Destination: Cuba

LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL ITINERARY INFORMATION

Itinerary: Cuba through the back door

ONE MONTH



Boycott Habana and head east to the beaches of Playas del Este, where private houses and picturesque sunsets abound, or leapfrog straight to Santa Cruz del Norte, a worthwhile base camp situated within hiking distance of the golden sands of Playa Jibacoa. Switch west next along the beautiful (and deserted) northern coast route to Puerto Esperanza for a few days of turning off, tuning in and dropping out before pressing on to Sandino within striking distance of María la Gorda. The Bahía de Cochinos (Bay of Pigs) area is awash with decent casas, none better than those found on shimmering Playa Larga and you can easily work your way along the coast from here to Rancho Luna and La Boca where assorted private houses offer up an ideal antidote to the tourist hotels of Cienfuegos and Trinidad. The long road east presents ample opportunities to avoid the city hustlers in Ciego de Ávila and Camagüey. Check out unsung Florida , with its archetypal sugar mills or bustling Guáimaro, with its groundbreaking constitutional history. Turn left in Las Tunas and detour to the remote northern beach ‘resort’ of Playa Las Bocas, where you’ll see no one, but a handful of ingratiating casa particular owners. Homing in on Holguín Province, check out the pretty town of Banes as a launching pad for Guardalavaca before making one last fling down to Santiago de Cuba, where peace and tranquility await you in sleepy Siboney.