Hi
Will be spending a few weeks in Cuba in May and are hoping to visit the following places: Havana, Trinidad, Pinar del Rio, Santa Clara, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba.
Are there any other “must see” towns/sites that anyone can recommend? We are into beaches, cities, people, activities. Can anyone give a rough idea of how much this might cost, staying in casa particulares and catching the bus around.
Also, in regards Casa particulares, how do you find these? I have the guidebook and there are some listed there, but is there like some sort of central agency that rents these or do you just wait for someone to approach you at the bus stop?
Thanks!
kendwasun
1
analinacuba
Hi, read reviews from real travelers on www.TripAdvisor.com There are good B&B recommendations. People who can help you in everything you need in Cuba.
Baracoa is a nice place to visit.
Have a great time!
3
2025
Ken, 2 weeks is not enough time for your wish list of cities to visit.
For accomodation and transportation costs, have a read of the FAQ, there are links to Casa Listing sites and to Viazul bus as well as train information.
4
rickie
Hi Ken, if you are in Cienfuegos check this casa out casa If he is full there are 3 other rental casas on the same block so there is no need to pay a commission.
5
ttjpdo
Kendwason: Poster #3 is correct in saying that your proposed itinerary is too ambitious for two weeks. Best to limit your trip to whichever end of the island you fly into. If you are flying into Havana or Varadero, then it will be easy for you to visit those two places, plus Trinidad, Pinar del Rio, Santa Clara, and Cienfuegos. You might also wish to include Topes de Collantes for a bit of hiking in the cloud forest. It is located between Trinidad and Santa Clara, so you could hire a taxi for the day to take your from Trinidad to Topes, wait while you hike for an hour or two along one of the lovely trails, then continue on to Santa Clara. If you are interested in experiencing one of Cuba's offshore islands, then maybe Cayo Levisa, which is on the north coast about halfway between Vinales and Havana (two hours to either).
If you are flying into Santiago or Holguin, then the places most interesting to visit at that end of the island would be Baracoa, recommended by Poster #1, Bayamo, and, if you want to hike in the Sierra Maestre, Santo Domingo (2 hours by taxi from Bayamo).
#4 spends a lot of time in Cienfuegos and regularly provides reliable information to people. You'll also find a large amount of reliable information of all kinds on Poster #3's webesite.
Fredsanford, you have posted nothing but garbage since you came on this branch. Enough already!
6
ttjpdo
Kendwanson: There are several good ways to find a licenced casa.
1. Go to the casa websites listed in the FAQ at the top of this branch, and write down the addresses of several in each town where you think you might want to stay overnight.
2. Scroll back through old posts and find casas recommended by tourists who have recently been to Cuba and recommend the places they stayed.
3. When you arrive in a town, there will be teenaged boys hanging around the Viazul bus station, or who will approach you as you start down the street, and will offer to guide you to a casa. It is quite safe to go with them, but be prepared to say no to the casa if, when you see the room, you don't think you will be comfortable there. All of these boys know many casas, so if you don't like the first one, they will take you to another. You do not have to pay them, as the owner of the casa where you stay will compensate them for bringing you there.
4. Or you can just walk around on your own, looking for casas which have a green or blue sticker on the door, indicating that it is licenced to rent to foreigners. Then knock on the door, and if they have a vacancy, ask to see the room.
The only night you really need a reservation is the first night, because you have to write in the address of where you intend to stay on your tourist card. But even with a reservation, you should have the addresses of several other casas in that same area, because casa owners, never sure if you will show up, tend to give out the room to the first person who gets there. So if somebody gets there ahead of you, the room you thought you had reserved may be gone, and you may need to look for another one. The casa owner will phone around for you and send you to the place of someone else they know of, but often the place they send you will not be of the same quality, so...you might want to accept their assistance, or you might want to try one of the other places on your list. The main thing, again, is to be prepared to say no if you don't like the room you are shown.
7
ttjpdo
Kendwanson: There are several good ways to find a licenced casa.
1. Go to the casa websites listed in the FAQ at the top of this branch, and write down the addresses of several in each town where you think you might want to stay overnight.
2. Scroll back through old posts and find casas recommended by tourists who have recently been to Cuba and recommend the places they stayed.
3. When you arrive in a town, there will be teenaged boys hanging around the Viazul bus station, or who will approach you as you start down the street, and will offer to guide you to a casa. It is quite safe to go with them, but be prepared to say no to the casa if, when you see the room, you don't think you will be comfortable there. All of these boys know many casas, so if you don't like the first one, they will take you to another. You do not have to pay them, as the owner of the casa where you stay will compensate them for bringing you there.
4. Or you can just walk around on your own, looking for casas which have a green or blue sticker on the door, indicating that it is licenced to rent to foreigners. Then knock on the door, and if they have a vacancy, ask to see the room.
The only night you really need a reservation is the first night, because you have to write in the address of where you intend to stay on your tourist card. But even with a reservation, you should have the addresses of several other casas in that same area, because casa owners, never sure if you will show up, tend to give out the room to the first person who gets there. So if somebody gets there ahead of you, the room you thought you had reserved may be gone, and you may need to look for another one. The casa owner will phone around for you and send you to the place of someone else they know of, but often the place they send you will not be of the same quality, so...you might want to accept their assistance, or you might want to try one of the other places on your list. The main thing, again, is to be prepared to say no if you don't like the room you are shown.
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