In a nutshell
- I traveled through Cuba for three weeks and share my honest experiences and personal tips for your trip right here.
- Hardly any destination has left me so conflicted — the stunning landscapes and warm hospitality on one hand, the stark poverty and tourist divide on the other.
- I’ll tell you which places I loved and which disappointed me, what it’s really like on the ground, and what you need to know before you go.
My 3-Week Road Trip in Cuba at a Glance
I spent three weeks in Cuba in December 2023, getting around mainly by public buses. For accommodation, I stayed in Casas Particulares — meaning in locals’ homes.
I’d wholeheartedly recommend both options for your own trip.
I’ll share more tips on accommodation, getting around, the best time to visit, and entry requirements — but not here; those are covered in separate articles.
The route of my Cuba road trip
- Days 1–3: Havana
- Days 4–7: Varadero
- Days 8–10: Trinidad
- Day 11: Santa Clara
- Day 12: Havana
- Days 13–15: Viñales
- Days 16–17: Puerto Esperanza
- Day 18: Viñales
- Day 19: Pinar del Río
- Days 20–21: Havana
I mostly stuck to the classic tourist spots and the top attractions in Cuba — with the exception of Puerto Esperanza and Pinar del Río.
Also read: my tips for the perfect Cuba itinerary
Which places I loved — and which fell flat
Here’s my personal take on every destination I visited:
- Viñales: I absolutely loved it! The town is very touristy, but the scenery is seriously stunning. You can do tons of activities — cycling, horseback riding, cave tours. I was so glad I spent several days there.
- Trinidad: My absolute highlight for scenery. Beautiful beaches on one side, national parks with waterfalls and mountains on the other. The town itself, with its colorful houses, is really charming too. The downside: there’s a lot of begging.
- Havana: The architecture of the historic center, the narrow alleyways, and the iconic classic cars are genuinely beautiful. But the vibe everyone had raved about never quite clicked for me. I left a little disappointed.
- Varadero: I’ve rarely seen water so clear and blue. But everything away from the beach feels completely inauthentic — it doesn’t show you the real Cuba. That said, I’d still go back just for that dream beach!
- Santa Clara: Honestly, I found it pretty dull. The history is fascinating and significant, but the actual attractions are, in my opinion, pretty unspectacular.
- Puerto Esperanza & Pinar del Río: I immediately understood why these places see no tourists. There’s not much to see, and I felt completely out of place. Still, it was genuinely fascinating to experience the real Cuba without any tourist bubble around me.
Overall, I found Cuba breathtakingly beautiful. Purely in terms of scenery and architecture, I can 100% recommend it.
My destination guides for Cuba
- All tips for sightseeing in Havana
- All tips for a beach vacation in Varadero
- All tips for Trinidad and day trips
- All tips for sightseeing in Santa Clara
- All tips for the Viñales Valley
My impressions of Cuba as a country
Now let me get into what it’s actually like to travel in Cuba — and what you need to be culturally prepared for. Because Cuba is a really unique destination.
I won’t cover every quirk in this article — it would get way too long.
If topics like internet access, paying, and safety in Cuba are new to you, I’d recommend reading up on those in our other articles before diving into this trip report:
#1 What is daily life in Cuba actually like?
Describing Cuba to someone who’s never been there is pretty tricky. Someone once told me that visiting Cuba is like a trip back in time. I couldn’t agree more.
In Cuba, you can almost only buy locally produced goods. Always the same fruits, always the same vegetables. No variety whatsoever. You get only what the corner store has to offer — except it’s like that 365 days a year.
Restaurants are much the same. Always the same menu. I could recite it from memory — it covers about 95% of restaurants in Cuba: cheese pizza, spaghetti with tomato sauce, rice and beans, fajitas — something along those lines.
On the streets, classic cars and horse-drawn carriages are completely normal. Modern cars are pretty rare. Mobile internet has only existed since 2018, and hardly anyone has Wi-Fi at home. Wild, right?
#2 Poverty in Cuba
As fascinating as I found Cuba, it also shocked me deeply. The more locals I talked to, the more it hit me. Because these people are living in absolute poverty.
It’s hard to believe how little people earn. I met psychologists, software developers, teachers — all professions where you’d normally earn a decent living. But in Cuba, they take home the equivalent of around 20 euros a month.
That’s an almost incomprehensible amount. For context: a sandwich on the street costs around 2–3 euros. On their salary, a teacher could afford 7–10 sandwiches before their entire monthly paycheck is gone. Can you imagine that? I really can’t.
A bus driver once said to me: “I have to choose. Food or clothes. I can’t have both. I have to wear my old, worn-out clothes — otherwise I’ll starve.”
