While most people travel to Havana to spend their time exploring the beautiful old city, just east of all the glorious old architecture is a series of white-sand beaches, known as the Playas del Este.
On a recent trip, we decided to stay in the beach area and have the best of both worlds as our resort provided a free shuttle into Old Havana.
The string of beaches stretches 24 kms along the north coast. While the beaches here are a gorgeous white sand, palm tree-lined, turquoise water heaven, the accompanying resorts aren’t exactly luxurious. Many of them have a worn down appearance as most are over 50 years old, but for those wishing to spend their time in the city or enjoying the beaches, they are just fine.
Hotel Atlantico from the water
Our resort was located on Playa Santa Maria del Mar, one of the most popular beaches, where many of the international resorts are located.
Weekends can get very busy with locals heading out to relax and parking lots soon fill up with vintage cars and mopeds.
The crystal clear turquoise waters are perfect for swimming and snorkelling to check out a variety of fish.
But the best part was the incredible sunsets!
Getting there: The beach area is about 20 kms away from Old Havana.
You can take the Habana Bus Tour tourist bus Line 3, which runs from Old Havana to the beaches at Cojímar, Bacuranao and Santa Maria del Mar daily from 9am-6pm for 5 CUC.
A taxi will cost around 15 CUC each way. Be sure to set the price before leaving.
Seeking out new craft breweries in foreign cities seems to have become a normal part of my travels these days, and Havana didn’t disappoint.
The first one, Factoria Plaza Vieja, is located in a bright yellow building in the corner of Plaza Vieja, one of the four major plazas in Old Havana.
The second brewery we hit was Cerveceria Antiguo Almacén de la Madera y El Tabaco. This one is located down by the water in an old tobacco factory, near the Mecardo de Artesania San José, a great market for crafts and souvenirs. This brewery is huge and has lots of seating both inside and out on the patio. 
Again, there were three different beers: light, medium and dark, and you had a choice of a 500ml glass or a tower. Pricing was the same.
Tales of a Travel Addict 
Recent Comments