The beaches of Havana are absolutely spectacular and remind us why the island was such a popular tourist destination before its revolution. In terms of culture, Matanzas makes one of the best side trips from Havana. South of Matanzas is Parque Nacional Cinaga de Zapata, a huge protected area of wilderness, jungle, and coastline. Source: Konstantin Aksenov / shutterstock, Source: Maurizio De Mattei / shutterstock, gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K / Wikimedia, 15 Best Things to Do in Strasbourg (France). That just about does it for day trip ideas from Havana. Would highly recommend this tour company! 1. Havana, Cuba has plenty to keep you busy for days or even weeks, but those looking to explore beyond the bounds of Havana will find out just how much Cuba has to offer beyond its show-stopping capital. Its thought that there are at least 750-meters of tunnels and caves underground, but its possible that much more still remains undiscovered. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. I learnt about history, art, culture and much more. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. While we always recommend Varadero over these beaches if its possible for you to get here, dont worry youll have an incredible beach day either way. Nothing couldve compared to this experience and I couldnt recommend it enough to anyone who is interested. Learn about local tobacco production and how Cubas world-famous cigars are made, or just enjoy the incredible views; either way, Viales has a lot to impress. The valley opens out quite a lot, though, offering a wide rural plain dotted with palm trees. 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. A photo tour with Damian should be required for your first visit to Cuba! We've got all the information you need to make the choice that works best for your family, and your travel style. This little town is a slow-paced community, where it's possible to meet locals in a 100% Cuban environment. We had an amazing time cruising around in his beautiful `52 Pontiac, learning about Cuba and From the moment we started planning our trip to Mexico and Cuba, Fernando was there to help and advise us on what was Roly is yet another wonderful person we met on our holidays in this amazing country. Take a Day Trip to the Cays. 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. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. You can choose from several beaches here, with little chance of them being overcrowded. The area in which the Las Terrazas project was built was part of a natural forest that had been destroyed by the intensive cultivation of coffee during the 19th century. Day Trips From Havana To Vinales Day Trips To Havana From Varadero 7. Then theres the important matter of sipping on rum cocktails and gorging yourself at Varaderos excellent restaurants. This day trips from Havana to Vinales are perfect for those who dont have much time, dont want or cant stay in Viales, the pickup in Havana is between 7 and 8 am, but can be flexible depending of your requirements, as long as wont compromise the development of the day tour and with a duration from 10 to 12 hours depending of the tour, always trying to get back to Havana before it . A typical day trip might include a visit to a coffee farm, cigar processing facility and a chance to sample a rare local brand of rum thats made from guava. Choose your options for beach day trips from Havana here. If youre taking a day trip to Matanzas youll want to see at least some of the 17 bridges that this city of bridges is famous for. I will use them again! ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR EXPLORING CUBA INDEPENDENTLYThese are the resources and booking sites that we use when traveling to Cuba.Travel and Health Insurance are mandatory for entry to Cuba. Depending on how many people are in your group, renting a car might even work out to be cheaper than other forms of transportation. This place has amagnificent viewover the rest of the area and of course,good coffee. For an after-lunch spirit, opt for the mahogany-woodBar Miradoratop Mansin Xanad. , 1 hour west of Havana, is a former artist colony turned ecotourism experiment with open studios, canopy, hiking, birdwatching and swimming in river cascades. Alternatively, take a guided excursion from Havana to Soroa and Las Terrazas for. Our private Vinales day tour delves deep into the lush landscapes of Cubas agricultural heartland, Getting Around Cuba! It will take about 90 minutes to travel to Matanzas from Havana. Please keep the great job Me encant el servicio prestado por CubaTravels Club. Cienfuegos is located about 2 hours and 45 minutes from Havana. Arrival in Havana between 6 and 7pm. When the urge to get out of town hits, find respite at . For