VIÑALES, CUBA
After spending a few days in Havana, the fast-paced Cuban capital, most travelers opt to make Viñales their second stop. The bus ride is less than 4 hours but these two cities could not be more different! Viñales is a nature-lover’s paradise and gives travelers a glimpse into what life is like in Cuba’s dense, green countryside. It is also quickly becoming internationally renowned for its rock climbing scene! Although the town itself is very small, you can spend days exploring the surrounding area especially if you are traveling as the locals live - slow, relaxed, and care-free.
Attractions:
Parque Nacional Viñales: Just a short walk from town, this national park can be explored on foot, bike, or horseback. You can spend hours or days wandering the area as it offers some of the country’s best scenery and views! In addition to tobacco fields, you will find many unmarked trails worth venturing into! From town, most bike rentals will be 1 CUC/hour and most guided horseback tours will be 5 CUC/hour.
Viñales Bus Tour: This hop-on hop-off bus is one of the best bargains in town! For only 5 CUC, this bus runs a 19-stop loop taking you to most of the area’s main attractions. The bus picks up in the middle of town at Plaza Mayor five times daily (9:00am. 10:30am, 1:30pm, 3:00pm, and 4:30pm). You’ll notice 6 of the more popular stops are duplicates to allow travelers less wait time between buses. If you rode the loop from start to finish, it would take just over an hour. Take note when you get off at each stop; there will be a sign in the ground telling you when the next bus comes. This will give you an idea of how much time you have to explore where you are! Some of the main stops (in order) include:
Hotel Los Jazmines (Stop 6): This stop has an absolutely breath-taking view of the surrounding countryside; wow! The bus stops here for 5-10 minutes to allow people to take pictures but I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to stay here 90 minutes for the next bus to come around. There is a restaurant here as well as a bar serving piña coladas!
Canope (Stop 10): Zip-lining is offered here for 8 CUC. The course is very small (only 4 lengths in total) but the view is lovely!
Mural de la Prehistoria (Stop 11): This 120m-long mural was painted into this rock in the 1960s! The meaning of the artwork is up for interpretation but to me, it seems to explain the theory of evolution. Similar to Hotel Los Jazmines above, the bus will stop here for 5-10 minutes to allow for photos. If you would like to enter and explore the area, there is a 3 CUC charge which includes a drink (I think the 5-10 minutes for photos is enough to see this stop).
Cueva del Indio (Stops 15/17): For 5 CUC, you can take a calming 10-15 minute boat tour through these caves.
Visit Tobacco Farms: There are two tobacco farms on the hop-on hop-off bus referenced above. The first is Casa de Veguero (Stop 4/8) and the second is Estanco del Tabaco No 2 (Stops 13/19). Both offer short guided tours and sell cigars if you are interested. You don’t need to ride the hop-on hop-off bus to find a tour though - plenty are sold in town. Most are 4 hours in length, on horseback, and cost 25 CUC.
Centro Cultural Polo Montañez: This building is both a cultural center and nightclub. The nightclub portion is open from 9:00pm-2:00am and the 1 CUC entrance fee will buy you a night full of live music and dancing! If you have time, it’s worth visiting next door beforehand for a 1-hour private salsa lesson for 10 CUC!
Cuevas de Santo Tomás: A 90-minute guided tour of this cave costs 10 CUC and includes a headlamp. The tour is slow-paced and allows you to explore 1km of the cave’s depths. The caves are 30 minutes from town; round-trip colectivos cost 20-25 CUC (they will wait outside as you explore the inside of the caves). If you are on a tight schedule, this is one attraction you can skip.
Other spots to check out include: Los Acuáticos, Jardin Botanico de Viñales, and Three Jotas.
Accommodation:
To say Viñales has an abundance of casa particulares feels like an understatement; they are everywhere! And you’ll know it right away because once you get off the bus in the center of town, you’ll be swarmed by people trying to get you to stay at theirs! Most locals rent rooms out of their homes. They generally have two beds and cost between 15-25 CUC per night. The plus side of staying with a local family is they’ll offer delicious, home-cooked meals (for an additional cost). The drawback is that you’re not likely to encounter Wi-Fi but there are plenty of spots to connect in town.
Transportation:
The Viñales Bus Station is located in the center of town. Here, you can find colectivos heading to Havana, Varadero, Cienfuegos, Trinidad, etc. The prices I list below can be bartered especially if you are traveling in a group and can fill up the entire vehicle. If you would rather be picked up from where you are staying, colectivos can be booked through your casa particular as well.
Havana is 3.5 hours by bus from Viñales and costs 12 CUC; buses leave twice daily at 8:00am and 2:00pm. The colectivo ride is 2 hours and costs 20-25 CUC.
Varadero is 7 hours by bus from Viñales (indirect; via Havana) and costs 22 CUC. The first bus from Viñales to Havana is 3.5 hours and costs 12 CUC; buses leaves twice daily at 8:00am and 2:00pm. The second bus from Havana to Varadero is 3 hours and costs 10 CUC; buses leave four times daily at 8:00am, 10:00am, 12:00pm, and 5:00pm. The colectivo ride is 5 hours and costs 35-40 CUC.
Cienfuegos is 8.5 hours by bus from Viñales and costs 32 CUC; buses leave once daily at 6:45am. The colectivo ride is 5.5 hours and costs 35-40 CUC.
Trinidad is 10 hours by bus from Viñales and costs 37 CUC. Buses leave once daily at 6:45am. The colectivo ride is 6.5 hours and costs 40-50 CUC.
Santiago de Cuba is 20-24 hours by bus from Viñales (indirect; via Havana) and costs 63 CUC. The first bus from Viñales to Havana is 3.5 hours and costs 12 CUC; buses leave twice daily at 8:00am and 2:00pm. The second bus from Havana to Santiago de Cuba is 13-17 hours and costs 51 CUC; buses leave four times daily at 6:00am, 3:15pm, 6:00pm, and 10:00pm. This route is too lengthy for colectivos.
Viñales does not have an airport. If you do not plan to spend any time in Havana, you can hire a colectivo directly from Havana’s airport. The ride is 2.5 hours and costs 95 CUC.
Thank you, Ohia, for sharing your pictures!