Scroll to explore
Arrival in Baracoa In Cuba, the concept of ‘time’ is of insignificant importance, as everyone seems to have plenty. Hardly anything is ‘on time’ and the Cuban people have perfectly mastered the skills of waiting and queueing. As such our arrival in B...
Arrival in Santiago de Cuba Upon arrival in Santiago de Cuba in the evening, we had trouble finding our guesthouse. The name didn’t show on the façade, which made things a bit more complicated. Suddenly, we realized that the big TripAdvisor sticker o...
After exploring the lovely city center of Trinidad by ourselves, we were looking forward to the guided walk that had been arranged for us via Casa de Norge . Our Cuban guide led us away from the beaten path to show us her ‘real Cuba’. We started wa...
On a day trip from Viñales, we visited Cayo Jutías, a peninsula with a long beautiful beach. Although it is very popular with tourists, the 10-kilometer long beach is large enough to accommodate everyone. You can always walk away from the crowds and ...
After spending a wonderful time in Cuba, we came back with tons of beautiful photos. Instead of keeping them hidden in a dusty folder somewhere on my computer, I like to bundle a selection in a photo book. It’s always fun to flick through the pages w...
Although the old city center of Havana isn’t too large to be explored on your own, the city becomes much more interesting when a local guide comments on the sights around you. We explored Havana Vieja with Yaritza, a local guide for Qué Bola Havana. ...
Even though you're travelling, sometimes you crave a lazy day. Today was one of those days, as we didn’t put an alarm and woke up when we felt like it. There was no need to hurry, we didn’t have to go anywhere or arrange anything. We stayed in our be...
For the first time since Baracoa, we ventured out on another bike trip. Somehow, cycling in Cuba always ended up being a painful experience for us. This time, we got decent mountain bikes with working brakes, but after the horseback riding the day be...
Painfully early in the morning, at 5 AM, the doorbell of our casa particular rang. The driver from Cuban Adventures Cuba Tours had come to pick us up and take us to Sierra Maestra, the country’s highest mountain range and home to its highest peak, Pi...
A blinding start In the middle of the night, at 3:20 AM, we awoke with a jolt as we were suddenly blinded by the bright ceiling light of our cabin. Why was that necessary? I had put my own alarm, but someone from the main cabin seemed not to trust ou...
Perched on a mountain ridge in Sierra Maestra and tucked away amid thick cloud forest, Comandancia de la Plata is the camp where Fidel Castro based his rebel headquarters during the Revolution. The location had been chosen for its inaccessibility, an...
After the tranquility of Bayamo, we were looking forward to a place with a bit more of a buzz. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008, Camaguey stands out among the other Cuban cities thanks to its maze-like structure, which brings to mind the medin...
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the well-preserved colonial city of Trinidad was founded by the Spanish in the 18th century. The city soon grew wealthy thanks to the production of sugar cane, cattle and tobacco. The profitable financial situa...
How much time in Trinidad? Trinidad is a relatively small city that you could easily visit in one day, yet there are plenty of reasons to extend your stay. Apart from exploring the wonderful historic city center, you could also include a visit to the...
Fusterlandia is the art project of José Rodriguez Fuster, who felt inspired after a trip to Europe where he had been admiring the work of Gaudi. He started by transforming his own house into a giant artwork, then proceeded to doing the same for his n...
El Yunque, situated in the El Yunque Protected Area, is the table-shaped mountain that towers over the village of Baracoa. Although it sits a mere 575 meters above sea level, it is a tiring hike to reach the summit. Prepare for some hard work, a lot ...
On our first day we did a horseback riding tour through the valleys of Vinales that included a visit to a tobacco farm, a coffee plantation and a natural pool. We were stunned by the beautiful sun-soaked valleys and rolling mogotes, and had so much f...
Arriving in Cuba feels as if you’ve time-travelled to a fascinating past. Vintage cars, old colonial houses, overly relaxed people and…no internet. Considering the lack of wi-fi spots and the hassle of actually finding and using one, it would be wise...
About two hours west of Havana, Viñales is a nice retreat from the hustle and bustle of the capital city. The small city is a great starting point to discover its lush green countryside, its rolling mogotes and its famous tobacco fields. We stayed fo...
When I first started planning our trip to Cuba, I looked at the map thinking one month would be way too much to visit this relatively small country. I researched if we couldn’t combine it with a visit to Jamaica or the Dominican Republic, but because...
