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Places to Visit, Things to Do
This is a newer section, and I’m relying on
fellow travelers to contribute information about what you liked and didn’t
like, and recommended things to see or avoid while in Cuba.
Places are in alphabetical order. Attributions
are footnoted.
Also, check out the trip reports on the Links page for more info on things to
do.
General
Guidebooks are possibly most useful as guides of where *not* to go. If it’s
written up enthusiastically, chances are you will find the place already
spoiled by tourism and its side-effects. It seems strange, as a tourist, to
complain about something like this, but it’s a fact that if you want a
tourism experience where you get a hassle-free taste of “the real Cuba,” then
it pays to seek out places that are dismissed as boring or otherwise
negligible by the Lonely Planet or Moon (or other) guides. Cuba already seems
to be crawling with people doing “the Lonely Planet trail,” and the number of
touts seems to be directly proportional to the amount of attention devoted by
the books. Suffice to say that if you break away from the recommended spots
you’ll find people to be genuinely friendly and helpful and not motivated by
money, almost without exception. (m)
Diving
Because the good sites seem to be very expensive (Hotels and eating at the
tourist resorts of the north coast, Playa la Gorda and Isla de la Juventud
have funny prices.) I tried Playa Giron. In my opinion it isn’t worth going
there. I told the divemaster that I’m not experienced and want a check dive
(I speak Spanish fluently.); he always said “Si” and than we did a normal fun
dive with bad equipment. Under water the visibility was bad; I saw very few
fishes, some coral and lots of sand. One dive costs $30.
I asked another time for diving possibilities in a tourist complex next to
the most popular beach near Santiago. There the price was also $30 a dive but
they didn’t want to work in the afternoon only for me.
Local fishermen offer diving with their own gear. This might be an option for
experienced divers who need nobody else and bring some safety equipment by
themselves. Prices go down to $40 for 4 or 5 dives.
Baracoa
It’s not that easy to get a nice casa particular in Baracoa. The area is poor
and so are a lot of the casas particulares. Take your time finding the right
one. (b)
Visit the Baracoa area and spend several days here. It is a wonderful
mountain area, there are few bureaucrats and a lot of things to see if in the
countryside. (b)
The last part of the road from Cojababo to Baracoa takes you across the
Sierra del Purial. Untill the 1960’s Baracoa was only reachable from the sea.
The road is a long, winding, climbing ‘highway’ which in quality and scenery
easily competes with similar roads in the European Alps (and much less
crowded). Baracoa is a lovely little town with a beautiful Malecon and a
lively, almost stricly Cuban, nightlife. The third weekend of April the town
is the scene of a very popular Cuban music festival (but check before you
go!). (d)
Baracoa is currently overrun with tourists and touts. Hustlers were far more
persistent (and relatively more numerous) than in Santiago. It’s a relatively
poor town, with a greater atmosphere of deprivation and desperation than
other places we visited, so people seem to be more determined to separate you
from your dollars. There are lots of casas; we paid $13 for a good one, and
you can probably find others for less. Hotel la Rusa is a great spot for $22
double. Despite the overall disappointment of Baracoa, the Casa de la Trova
there is great fun and was a much nicer experience than the Casa de la Trova
in Santiago, which, sadly, can only be described as a tourist trap. (m)
We went to the beach at Maguana to escape the nasty Baracoa scene...and were
greeted by offers of casas and lobster dinners as soon as we set foot on the
beach. Once we’d found our spot on the beach, it took us a few hours to
convince the handful of guys working the beach that we really just wanted a
little peace and quiet. (We were even persistently hustled by a four year old
girl to have a lobster dinner at her family’s house.) (m)
El Yunque, the table-top mountain overlooking Baracoa, is a good morning’s
hike. But getting there (as to Maguana) can be tricky and expensive. A
one-way taxi to Maguana will run you $10, and you will have to arrange return
transport (or to the El Yunque trail) from the Villa Maguana. (A nice but
fairly expensive [$35] little hotel -- if you’re not interested in camping on
the beach as we did, an advance booking will be essential. Casas in the area
seem to run about $10, but are much more rustic than in the cities.) (m)
I found Baracoa to be much more laid back and hassle-free than
Santiago. Maybe I just like the small
town atmosphere there. Transportation
to outlying areas is a breeze. Go to
the park and find others to share the ride if you don’t want to spend a lot
of cash. Check out the casa de
cultura. The casa de la trova, with
Jorge as MC, is a trip! Carnival in
April is round-the-clock partying.
