Edited by: Jina Aryaan
It was summer 2016 and I had been dying to travel for years. It was never the right time or the right price, my friends couldn’t come, I had a job or class; excuse, after excuse, after excuse. This time I just had to go. “I don’t care that I’m going alone,” I thought, “I’ll find somewhere where I can have fun by myself.”
After some thinking, I decided that I would visit a Spanish-speaking country. If I was going to go alone, I had to speak the language to be able to get around. That narrowed down the map of the world (check!). Then, I had numerous (and extremely lengthy) conversations with my mom that went something like, “You’re going to travel alone?! That is a locura!” Now tasked with having to convince her that this wasn’t a crazy idea, I considered low budget, small group travel. I chose to start my trip with a company that only planned the transport from place-to-place and sleeping arrangements (this kept it affordable) and was targeted to young people. This was my trip – I didn’t want someone else to plan my itinerary.
Everything just fell into place and my destination became clear; Cuba! I knew I had to go beyond the beaches (despite their reputation). I wanted to hear Cuban music, dance in Cuba’s streets, eat new foods, meet local people and learn the country’s history. I would visit four towns, two coasts and finish in Havana where I would stay a few extra days alone. And so, here’s how I did just that…
Las Terrazas, Cuba
Casas Particulares
Casas are homestays and the only worthwhile way to spend the night in Cuba. Cubans with one (or many) extra rooms rent them out nightly to travelers. The experience is amazing and casas are extremely easy to find in every city and town! By staying in local people’s houses, you truly get to experience daily living in the country. This is the best way to meet genuine people who are helpful and open to share stories. Remember that many locals may not speak English; basic Spanish goes a long way if you want to get the most out of the experience!
My casa in Trinidad de Cuba
Sitting area of my casa in Trinidad
View from my casa in Havana, Cuba
Transport
Cuban bus travel is dependable and allows travelers to visit many destinations around the country. During the time I was traveling with the small group company, our group had one of the buses to ourselves. This was ideal because we traveled on our own time and could stop spontaneously at places we hadn’t previously scheduled for. Roads outside Havana are clear and long distance travel is quick and comfortable. Remember that everything runs on “Cuba time” there, which means that, true to most Latin American countries, schedules are lax; leave time to get from place to place. Although I didn’t do any long-distance bus travel outside the group, the travelers I met along the way had nothing but good things to say about the local bus company.
View outside the bus window en route to Trinidad from Havana
Road in Havana, Cuba
Trinidad de Cuba
Trinidad is a 500 year old colonial city that seems frozen in time. It was founded by immigrants from the Canary Islands and since then, its architecture has remained unchanged, cobblestone streets and all. It’s blessed with a Caribbean coast that you can get to by cycling in the countryside (highly recommended – a beautiful ride!) and colourful houses.
Caribbean coast, Trinidad
Viñales
Farmer’s house outside Viñales, Cuba
Located in the province of Pinar del Río, Viñales is a small town with beautiful, natural landscape. The province is known for producing Cuba’s world-renowned cigars and for being surrounded by steep limestone hills. It has something for everyone; colonial architecture, caves, rock climbing and a beach, only a short distance from Viñales.
Tobacco farmer demonstrating how to roll cigars outside Viñales
Cueva del Indio, Viñales
Mural de la Prehistoria, Viñales
Cayo Jutías, Atlantic beach outside Viñales
Havana
Havana is the capital of Cuba and the largest city in the Caribbean. Its historic center, Old Havana, is special experience, complete with colonial buildings and cobblestone streets. It has a long ocean-side road called El Malecon and is the country’s political, scientific and cultural center.
Gran Teatro de La Habana
Street art in Havana
Plaza de la Revolución, Havana
Past the Resorts
I’m sure that you had previously heard about the beauty of this magical island, but most people don’t make it past the resorts. I had my doubts about traveling alone, but I found Cuba to be an ideal travel destination! It’s easy to get around, full of friendly locals eager to help and has something to offer everyone (beaches, music, parties and history).
I got to do things I thought I’d never get to do because traveling always seemed so out of reach. I swam in the ocean, partied in an underground cave, snorkeled, danced on Trinidad’s streets, met incredible people (many of whom are still close friends), tried new foods and definitely drank (a lot) of Cuban rum. If I let the thought of going alone hold me back, I would have never had this amazing experience.
I do have to acknowledge that everyone’s experience can be a hit or miss in any country and that my unforgettable trip has a lot to do with the people I met, the group that happened to be on the same itinerary as me and the ease of connecting with locals because we shared a common language. The difference between a good and bad trip can sometimes simply be attitude. The group I traveled with had a common saying; “It’s Cuba!” It worked to raise our spirits every time something funny, odd or something we were not used to happened. Tropical storms in Havana flooding the streets and houses as locals standing in waist deep water say “don’t worry, this is normal”? It’s Cuba! Stepping in horse you-know-what on a tobacco farm outside Viñales and accidentally bringing it on the bus? It’s Cuba! A stray mango rolling up and down the alley of our bus for an entire day, despite everyone swearing it wasn’t theirs? It’s Cuba!
A rum and coke, known as a Cuba Libre, which may as well just be rum – it’s Cuba!
You might think that traveling alone might be lonely, daunting or unsafe. As with everything, common sense goes a long way and if it’s your first time (like it was with me) or you’re going somewhere you feel is just too unknown, consider small group travel. This eased some of my worries while giving me the freedom to pick an itinerary that made sense for me. Some companies will even organize your activities, but I do encourage some flexibility, because as you may have imagined, travel is unpredictable sometimes!
Che Guevara Mausoleum, Santa Clara, Cuba
As for Cuba, I’ll visit again one day; maybe alone or maybe not. Two things are for sure though, the first is that I’ll definitely travel alone again in the future (I already have), and the second is that you should definitely visit this incredible island. Get past the all inclusive beach packages; travel inward, talk to strangers, try new things and make the best of every situation; you won’t regret it!
To learn more about Cuba and the destinations written about here, visit The Cuba Tourist Board’s website.