more flexibility, rent a car or hire a taxi with a driver for the day. Take an early ride 140km (87 miles) east of Havana center and youll be sitting under a palm leaf umbrella before 10am. The author spent a lot of time in Cuba and wrote many stories from the inspiration he gained here. The 7 Best Day Trips From Havana Cuba - Cubas Best The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Vinales. When youre ready to hit the road from Havana, heres where to go. Lying back on the sand and enjoying the sun is the focus of a visit to Varadero, along with swimming in the pleasantly warm waters. Get more travel inspiration, tips and exclusive offers sent straight to your inbox. Make time in your Cuba itinerary for these memorable spots as well; theyre all well worth traveling for and will show you an entirely different side of Cuba. A taxi from Havana to the Playas del Este beaches will cost around US$15 each way, depending on your negotiation skills. Thank you! Hidden within the Sierra del Rosario Biosphere Reserve (more on this later! Trinidad is one of the best-preserved Spanish settlements in the Caribbean. Situated just 2.5 hours west of Havana, Vinales is undeniably Cuba's most popular country town, known for its dramatic karst landscapes and tobacco plantations. Off-the-radar Lago El Palmar hosts a, (rustic, opened-sided restaurant) offering drinks and snacks, plus an option for renting boats. Viales National Park is a UNESCO Cultural Landscape of Humanity found in western Cuba. At Las Terrazas, you can trek, zip-line on 1600 meters of lines, coffee taste, and explore nature. Explore the beautiful landscapes of Viales Travel time: 2 hours 45 minutes Viales Valley, peppered with rare pin-cushion hills, is spectacular enough to warrant longer than a day trip if you have the time. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. It will probably take all day, so many people will take the train one way and find quicker transport for the return leg. In Vinales you should also visit a Tobacco plantation and learn about cigars in Cuba try smoking one, and buy some from local farmers you can also visit a Coffee Plantation, tasting and purchases available too. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Even in the planning stages, they were incredibly responsive to my questions and ideas and help me build a great trip around Cuba. You can read about our experiences taking a colectivo from Matanzas back to Havana here. Hes said to have gained some inspiration for his 1954 Nobel Prize-winning novel, The Old Man and the Sea here. We had a smooth & easy going ride w/AC Daniel was me and my sisters tour guide for our day trip to Vinales. My son said he was brilliant. My husband and I did our Havana day tour from Varadero on June 2, 2023. I can unsubscribe any time using the unsubscribe link at the end of all emails. Matanzas is found just over 100-kilometers away from Havanas city center. This little town is a slow-paced community, where it's possible to meet locals in a 100% Cuban environment. Ren put great effort in to ensure we were able to do and see everything that we asked for, some of which was obscure, and Ren couldnt have been a better sport about it all. This area is known as the Havana Riviera and they are mercifully undeveloped. 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. 4 July 2022 by Claudia Tavani There are many excellent day trips from Havana you can take. 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. Take a jeep tour through the valley, float down the river, and explore ranches with pineapples and tropical fruits; its an off-the-beaten-path experience that feels ages away from nearby Havana and Varadero. However, if youre looking for a beach getaway from Havana and Varadero and Plays del Este dont quite seem to be the right fit, these spots are sure to please. Finca Vigia is a recommended visit on our 2 days in Havana Itinerary. 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. 1. Heres our guide to tipping in Cuba. With impeccable service and seafood, is highly recommended. has all the amenities required to enjoy a fun-filled day trip. We had a blast riding in vintage American convertibles, visiting Fusterlandia, and our walking tour of Old Havana. 