Discover Cuba with our amazing West Cuba road trip and travel itinerary.
There are only a few destinations in the world as unique as Cuba. The people are really friendly, the rum always flows and the music never stops.
Although driving in Cuba is not for the faint hearted as potholes, bumps and holes are very common, people often only speak Spanish and there is a lack of traffic indicators and signs… a road trip in Cuba is an adventure for sure.
Here is our personal West Cuba road trip and travel itinerary.
Capital City Havana
Most people fly in at Havana and this is where you will get Cuba at its purest.. the lifestyle, the music, the colours, the beautiful colonial buildings, the cigars and the oldtimer cars.
As soon as you touch down in Havana you will be traveling back in time along with historical buildings, colourful classic American cars, and not a single familiar shopping chain or food branch dominating the streets.
If you are looking for places to shop until you drop, big fast food chains like the big yellow M and KFC, luxury urban design restaurants on every corner of the street, you are definitely in the wrong place, as you simply won’t find them (yet) in Havana, Cuba.
Their local transport are second hand American school busses and local transport busses from the Netherlands with the dutch rego plates still on, and the famous Coco taxi`s which are motorbike taxis in the shape of a helmet.
The old part of Havana ( Havana Vieja ) is an UNESCO World Heritage site, with over 900 landmarks, including the Presidential Palace and Cathedral Square.
Just walk through the streets of Havana and discover the contrast from picture perfect buildings like the el Capitolio and the museum of Revolution, to some un restored streets with destructed houses and buildings with crumbled paint.
El Capitolio is a massive building with a colossal dome which dominates the city’s skyline. Everywhere you look, you will probably see a part of the El Capitolio. Personally I found this the most beautiful building in Havana. El Capitolio was the government building till the Cuban revolution, and today it’s the home of the Cuban Academy of Science. Inside you will find the National Museum with the largest natural history collection in the country.
Have a stroll along the Malecon, the seaside boulevard where local Cubanians meet up for a chat and a real Cuban cigar.
Recommended time in Havana: 3 nights
Where to stay in Havana
There is no doubt about the fact that whatever your budget is, you can stay in an old historical building in Havana.
A few of the most famous historical hotels are Hotel Inglaterra, Hotel Sevilla, Hotel Saratoga, Hotel Nacional de Cuba, and Hotel Plaza Havana. We stayed in the last one.
Hotel Plaza Havana is a four star hotel situated at the Parque Central. Hotel Plaza Havana is open since 1909, which is clearly visible at the out and inside of the building – beautifully renovated over time, but still maintains lots of its former old charm with high ceilings, chandeliers, colonial features and historical luxury.
Keep in mind, that despite the renovations and refurbishments, this is an old hotel. The neoclassical façade is impressive, and the interiors are comfortable and chic, but for a four star hotel it’s all quite simple compared with other countries. The standard rooms are basic but clean with typical wooden furniture. Rooms vary in size, but decent enough.
But if you love to stay in a historical building with loads of Cuban Charm, this is your hotel – together with the ones we mentioned above. But if you are more into design and clean lines, have a look over here
Hotel Plaza Havana has three restaurants and three bars. One of them is Fausto, the buffet restaurant and bar on the fifth floor. This is also where the rooftop terrace is situated. From here you have a great view over the city and you can enjoy your breakfast here in the morning.
In the past, Hotel Plaza Havana was popular by the rich and famous. Albert Einstein even stayed here! Today Hotel Plaza Havana is an affordable option at a prime location. For more info, pictures and bookings click here
From Havana to the Vinales Valley
If you want to relax and indulge yourself in nature, enjoy stunning views and get a bit of a rest from the hustle and the bustle in Havana, the perfect place to go next is the tiny agricultural town of Vinales.
It will take you about 2.5 hours to drive from Havana to the Vinales Valley, located in the Pinar del Rio Province. During your West Cuba Road Trip, the landscape will transform from city greys to nature green. Compared with Havana, The Vinales Valley is such a peaceful, quiet and relaxed place. Here you find traditional rural Cuban life, as you would have found it back in the days.
In the Vinales Valley you are surrounded by beautiful green vegetation, limestone hills, tobacco and coffee plantations. If you re keen on trying a real Cuban cigar, this is the place to be. There are several tours you can join to visit the coffee and tobacco plantations, birdwatching, cycling or hiking around.
If you just want to sit back and relax with a good book, dream away by the stunning surroundings of the Vinales Valley, just get yourself into a nice accommodation and enjoy the slow and relaxed lifestyle of Vinales.
There is almost no traffic in the Vinales Valley as most of the Cubanians who live in the inland of Cuba can’t afford a car. This is the reason why you will also see quite a few hitch hikers. We took one old man for a few k`s as well. In the beginning we were a bit apprehensive as it wasn’t really recommended to take locals with you as a tourist, and there are stories from people who got robbed and all that, but hey, if you are always scared something might happen, you better stay at home.
