driver to Vinales

I'm headed to Cuba at a first-timer. I'm especially interested in organic agriculture practices, nature, snorkeling. Upon arrival May 23, I'm hoping to grab a driver from Havana airport to Vinales. Will I be lucky enough to do this without advance arrangement? Likewise, I'll want to depart Vinales area for a Sunday arrival into La Habana. It seems the online car hire is rather costly.

Do you know of any farm stays?

I think I would like to snorkle at Magano Key, but I would rather wait & hope for clear weather. Are early arrangements needed? I would roundtrip from Vinales.

I'll be exchanging eu for cuc. Is airport best spot to exchange?

I have such a short trip, I need to protect my time. Arriving Wed...departing Monday. Such a fast trip, but I'm glad for what exploration time I will have.

I read deep into the Cuba forum some months back--absorbed a lot, forgot a lot; it sure helped me make the decision to buy a ticket from Miami! I appreciate the effort to share travel tips!

I would imagine that you would have a few drivers interested in taking you from Havana airport to Vinales. Make sure to pick a modern car.

Just in case you wish to pre-arrange a car or get an estimate of cost, consult this site.....

TaxiVinalesCuba

Sounds like you are from US? If so read the FAQ's here as taking Euros MAY not be the best money strategy.

You would have to find an organized tour of a farm, almost all of which of organic.

I have a dear friend with a big farm in Oriente (eastern Cuba) that I used to regularly bike to, sometimes helping out, having grown up on a farm. Those visits recently, though, have come to an end, as he has been told it's not allowed for tourists to visit farms. Why? Es Cuba

What time of day are you arriving? It is a dangerous road after dark.

if you can manufacture the opportunity, you may very well find the organiponico is Alamar, Havana very interesting

https://octobersunincuba.wordpress.com/2012/11/30/the-organiponico-in-alamar-2/
https://octobersunincuba.wordpress.com/2012/12/01/the-organiponico-in-alamar-3/

The airport is the most convenient place to exchange money, and the rate there is pretty much the same as elsewhere in Cuba. It's quite easy to find a taxi at the Havana airport which will take you directly to Vinales, a drive of 180 km or about 2.5 hours. Not sure what the price is, but probably a little less than the daily rate for car hire + insurance + gas.
About halfway between the airport and Vinales is the Las Terrazas Biosphere Reserve. It is a region reclaimed from the devastation of 19th Century coffee farms followed by severe erosion and clear-cutting, now a pleasant wooded area. In the village there is an organic garden which supplies the town and single hotel. Assuming you have time on the day of your arrival to stop there, you might negotiate with your taxi driver to do that.
If you don't have time for that, just outside Vinales there's Finca Agroecologica El Paraiso, which offers excellent lunches and guided tours around the finca (farm). It's more set up for an educational tour than the village farm in Las Terrazas, where you might not be able to find anyone who speaks English. Once back in Havana, I agree with Rob that the Alamar organiponico is worth visiting. It's about 10 km east of Havana, easily reachable by taxi.
Cayo Megano, also known as Cayo Parisio, is a good choice geographically, but I'm not sure how good the snorklling is, as what I recall of it from one visit (quite a long time ago) it has a lovely sand beach and clear water. But maybe there's a reef nearby that I didn't notice, as I did not snorkle on that trip. There is an open-air cafe on the beach, not much else. You would make arrangements to get there at the Cubanacan office in Vinales. They run a daily bus--8 AM departure, I think-- to La Palma where the ferry departs for Cayo Juitas, and also where you take the little boat (arranged by the Cubanacan office) to take you to Cayo Megano. You could spend a day there, then, when you get back to La Palma, rather than return to Vinales, get a taxi to take you on to Havana--about a two-hour trip.

One other possibility: there is a casa about 500 meters from the La Palma ferry dock which is on a privately-run farm. You pass right by it as you go in. When I stayed there, the owner took me around the farm and also arranged for me to explore the big state-owned farm next door. I don't recall if either was organic, although most agriculture in Cuba is for economic reasons--if not 100% organic, at least mostly. (I was told a few years back that it only raises five crops for export that meet the standards of "organic" in Europe.)

Another possibility would be to choose a place to stay in Vinales which is a farm, like Casa Cafetel, which I believe is on a coffee farm. Then there's

Sorry, I said you catch the boat to Cayo Megano at La Palma, but that's the name of the province, not the village. The village the boat goes from, and also where that farm I mentioned is, is PALMA RUBIA. I am now sort of remembering that there was a reef not far offshore from Cayo Megano. If you do snorkel there, will you please put a follow-up post here as to how it is? As far as I know, there has never been a report on that island on Thorn Tree before.

Thank you. I had read of this service and they do have good reviews. It just seemed more costly than I would have guessed. I speak some Spanish, so I hope I can find a driver. I don't want to end up in a van with a pile of people--I'd rather be able to enjoy a conversation with the driver.

ttjpdo--Thank you for taking the time to share all this. I don't really want to end up snorkeling where there is nothing but sand! I've searched to find out if Cayo Megano has good snorkeling, but there's not much info other than reports that it is beautiful.

I hope I can find the farm you mention!

Unless things have changed in the last 5 years or so....i don't fly into Havana anymore, there are no private cabs allowed at the airport. So, you'll end up having to take a 'regular' cab. No shared passengers. I, imagine, it won't be cheap getting a cab at the airport to get you to Vinales. Hell, from what i understand, they charge $25cuc + just to drive you into Havana. You're looking at 100cuc+

I think I heard there are some private cabs situated farther along the road than the "regular" cabs. I'm wondering, too, if I may need to ride into Havana to find someone...or if the airport will be the best bet. I arrive before noon, so hopefully I have time (without wasting it) to sort things out.

I should be able to travel in daylight hours. I arrive before noon.

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