A special souvenir means I’ll never forget my three week road trip in Cuba

Cuba conjures up images of classical cars, mojitos and salsa music, but for truthful long, the island – the largest successful the Carribbean – has been somewhat of a question people for travellers.

For decades, it was a mystery. Tourism each but stopped aft the gyration successful 1959, lone to commencement again successful the aboriginal 90s, aft the illness of the Soviet Union.

It was lone 8 years ago, that President Obama lifted the question prohibition for Americans, marking a caller epoch for tourism connected the island.

Today, the state inactive raises eyebrows. ‘Is Cuba safe?’, my friends asked arsenic I elaborate my planned escapade crossed the state for 2 weeks. ‘I’m definite it’ll beryllium fine,’ I had hastily replied.

Talk astir an understatement. I was truthful captivated by the spot that I intentionally missed my formation backmost to London, and stayed an other week successful paradise.

And don’t conscionable instrumentality my connection for it: Cuba has conscionable been named by Condé Nast Traveller in their database of the champion 25 places to spell successful 2025 with the work citing its ‘UNESCO-protected cities, gelato-colored classical cars — and its loquacious, quick-witted locals’ arsenic reasons to visit.’

I began my travel successful Havana, touching down successful the superior successful precocious February 2024.

I had signed up for a radical travel acquisition with WeRoad, who had planned 5 stops connected our itinerary including villages and cities that would showcase each that Cuba had to offer.

So, if you’re readying a roadworthy travel with a difference, here’s however to walk 3 weeks successful Cuba.

Havana (4/5 days)

Cuba’s superior is beautiful. The metropolis is dissimilar thing I person ever seen before: the marvel of the renaissance-esque buildings that were crumbling away, the hustle and bustle of the streets and the unthinkable culture.

You’ve apt seen pictures of the classical cars driving past prima bleached buildings – really being determination was similar seeing a postcard travel to life.

We stayed successful homestays, which are backstage homes that section families rent retired to tourists, for astir $30 a night, with discounts disposable if you enactment longer.

The hosts were incredibly welcoming, and it’s a batch much affordable than staying successful 1 of the hotels. Some volition adjacent marque you meal (I enjoyed fruits and pastries), lavation laundry for you, and assistance you organise activities.

I was besides a akin property to immoderate of the radical moving successful the homestays, who were each anxious for maine to look astir the city.

While successful Havana, beryllium definite to bash a classical car circuit – you tin spot the full metropolis successful benignant with a backstage driver. We booked with Old Cars Havana, who connection a travel successful a classical convertible for $80 dollars, with an informative guide.

For nightlife and to immerse yourself successful section culture, Fabrica de Art Cubano is the spot to be. It volition beryllium the spot recommended to you by tourists and locals alike.

The venue is an creation assemblage travel euphony venue, with aggregate rooms showing antithetic performances. When I accidental I loved it, I mean it – I went 3 times. I saw a unrecorded band, DJ set, and salsa dancers. And, the champion bit? The summons was 600 pesos, which is astir £3.

When it comes to food, Cuba isn’t precisely famed for its culinary delights. Due to commercialized embargos and tensions with the US, imports are scarce, meaning immoderate of the meals you get won’t beryllium the best.

That being said, Havana has the champion nutrient connected the island. There were tons of fish-based dishes – though you tin really get sick of lobster if you devour it each day.

It is worthy noting that everything successful Havana was somewhat much costly than the different towns – with meals costing astir £7-9, cocktails £4 and section beers astir £1.50.

Viñales (3/4 days)

I americium not exaggerating erstwhile I accidental Viñales is the astir beauteous spot I person ever been successful my life.

A 3 hr thrust from Havana and successful the vale portion of the island, it is wherever astir of the baccy connected the land comes from for those infamous cigars!

We spent 3 days present but I would urge a small longer to instrumentality successful the quality of the unthinkable small town.

While successful Viñales, we rode horseback crossed the mountains (which is overmuch scarier than I retrieve horse-riding lessons being arsenic a child), visited a baccy plantation, and got up a 5am for a sunrise hike.

The baccy plantation was a highlight, with the farmers giving america an in-depth tutorial connected however to rotation a cigar.

Once the leaves are picked, they are cured successful peculiar sheds for astir 2 years earlier they are acceptable to beryllium rolled.

I spent $70 connected 12 cigars to bring home, which are present lying successful my chamber drawer, eagerly awaiting a peculiar occasion. Our usher advised america to marque definite we bought the cigars from verified baccy plantations, arsenic those connected the streets are often fake.

Matanzas (2/3 days)

The larboard metropolis of Matanzas, founded successful 1693 by Spanish king Charles II, is affluent successful past and art.

It was a 5 hr thrust from Viñales, but the spectacular views of rolling hills and mountainous regions made the travel alert past.

It is the nation’s 2nd largest city, and has earned the nickname the ‘Athens of Cuba’ owed to its taste value connected the island.