Of course we first checked if he looked safe and didn’t carry a shot gun or anything, and we took our bag with wallet and valuables in front of the car with us. Just use your common sense like in any country.
Where to stay in the Vinales Valley
A great accommodation in the Vinales Valley which offers everything you need is the Horizontes La Ermita Vinales Hotel.
Located on a hill, this quiet 3 star bungalow style accommodation is located in the middle of the Vinales Valley and has the most amazing sunset views from their outside dining terrace. Also, by daylight the view from the accommodation is amazing.
It’s a small Cuba style hotel with a swimming pool, restaurant, bar and a tennis court. Please note that this hotel is on a hill and there are quite a few little steps.
The rooms are basic, but clean and have a nice balcony / terrace with great views. For more info, pictures about the La Ermita Vinales hotel and comparing the best rates for your stay in the Vinales Valley, click here
Recommended time in the Vinales Valley: 2 – 3 nights
Further back in time: Trinidad
After exploring or relaxing in the Vinales Valley it’s time to get on with your road trip through Cuba and continue to Trinidad, another UNESCO World Heritage site with an amazing colonial vibe.
You already stepped back in time in Havana, and maybe even more in the Vinales Valley, but when you arrive in Trinidad, you will go ten steps back in time.
With Trinidad’s colourful houses, mountains in the background, horse and wagons cruising over the small cobblestone streets, free walking animals and gorgeous Spanish Colonial features, Trinidad is just like one big movie decor.
You won’t find much of those flashy classic Cuban cars you see so many of in Havana.
We will give you a little impression of Trinidad’s colourful streets in a few photos, and hopefully we will inspire you to put Trinidad on your Cuba road trip bucket list and experience this amazing place yourself. Trinidad is a typical example of ‘ You have to see it to believe it ‘
Small little alleys and cobblestone streets with houses in all colours of the rainbow, make Trinidad a place like no other.
Life is easy and relaxed in Trinidad and after exploring and wandering the cobblestone streets you can visit one of Cuba’s best beaches to have a refreshing plunge in the warm ocean waters.
Insider tip: The road up to Santa Clara in the Hinterland is also beautiful.
Recommended stay in Trinidad 2 – 3 nights.
Where to stay in Trinidad
A great and affordable accommodation in Trinidad is the Cubanacan las Cuevas Hotel.
This colourful 3 star hotel & apartment complex is close to the main attractions of Trinidad and is located on a hill overlooking Trinidad, the beautiful green surroundings and the ocean.
The Las Cuevas Hotel has a nice refreshing swimming pool, multiple dining options with lots of outside seating, a 24 hour reception and friendly staff.
The rooms are simple, but cosy and clean. One of the things we particularly like here is that the accomodation is in bungalow style with a little outside space.
With a bit of luck you are located in one of the bungalows at the front with stunning views. Ask for it when you book ( never a guarantee, but always worth the question right? )
There are also bungalows at the pool side, which are also nice, but the views from the front bungalows are unbeatable.
Click here to discover more about the Cubanacan Las Cuevas hotel.
Beach holiday in Varadero
End your trip with a few beach days, chilling out at the pearl white beaches of Varadero. There is not much to do and see around Varadero, but there are some amazing budget accommodations or luxurious resorts in Varadero where you can end your trip to Cuba with a few days relaxing on the beach.
Recommended stay in Varadero 2- 3 nights
Where to stay in Varadero
We stayed at Hotel Villa Cuba Varadero. A basic hotel located on the beach with a swimming pool, a restaurant and bar.
Travel tip: Stay in one of the rooms with sea views in the main building as high as possible for amazing views.
Plan your trip to Cuba
We have created this Cuba Travel Guide & Itinerary for you to make planning and booking your trip to Cuba easy!
Cuba is different than other Caribbean destinations. It’s less luxurious, the food is not always great, the roads are bad, ATM’s are often not available ( especially not for people from the USA) and it’s not the cheapest location. But in our opinion, that’s why Cuba is so unique and a must visit.
Cuba has many things on offer that other countries don’t have so when you visit Cuba with an open mind, you will have an amazing trip.
Here are some travel tips when planning your road trip to Cuba.
Visit Cuba during the right season
Cuba has two seasons: a dry and a wet season.
The dry (Winter) season from November through April has an average day temperature of 21 to 28º C (average night temperatures are around 18 and 20 º C)
The rainy (Summer) period is from May through October, when average daily temperatures are around 30°C.
This does not mean that it rains all day, but typically there will be refreshing tropical showers in late afternoon during this season accompanied with high humidity.
The hurricane season is between June and November (with the most active storm months being September and October).
We visited Cuba in July and although it was hot and humid, the weather was in general pretty good.
Money and ATM’S in Cuba
Money and ATM’s in Cuba are a bit different than most other countries and there is a bit of a story behind it.
