Three weeks of Cuba

The experience of Cuba started in the capital, Havanna. I arrived around midnight to the AirBnb which was located in La Habana Vieja, which is the historic city center. I chose to stay at an AirBnb which because it was cheaper and spacier than staying at one of the hotels. You will notice that Cuba is a city full of talented artists which you don´t only notice when strolling the city but I also recommend taking the time to visit the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes or La Fábrica de Arte Cubano. There are different possibililities of transportation to explore the city but I recommend to do it by foot to be able to soak up a place where it seems that time stopped a long time ago. I recommend to visit el Capitolio Nacional, the Necropolis Cristobal Colon (Havannas main cementery) and the vibrant Plaza Vieja where you can smell streetfood being sold, you can watch people going about their daily basis and music fills up the air. A number of cool bars and cafes give it an even more social buzz in the evening. 

The second destination was Vinales and it has to be the complete opposite of the vibrant, loud capital. People don´t come here to dance or party, they come here to dive deep into nature and to escape one of the most beautiful landscapes Cuba has to offer. The Valle de Vinales is a beautiful national park where you can find mainly limestone. It has one of the best hiking and climbing opportunities the country has to offer. The area is full of tabacco- and coffee -plantations and I highly recommend to take a guide to show you around. I had a guide on a horse because it seemed like the most authentic way to discover the area. You can also do the tour by yourself but you will miss out on a lot of facts that only locals will be able to tell you about. I was also taken to a place in the mountains where they make their own rum and I have to admit it was the best rum I have ever tasted (Guayabita Pinar). The main form of accomodation is staying at a casa particular (guesthouse). You can chose to get a fresh breakfast, lunch and dinner depending on what your plans are. The quality of the food was amazing! 

The last location of my trip was Trinidad. In this city, it seemed like time stopped more than 150 years ago. The cobblestone streets, the musicians playing salsa music all over, the artists portraying their work in the streets make this city a truly magical place. In the heart of the historic center of Trinidad is the Plaza Mayor which is a good place to start. Just of Plaza Mayor is the Museo Historico Municipal is Trinidads main museum which is definitely worth a visit. Again I stayed at a casa particular but Trinidad also offers a wide range of hotels where you can stay. If you want to go to the beach, I recommend to go to the Playa Maria Aguilar which is a beautiful, not too touristy beach that also has some gastronomy and is the best way to enjoy the beautiful, crystal clear water with a mojito in your hand.