The Republic of Cuba is an island country surrounded by thousands of islands, islets and cays in the northern Caribbean Sea between Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean. The main island, named Cuba, consists mostly of flat to rolling plains apart from the Sierra Maestra mountains in the southeast, whose highest point is 1974 m. The local climate is tropical shaped by the Caribbean current, which brings in warm water from the equator. Cuba is 1250 km long and has officially about 10-11 million inhabitants.
Cuba, January 2025
Cuba was in many ways what I had expected with lots of American 1940-50th cars (mostly with small Russian or other engines), street musicians playing salsa music; friendly people, farmland with sugar cane and tobacco, white beaches, etc.
When I booked this tour I had decided to visit Cuba “before the country is overflowed with tourists”, but it turned out that the country is on a decline. I was told that more than a million people has emigrated or fled during the last two years. Because of the US and international embargo Cuba has traded mostly with China and Russia, but now they don’t get much from Russia because of the war there. There were power black-outs in cities for days, even in our hotels, and mile-long petrol queues. Some people even sleep in their cars to keep in line for petrol that may be delivered once a week – or not at all. The central highway west to east has up to 2-4 lanes each way, but there were hardly any traffic and lots of potholes. People try to get USD or EUR cash, because that is the currency they can use to buy goods like refrigerators, TVs, AC, etc. which private persons manage to import and sells in their “dollar shops” (to enable them to import more). Many people live far from the places they work. All cars, trucks and buses are obliged to stop for hitchhikers, except the tourist buses, and we saw people along all roads offering cash, cigars, corn cobs, etc. to tempt drivers to stop. We took onboard two nurses who had been waiting for two hours. They said they spend several hours each morning and afternoon to get transport.
However – all in all it was an interesting tour with lots to see, beautiful old buildings, good but simple food, friendly people, and nice and warm climate with a few lazy days at the beach.
All photos and video were taken with my Sony DSC-RX100VII compact camera, and edited with Final Cut Pro on my MacBook Pro laptop.
Day 1: Norway to Cuba – Arrival in Havana
Short video from our arrival in Havana in the evening. We stayed at the famous Hotel Nacional de Cuba, where several celebrities had stayed in the glory days before the revolution.
Day 2: Sightseeing in Havana, Cuba
We started our sightseeing with a stop at the Revolution Square, but it was the vintage American cars parked there that interested us most. Next was a tour in a cigar factory where we could watch the workers through windows. The bus let us out near Plaza del Armas next to the old Havana fort from 1577. From there we walked the streets to Plaza de San Francisco de Asís, Plaza Vieja, passing Ernest Hemingway’s favorite places. We had our lunch at the famous La Bodeguita del Medio. On theway to our bus we passed Plaza de la Catedral. Before heading back to our hotel we had a salsa dance course for beginners on a rooftop terrace. In the afternoon I had a dip in the hotel’s pool before relaxing on the hotel’s garden terrace in the evening.
Day 3: Cruising with Vintage American Cars in Havana
We woke to a rainy and windy morning. Fortunately the rain stopped minutes before a row of convertible vintage cars arrived to pick us up for an hours drive through Havana. I chose to ride with a 1957 Chrysler Windsor. The other cars our group had was a 1959 Buick, a 1959 Ford Fairlane and a 1956 Mercury.
We drove with blowing melodious compressor horns through the outskirts of the city and parked in a park area by a river. There we had a long break with time to ask the drivers about their cars, and we took a lots of pictures. On the way back it started raining again so we had to stop to put up the canvas top. We all enjoyed the tour very much.
Day 3: from Havana to Viñales
After our morning tour with vintage cars we packed the bus and headed south-west for the city of Viñales. The landscape was said to be beautiful, but on an overcast windy day with rain it was not much to look at. The highway was almost empty – just a few cars and trucks, and several horse carts and bicycle taxis. At intersections people waited for transport. We stopped for a break with Rum & Coke and Salsa music by a lake in the forested Las Terrazas area – a place that must be a really beautiful in sunshine – before we had lunch in the local village. After a coffee break nearby we continued along the highway to Viñales on smaller roads in poor condition, with sugar cane and tobacco fields alongside. We arrived at our Hotel Horizontes La Ermita around 5 pm. The rooms were basic but had all I needed, except Internet.
Day 4: Tobacco Plantation in Viñales
– Another rainy day with showers. After a cold and windy breakfast on the restaurant terrace we started our sightseeing with a visit to a tobacco farm. They explained the process of making cigars. Some of us tried the cigars, and we all tasted Cuban rum.
Day 4: More Sightseeing in the Viñales Valley
After visiting the tobacco farm we continued to a farm that produced vegetables, fruits, sugar cane and tobacco. We were shown their crops and had a new lecture about tobacco. Before heading back into town we had lunch in their restaurant. The rain stopped before we visited a small souvenir market in the center of Viñales, and the sun broke through the clouds a few times. After a coffee break we drove into the Dos Hermanas valley to see Mural of Prehistory – giant cliff paintings. Before heading back to our hotel we drove up to a viewpoint at Hotel Los Jazmines overlooking the valley and mountain range, and took group photos.