Remember our story about our own second hand Dutch school busses driving around in Cuba? Well the same goes for ATM machines. Many of them are second hand too. So when some ATM machines appeared only over a decade ago with a Maestro logo on them, people assumed they could use the ATM in Cuba when they had a Meastro logo on their bank card. Wrong. Cuba ‘forgot’ to take the Meastro sticker off. Whoops.
The ATM’s in Cuba where first only available for VISA cards issued by banks outside the USA. Years later Mastercards where finally accepted. Nowadays most cards work at the ATMs ( apart from USA cards ) but always take some cash for just in case you need to exchange at a bank.
Also be aware that there are not that much ATM’s around in Cuba compared to other countries and if you find one, they are often out of order due to no money, a break down, not internet connection or whatever reason.
Tip: Cuban ATMs first get you the money out and when you close the transaction you will get your card. We had this before in other counties, but if you are used to getting your card back first and then your money, you might forget your card… which will result in a lot of hassle.
So again, in Cuba almost everything is based on Cash. Make sure you bring enough and keep enough to survive before having to go to an ATM or Bank. Divide it over your belongings, use the safe in your accommodation ( and don’t forget to check / empty it before you leave 😉
Road trip and driving in Cuba
This is another adventure in Cuba.
We personally believe you will need a sense of adventure, an open mind and a bit of travel experience when considering a road trip in Cuba or travelling to Cuba in general ( unless you stick to the resorts in Varadero )
Cuba is an amazing country to explore by car but there are a few things to know when road tripping or hiring a car in Cuba.
The roads in Cuba are not the best. Read: Potholes, cobblestones and barely any road signs. When we drove around Cuba we were literary following the sun, common sense and asked a local here en there. Some places are only mentioned once at the signs and when you get to a two or three way, there are no signs anymore.
So know where East, West, North and South are, take a map and ask the locals if they are around.
Be aware that a lot of locals only speak Spanish so make sure you have a map and or address of where you need to go and know your basic words like:
Left = izquierdo
Right = derecho
Straight ahead = al frente
Backwards = hacia atrás
Petrol stations in Cuba are limited so make sure you always have your petrol topped up whenever you drive along a petrol station.
Then traffic rules in Cuba. They are pretty much non existence. We’ve seen overtaking left and right, driving backwards on the highway, horses and wagons on the highway, missing a petrol station and then drive backwards at the exit lane back into the petrol station, people selling bananas and coconuts at the highways. It’s crazy. But amazing!
For us this is real back to basic and being in another country. We love those kinds of situation. Just take your time and you will be fine.
Rental cars in Cuba
We got our rental car in Cuba at the airport of Varadero. There was a small square box which was the rental office.
The car had lots of scratches and little damages and was far from new, but it drove and it worked. This is normal for many car rental companies in Cuba. Make sure you always double check the rental contract where you can add damages on the drawing you will have of the car. Add all the scratches and damages to prevent hassle when you come back. Ask the rental company if they provide you with a map of Cuba and otherwise take one yourself.
Where to stay in Cuba
We use www.skyscanner.com for all our flights. It’s one of the most popular flight search engines and it compares hundreds of airline companies and booking websites. A big plus for us is that via Sky Scanner, you can look for flights in the cheapest month, and it will also automatically look for the cheapest dates in that particular month.
Where to stay in Cuba
Are you looking for something luxurious or maybe one of Havana’s old historical hotels? A beach resort in Varadero, Or maybe you want to visit Cuba on a budget? You will find the best accomodation in Cuba suitable for any budget right here
Airbnb in Cuba
Airbnb offers many lovely Airbnb’s in Cuba, so you can experience true local Cuban life.
Book via our special link to get a massive $$ dollar discount off your first booking with AirBnb, so you definitely score yourself a bargain.
Have you booked your trip via Airbnb before? Book your next Airbnb accommodation in Cuba easy and fast right here ↓
Visa for Cuba
Different passports and nationalities means different Visa requirements for Cuba.
IVisa is the place to be for all your visa requirements. You can easily see what the requirements are for your passport and apply for a Cuba visa straight away. Super handy↓
Travel Insurance for Cuba
A travel insurance for Cuba, just like any other country is absolutely necessary. We don’t travel without it!
And… Important to know: The Government of Cuba decided in May 2010, that all travelers, foreign and Cubans living abroad coming to the country MUST have travel insurance with medical cover prior to arrival.
The travel insurances from World Nomads covers people from 140 countries, with medical and evacuation cover, 24-hour emergency assistance, over 150 adventure activities and more.
Simple and Flexible Travel Insurance insurance for independent travellers and intrepid travelling families. Designed by travellers for travellers. Get an easy and quick travel insurance quote for Cuba right here ↓
Tours and Transport in Cuba
Viator offers a wide range of tours and excursions in Cuba for travellers who’d just like to sit back an relax and see the highlights with a professional guide.
You can also book transfers in Cuba via Viator.
Check out many different tours in Cuba for the best prices right here ↓
