Trips from Viñales

Viñales is a tourist town west of Havana, about 2 hours by car. Here are some of the excursion from Viñales you can join.

It is a quiet village, in a valley that has a humid climate. It tends to rain more than in the rest of the island, so it is the ideal place for tobacco cultivation.

It is a good place to make excursions, so it is advisable to stay at least 3 nights and take advantage of some of the options.

Horse Riding:

Contacto: Reinier – 52567999

In my experience, this tour came out a little more expensive as I booked through the landlady of the accommodation I was staying in. I’m sure if you book directly with the seller it will make you cheaper!

On this excursion from Viñales, the horses were meek and polite, and the ride was spectacular and quiet. They were very fond of Reinier, his owner and our guide, for they listened to all his indications. Reinier was a very nice boy, about 20 or 25 years old.

The road follows, and you get to know other craftsmen, to end up passing through a very wild lake of great beauty.

The valley is called Valle del Silencio… and indeed, it comes in handy to disconnect after the chaos of Havana.

Coste: 25 cuc (including the commission that was collected the landlady)

Alternatives:

Infotur:

You can book the same tour at the Tourist Office of Viñales.

Coste: 20 cuc on horseback, and if you prefer to walk 10 cuc.

Walking would be about a three-hour walk.

José A. Robaina – 01 52559909

This is the cheapest excursion from Viñales, but I didn’t get to prove it. José, very nice, commented that he has no intermediaries, that’s why he has those prices so cheap.

The tour offered includes:
– Visit to a peasant’s house, with explanation about the tobacco collection process, of his own field.
– The explanation of the coffee production of the area.
– Visit to a natural lake.
– Visit to the Cave of swallows.
– A viewpoint from where you can appreciate the whole valley of Viñales.

Price: 3.00 CUC per hour.

Duration: 3-4 hours.

Cayo Jutías

Infotur: 25 CUC

Rafael: 15 CUC

The taxi was a Russian Lada-style car from the Russian 80s, corresponding to the 60s of the West.

The driver was a young, nice boy, very Cuban, with a smile always to everyone, and he’s been doing the same route for over 10 years, so there’s no room to escape him.

As because if renting a car is an option in Cuba, the truth is that after such an excursion you will get out of your head and you get the option of the bus taxi.

The road is not that it is especially bad for the curves, but it has tremendous bumps, to the point that Cuban cars prefer to pass through the banished next to the road if they can.

Second hazard factor are 30-year-old cars with tires consumed and without depreciation.

Tercer hazard factor, the driver very confident with his riding capabilities.

Fourth factor the ubiquitous rum.

Sum the 4 factors and the result are two flat wheels, one on the way, and the same on the return.

But in a vat bad luck is answered with a smile, the wheels are changed and that’s it.

Even the driver let me drive the car, and the truth is how to carry a boat, considering that the car responds to your controls about 3 seconds late, and if you pass it starts to drift.

Cayo Leivissa

Cost: 39 CUC / 47 with food

You can buy this excursion from Viñales in Infotur.

This excursion from Viñales is usually more expensive than Cayo Jutías because you have to take a boat.

S less wild than Jutthias, there are many resorts and it is forbidden to Cubans… that’s why Cubans often advise you to go to Jutthias.

Circular bus from the Valley of Viñales: caves

Cost: If I’m not mistaken 5 or 10 CUC, but we’re going pretty cheap

You can buy this excursion from Viñales in Infotur, and get the bus right in front of you.

The bus makes several stops, where you can get off and wait for the next one to pass. Every 30 minutes one passes.

Cost: If I’m not mistaken 5 or 10 CUC, but we go quite cheap

The most interesting stops are: A viewpoint, the mural of prehistory, and some caves that visit by boat.

Cueva San Tomás

Coste: 21 cuc 1.4 inside the cave

Duran 3 hours to the caves

Horario: Departure at 9h and 14h

We feed at 14 o’clock from the café mogote 5 minutes from the Infotur de Viñales.

Instead of the announced “comfortable bus” we get 2 Chevrolet of the year 50… what surprised me is that it had air conditioning.

We arrived at the caves in 20 minutes, and there we met Monterrey, the cave guide: he has 3 bachelor’s degrees and charges 14 CUC per month.

We prepare by wearing the lighted safety helmets, which are over 11 years old.

The cave has 7 levels, but it is only possible to visit the two highest levels: the sixth and the seventh.

To enter the cave you have to climb to the sixth level by artificial stairs. The stairs are not easy to climb, a lady could hardly.

After about 40 minutes of walk through the cave you reach the highest level, the seventh.

The other 5 levels are not visitable, to facilitate conservation.