Day 8 – Trinidad to Havana

For traveling from Trinidad to Havana, you can book Viazul bus tickets in advance at the office in Trinidad (at the bus station). This costs CUC 25 one way, taking about 6-7 hours. The bus will drop you at the Viazul terminal about 9km south-west of the Old Town.

You can book a private or shared taxi or bus ticket to Havana using ZunZunCar which is one of the best and cheaper options in Cuba. Another option is to get a shared taxi service. Just stop over at the Viazul bus terminal the day before departure and you’ll be solicited to this service by one of the staff there. Most taxis start at 8:30am and takes about 4-5 hours to reach Havana. The best part is that it’s a door-to-door service – pick you up at your hotel in Trinidad and drop off at your hotel in Havana.

Depending on the number of people, you will either get a minibus or a shared taxi with fellow travelers. The cost is just a bit more than Viazul bus (CUC 30 per person) and you pay the driver when you arrive at the destination.

Rather than getting solicited at the bus terminal, I asked my Airbnb host the previous morning to book the shared taxi for me. After breakfast at 7:30am at the Airbnb house, I stopped by a nearby store to pick up water and snacks for the way.

The taxi makes 2 or 3 halts, depending on the passengers – one for lunch and a quick one for restrooms.

[My taxi ride from Trinidad to Havana.]
 

Unlike my first two days in Havana where I stayed in old town at Plaza Vieja, I decided to stay next to Malecon (the street next to the ocean) for my last night in Cuba. This was a great neighborhood with lots of tourist restaurants as well as local eateries.

I got dropped off at the Airbnb house around 1pm, and after check in, I headed out for lunch at Paladar Cafe restaurant, about two blocks from the house. Great food and cheap prices! And of course, it was time for some siesta, avoiding the hot and humid weather of Havana!

Just about seven minute walk from the Airbnb house, was the beautiful boardwalk along the Gulf of Mexico. This is perhaps the best way to see couples spending some intimate time together or families just sitting by the water and enjoying the breeze. The gorgeous Hotel Nacional de Cuba stands up the tiny hill from the boardwalk.

[View form the top of building that housed the Airbnb.]

[Hotel Nacional de Cuba from malecon]

[Havana Malecon]

Sitting at the Malecon, I got some popcorn sold by the locals, then some coconut water and some snacks! Spent many hours by the water, before calling it an early night, ready for a 7am flight back home.

I had arranged a taxi with the Airbnb host to drop off at the Airport at 4am, which costs CUC 20.

Note: All values in USD, unless otherwise mentioned, are approximate and based on the exchange rate of USD 1 = CUC 1 at the time of publishing. Each cost is for one adult.