Our 21 Day Trip from Varadero to Havana, Cuba

– Written by Maria Kempes (from Germany)

Booking Flights to Cuba

After we had made the decision to travel to Cuba, we had a look for flights online and found some cheap flights to Cuba quite easily.

A lot of airlines offer great fares to Varadero or Havana so both are worth doing searches for to compare the prices.

You can also find super cheap all-inclusive deals and sometimes that makes more sense than only booking the flight.

As we wanted to see as much of the island as possible, we decided to fly to Varadero and leave the country from Havana.

Arriving in Varadero and the Casa Particular

Once arrived at Varadero airport, you can take a taxi to the center of Varadero or to the Hotel Zone.

It should not cost you more than 30 COP.

Most travelers who decide to stay some amount of time in Varadero book an all-inclusive package with one of the countless hotels, you can find in Varadero.

We decided to stay in casas particulares for the duration of our 21 days trip.

So, for the first one and a half weeks, we stayed in the center of Varadero in “Casa Ramon“.

About Casa Particular’s

A Casa particular in Varadero should not cost you more than 35 CUC per room/per night.

Casa Ramon is our recommendation for Varadero. It is close to the beachfront.

Also, the rooms are clean and well equipped, Ramon and his wife are super nice and overall great cooks.

You can choose every day from different dishes like shrimps, lobster, fresh fish, or chicken and Ramon cooks a great three-course dish for you.

Out and About in Varadero

In Varadero, you have to enjoy the beautiful Caribbean and its white beaches.

Go snorkeling or just swim in the warm ocean.

Renting a scooter is a really good option to explore the whole area on your own.

There are a lot of beaches which are not overcrowded and have fewer tourists.

A scooter is not super expensive and you don´t have to take a taxi everywhere when renting a scooter.

Another advantage is that you won´t be bothered by all the taxi drivers around.

Our favorite restaurant in Varadero is the pink cow “La Vaca Rosada“ (Calle 21 No. 102, Varadero).

You can find various foods that do not belong to the Cuban standard which you find in 90 % of the other restaurants and hotels. While eating you can enjoy the beautiful rooftop terrace.

Visiting Trinidad in Cuba

From Varadero we took a bus to Trinidad.

The Cuban bus line is called “Viazul“ and the tickets have to be booked in advance.

The trip took us around 6,5 hours which is really long for this distance.

Unfortunately, we found out too late that there is a second option to travel around in Cuba: Taxis collectivos.

Mostly, you can find the taxi drivers in front of the ticket offices and make an appointment for the next days.

Taxi collectivo laza Vieja“o the ocean, „ 30 COP means that you share the taxi with other passengers and the prices are a bit higher than for the bus.

But the travel time is of course way shorter and there are no extra stops on the way.

Back to Trinidad: As we wanted to stay a bit off the track we booked a casa called Idél y Domingo in La Boca.

This casa was awesome and cost us 30,- CUC per room/night.

We always had a huge breakfast (4,- CUC) and a three-course dinner (8,- CUC) in the casa as Idél is a great cook.

La Boca is a tiny village right next to the ocean situated between Trinidad and Playa Ancon with a beautiful sunset and a small beach.

So even if there is nothing really to do in La Boca it is the perfect starting point for a lot of trips and excursions.

You can go by taxi or by bike to Playa Ancon and enjoy a perfect beach and great, blue water and spend a relaxed day in a sunbed.

Another option is to visit Trinidad which is absolutely a must.

Walk around the beautiful old city and visit the museum and the church.

Have a look at all the cool stuff on the artisanal market and drink a traditional Canchánchara.

In the evenings you should try Casa de la Troba for live music and dancing (for everyone) or just eat out and have a Mojito in one of all the great-looking restaurants.

Back to Havana

As we flew back from Havana, we spent our last days in the capital city of Cuba.

The best parts of Havana to stay in are the hotels and Casas around the Plaza Vieja or the ones in Havanas Vedado.

For Havana, you should plan a stay of 3-4 nights. Must-sees are the:

• old town
• Revolution Museum
• handcraft market
• one of the cigar manufacturers
• and if you have enough time you should spend a day at Playa del Este.

You should also walk along the coast from Old Havana to New Havana (or vice versa) and enjoy the stunning views on both sides of the streets.

Also very nice is taking one of the oldtimer cabrios and make a city tour.

• Restaurant recommendation: 5Esquinas Trattoria (#104 Esq. Cuarteles, Habana Vieja)