- Cuba
- (127)
-
Staying in Vinales at Casa Lucilo y Nirma was one of the highlights of our trip to Cuba!
The Casa is clean, safe, and Lucilo and Nirma were extremely friendly. They can arrange anything extra that you need in Vinales, have great ideas on what to do, and on top of all that Nirma is a great Chef!
They can also arrange any other Casas you may need for the rest of your trip in Cuba.
After long days of hiking and sightseeing around Vinales, our air conditioned room, and garden terrace at the casa were the perfect way to completely relax.
Vinales itself is a wonderful Cuban village. The town and surrounding area are picturesque perfect with beautiful tobacco fields, brightly painted Cuban houses and shops, and the amazing topography of the Vinales valley mountains as well that surround you.
If you are going to Cuba I highly visiting Vinales... and if you are going to Vinales then go to Casa Lucilo y Nirma where you will experience great Cuban hospitality and be treated like family!
I can`t wait to go again!
They were nice enough to meet us at the local bus station! See their web page for more info...
It is a Casa Particular registered for visitors to stay. Wonderful room in the the family home, vegetarian food especially for us no problem and very welcoming.
Casa Lucilo y Nirma
Pasaje Camilo Cienfuegos #52
Vinales CP 22400
Pinar del Rio
Cuba
Contact yunior crespo garces
E-Mail: yloveslife@yahoo.com
It is a beautiful colonial house right next to the VIAZUL bus station and opposite a big restaurant called Don Antonio - the house is really big, pretty and eye-catching with its yellow window frames.
Every room has two double beds, private bathroom with hot water - the bathroom is bigger and cleaner than any hotel bathrooms I have ever booked.
The good things about this place are that it is extraordinarily clean and tidy, very peaceful. The owner Miguel has two obedient dogs and some birds. It is great to just sit in the courtyard and garden and enjoy the serenity of the birds. It is comfortable, convenient and the price is reasonable: CUC25 - CUC30 per room. Given its perfect location, size and cleanliness, it is definitely worth more than the price range.
Miguel speaks English. He is a very friendly, generous and nice host. He's a bit shy and he never goes to the bus station to drag tourists to stay in his casa (unlike some of the other casa owners in Trinidad).
His dogs are not hostile at all. They are just lovely and manageable.
Address: Calle Gustavo Izquierdo No. 119 entre
Si mon Bolivar y Piro Guinart
Trinidad, S.S. Cuba C-P 62600
(opposite to the famous fancy restaurant called Don Antonio)
Tel no.: 5352474272
I have only been to Cuba twice. The first time was at an all inclusive resort in Veradero which was disappointing. The second was at a Casa Particulare in Vinales - Casa Lucilo y Nirma.
Vinales is an amazing place. It is a small town next to a national park. It was the Cuba I was looking for. Although reliant upon tourism, they seemed to have maintained their authenticity. The people are friendly and the outdoors activities are plentiful.
There are a couple of large hotels, but the place is chock full of Casa Particulares (small family homes that rent out rooms). Lucilo and Nirma rent out two rooms. Both are air conditioned, have private baths, are very clean, and is centrally located.
More importantly, both Lucio and Nirma are very friendly, and will go out of the way to help you and make you feel at home. They speak English and Nirma is an amazing cook (she will make wonderful dinners for you for an additional modest cost).
Just one tip - remember that they are at Pasajes Camilo Cienfuegos #52, not just Camilo Cienfuegos (The Pasajes part puts you in a different part of town than the no Pasajes part).
Go to Vinales, stay with Lucio and Nirma. You will not regret finding that parts of the true Cuba still exist.
Casa Lucilo y Nirma, Pasajes Camilo Cienfuego Vinales Cuba
Staying at Casa Lucilo y Nirma was the highlight of our vacation in Cuba! We did a lot of travelling (we spent two months in Cuba and visited most of the attractions) and it was our favourite place to stay.
After leaving cold London, finding this family in one of the most beautiful places on earth was like a breath of fresh air. We still do miss the quiet evenings at their terrace smoking Cuban cigars and having Lucilo telling us stories about life in Cuba. Nirma and Nana, the cooks, should have a top place in the best cuisine guidebooks! Everyday they served a big typical Cuban meal and we could only eat half of it. We highly recommend to everyone travelling to Vinales to try a meal here - you do not have to stay with them, just give them a phone call.
They rent two rooms (one of them is quite new and not listed yet on their web site). The rooms are clean and confortable. Each room has two big beds, air conditioning and hot water 24-hours. Both rooms have own bathrooms and a common entrance to a beautiful garden.
They speak English and Lucilo can arrange everything for you: walking tours, horseback riding, bikes rental, accommodation in other parts of Cuba, salsa and Spanish lessons.
They can also pick you up at the bus station if you arrange this by email.
