Friendly cheap casa particular in Vinales.

The owners only speak Spanish so it's an excellent opportunity to practice.

Excellent evening meals!

25 C. P. del Rio No 6B,
Vinales
Pinar Del Rio
Telephone : 79 3105

Accessed just off of the road into Vinales. Phone ahead and they'll meet you off the bus.

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A quiet town set amidst stunning limestone scenery. We went for an interesting (and gentle) hike around the National Park. I also recommend the day trip to Cayo Leviso - a fabulous coral island with a great beach (one day is plenty). Oh and stay in Casa Particulaires - the only way to see Cuba!

Drive or take a bus from Pinar del Rio.

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The Vinales valley is fantastically scenic, with a flat valley bottom and weirdly shaped domed mountains rising sheer out of it. Very atmospheric when we were there in August, with mists and thunderstorms, and it's a completely different Cuba to the one you see in Havana. There are several hotels/B&Bs in Vinales village, and you can also hire scooters.

You can drive out to the Santo Tomas caverns in under an hour for a guided tour - well worth it, with 45 km of galleries, a bit of rope climbing is required - and you can even get to a beach at Cayo Jutia.

The roads are very quiet and in reasonable repair, and you can't get lost as the locals always point you in the right direction!

The nearest large town is Pinar del Rio, about two hours to the west of Havana.

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Beautiful coastal resort on the southwest tip of Cuba. Tatty, inexpensive accommodation, limited food, lovely people, stunning coral sea and white sand beach. Difficult to get to, but that ensures only the more adventurous tourists get there. Fantastic scuba diving with a friendly crew.

If you drive there, you can't afford to be squeamish about crushing crabs, there is a crab crossing area on the way in and you won't be able to avoid them. Otherwise, take a taxi from Pinar del Rio (it's not worth an overnight stay)and get chatting with the driver!

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The beach at Maria la Gorda ('Fat Mary') is said to be named after a Venezualan courtesan abandoned there by pirates once upon a time.

It's in the Cabo San Antonio nature reserve on the remote south western corner of Cuba. In 1999 it was the idyllic home of a little scuba diving school, six or seven chalets and a cocktail bar.

We hired a car in Havana and drove south west via Pinar del Rio. The journey took four or five hours, and we gave lifts to Cubans who gave us directions.
www.dtcuba.com/HotelInfo.aspx?hc=328

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