They bring in 70,000 liter tanker trucks full of beer, and
entertainers from all over the island. (x)
Bayamo
If you’re not planning to make excursions in the Sierras, stay out of Bayamo.
It’s just another run-down town in the country. (b)
We rented a car and went to Bayamo from Marea de Portillo. We toured the
country and had no problems finding our way, stopping to ask in basic Spanish
where to go, and no problem in not being allowed to go anywhere. (c)
Camagüey
I liked this town, because it fits my preferences for mid-sized cities that
are small enough to walk around but big enough to have enough things to see
and do to keep your interest for more than 10 minutes. Among my activities: a
baseball game, a tour of a cigar factory, and an evening at the Casa de la
Cultura. They’ve got good street food, a good market, a plethora of dollar
stores, and a dollar bakery. Hassles were annoying in the small park on
Republica (a man followed me around with a dead bird, claiming it was all he
had to eat), but absent elsewhere. (me)
Ciego de Avila
In Havana someone recommended that I go to Ciego de Avila and in Trinidad I
was told that the people in Ciego were more kind and that there was more
poverty than in Trinidad. I can say that none of these statements seemed to
be true: Ciego de Avila is not really worth visiting, people were just like
elsewhere and there was certainly not more poverty than in Trinidad. In fact
Ciego de Avila is a more ‘modern’ city with little tourists. On one day you
can see everything and at some kilometers from the center there is also a
lake where you can swim. It seems that most tourists who stay in Ciego de
Avila are there for hunting in the surrounding forests. (i)
Cienfuegos
I liked this mid-sized town, and it was free of hasslers except for a few in
the main plaza in the old part of the city. Elsewhere I could sit on a bench
for hours without being bothered. Horses-and-carriages ply the main strip and
provide a good overview tour of the city. You can take day trips out to the
castle by boat and to the botanical gardens by hitchhiking or truck.(me)
Near Cienfuegos there’s a good looking beach popular with locals (lively!).
One can go there by public bus from the hotel near the Castillo (Hotel
Pasacaballo?). (o)
I went to the Botanical Garden in a private car for $15 round trip. The
driver tried to make more money by offering tourists a ride back to town
(they refused). (p)
There is a cozy coffee/bar on Ave. 54 Esquina 33 called El Embajador. They
have really good coffee and rum, and sesll cigars. I found them not pushy at
all when it came to selling their products. Very relaxed atmosphere, clean
and excellent service. There is a quiet lounge on the second floor with plush
leather sofas. (q)
Bar Il Palatino is a must-stop for a mojito overlooking Parque Martí and a
decent Cuban trio of musicians in the afternoon. (v)
Gibaro
In Gibara I was actually allowed to stay in the local
hotel and pay in pesos even after
showing my passport- that was 3 years ago and may have changed. However,
these are both nice quiet places, with even less tourism than the isla de
Pinos (Joventud). (w)
Guantanamo
We planned to drive to Baracoa, starting off on the coastal route to
Guantanamo. The road to and along the coast is beautiful. Like most of Cuba
it actually looks like you’re driving through a huge beautifully designed
park. The tourist complexes along the coast road bring you back to the
1950’s. The designs of the resorts and the total lack of visitors or related
activities give it a very melancholic atmosphere. Alas, arriving at the
border between the provinces of Santiago and Guantanamo we had to turn back
(130 km). The roads are closed off, due to the American base!! We doubled
back, drove through Guantanamo (depressing city) and found the road to
Baracoa. (d)
Guardalavaca
Guardalavaca is a nice and easy place to stay and recharge your batteries for
a couple of days (at least off-season). Not too many tourists, with a good
beach and excellent pizzas served in a UFO. Staying there means staying in
expensive (mostly) run-down charter hotels at $70+ or $45 a cabin on the
beach (do book in advance!). We stayed with a nice family in the village,
which is actually just a few houses east of the main beach, beyond Hotel
Atlantico, at $15/night for two. Look for the family dog, a starving Doberman
called Uchin (it won’t bite and likes chocolate cookies). (b)
It was time for a day at the beach so we headed in the direction of
Guardalavaca. Big, deserted tourist resorts (both brand new and fifties-style)
and high prices, based on the all-inclusive-concept (beware, the bars close
at 10:00 already!). But the beach was excellent and it turned out to be a
very relaxing day altogether. (d)
Havana
If you’re in Cuba in early December, take in some movies at the International
Latin-American Film Festival. They have quality foreign films from all over
the Americas (including the US--what embargo?) and outside them as well. Most
films are in their native language with Spanish subtitles. They’re shown in
good theaters and admission is only 2 pesos, but crowds line up early. (me)
A beautiful city. Of course Havana Vieja is gorgeous, but don’t forget to
take a stroll through Vedado (also the best part of town to find comfortable
Casa Particulares, great bars (a lovely daybar is situated at the
Geographical Society on thirteenth street, between F and G) and tasty
paladares (may we recommend the Gringo Viejo, 21 street, between E and F)).
