Cuba is a diverse country. When you think of it, the colorful houses in Havana and the classic cars immediately come to mind. But the country in Central America can also be completely different. Viñales in the west of the country presents a completely different side of the country. A Cuba full of nature, with lots of green and a completely different flair.

The order of a trip to Cuba is naturally very individual. Some only make a short stay in Havana, others enjoy a few more days of relaxation in Varadero. For our part, we decided to start our trip with a load of beautiful nature in Viñales and at the very beginning to experience a somewhat untypical Cuba in the Pinar del Río region.

The excursion to Viñales can be perfectly organized from Havana. Therefore we have researched the internet for a long time and compared different offers. Our impression was that at Sunny Vinales Tour you get the most for your money.

The dry season in Cuba is between November and April, which is also the best time to travel and to avoid a lot of heavy rain. It is also the most popular time so a lot of people will visit Cuba during this period. Due to the general good weather condition you can visit Cuba the whole year, but expect more rain during the rain season.

In the early morning hours, shortly after sunrise, a private chauffeur was already waiting for us in Havana with a classic car to start the long drive to Viñales together. Even if the joy was huge in the beginning, the drive takes about 3 hours and in a classic car it gets quite uncomfortable with time. Nevertheless it was an exciting experience to see how different Cuba is and how it became greener during the trip.

Our chauffeur did not speak a bit of English, and the same was true for our Spanish. So unfortunately we could not have a great conversation. Nevertheless, he tried very hard to make the trip as pleasant as possible.

About halfway along the route we took a short break, he bought drinks and snacks and shared them with us. Basically to the excursion with Sunny Vinales Tour it has to be said that the driver is available the whole day. He constantly chauffeurs clients from one point to another and waits on call.

Finally arrived in Viñales we had a welcome drink, where the whole trip was explained to us and the money for the tour was collected. Shortly afterwards our chauffeur took us on a short drive to the tobacco plantation.

Here you will be explained on site how the cigar leaves are dried and what is important so that the taste finally corresponds to what you expect from typical Cuban cigars. While everything was explained to us, we watched a cigar being rolled in front of our eyes. We could buy that one and about 10 others for $60. Pretty expensive, but a nice souvenir from faraway Cuba.

For even more Cuban feeling and to discover Viñales even better and more authentically, we made ourselves our new friends after the tobacco plantation and got to know them. Each of us got his own horse, with which we became friends. Finally we had to spend the next 2-3 hours together.

Over steep paths and narrow roads we rode through the beautiful nature and admired with full admiration the fascinating Viñales. Apart from that, it is a wonderful experience that will remain in the best memory of all of us. Our companion was a loving elderly Cuban who took good care of us.

At about the middle of the tour we made a stop at a local farmer who explained to us how they grow coffee and honey locally. Of course we could also taste some of it. If we liked it, we were offered to buy some of it ourselves or from the local rum and take it with us for the return.

Since horseback riding gets pretty tired after a while we went to a local restaurant for lunch.

Being a cowboy is not easy!

Here we enjoyed Cuban cuisine with a beautiful view and enjoyed the moment full of relaxation. Although it was only lunch at this place, it remained in our best memory because of the beautiful view.

The further course of the tour took place more or less relatively quickly. Our chauffeur drove us from one sight to another to explore the other culturally important places.

One of these sights is the Mural de la Préhistoria. It is a huge wall painting that represents the origin of mankind. From the first living creatures, the dinosaurs, to the first humans. An interesting place to visit briefly to complete the tour.

Another highlight was the visit to Cueva del Indio. A cave, which we partly discovered on foot or in the boat. The exciting thing about this was that the years of shaping the cave have resulted in some figure-like creations. Thus several formations were named after animals or famous personalities.

Closing and with sometimes lighter, sometimes heavier rain, which accompanied us since lunch, we made a quick run through a botanical garden. A young and extremely friendly staff member explained to us which plants can be found on site and what meaning they have for the Cuban people. We were so lucky that this was the only rainy day during our stay in Cuba.

After the sun had already set and our tour was finished, we set off with our chauffeur on the return journey. This time we were accompanied by the wife of the tour organizer. Shortly after we left, we found out that she is originally from Poland, just like Sara.

At the latest then we knew that the girls would chat all the way back, so my brother and I more or less tried to fill up some energy with a nap. But the rain that accompanied us the second half of the day did not let up. It became partly stronger and stronger.

Would be everything actually no problem. Actually. Because the classic cars in Cuba only work. Safety is not very important. Spare parts are hard to get. Besides the non-existent seat belts, the fuel gauge as well as the speedometer did not work anymore. But what would not be bad in heavy rain?

Exactly – working windshield wipers!

However, according to our chauffeur these stopped to work exactly one day before our tour.

Let’s believe it.

Therefore, he had to constantly clean a very small visibility area by hand out of the window with a cleaning rag in order to see anything at all. Anyone who knows the roads and general visibility at night in Cuba knows how bad that can be.

On top of that, the rain was getting even heavier. The poor guy was pretty much getting pain in his left arm from the constant mopping. He also took every opportunity to dry the rag again so he could use it again.

That was a damper and we were already pretty scared! Even though we had enough confidence in our chauffeur, we weren’t entirely comfortable on the ride back.

If you survive that, nothing can stop you!

It was definitely a lesson that hardened us pretty well for the rest of our stay in Cuba. Aside from the drive back, the day trip to Viñales was a great adventure. We had met wonderful people, experienced breathtaking local nature, and made memories to last a lifetime.

Best way to get around in Viñales is to book a day trip which includes all important spots. With that you don’t have to worry about any transport and have already payed for everything in advance. With that you can fully lay back and enjoy your trip.

Surely there are more cheaper ways to visit Viñales for example with a bus, but they also would be more restricted due to missing access to the people and the sights.

Prices are per person, except for the taxi, which we rent for 3 people.

Taxi (Havana ⟷ Viñales): $200 / both ways

Restaurant: $20 / meal