6 Great Day Trips From Havana, Cuba - TravelAwaits Wander through Parque Libertad a lovely green space at the heart of Matanzas. Let the sea breeze pamper your senses in Playas del Este or indulge your ecological side in Las Terrazas and Soroa. Book a private car for Matanzas here. No part of this site may be reproduced without our written permission. Note: You can also take a day trip to Matanzas from Varadero so if youre visiting both Havana and Varadero, its an option. The museum has eclectic opening hours and shuts on rainy days entrance to the museum is US$5. Las Terrazas, 1 hour west of Havana, is a former artist colony turned ecotourism experiment with open studios, canopy, hiking, birdwatching and swimming in river cascades. visit Cienfuegos as part of a tour to Trinidad, The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Tikal in Guatemala. So lets start with our top picks for Havana Day Trips with an easy day trip that doesnt take long at all! Mafia & The American Influence in Cuba. Trinidad is a city thats also found southeast of Havana, but its a long day trip from the capital. Not often. If Varadero sounds a little too popular and built-up for your tastes, consider taking an excursion to either Cayo Levisa or Cayo Jutias, two of the white sand cays located west of Havana in the Pinar del Rio province. This is a LONG day your trip will take 11 hours, but this is an amazing place to come. It is renowned for its colonial houses with large porches, limestone hills called mogotes and natural produce, tobacco and coffee. Mansin Xanad. Cojimar is a small fishing village east of Havana and its where Hemingway spent a lot of his time. My first Cuba stop was Cienfuegos and was met by Mariannis and diver (shame on me for forgetting his name). For a great view of the landscape, head for Puente de Bacunayagua, the highway perched above it all. Alternatively, you can hire a car and shave about an hour off the travel time. Hemingways Home The Finca Vigia! Cojimar is a small town on the eastern outskirts of Havana. Despite a well-publicized announcement by the Trump administration in June 2019, it is still relatively easy for Americans to travel legally toCuba. 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. Explore the eco-village of Las Terrazas and the Soroa UNESCO Biosphere, 7. The Viales Valley with its gigantic "Mogotes" will be an experience to remember. A regular private cab costs the equivalent of around US$25 one way. From white-sand beaches to quaint towns, these six great day trips from Havana will allow you to see another side of the country. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. Cienfuegos can be a quick stop on a longer day trip to Trinidad or a day trip of its own. Begin your trip to Viales with a walk through the towns main street to see its colorful home, before continuing into the captivating landscapes of the Viales Valley. A taxi will get you there in around one hour and 45 minutes, but is more expensive. There are so many waterfalls here that the combination of sun and water droplets has caused Soroa to be called the Rainbow of Cuba. 2023 Home to Havana This small town in Western Cuba sits on the edge of the Viales Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage site. 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. She sshowed us Havana Old town and introduced us to some lovely restaurants too. Getting there: You can take the hop-on hop-off Havana Bus Tour to get from Havana to Playas del Este in around half an hour, with buses running every 30 minutes as well. For details. 3 Ways To Do An Amazing Day Trip From Varadero To Havana 2023! The trip that I went on with Grant Cohen was life changing to say the least. Theyre some of the biggest and most impressive in the Caribbean (there are more caves also in the Vinales region to explore). The good news is that it is also easy to get out of town, and you can explore other parts of Cuba relatively easily. Getting there: You can visit Cienfuegos as part of a tour to Trinidad. Cayo Jutias has a famous beach covered with starfish, and some spots for renting beach chairs and umbrellas. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. An all-day ticket costs US$10 and the service runs from 0900 to 1900. Alternatively, you can rent a car or hire a driver for the day and make the journey in around 75 minutes. Few places pique the curiosity of travelers quite like Cuba. 5. The small city isnt usually found on travel itineraries, as there isnt much of anything to see here, or any particular stand out attraction. This broad ribbon of cement curves around Havanas waterfront, and as the sun wanes, the sky turns pink and the road is. Private tours vary in price depending on the length of day and the company you book with. 