We spent three days in the Sierra Maestra cordillera, combining a two-day trek to Cuba’s highest mountain with a one-day visit to Comandancia de la Plata; Fidel’s hidden rebel headquarters during the Revolution. Below is a detailed overview of our da...
No one should bother me in the morning, that is a well-known fact. After a long nocturnal bus ride from Camaguey, we arrived in Santa Clara at 8 am in the morning. I had barely slept, which is another reason to maintain a safe distance. Unfortunately...
In the 18th and 19th Century, Matanzas was nicknamed ‘the Athens of Cuba’ because of its rich literary and musical culture. That period of great splendor was unfortunately followed by years of neglect and decay. Today, Matanzas is reaffirming her att...
From spotting vintage American cars to exploring the old city center and sipping mojito’s in Hemingway’s favorite bars, here’s a list of things to do when in Havana. 1. Explore the historical center of Havana The Havana Vieja district has so much to ...
Tired from three days of hiking in Sierra Maestra, we arrived at our new casa in Bayamo. Our host Vivian welcomed us and explained a thing or two about the city. When we realized it was 4pm and daylight became scarce, we hurried outside to make the m...
Although Cienfuegos lies at a stone’s throw from Trinidad, relatively few tourists bother to check it out. As a result, the city exudes a completely different vibe which feels more laid-back and more authentic. We travelled to Cienfuegos the day afte...
After partying the night away at Las Parrandas de Remedios, we weren’t able to get out of bed until 1PM. Despite the two bottles of rum and innumerous beers, we felt surprisingly well. We even felt like taking in a dose of culture. Santa Clara is kno...
Located 15 km from the colonial center of Trinidad, Playa Ancon is a popular getaway for travelers and locals alike. After some intense day of travelling, we also looked forward to spending a lazy afternoon on the beach. We asked our cab driver to...
Although Playa Larga wasn’t originally on our planning, we soon changed our minds when a fellow traveler compared it to Baracoa. Given that Baracoa had been the highlight of our entire trip so far, we decided we had to check it out. We arranged trans...
Our stay in Baracoa had sadly come to an end. In order to make the most out of our last day, we woke up very early (again). In Belgium, the early alarm would instantly put me in a bad mood, but in Villa Paradiso the pain is soothed by the beautiful s...
One of the first thoughts that comes to mind when talking about Cuba, is the passionate Cuban salsa dancing. Anywhere in Cuba, you will see Cubans swinging their hips on the rhythmical sounds of salsa music. The island is basically one big dance floo...
Los Acuáticos is a community on the mountain slopes of the Cordillera de los Órganos in Viñales. The name refers to its inhabitants’ faith in the healing power of water, but it is also famous for its panoramic hilltop setting. Our host enjoys the vie...
After the horseback riding tour, we quickly went for a bite in the center of Viñales, then started walking towards the popular viewpoint Balcón del Valle, just outside of Viñales. We aimed at getting there by sunset. Hike up to Balcón del Valle Le...
What to do? This is what we did: Day 1: Playa Maguana + Dinner at Baracoando Day 2: Hike up to El Yunque + visit the waterfalls + explore Baracoa’s nightlife Day 3: Visit the Women’s Cacao Farm + check out the Yumuri canyon + lunch at Playa Manglito...
Originally, our plan was to visit both Las Terrazas and Soroa, but as we were told those two places are very similar, we decided to stick to the former and spend more time there. Set up as a rural project of sustainable development, this riverside re...
After hearing about the abundancy of tourist resorts in Varadero, we felt curious. Not because the large resorts appeal to us or fit within our travel style, but because we wanted to marvel at the mass tourism-fueled decadence. Leaving our operating ...
Situated at about 30km from Trinidad, Topes de Collantes is a natural park in the Escambray mountain range. The park is brimming with waterfalls, rivers, caves, valleys and natural pools. It is easy to arrange excursions from Trinidad at any given ti...
Our first experience with local 'camiones' With a shorter distance ahead between Santa Clara and Sancti Spiritus, we thought we’d give the Cuban local transport a try. Camiones are basically trucks redesigned for human transport. They’re not really b...
After a long day of trekking and sweating, we looked forward to taking a nap in our cabin at Camp Joaquin. When we were handed our ‘one blanket per person’, we realized it wouldn’t do the trick. It was too small and too thin to keep us warm. We were ...