A week in cuba

TRINIDAD

Trinidad is a colonial town about four hours South East from Havana. It’s a beautiful, colorful town with a more slow-paced way of life and was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988.

Day 3:

First thing in the morning, pack up and get a car to Trinidad (about a 4 hour car ride) with a stop for lunch in Cienfuegos, a small seaside town along the way.

FIND A CASA WITH ROOFTOP VIEWS

In Trinidad, it’s easy to arrive and ask around for accommodation on the spot (such is the way in Cuba). We stayed at Casa Amparo (see map for details), which is a spacious home in central Trinidad run by two very sweet ladies (they don’t speak much English but are extremely accommodating) and it has gorgeous rooftop views.

TAKE A SALSA LESSON

Salsa dancing is a must while in Cuba. Call your casa ahead (if possible) to have them book a salsa lesson for you on the roof on the afternoon of your arrival.

DINNER AT LA BOTIJA

Satisfy your hunger at La Botija for dinner, which is open 24 hours but commands quite a line around dinner time, so make sure to arrive before starvation sets in. They have quite a large selection of tapas style food — definitely one of the better meals we ate while in Cuba.

SALSA DANCING IN THE SQUARE

After dinner, head to the Plaza Mayor to watch the salsa dancing commence. It costs about 1 CUC to get a seat inside the square. If you’re a lady, be forewarned that you will probably be asked to dance — so this is the perfect opportunity to put your new salsa skills to good use!

END THE NIGHT AT RINCON DE LA SALSA

If you still haven’t had enough salsa, walk down the street to Rincon de la Salsa to get your groove on with the locals.

Day 4:

EXPLORE THE STREETS OF TRINIDAD

After breakfast at your casa, spend an hour or two wandering around the colorful streets of Trinidad (we spent most of our time wandering between the Plaza Mayor and Plaza Carillo).

BEACH BUM IT AT PLAYA MARIA AGUILAR

Pack up a beach bag and grab a taxi to Playa Maria Aguilar which is only about 20 minutes by car for a couple hours of sunbathing and cooling off in the turquoise water. Just note: the food at the restaurants here is not great and there are no bathrooms, so just be aware going into it, but the beach is worth it!

HORSEBACK RIDING TOUR THROUGH THE TRINIDAD COUNTRYSIDE

Head back into Trinidad in time for an afternoon horseback riding adventure that the casa can book for you. We did a tour for about four hours that took us through the gorgeous countryside to a waterfall, however, it started storming heavily and we turned right back around soaked without ever going into the falls. Make sure to check the weather for the best outcome! 2-3 pm is a good time to set off on this excursion.

DINNER AT LA RADDICION

Get back into town for dinner at La Raddicion, which has great lobster and vegetarian options as well. Their service can be slow (an expectation in Cuba), so make sure you’re not on a tight schedule before dining here.

DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY IN A CAVE

End the night at the Disco Ayala, a semi-cheesy but have-to-see-once kind of nightclub, inside a cave. Check with locals about the best night to go because sometimes they do a show earlier in the night as well.