Matanzas is overflowing with sculptures, and portion walking done the city’s streets we spotted a antheral successful his studio, making his caput (not to scale) retired of clay.

He proudly told america that helium hadn’t been paid to marque the artwork, which would beryllium displayed successful the municipality square, but he’s simply created it truthful determination was much creation disposable for locals.

While successful Matanzas we besides visited Cuevas de Bellamar, 1 of Cuba’s earthy treasures.

The cave dates backmost 300,000 years, and our circuit usher was speedy to archer america the tales that person travel into fruition implicit the years – including the ‘fountain of youth’ that flows done the stone formation.

Trinidad (3/4 days)

It’s hard to crown a champion, but Trinidad whitethorn beryllium the champion destination successful Cuba. It’s connected the southbound broadside of the island, truthful it has spectacular achromatic soil beaches that person to beryllium seen to beryllium believed.

The municipality feels similar Havana’s edgy younger sister – the Camden of the island, if you will.

We started disconnected our enactment with a meal astatine a rooftop edifice Muñoz Tapas, adjacent the main square, which gave america an eagle eyed presumption of the bustling scenes beneath – determination is ever thing going connected successful Cuba, beryllium it a unrecorded performance, radical dancing successful the streets, oregon children moving done the streets.

Dinner successful Trinidad was astir £6-8 for a meal, and drinks were £3 for a cocktail and £1 for section beers. I opted for immoderate accepted croquetas with a pork and rootlike taco.

While successful Trinidad, we frequented astatine Casa de la Musica, an unfastened aerial euphony venue with a unrecorded set each night.In Cuba, radical DANCE. None of this 2 measurement concern that has plagued the clubs of London, but electrical salsa moves and passionate rhythm.

If you don’t person a partner, nary fear, if you look confused connected the borderline of the creation level for much than 20 seconds, idiosyncratic volition beryllium close implicit to expanse you disconnected your feet.

After a fewer excessively galore Mojitos astatine the Casa, caput implicit to La Cueva.

About 200m beneath ground, ‘Gasolina’ and ‘Despacito’ tin beryllium heard vibrating done the walls of an existent underground cave, that’s present a nightclub.

The nine somewhat resembles the nightclubs of Western Europe – sweaty and loud, but everyone is having a bully time.

Our days successful Trinidad looked precise antithetic to our hedonistic nights – hikes, ziplines and swimming successful freshwater pools.

Head to El Cubano earthy parkland wherever you tin hike for hours, stopping disconnected astatine a farmer’s location connected the mode for a cupful of beverage with leaves he’d grown himself, arsenic portion of the trek.

The trek wasn’t excessively demanding, nevertheless we were informed afterwards that we had taken the easier route, truthful if you privation a challenge, you tin opt for the harder one.

When we got to the top, alternatively than hiking backmost down, we paid $10 to zoom done the glorious treetops connected a zipline, which was by acold the astir businesslike mode to descend.

Despite the adust clime erstwhile we visited, the biodiversity of the miniature rainforest was flourishing, and we adjacent managed to drawback a glimpse of Cuba’s nationalist bird, the Tocroro, which sports the colours of the flag.

And, we couldn’t permission Trinidad without jumping connected a vessel and heading implicit to Cayo Blanco, an isle overrun by iguanas.

The immense reptiles seemed affable enough, but I’d enactment distant from those jaws if you can.

Santa Clara (1 day)

Santa Clara pays homage to possibly the astir celebrated fig that comes to caput erstwhile reasoning of Cuba, Ché Guevara.

It’s a poignant determination successful Guevara’s past arsenic it was the tract of 1 of the astir pivotal battles during the gyration successful 1958, wherever Che and his fighters derailed an armored bid carrying troops and supplies for the President Batista’s regime, yet starring to his resignation.

The cardinal Cuban metropolis has immortalised the battle, with the bid proudly connected show for visitors and locals alike.

Santa Clara was noticeably overmuch little ‘busy’ than the different regions we had visited successful Cuba. There was nary music, fewer bars, and a unreality of decision seemed to bent implicit the town, arsenic the locals remembered those who had fought for their freedoms.

We walked done the historical cobblestones with hushed voices, arsenic a section usher told america of however the 1950s were the past marker of existent gyration the state had seen.

Varadero (1/2 days)

Varadero is wherever you spell if you’re looking for that emblematic Caribbean formation scene. It’s incredibly serene, but overmuch much of a touristy determination – for those looking to acquisition the ‘real’ Cuba, the different cities are worthy the visit.

Aside from the achromatic sands, you could precise overmuch beryllium anywhere, and it lacked the bosom and psyche of the land that we had felt for the remainder of the travel – the souvenir shops were afloat of classical ‘tat’ alternatively than the intrinsic creation pieces and sculptures we had seen being created by section artists crossed the island.

If you privation to flop aft a engaged road-trip, this is the place, but if you don’t person overmuch clip to spare, I would springiness it a miss.

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