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. The Havana Hop on Hop Off Bus run by Transtur goes to Playa del Este and takes about 30 minutes. lenawurm / Depositphotos 5. Read 4,08,985 traveller reviews and view photos of different trips from Havana to various destinations. Currently, there are no direct buses from Havana to Trinidad. Ren is very knowledgeable about Cuba, and made sure to do additional research about places he was less familiar with. Apr 6, 2023 7 Min read. This is a day trip you don't technically have to leave Havana to make. Carmen was the best guide, she knows so much about Cuba and Havana, and Alex is a great driver. Elsewhere, look out for matinee performances at the restored Teatro Sauto, and check out the pots and potions at the longstanding pharmaceutical museum. Viales from Havana - Havana Journeys Discover . Playas del Este as a day trip from Havana 4. Road Affair is reader-supported and may earn commission from purchases made through links in this article. See more day trips in Havana on Tripadvisor, See more day trips for kids in Havana on Tripadvisor, See more day trips for couples in Havana on Tripadvisor, See more day trips for groups in Havana on Tripadvisor, See more budget-friendly day trips in Havana on Tripadvisor, See more romantic day trips in Havana on Tripadvisor, See more hidden gem day trips in Havana on Tripadvisor, Hotels near Jose Marti Intl Airport (HAV), Motels near Jose Marti Intl Airport (HAV), Things to do near Old Square (Plaza Vieja), Things to do near Parque de la Fraternidad, Things to do near Convento e Iglesia de Nuestra Seora de Belen, Things to do near Jose Marti Intl Airport (HAV), Things to do near Mystique Habana by Royalton, Things to do near Hotel Grand Aston la Habana, Things to do near Iberostar Parque Central, Things to do near Casa Cuarteles B&B Boutique, Things to do near Boutique Hotel Vapor 156, WWII & Operation Anthropoid Tour with Bomb Shelter, High Speed Zodiac Whale Watching Safari from Dana Point, Jaguar Preserve Night Hike & Camping Experience (from Belize City), TRI-CITY TOUR (Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu City), 3-Hour Atlanta Beltline Food, Street Art and History Tour, The Cockrell Butterfly Center Admission in Houston, Mr. Tu Snorkel Day Trip to Koh Nangyuan & Koh Tao by Speed Boat from Koh Samui. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. THE 10 BEST Day Trips from Havana (UPDATED 2023) - Tripadvisor (read more about Cuban cigars in my guide here) Take time for lunch at a local paladar and perhaps also take a horse-riding tour through one of the plantations here. Sometimes. Day Trips From Havana. Im certainly looking forward to the day I get to go back to visit and see more of the country with Ren! Then theres the beachs hinterland, where you can hike in the hills or explore some local caves. Dayron went the extra mile and was very lovely, and my son had a great time in Havana thanks to him. Their ever-growing popularity now is also a reminder of how this island is likely to change soon, with the huge resurgence of tourism. Youll find a lot of dedicated Yumur Valley day trip excursions actually start from Varadero, as many visitors love to combine a visit to the valley with excursions to snorkeling destinations nearby, which fits perfectly with a beachy trip to Varadero. The house, on a hill in the quiet neighborhood of San Francisco de Paula, in San Miguel del Padron with Havana province, is now the Ernest Hemingway Museum. Getting there: As Cojmar is just outside Havana, you can take a local bus to get there in about 40 minutes, or hire a taxi for the 10-minute drive. Finally, while youre out this way, Id recommend including a trip to Bellamar Caves. This private day trip to Varadero from Havana is a great option if you want to see the sights of Varadero, but not commit to more than a day. PRIVATE VINALES DAY TOUR 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. You can arrange to have exclusive use of a private driver and a classic American car. And while Cojimar and Vigia are relatively easy to get to on public transport, it will be difficult to see them all in one day. Sarah's an avid reader and traveller and loves exploring the culture of Cuba through food, drinks, hiking trails and hidden corners. Playas del Este (the east beaches) are the closest beaches to Havana and this trip to the beach makes for a great day trip from Havana. Trinidad is near both the Escambray Mountains and white sand beaches, making it particularly popular among ecotourists, divers and snorkelers. Viales becomes a rock climbing mecca from December through April. There are also rowing boats and water bikes for rent here. Public buses in Havana are called guas guas pronounced wa wa. You can also take a day trip from Varadero to Matanzas its an easy one! I have made forever friends and memories, learned so much about Cuban culture and society, and grown as a person overall. Details here. Getting to Trinidad is the easy part, and the main challenge you should have is working out what things to do while you're there. THE 10 BEST Havana Tours & Excursions for 2023 (with Prices) - Tripadvisor This vintage character has earned Cienfuegos the World Heritage Site status from UNESCO. Full Day Havana Tour Package. The Best 11 Varadero Day Trips - Cubas Best