We are very much looking forward to visit them again, it was home from home in Cuba
If you need any assistance or wish to contact me please feel free to write to ngarcegomez@yahoo.es
Casa Lucilo y NIrma
Pasaje Camilo Cienfuegos # 52
Vinales
Cuba
www.casavinales cuba.com
Home Phone: +(53) (48) 69 66 57
Mobile: +(53) 5 294 29 68
Email: casavinalescuba@yahoo.es yuniorcrespo@correodecuab.cu
Resrvations can be done ny email, phone calls or SMS, mail not recommended
We found Trinidad to be casa heaven, and Casa Balbina Cadahia was our highlight.
Located a 4-5 minute walk from the main square, this casa contains a beautifully peaceful courtyard and large, spacious bedrooms. This was undoubtedly the most comfortable bed we stayed in on our trip.
Food was good and plentiful and our host was friendly (and English speaking for those that find that useful).
On a more general point, I would encourage you to do some casa research before leaving for Cuba. We found the Lonely Planet to be next to useless when trying to find accomodation: some places were no longer there; some, it seemed, had never been there. Use websites like this instead.
Also, despite warnings that Cuban banks will not accept debit cards, my Nationwide Visa card was happily accepted.
Anyhow, as I was saying: you'll love Trinidad, and you'll love this casa.
A Maceo No 355
entre Lino Perez y Colon
Trinidad
CP 62600
Cuba
+53 0141 992585
Casa Carlita is a casa particular with the feel of a B&B - a set of three guest rooms with an immaculate shared bathroom.
The casa is located right next to Havana University and within a short walk of Havana Libre and The Nacional, two big hotels where you can change money, hire a car, book excursions or top up on food/drink.
The Casa offers good food whenever you want it, though it is located in the Vedado area, which also has a range of alternatives. Vedado is supposedly great for nightclubs, though we hit it while jetlagged on a Monday, so can't vouch for this.
It is a 30 minute walk (or $2-4 taxi ride) along the Malecon (sea wall) to Old Havana. We stayed in Old Havana later in our trip but would be happy to stay in Vedado again.
This was a great first stop on our tour of Cuba. It was also good value. I would recommend it wholeheartedly.
Avenida San Lazaro no 1207
entre Mazon y Basarrate
Vedado
10400 Havana
A small sugar cane town just off the Bay of Pigs that was Castro's HQ for repelling the three-day invasion. The cane factory is in ruins apart from a small museum but the old rail sheds host a motley collection of decaying steam engines from its heyday, with slight signs of restoration and a helpful guardian who will let you in. Other than that it's the easiest way to visit Australia in the northern hemisphere. Now the town is surrounded by orchards and a huge juice factory.
North of Giron close to the Cienfuegos-Havana road. Station closed
An amazing crystal clear natural pool over 70m deep about 200m back from the beach and connected underground by passages. This geological oddity, a flooded cave with its roof collapsed, is as the name suggests full of colourful fish and good for subaqua exploration, or just a dip and a drink or plate of crocodile at the cafe nearby.
Bay of Pigs, coast road about 12km west of Giron, Varadero.
Camaguey was relocated in the C16th and its maze-like street pattern designed to completely confuse (pirate) attackers. The best way to see the beautiful neo-classical squares, buildings, markets and churches is therefore to let one of the many bicytaxis pedal you round at a leisurely pace, letting you off to wander (not too far) before getting back on for the next place of interest. Theres lots to see, good museums and fine courtyard eating places to recharge accompanied by an unassuming local musician or three. Theres plenty of evidence of hurricane damage in the area and it will be a daunting task to repair so many fine old buildings many of which gently crumble. My favourite was the small square, Plazuela de la Bedoya, with simple houses and the fine Iglesia del Carmen, and some striking community art bronze sculptures of local people going about their daily lives. Pushing a cart, sitting reading the paper, or chatting on benches, if youre in luck the proud locals who modelled for the works will appear and talk about their very own sculptures with a huge smile. Not so much on the tourist map but a fine city worth a diversion.
www.camaguey.cu/
In Central Cuba, between Bayamo and Santiago. Bicytaxis congregate in Plaza de los Trabajadores
Cuba is great and part of the fun is discovering places to stay by yourself - we stayed in many casas particulares (private homes) - some better (and friendlier) than others, but none were dire. A great way to meet locals, especially if you find ones where you can communicate with the owner (ie if you speak Spanish, or they speak English).
When travelling around, taxi drivers (some licensed, some not) hang around bus stations to offer shared rides - which can be cheaper and get you to your destination much quicker.
Remember to take cash - cards don't work in ATMs and changing money on a card, or buying anything on a card is punitively expensive - around 12% charge.
Avoid Varadero if you can - you may as well go to the Costa Del Sol.
Go into the foyer of the impressive Bacardi building (it is now used as offices) in Old Havana and ask for the bar. The lift operator will take you up in his ancient contraption to a perfectly preserved art deco masterpiece.
