calle Francisco Vincente Aguilera is the Museo Emilio Bacardí Moreau – and the name Bacardí rings a bell for a reason. He did bring good to the world – as a rum manufacturer, as Santiago’s mayor, and as an art collector.

A museum since 1899.

His rich collection can be seen at the

Emilio Bacardí Moreau Museo
Francisco Vincencte Aguilera
Santiago de Cuba
Phone: + 53 – 22 – 628402

The museum is open daily from 9 a. m. to 5 p. m.

Masks and everything a wild carnival is all about.

Just one block down south at the next corner is another jewel, focusing pretty much on the Afro Cuban heritage and the carnival.

Museo del Carnaval
Calle Heredia 301
Santiago de Cuba
Phone: +53 22 626955

The museum is open daily from 8 a. m. to 4 p. m., but when I was there, it was closed for an hour; well, it’s Cuba, so you might have to adjust your schedule here and there.

The competition between Havana and Santiago starts already with Cuba’s national treasure, the rum. If you haven’t visited a rum factory or museum before, here is – yet another – chance; whereby it’s probably not the most complete and impressive exhibition.

Museo del Ron
Calle San Basilio 358 (Calle Bartolomé Maso)
Santiago de Cuba

A crazy thing in Santiago is that names of streets differ. You get an address – and google maps shows you a spot with a completely different name. It drives me nuts, but don’t worry, it’s ok – they just changed names, so go where google sends you. If you want to make sure, just type both names in google search and you’ll see that it’s the same street – like here with San Basilio and Bartolomé Maso = same street.

It’s very relaxing that in Santiago there is not only a lot to see, but also a lot where to sit: There are various small squares where you can just sit on a bench in the shade of a tropical tree watching people and time passing by.
Oh – and at the Plaza de Marte, you have excellent Wifi.

Plaza de Dolores – with a statue of freedom fighter Francisco Vicente Aguilera…..

….and Plaza de Marte – with a phrygian cap in honor of Cuban veterans.
In the front, José Marti is turning his back on us.

What makes Santiago even a bit more picturesque than all the other already very quaint cities is the fact that it’s hilly. You have a bit of an aerial view from many spots around town – you only have to do a little climbing.

The Padre Pico Steps.

And on every hill, they put a little motivation for you: Getting up the Padre Pico Steps five blocks southwest of Parque Céspedes, you’ll reach the Museo de la Clandestinidad. Basically, it’s only a different name for an exhibition of the revolution in 1956 – and what they show is pretty much what you get to see at the Museo de la Revolución in Havana. Only the location is more spectacular – and well chosen since it’s on top of the Loma del Intendente. It was inaugurated in 1976 commemorating the 20th anniversary of the armed uprising in Santiago in November 1956.

Abel Santamaria Monument – in honor of the martyr Abel Santamaria who at the age of 25 was murdered in prison after being tortured by police to reveal where the other revolutionaries were hiding.

Another revolutionary lookout is the Cuartel Moncada with the Museo Historico 26 de Julio. Here you are lectured about more heroic activities – but that’s not the reason why the best part comes as you leave – the views down the roads towards the harbor are; only the views.

Obviously, the spirit of the revolution lives on.

If you have time, a visit to the Cemeterio de Santa Ifigenia, a cemetery located about two miles west of the Parque Céspedes, is worth a visit: At this graveyard are resting many great Cubans such as Carlos Manuel de Cespedes, Emilio Bacardi, and Frank Pais; and since 2003 also Señor Compay Segundo, since to this date famous people are buried here. Every thirty minutes, there is a changing of the guards. A guided tour of the place is a good option.

Another very popular trip takes you to the Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca, a fortress from 1700, located about six miles southwest of the city center. From here, the views of the bay are just spectacular.

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Complete Guide to BARACOA

Posted on2019-11-242020-05-04AuthorRenata GreenLeave a comment

(Update October 2018)

I was very glad that Baracoa was my last stop in Cuba. Although it was Cuba’s first Spanish settlement – some say in 1511, some 1512 – and even used to be the capital from 1518 to 1522, until today it’s totally secluded and cut off from the rest of the island by a mountain range with only one road.

bye:myself - Renata Green - byemyselftravels: Cuba Baracoa

View of Baracoa and the Bahia de Miel, the Honey Bay, from the Hotel El Castillo.