Day 5: from Viñales to Cienfuegos, via Havana
This day we drove south-east back through Havana towards Cienfuegos. After a rainy day in Viñales the weather was clearing when we left this beautiful valley. Our bus needed to refuel in Havana, and with fuel shortages our driver left us at our tour guide’s house for a rest in the meantime. An hour later we were on our way again – long straight and mostly empty highways, with a few coffee/toilet stops. After a lunch with salsa music we headed for the Bay of Pigs – famous for the unsuccessful US invasion in April 1961. It was cloudy and windy, but a few in our group had a dip in the warm Caribbean waters. Finally we headed for our San Carlos hotel in Cienfuegos where we arrived after dark.
Day 6: From Cienfuegos to Trinidad
The view from the rooftop breakfast restaurant on the 7th floor in our hotel was spectacular. After checking out and loading our suitcases into the bus we had an hour walk through the old center of Cienfuegos.
A couple of hours later we arrived in Trinidad and parked outside the old Spanish Cantero Palace which is now a museum. From the top of the tower we had panoramic view of the city and the Caribbean Ocean. Next we walked up to the Plaza Mayor, had a special drink in Chanchanchara bar, and lunch in El Dorado restaurant. Finally we drove out to the coast where we checked in at the one-year-old 5-star Melia Trinidad Peninsula ‘all inclusive’ beach hotel.
Day 7: Trinidad – Trekking in Topes de Collantes Nature Reserve
From Trinidad we visited the Guanayara park in the Topes de Collantes Nature Reserve. Our bus drove us up the steep narrow roads from Trinidad into the Escambray Mountains. After visiting an information center and a coffee plantation a truck drove us into the park on bad roads. It was wet and foggy. We strolled through lush subtropical vegetation and got a lot of information about animals and plants from a local guide. We stopped at a couple of waterfalls, and those who wanted could have a refreshing bath. It started to rain just before we reached the forest restaurant La Casa de la Gallega. After lunch the waiting truck we drove us back to the bus. It was a cold and wet drive. Back in the bus we drove there straight to our hotel.
Day 8: Hotel Melia Trinidad Peninsula – Beach Day
After traveling for a week it was nice to have a day without a program – just relax on the beach and at two of the several pools – and enjoy the all-inclusive buffet meals and drinks.
I did not take many video-clips on this resting day, but with a few still photos I have managed to make a short video.
Day 9: from Trinidad Peninsula to Camagüey
We started “late” from our 5-star Trinidad Peninsula hotel and headed for Camagüey. On the way we first stopped in Sancti Spiritus for “coffee break”, and a walk in search of ATMs that were not out of money. A closed bank let us in, and with manual credit card registration we managed to get some cash.
Then we continued to Florida for lunch, followed by a bicycle tuk-tuk ride through local streets.
We reached our “home stay” accommodations in Camagüey in the evening and our group was divided into several “private” houses. My room did not have many stars, but was better equipped that most hotels. We dined in “my” house and enjoyed really tasty food and drinks.
Day 10: from Camagüey to Santiago de Cuba, via Bayamo
After a good breakfast in our “home-stay” accommodation we started the long drive to Santiago de Cuba in the southeast. Our first stop was a coffee break, but without electric power there was no coffee. However, the cold beverages were still not warm.
We stopped for lunch in Bayamo, followed by a walk in the town center. Not many products for sale in the shops, and the pharmacy was almost out of medicines – but we found an ATM with cash. We crossed over the Sierra Maestra mountains, and stopped in El Cobre to visit the Basílica del Cobre church at dusk. People were sitting in the dark, but the power came back just as we entered the church. Coincidence? Afterwards we continued to our Melia Santiago de Cuba Hotel.
Day 11: Sightseeing in Santiago de Cuba
From our hotel we drove directly to the Santa Ifigenia Cemetery, where Fidel Castro, José Martí and other revolution heroes are buried, to see the change of guards.
Next stop was the Bacardi Rum museum/shop at the factory. We continued to the revolution square to see the strange spikes monument by Antonio Maceo. Next stop was the Moncada Barracks to visit the new revolution museum in the school complex. We had lunch at the El Morro pirate restaurant before visiting the nearby San Pedro de la Roca Castle that protected the bay of Santiago de Cuba and city from pirates from the 17th century. We ended our sightseeing with a walk down the pedestrian street in the city center listening to a local street salsa band.
Day 12: from Santiago de Cuba via Holguin to Guardalavaca
Our driver had not managed to get any petrol on the evening before, but before driving north we stopped at a gas station and waited in line, and he managed to buy 30 liters. Thereafter we continued north for a lunch stop in the city of Holguin.
On the way to our beach hotel we stopped at the El Chorro de Maita Museum to see the well-preserved remains of 62 human skeletons dating from the early 16th century.
Finally we arrived at our all-inclusive Gran Muthu Almirante Beach Hotel in the afternoon where we would spend our last 1-1/2 days in Cuba.
Day 13: Guardalavaca – Beach Day
A relaxing day on the beach and in the garden and pools of the Almirante Beach Hotel. Our last whole day in Cuba. Sunshine and warm sea, and sparkling wine at the pool bar. We had a good buffet lunch, and ended the day with dinner in the hotel’s Indian restaurant. – all-inclusive!
Day 14: Departure from Cuba
We had time to spend several hours on the beach before lunch and check-out at noon. A bus drove us to the Holguin Airport, and after almost two hours delay we boarded the Condor Airbus A330 for a night-flight to Frankfurt.
Day 15: Transit in Frankfurt Airport
Because of the late departure from Cuba we landed too late next morning for our connecting flight to Norway, but we were lucky to get seats on the next flight.