I just returned from 18 days in Cuba and thought I'd share a little info on the casas in Cuba. First of all, they are everywhere! You don't necessarily need to book in advance, if you're ok with just knocking on doors, or going through a local agency, you'll be able to find something quite easily.
I booked a casa for the first 5 nights of my trip (which I spent in Havana) and I did that online prior to arriving in Cuba. I used the website http://www.havanacasaparticular.com/ to book "Hostal Habana 162 - Old Havana Rentals." I paid a deposit to reserve the casa, then paid the balance upon my arrival. This casa is located in Habana Vieja between Chacon and Tejadillo. It's an awesome location within walking distance to many sites in Old Havana. Below, I'm going to leave the info and a quick review for each property where I stayed. Maybe this info will help someone with an upcoming trip to Cuba! I sure hope so. I know how much I've appreciated the recommendations from others when it comes to trip planning.
Havana As I mentioned above, I stayed "Hostal Habana 162 - Old Havana Rentals." AKA Hostal Galeria Habana. You can look them up on Facebook using "Hostal Galeria Habana" This casa is located in Habana Vieja between Chacon and Tejadillo. The owner, Carmen, is a cool, woman in her late 40s or early 50s (I'm guessing here) with an awesome bohemian home in Old Habana. The place is filled with cool art and antiques... She has two cats, a small dog and I think she even has a turtle and a bird, but I didn't see them! To enter, you'll walk directly up a long flight of stairs and at the top you'll be in the living room/dining room. Off the dining room is a wonderful little balcony filled with plants. I enjoyed sitting outside and drinking coffee or tea. A great space for watching the world pass by below. It's not a busy street, but I appreciated this. I never had trouble sleeping at night and I'm definitely a light sleeper. On that note, I would say, the bed wasn't the most comfortable in the world. But I think you'll find that with a lot of the beds in Cuba. I have neck & back problems, but it wasn't an issue for me either. It just made me appreciate my bed back home even more. Carmen prepared me breakfast in the mornings (upon request) and I think it was 4 or 5 CUC each day. This is a great value considering what you get!! She has two rooms for rent in the house (and she lives upstairs with her teenage son). There is a shared bathroom for the two rooms, which I was initially concerned about, but it was absolutely NEVER an issue. And, I should add, that they are planning a renovation soon, so each room will soon have a private bathroom. There are other funky little quirks, but hey, this is life.... and if you're looking to travel to Cuba, you better be comfortable with quirks. Otherwise, you should stay in an expensive hotel (or just stay home!) And if you're ok with quirks, well... you're going to love CUBA!
Carmen, my host in Havana, helped me arrange most of the other casas where I stayed for the remainder of my adventure. She arranged my stay in Viñales and in Trinidad. She even arranged my taxi collectivo from Havana to Viñales.
Viñales I stayed with Milaissy y Alexander, a young family (I believe they have just one teenage daughter, but I never met her). I stayed in their casa for two nights. It was a great room. Simple, clean, two beds, a refrigerator, private bathroom (inside the room) and an AC unit. There was a nice little outdoor space with two chairs and a bunch of plants. When I arrived, I enjoyed drinking a beer outside to relax from my drive. I would also recommend doing the breakfast they offer at the casa. Milaissy had a full spread out for only 5 CUC with more food than I could have possibly eaten, fresh juice (which was so delicious) and coffee. I would also recommend booking any tours or horseback rides through the casa. I decided to go off the beaten path and book a horseback ride with a local. That was a mistake. He was not a guide and the horse was underweight and exhausted. I'd recommend booking with a reputable agency, or through the casa owners.
Trinidad Trinidad was my favorite location by far. I spent nine days there! For many people, this might be too much. I know the Lonely Planet guide book recommends spending at least three days in Trinidad. I'm a professional photographer, so I kept myself busy for nine days without getting bored. I found this city to be my favorite for many reasons. The people were incredible! The food was awesome. Excellent music everywhere and the history, architecture and overall energy of the town just can't be beat. But hey, this is just my experience. I also did a couple of day trips outside Trinidad. I visited the Topes de Collantes and the Valle de los Ingenios, as well as Playa Ancon or Ancon Beach.
In Trinidad, I stayed at two different casas. First, I was at Hostal "El Pollo" located at Ciro Redondo #185 between Vincente Zuyama and Independencia. This is located on a quite side street just a 5 min walk from Plaza Mayor. They have 2 or 3 rooms, with a private entrance, and access to a nice little rooftop terrace. The room was simple, clean, spacious (two beds) and had a private bathroom within the room. Also an AC unit and mini-fridge in the room. The hosts (Adolfo & Yoli, a couple, and Yoli's younger brother Yodier.) I felt really safe in their home. The private gate from the street is locked, plus there's an additional gate to from the terrace that can lock, then the lockable door to my private room. Since I'm a woman and I was traveling solo, this was comforting! I also had breakfast daily in the nice outdoor patio downstairs. The food was simple but good and abundant. Fresh fruit, pastry, eggs (if I wanted them), fresh juice and coffee. For 5 CUC, you won't find a better deal.
The 2nd casa I stayed in, and my favorite, was with ** Roby & Albertina at Villa La Ceiba or "La Casa de Chango"**
This casa is located at Calle Conrado Benitez #210 between Independencia & Vincente Zuyama. This is just a 3-4 min walk from the Plaza Mayor. An awesome location and such a wonderful casa. The family is amazing. It's run by a mother and son (Albertina & Roby) They are such great people! So welcoming and kind. The prices fluctuate, depending on the season, but I believe I paid 25 CUC per night.
The casa rooms are located on the upper terrace of the house. I believe they have two rooms. The two rooms off the upper terrace each have two large beds and are spacious rooms. They have AC units, mini-fridges and private bathrooms. Everything is extremely clean! I really enjoyed the outside space on the terrace. There are tons of beautiful outdoor plants, a patio set with chairs, a hammock and even two swing chairs on the back side that face the ancient Ceiba tree in the 'backyard.'
The Ceiba tree is believed to be as old as 600 years and one of the oldest in Cuba. I felt incredibly lucky to stay in this casa and I admired this tree daily!! There's a great restaurant, La Ceiba which is located on the opposite side of the tree, I would also recommend having dinner there one night if you want to splurge. Just make sure you can sit outside on the terrace below the canopy of the Ceiba tree. The honey chicken was incredible!
If you end up staying at any of these casas, I would really appreciate it if you could send my kind regards to the hosts. Just tell them Erin (the photographer) from Portland Oregon says hello!
If you have any questions, just holler. I'm happy to answer questions regarding my time in Cuba.