Wrapping me in its relaxed, homey atmosphere, Baracoa would have spoiled me for the rest of Cuba.

It is located on the westernmost tip of the island in the infamous region of Guantánamo.

I presume you don’t blame me for having spent every day at a couple of hours on this beach.

It’s this mix of local everyday life, some mildly touristy facilities and lots of time and space to create your own blissful vacation.

Lobster overlooking the ocean where the good people of Playa Maguana caught it just minutes ago.

The village itself is nice, but of course not very exciting.

But the surroundings are just exquisite: the ocean, mountains, rivers, wild beauty of nature.

Baracoa has a city beach which is not very nice, but as you keep walking east, you get to the pretty secluded Playa Blanca.

Beats me why they call a beach full of black rocks Playa Blanca.

But first you have to cross a bridge over a river – which is incomplete, so that there is a boat waiting at one end of the rotten bridge, picking up passengers and taking them to the other side. Quite fun – and very Cuban.

Necessity is the mother of invention – I assume this slogan was created in Cuba.

Although everything is nearby, due to the terrible dust roads with huge potholes it takes a while to get for instance to paradisiac Playa Maguana or the Parque Alejandro de Humboldt.

To get there, just take a jeep at the Parque Central. There are also travel agencies organizing trips – whereby ‘organizing’ isn’t the correct word. Since these agencies are government owned, the employees are not…overambitious. While in Cienfuegos my day trip with Cubanacan was just great, in Baracoa there either was nobody at the office or for some reason they were not able to book anything or….finally I organized my rides and trips with the guys hanging around the main square.

As a matter of fact, the son of my hosts in Baracoa is a biologist and offers tours to the Parque Alejandro de Humboldt. If you want to check with him, please refer to this post’s rating section where you find all the contact details I was able to get.

Alejandro de Humboldt overlooking the Parque Nacional that the good people of Baracoa named after him

Serious hikers will enjoy a tour on the 575 meters high mountain El Yunque – located about seven kilometers west of Baracoa.

View of El Yunque…from where you have a grand view.

A very nice day trip goes first to a cocoa finca; cacao, coconuts, and bananas are the main products from this region. On the finca, you get to see how cacao grows and how it is proceded. You can also stock up on cocoa products like beans, powder, cream, and of course chocolate. Unfortunately, I must say that I got to use only the beans that I did grind together with coffee beans which give the brew a chocolaty taste. The rest rotted pretty fast, even chocolate stored in the fridge had some sort of parasites in it. But maybe it was just bad luck.

Another good option to try chocolate from Baracoa is in the town center: At the Casa del Chocolate on calle Maraví you can sample it in drinks and foods – but don’t expect a smile or ambitious service: It’s a government-owned place.

Cocoa fresh from the tree.

The trip continued to Río Yumurí where a boat took us to some small islands where we were floating with the current of the clear, ice cold river.

Floating in ice-cold waters certainly was refreshing.

At sunset, there’s no better place to be than at Hotel El Castillo way up high over Baracoa. The food is…sorry to repeating myself: it’s a government-owned restaurant…not good. But have a mojito – as always for 3 CUC – and just enjoy the view.

Buenas Noches, Baracoa!

It takes about four hours to get to Baracoa from Santiago, and it takes an entire day to get from Baracoa to Havana. But there are domestic flights from the Gustavo Rizo airport. However, if you have an international flight from Havana, I recommend to include a time buffer of at least 24 hours; at least. I had two nights before my flight out: I got to Havana in the morning, left my stuff at the Casa Particular, spent the day on one of Playas del Este, had a nice dinner and a last mojito and left the next morning. If for any reason the flight was canceled, I’d had more than 24 hours to make it to Havana by bus or by cab.
Actually, I’m sticking to this timing anywhere in the world – and definitely in Cuba.

A truly tropical journey from Aeroporto Gustavo Rizo.

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