Havana to Vinales, Cuba
Two of Cuba’s most popular destinations, most visitors to the island will at some point find themselves stuck in a taxi between Havana and Vinales. For a little extra cost, most drivers will make your trip a little more enjoyable and take you to some of Cuba’s coolest road trip stops along the way if you ask. Specifically in Las Terrazas, an eco-village created by a reforestation project in the 1960s, there are historic sites and stunning views you won’t find by focusing your travels only on the city. Here are a few of the must-see stops that our friendly non-English-speaking taxi driver took us to during our mini road trip.
Two of Cuba’s most popular destinations, most visitors to the island will at some point find themselves stuck in a taxi between Havana and Vinales. For a little extra cost, most drivers will make your trip a little more enjoyable and take you to some of Cuba’s coolest road trip stops along the way if you ask. Specifically in Las Terrazas, an eco-village created by a reforestation project in the 1960s, there are historic sites and stunning views you won’t find by focusing your travels only on the city. Here are a few of the must-see stops that our friendly non-English-speaking taxi driver took us to during our mini road trip.
Cafetal Buena vista
Our first stop was at Cafetal Buena Vista. Genuinely the most beautiful jungle views of my entire trip. Miles and miles of green from an old coffee plantation. Surrounded by wildlife are the now partially restored plantation and ruins of slave’s quarters that produced the coffee years ago. The location also includes a restaurant, though since it was just our first stop we decided to skip it.
Hotel Mocha
The beautiful Hotel Mocha. If you aren’t already staying there it is a must-see just for the views and the garden. Built with Spanish colonial architecture, the hotel has an atrium lobby and is designed sustainably for supporting eco-tourism. There is also a popular cute little cafe just down the hill from the hotel to get your caffeine fix.
Lagos Del San Juan
Just down the hill from Hotel Mocha is the Lago Del San Juan. Not only are the views looking up the hill incredible but there is also a little monkey who hangs out on an island in the lake. Though I don’t actually know his food/living condition so I can’t fully say how much I recommend seeing this as I did feel bad for the monkey since he looked like he could be trapped on the island. If you are staying in the area longer there are also nearby horseback riding trips as well as canopy tours.
Orchidarium in Soros
For just a few CUC we went into the beautiful botanical gardens. Set just outside of Vinales, the garden dates back to the 1940s and will make you feel fully at peace. We wandered the grounds and took in all the breathtaking flowers and jungle views before continuing on to the Vinales Valley.