If you are interested in architecture and culture a visit to Iglesia y Convento
de Santa Clara (on Cuba 610) is a must. Ask for Rene Caparros Aguiar
(commercial director of Centro Nacional de Conservacion, Restauracion y
Museologia) and if he’s got some time on his hands you’ll have a lovely and
learning-filled afternoon. Most of the hasselers tend to hang around Plaza
des Armes and Plaza de la Cathedral. (d)
Havana has so much to do and see from diving to dancing. Off the top of my
head in old Havana you’ve got the Bodeguita del Medio, Hemmingway’s favorite
hangout. While you’re there, ask for a mojito, the drink it’s famous for. La
cathedral in the old colonial plaza, where you can buy paintings and other
types of artistic crafts. Vedado has a lot of restaurants, theaters, museums,
etc. The legendary Tropicana is a restaurant and night club with an excellent
show. (f)
The beach is about 30 kilometers from the city. It certainly is worthwile to
go there for one entire day.(i)
There is a wonderful Independent Gallery of Fine Arts that shows the work of
many talented emerging and well-known contemporary Cuban painters, they also
show carvings and ceramics. The persons who work there speak perfect English
and they are very intelligent and polite. The Gallery is in Obispo St. #465
(first floor), between Villegas and Aguacate, one block after the Floridita
restaurant; Tel. 636795, Fax:333766. I highly recommend it to all the
travelers who love arts. (j)
Havana is absolutely breathtaking when looked at from a distance at sunset.
However, by broad daylight the buildings look rather precarious.
Nevertheless, the city has more flair than most other places I’ve ever been
or lived. Strolling through the old town of Habana by midnight (something I
would definitely not recommend doing, say, in Santo Domingo, Dominican
Republic!) My only worries were the holes in the streets, since street lamps
are not a concept Cubans believe in (or the city can afford, due to economic
reasons). (n)
Somewhere on the Internet I had read about the afternoon discotheques in the
Cafe Cantante near the Plaza de la Revolucion. This is hot value! There’s
Salsa dancing on Thursday and Bolero on Friday, always with a live band. It
starts exactly at 4 pm and ends even more exactly at 6 pm. The entrance is 5
or 10 Cuban Pesos for everyone. When I was there the Cafe was filled with
Cubans dancing everywhere they could. Every night the Cafe Cantante is a well
known expensive discotheque ($10, also for everyone). (o)
One fun place we found was the Casa de los Estudiantes on the university
campus by 27th and K in Vedado. It has some great bands playing
there in a great outdoor venue by the house--really fun crowds of students
having a great time and dancing up a storm. They have all kinds of music
there, so it’s best to come during the day and check the schedule. Some shows
are only open to students, but it’s worth checking out. The other thing was a
great show of yoruban music and rumba at the Scherezada Club by M and 19th
on Saturday afternoons, starting around 4 pm. (r)
I liked the free Casa de los Estudiantes and a place called Uniac ($5) in
between 17 y H in Vedado. There was Cuban music and dancing crowds of Cubans.
