After exploring Havana and Varadero, I decided to see some of the beautiful countryside I’d heard so much about. From Havana to Viñales Valley is a perfect day trip, and it allowed me to see what life was like outside of the city and beach. The Valle de Viñales is a small portion of Cuba’s countryside and was declared a National Park in 2001 and Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999. The town is located in the middle of three valleys in Pinar del Rio region.
If you’re considering a trip to Cuba, check out my comprehensive guide on traveling to Cuba as an American.
Since I only spent 5 days in Cuba, I decided to stay in Havana and take day trips outside the city. If you have more time then you can customize your tour to stay in a casa particular for a night or two. There are a number of great Cuba tour companies who can set up a private tour for you, so you can personalize every part of your day and make sure you’re getting the most of your time. I highly recommend Discover Viñales.
Specifics
- It is a 3 hour trip from Havana to Viñales
- A private taxi will cost you around $70 EACH way
- Duration: 10 hours (with the time of transportation of 5 hours total in a private transfer)
- A taxi collectivo will cost you about $15 per person EACH way if you organize your own roundtrip transfer
Our Experience Visiting Viñales From Havana
We were picked up from our apartment at 8 am in a private car to make the 3 hour drive from Havana to the Viñales. If you’re a fan of the old classic American cars, you have the option to pay extra to drive to Viñales in a vintage ride. We decided to drive in a regular vehicle because we wanted to make the trip shorter and more comfortable for such a long drive. The ride there was a great introduction to the non-city way of life in Havana. During the 3 hour drive to Viñales, we drove by horse and carriages, oxen, and donkeys; all transportation used by the local people. At one point on the drive, we were even stopped at a federal check point and the police officer searched our vehicle.
First, we stopped at Los Jazmines, the most famous view of the valley. This stop was rather quick as we just stepped out of the car to admire the view and take some photos and continue on our way.
Our next stop was a women only tobacco sorting factory, where leaves are sorted according to the size and the quality, besides the fermentation, drying process and packing. Each employee rolls over 100 cigars daily. The cigars are rolled, pressed and then taken for thorough inspection. We were shown the process then wandered around on our own inside.
Following our tour of the cigar factory, we were then taken to a tobacco farm, where they showed us how they harvest tobacco, dry it and roll it into cigars.
We were greeted with some Havana Club Rum and some fresh pineapple from the farm. We then started learning about tobacco and the ways they make it organically in the farm.
Following our visit to the Tobacco farm, we went horseback riding. My absolute favorite part of visiting Viñales was being guided through the hills on a horse. Vinales is so beautiful that we didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to ride through the countryside. As we trotted through the valley for more than an hour, we were able to enjoy the beautiful views and feel the energy of the countryside.
Next stop was lunch, and as it was already nearing 3pm, we were definitely ready to eat. Lunch was at Finca Paraiso Agroecologico, a restaurant perched onto of a hill with a captivating view.
The lunch was included in the price of our tour and was presented family style. We were given chicken, beef, fish, vegetable soup and sides of rice, beans and salad. We washed down our meal with mojitos and finished it with a traditional Cuban dessert.
Following lunch, we were ready to start the 3 hour journey back to Havana. As we drove up the hillside to get back to the main highway, we made our last short pit stop to see a mural depicting a pre-historic scene on the side of a mountain. Leovigildo González Morillo designed it in 1961 and this massive mural took 18 people four years to complete.
Hasta Luego Vinales!
Prices of the arranged services
Tour: 50 cuc per person
Roundtrip Transportation:
150 cuc in a regular car with air conditioning up to 3 persons
180 cuc in a classic American car with air conditioning up to 4 persons
200 cuc in a VAN or comfortable classic American car with air conditioning of 4 to 7 persons
My Thoughts
If you visit Havana, I highly recommend that you make it a point to visit Viñales . From Havana to Viñales Valley is a perfect day trip, and it allows you to see what life is like outside the city in Cuba. My trip to Viñales really made me feel like I was able to get to know more of the Cuban culture and the nature of this beautiful country.
Additional Pictures:
Have you been to Viñales? Let me know about your experience.
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