Old wood and the bat symbol is everywhere. The only drink available was a perfect mojito ($2) when I was there (1999), but who cares? Not one single other tourist, just some staff from the building who had finished for the day.
I was stuck for two hours during an horrendous thunderstorm, it was great. Beats a week slobbing in Varadero any day.
Bacardi building, old Havana
If you want to experience great Cuban hospitality with a lovely family in central Havana I would highly recommend Casa Mer.
Wilfred and his family share their sweet art deco villa for a very affordable price and it's just a stroll or taxi away from the jazz clubs, the Malecon and central Havana shopping and night life. They also recommended to us other Cuban families to stay with in other towns which worked out well as the local government hotels aren't so great and cost about five times the price!
Casa Mer
calle 28 # 206
entre 21 y 19
Vedado Habana Cuba
telefono (537) 833 44 12
www.casamer.justincuba.com/
While travelling from Cayo Santa Maria we stayed in a lovely little colonial house in Remedios. Remedios is beautiful little town with little or no street hustlers. It's the oldest town in Cuba and was the original town of settlement for the Spanish.
We stayed in Hostal Colonial Mery y Mario, an old colonial house a couple of blocks from the main square. Mario is recently deceased and poor Mery is still grieving for her husband but she still really knows how to look after you! She really was a sweet little lady. She was awarded an automobile for her contribution to the work effort in Soviet times. She even won trips to Moscow too... she really is a believer in the revolution. She was one of the many educators who volunteered to go out into the countryside and teach the illiterate peasantry reading and writing. Her story is truly amazing.
We would encourage anyone to just stay here and converse with Mery as she has a lot to tell. Her husband was sound engineer and he had recording spool of Che Guevara's last will and testament before his execution. She can play this for you... it is truly moving.
If you're in Remedios... Seek out Mery's.
Just off the main square, Remedios
This is one of the few beach areas in Cuba that is not spoiled by lots of hotels and thousands of tourists. There is only one hotel and 12 rooms. Plus this small island is a game park.
Staying at The Big House was one of the highlights of our holiday in Cuba. Why? Because the host Arturo is one of the coolest people you could wish to come across.
He is fun, warm and friendly - undoubtedly you will end up chatting and laughing over a late night beer with him and his friends in one of Vinales' simple but welcoming bars. If you’re not a Spanish speaker the most important thing is that Arturo has excellent English, so you can really connect with your host - something that frustrated us on our travels as we met so many lovely people who we struggled to communicate with using our paltry Spanish!
He has two rooms both with a private bathroom and a lovely outside area - perfect for pre-dinner drinks and some of his delicious home made potato chips. Dinner was a tasty, extensive spread of fresh fish, chicken, great rice and beans and plenty of fruit and veg and salad. Oh, and flan for pudding - not what we’d call flan in the UK - more like a creme caramel (which normally I hate but this I loved!). He'll also take care of ensuring the fridge is always full of beer and water. Breakfast is typically Cuban - coffee, fresh juice, eggs, bread and fruit.
The house is literally the Big House, dwarfing all the neighbours thanks to a capacious roof, and it's located in a quiet road just off the main drag. Vinales is well worth the visit as all the guidebooks say, sweet little town in stunning scenery with plenty to do nearby or a reasonable drive away - walking, horseriding and an hour away from the beautiful, unspoilt Caya Levissa beach. Arturo can help organise and pre-book these for you.
The Big House Rafael Trejo #33, Vinales Pinar Del Rio Cuba CP 22400 Tel: 048 793342
Email: lusien@correodecuba.cu
Uba is one of the greatest places to cycle. The roads are great (mostly concrete), very little traffic, friendly people and it’s as safe. They say the crime is almost non-existent. It’s not an expensive country and you can have a great time with less than CUC $ 40 a day, which equates to around UK £25 (March 2008).
Havana is too big to see on foot. Take a ride in a horse and carriage, the driver is a proper tour guide.
We had a two-hour drive up to Plaza de la Revolution and back, stopping where we wished for photos and finding out lots of local knowledge.The funniest part was the driver chatting up girls walking along the street while we trotted along beside them.
Central Havana, we found Leonardo and Picasso outside the Hotel Inglaterra where there is a bar where you can sit and look out on the busy street.
They'll try to sell you real Cuban cigars at a price that is slightly cheaper than the shops to indicate that they should be genuine at the price, but not too cheap to give you the feeling that they're fake. In fact all they are made of is old dried banana skins and they crumble apart once you light them. Steer clear of these sales people and spend a little extra on the real items.
Anywhere in Havana
If you want to see how confident the new gay generation is in Cuba, check
out gaytourguidecuba.com.
It's a gay tour guide service for gay travelers in Cuba! Nice college kids,
openly gay and they seem to feel that the government isn't against gays.
Meeting these people was the highlight of our trip. They really opened our eyes to a Cuba we could never have discovered on our own.
Send your feedback or queries to been.there@guardian.co.uk
Search Been there