#3 The two parallel worlds in Cuba
Tourists and Cubans live in two completely different worlds. Just about everything you do as a tourist, Cubans either can’t afford or are outright forbidden from doing.
Whether it’s excursions to national parks, bus rides between towns, or eating at restaurants — you’ll always only run into other travelers, never locals.
All of these activities are far too expensive for the locals. And even if they could afford them, they often aren’t allowed to, since payment is frequently accepted only with a foreign credit card.
Personally, I always felt a little ashamed whenever I took part in tourist activities. It felt really uncomfortable to enjoy all the privileges available to travelers while the local population was busy trying not to starve. That cast a bit of a shadow over my time in Cuba.
On the other hand, I’m also very aware of how important tourism is for local people. As a foreigner, I brought money into the country and supported people by, for example, staying in their homes.
The gratitude I felt from people time and again in return genuinely meant a lot to me.
#4 The hospitality of Cubans
The hosts at my places to stay were my absolute highlight in Cuba. I always booked Casas Particulares through Airbnb and paid around 10–20 euros per night for a private room.
Since I was living in people’s homes, I talked with them a lot and really got a feel for their everyday lives.
No hotel could come close to the level of care I got at a Casa Particular. The hosts looked after me as if I were their own daughter. Every morning, a world-class breakfast was whipped up for me, and on request, an equally delicious dinner.
The rooms were usually simple and basic, but always clean, spacious, and equipped with air conditioning and fans.
Whatever questions I had — SIM cards, excursions, doing laundry, changing money — every host helped me with everything, without exception, and not one of them ever tried to rip me off.
#5 Being a tourist on the streets of Cuba
Unlike at my accommodations, I didn’t feel comfortable on the streets of Cuba. With my blonde hair and blue eyes, I stood out immediately and was instantly pegged as a tourist.
Either men would whistle at me or I’d get begged for money. In the cities, I could never just walk anywhere in peace. Stares everywhere, everyone wanted my money, and some of the comments were completely out of line.
This went on throughout the entire trip. I found it especially bad in Trinidad and Havana. At literally every street corner, someone was trying to sell me something. The worst were the taxi drivers: “Taxi, taxi, taxi.” I can probably never hear that word again.
The upside is that people don’t get too pushy. If you don’t engage, they’ll leave you alone.
My experiences as a solo female traveler in Cuba
Traveling solo as a woman in Cuba is a very unique experience, but definitely doable. I should mention that I speak Spanish fluently — that made communicating significantly easier.
#1 The men on the street
There’s one thing you need to be prepared for as a solo female traveler in Latin America: you’ll attract a lot of attention on the street. Especially if you look very typically European.
In the Caribbean, it’s perfectly normal for women to receive compliments on the street. Locals even feel offended if they don’t give any.
Personally, I found it more exhausting than anything in Cuba. Someone was calling after me roughly every 30 seconds. Being stared at became basically a constant state of affairs.
The comments were sometimes actually pretty funny, to be fair. But the compliments often mixed with come-ons where the real motive was my money and my passport. I found that pretty uncomfortable.
The good news is that the men won’t actually do anything beyond being annoying. Nothing worse ever happened to me.
#2 How do you deal with being approached?
If someone just whistles at you or pays you a compliment, your best bet is to ignore it. If you smile back or say thank you, that can quickly be taken as a sign of interest.
If someone is being too pushy, make it clear that you’re not interested. You really need to be direct about it. If you don’t speak Spanish, say loudly and clearly: “No” or “Basta.”
I occasionally got pretty unfriendly, and that quickly made the men lose interest. I never experienced anyone getting aggressive.
Important: Cuba has a lot of jineteros. These are people who approach you in a friendly, charming way and offer to help you with something. But they’re only after you inviting them to dinner as a thank-you or something like that. It’s best not to get involved with that at all.
#3 Is Cuba safe for solo female travelers?
Yes, absolutely. As annoyed as I was, I never felt unsafe. The men never did anything to me, and crime in Cuba is very low. That’s why I even walked the streets alone at night. You really don’t need to worry about muggings.
My tip: You can easily travel to Cuba alone — plenty of women do it. That said, if this would be your first solo trip as a woman, I’d recommend starting with an easier destination first.
I’ve written up even more advice on safety in Cuba in a separate article:
My verdict on Cuba
Overall, I absolutely recommend a trip to Cuba. The country really opens your eyes and makes you appreciate just how good you have it back home.
The landscapes and cities are genuinely beautiful. But if you’re after luxury, Cuba is the wrong destination.
Personally, I wouldn’t go back a second time. The reality on the ground simply shocked me too much. But I’m more than glad I went.
