“In the end we only REGRET the chances we didn’t Take”

5 days & 4 nights in CUBA 

Deciding to take a trip to CUBA was very easy…. Making it happen as a US Citizen not quite so easy I found out…..

• First and foremost purchasing your ticket… Luckily Southwest Airlines has collaborated with the Cuban government to help with the trips. You can buy your flight from most cities in the U.S. and will have to do a layover in Fort Lauderdale to take the flight into Havana.
• Buying your Visa; 
  there are 12 categories in which you can currently Travel to CUBA
• Link to purchasing your VISA  —–the site kind of looks fake but its real– you will need to choose one of the 12 Categories for travel— we did EDUCATION.
• Booking Hotel;
  • Booking your hotel sounds pretty easy– well Not- when it you only have American credit cards. We did Airbnb (Casa Particular as they called it)  in Havana & Hotel in Varadero.  
  • For the hotel we booked through CUBA TRAVEL NETWORK ; it works great– doing it all over– I would probably use this site for more research in Cuba

~~~ENJOYING CUBA~~~~

 

5 Day ITINERARY:

DAY 1: Arrived to Havana, Cuba & Enjoy the Night

• 6:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. –  Flight Leaves from Chicago to Fort Lauderdale; Arrive to Fort Lauderdale at 11:30 a.m.; Take flight to Havana, Cuba Arrive at 1:30 p.m.
• NOTE: we had the Airbnb send a Taxi for us—
• 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. — Check into Airbnb at Old Havana
• 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.  — Dinner at O’Reilly’s 304
• 5:30 p.m. — 8:00 p.m. — walk the streets of Old Havana and explore sites

DAY 2: Travel to Varadero 

• 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. – Breakfast at the Casa Privada (Airbnb) — (5 CUC= $5.5 dollars)
  * Stopped at Bacunayagua Bridge Spanning the Yumuri River
• 10:00 a.m. – 10:10 a.m. – Taxi Pick up at Casa Privada for Varadero
• 12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Arrived at Naviti Varadero Beach Club (DO YOURSELF A FAVOR DO NOT STAY IN THIS HOTEL— it claims 3.5-4 stars its more like 1)
• 1:00 p.m. – Night — EXPLORED the hotel & Enjoyed the beautiful beach.

DAY 3: Stayed at Naviti Varadero Beach Club & Explored the towns

• 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. — EXPLORE THE SURROUNDING AREA
  *Downtown Matanzas; Parque Libertad; Museo Farmaceutico; Downtown Varadero; Emit de Monserrat

DAY 4: 2nd Day at Havana 

• 8:00 a.m. – left Varadero towards Havana
• 10:30 a.m. – Arrived at Havana
• 11:00 a.m. – Breakfast
• 12:00 p.m. – Check into Airbnb (Casa Privada)
• 12:00 p.m – Night –– Explore Havana sites
• 9:00 p.m. – Walk at el Malecon to hear the Cañonazo at 9 p.m. each day in Havana (its a tradition that started many years ago)

DAY 5: Travel Day back to the States 

• 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. – Cigar Tour of how it is made ( we bought the tickets one day in advance but you can buy them the day of)
• 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. – Breakfast
• 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 a.m- Travel back to Airport
• 12:30 p.m. – Check- In to Southwest booth
• 2:30 p.m. – Flight to Fort Launderdale, FL

Pictures provided by the 3 beautiful women in the video 🙂

 

 

CUBA…… I WILL BE BACK

Points of Interest; HAVANA

The Malecon: No Other place represents Havana better than the Malecon. This seafront promenade winds for 4 miles alongside the city’s historic quarters from the colonial centre to the skyscrapers of Vedado.
La Bodeguita del Medio: This restaurant and bar is legendary thanks to the writer Ernest Hemingway.
Calle Obispo: Like an open Air museum of colonial architecture– this street is lined with buildings dating to 16th -19th century including old pharmacies and and historic shops.
El Floridita: This restaurant known as “the cradle of the Daiquiri.”
Hotel Ambos Mundos: This charming decorated hotel is rich in literary memories.
Real Fabrica de Tabacos Partagas: The Prestigious Cigar Factory
Capitolio: The dome of one of the most imposing buildings in Latin America towers over Havana