Bus to Viñales

Many people use Havana as a base to explore the surrounding towns and attractions like Las Terrazas, Vinales, and the island of Cayo Levisa. We decided to stay in different places to really soak in the local vibe. So, we hopped on a bus from the capital to Vinales, which is famous for its stunning nature and tobacco plantations. We originally planned to take the Viazul bus, but we stumbled upon a group tour that had space in their luxury bus for us. It cost 15 CUC instead of 12 CUC with Viazul, but the best part was that the journey only took 2.5 hours instead of nearly 4. On the way, we passed countless tobacco, mango, sugarcane, and banana plantations. Back in the day, sugar was Cuba's biggest export and source of income; now, it's all about tourism. We practically had the highway to ourselves. There weren’t many cars on the road—just a fair number of horse-drawn carts and people hitchhiking along the side. Just before arriving in Vinales, we stopped at a tobacco house. A tobacco plant takes about 3 months to grow, and then the leaves need to hang to dry for another 3 months before they can be rolled into cigars. It’s legal to take 50 cigars per person when leaving the country, but if you want to bring more, you need written permission. Vinales is a small, sleepy town where animals roam freely. Almost every other house in town offers Casa Particular accommodations. Our guide from the bus trip even had a family member in Vinales who rented out rooms. It turned out to be a sweet elderly couple, and we decided to stay with them. We have a little apartment all to ourselves—the entire upstairs is just for us. There’s absolutely no need to book accommodation in advance since the options are so plentiful. When the locals see a bus arriving, they rush over with offers for lodging. There aren’t many dining options in town, so the best food is usually at your host family’s place. Our lovely hosts served us dinner in their garden on the terrace. It’s pretty standard to get a three-course meal, including drinks, for about 10 CUC whenever you eat with a host family—no matter where you are in the country. We started with black bean soup, which has turned out to be the most common dish in Cuba. Cheap and healthy! For the main course, we had chicken with salad and rice, and dessert was a banana, accompanied by a Cuban beer. Rum is cheap and readily available, so you often see people enjoying a drink. Everywhere you go—regardless of the town's size—you can buy mojitos, which are often sipped throughout the day, like during lunch. In the evenings, some young folks gather at the town square in Vinales to drink and listen to music played from a well-maintained old American car.