Viñales, Playas del Este & Surroundings

The Valle de Viñales is Cuba's postcard image: emerald green tobacco fields, interrupted by Mogotes — imposing limestone cliffs that rise like giant burial mounds from the plain. The valley is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is located 180 km west of Havana in the province of Pinar del Río. A day trip is possible (2.5 hours drive), but an overnight stay is worthwhile — the valley at sunrise and sunset is incomparable.

What to experience?

• Visit a tobacco farm: A tobacco farmer (veguero) explains the cultivation, harvest, and rolling of a cigar — and you can try it yourself. The most authentic cigar in Cuba doesn't come from the factory, but directly from the field.
• Hiking the Mogotes: Hikes through the valley offer spectacular views — the Mirador del Valle (Hotel Los Jazmines) has the best panoramic view. Guided tours: 10–20 CUC.
• Horseback riding: Ride through the tobacco fields and to hidden caves and viewpoints — the most romantic way to explore the valley. 2–3 hours: 15–25 CUC.
• Cueva del Indio: A stalactite cave with an underground river — the last 400 meters are traveled by boat through the illuminated cave. Touristy, but impressive. Entrance: 5 CUC.
• Mural de la Prehistoria: A 120-meter-long mural on a Mogote rock wall — painted in the 1960s on Fidel Castro's commission. Kitsch? Yes. Spectacular in its size? Also yes.

Just 25 minutes east of Havana lie the Playas del Este — a 15-kilometer stretch of coastline with white sand and turquoise Caribbean water. Proof that Havana offers not only history and culture but also a dream beach.

The Beaches

• Playa Santa María del Mar: The most popular and best-developed beach — wide, white sand, some beach bars, and sun loungers. On weekends, Habaneros come here. Often almost empty during the week.
• Playa Guanabo: Further east, somewhat quieter and more local. Here you can find simple Casas Particulares right on the beach — perfect for a night by the sea.
• Playa Bacuranao: The first beach after Havana — small, pretty, and popular with locals. Simple beach bar, little infrastructure, lots of charm.

How to get there?

Bus or taxi from Havana: 25–30 minutes. The HaBaBus (Hop-on/Hop-off) runs hourly from Parque Central to the Playas del Este. Alternatively: Taxi (15–25 CUC round trip, price negotiable). A vintage convertible to the beach? Pure Cuba feeling.

Finca Vigía — Hemingway's Home

The Finca Vigía (Lookout Farm) in San Francisco de Paula, 15 km southeast of Havana, was Ernest Hemingway's home from 1939 to 1960. Here he wrote "The Old Man and the Sea," "Across the River and Into the Trees," and parts of "A Moveable Feast." The house remains in its original condition: 9,000 books on the shelves, hunting trophies on the walls, his typewriter on the table, empty rum bottles and magazines — as if he had just left the room.

You look inside through the open windows — entering the house is not allowed to protect the furnishings. In the garden: his boat Pilar (on which he fished and gathered material for "The Old Man and the Sea"), his swimming pool, and the graves of his cats.

Cojímar — The Fishing Village from the Novel

Cojímar, 10 km east of Havana, was Hemingway's fishing port and the inspiration for the harbor in "The Old Man and the Sea." His friend Gregorio Fuentes — fisherman, boat captain, and the real-life model for the old fisherman Santiago — lived here until his death in 2002 (he was 104 years old). At the harbor stands a Hemingway bust, cast from ship fittings collected by the fishermen. The restaurant La Terraza de Cojímar was reportedly Hemingway's regular spot — fresh fish and sea views.

For a deeper insight into Afro-Cuban culture, a trip to Regla and Guanabacoa — two suburbs on the eastern shore of Havana Bay — is worthwhile.

Regla

Accessible by ferry from the harbor in 5 minutes (almost free!). Regla is the center of Santería — the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Regla is simultaneously dedicated to Yemayá (sea goddess of the Yoruba religion). Large processions take place here on September 7. The atmosphere is completely different from Habana Vieja — rougher, more authentic, more spiritual.

Guanabacoa

A few kilometers further: a sleepy town with the Museo Municipal de Guanabacoa, which explains the Afro-Cuban religions (Santería, Palo Monte, Abakuá) — with altars, drums, ritual objects, and an excellent introduction to a world of beliefs that is everyday life for many Cubans.