(s)
Holguin
A thrilling nightlife, but a hell of a lot of police. This is still one the
cities were Cubans are discouraged to mix with foreigners and we actually
heard stories about Cubans spending nights in jail and receiving fines for
talking to foreigners. The reasoning behind it is to prevent prostitution,
but the actions seem a bit stiff. The best bookstore of our trip we found in
Holguin (located on Parque Cespedes). (d)
Isla de la Joventud
This was one of my favorite spots. There are tourists who come diving here,
but the town of Nuevo Gerona is virtually devoid of them. Not much in the way
of street food (just pizzas and refrescos) and the market is dismal, but
there are a slew of restaurants on Calle 39, some of which take pesos from
foreigners. Most have separate dollar menus. (me)
There are a number of sites to see, all accessible by bus, and the bus
service is reliably regular on the island, though not frequent. The beaches
are rather dismal, but you can take in the prison where Castro spent some
time and Jose Martí’s former house. The diving hub is on the southern end of
the island, near the Hotel Colony. (me)
Diving in and around Isla de la Juventud at Colony (No PADI or CMAS courses
with any international value available, only first time introductory courses
at $ 175). It is possible to stay there if you are a non-diver for $45. It is
excellent, with excellent facilities, if you are diving, but hell if the
diving is cancelled for a day or two. We experienced just that due to the
hurricane Lilly. There was absolutely nothing to do. (b)
Jovellanos
Jovellanos, a little town in the province of Matanzas, is a tiny village that
never gets any tourists. My friends and I were being stared at from every
window, horse carriage and bicycle in the town. It was no problem finding a
casa particular. (e)
Las Tunas
When you close and lock your door at the Las Tunas Hotel in Las Tunas, put
a chair up against the door and a glass on the chair. This way when the
security opens your door at night to steal your wallet (it doesn’t matter
whether you use the lock box or not—they have the keys to everything) the
glass smashing will hopefully chase them away and wake you. Investigations
later told of this happening on a regular basis and the police aren’t much
help as they get their share as well. (u)
Maria de la Gorda
Staying on the right route from Pinar del Rio is quite difficult. There are
more roads than shown on the Lonely Planet map. I recommend picking up
hitch-hikers who can give directions. There is now a real military checkpoint
and gate at the La Bajada entrance. We just told the young soldier that we
had reservations at Maria La Gorda and he cheerfully let us through after
checking out passports in the office for a few minutes. We stayed in the car.
When leaving the peninsula, we drove through the gate without being asked to
stop. (a)
Most tourists are French here, and the dive instructors speak very good
French, and some English. If you just want to rent snorkelling equipment ($5
per day), you can see fabulous fish starting right at the end of the dock.
There’s fresh fish for dinner every night. (a)
It takes 2-3 hours in a taxi from Pinar del Rio to Maria de la Gorda. They
are reconstructing some of the rooms, but the existing units are not fancy at
all. Meals are expensive, but dinner was worth the money. Don’t expect them
to have fish. The white sand beach was pretty, with a lot of palm trees and hammocks.
Diving is a little expensive, $30 a dive plus some for rental equipment. But
there are many fascinating sites: caves, walls, coral, large groupers, angel
fish, etc. Bring your snorkeling gear. You can see coral and tropical fish
just by snorkeling off the beach. (k)
Diving equipment for hire at the dive shop needs to be checked very
carefully. It doesn’t seem to be maintained properly so care needs to be
taken to make sure your BCD (jacket) inflates and deflates and your regulator
is working properly.(t)
Matanzas
In the center of Matanzas there
is a nice club called El Karaoke. (y)
Moa
Travelling from Baracoa along the coast towards Moa made us feel as
participants in the Camel trophy: the road doesn’t deserve to be called one and
10 mph was as fast as our Subaru could cope with. But we weren’t in a hurry
(and if you are, you shouldn’t be in Cuba in the first place). Moa is nothing
more than a gigantic Zinc-factory. Fascinating is more than it deserves. (d)
Continue to places N-Z
Add comments about what you loved or hated.
Thanks to sources:
(me) uh, that would be me, Allison, 12/96
(a) john@bishop-co.com, 1/98
(b) jon.anders@geocities.com 1/98
(c) subartley@hotmail.com, 2/98 and 4/98
(d) iplk@xs4all.nl, 5/98
(e) dfuentes@scholastic.com, 6/98
(f) shooter@interpoint.net, 6/98
(g) clausfi@aol.com, 7/98
(h) dfuentes@scholastic.com, 6/98
(i) frederik.vanhaverbeke@elis.rug.ac.be, 7/98
(j) fvazquez@jcce.org.cu, 7/98
(k) mandanose@email.msn.com, 8/98
(l) toapril@hotmail.com, 8/98
(m) matt@total.net, 8/98
(n) rgeiger@dir.fh-sbg.ac.at, 9/98
(o) jr2@Rcs1.urz.tu-dresden.de, 10/98
(p) jean-marc.dugauquier@is.belgacom.be
(q) oracarr@hotmail.com, 3/99
(r ) SS
in SJ, 4/99
(s) frankkoch@gmx.net,
1/00
(t) simon.hardy@bbc.co.uk, 7/99
(u) dbmurray@globalserve.net, 8/99
(v) christian.mondor@canadacouncil.ca, 3/00
(w) cuba@together.net,
3/00
(x) andmeddave@hotmail.com, 5/00
(y) ljsii@cs.com, 7/00
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