Getting Around, Vinales Travel, Transport and Car Rental

(Vinales, Pinar del Rio, Cuba)



Vinales is out in the countryside, so there is no airport nearby. Most visitors fly into Havana's main airport and then use a bus or taxi to travel into Vinales, a few hours to the west. The main destination in the area is the city of Pinar del Rio. Both bus and train transport pass right through this city, allowing for easy connections onwards to Vinales.

The town of Vinales and the surrounding valley are an ideal environment for bike riding. Most of the land is flat, and the roads are straight and paved. Bikes can be rented from most of the casas particulares and hotels in town, for just a few dollars a day. Otherwise, stop by the tour shop Cubanacán for help.


Vinales has a new hop-on-hop-off tourist bus that provides an easy way to travel to some 18 useful locations around the valley. The route is clearly marked and easy to navigate, and so you may not even need to use taxi transport during your stay. However, if you do need to reach some place off the bus route or after hours, there are plenty of taxis around the main plaza in town. Your hotel can also call for a pick up.

Jose Marti International Airport (HAV) / Arriving by Air

Address: Rancho Boyeros, Havana, Cuba, CU
Tel: +53 07 649 5777
Located some 15 km / 9 miles south-west of Havana, Jose Marti International Airport is the easiest entry point into Cuba. Major airlines from the region and as far away as Europe offer regular scheduled flights to the capital. You can rent a car at the terminal or arrange for a taxi to take you to Vinales. Tour companies are also located in the terminal, and many of them organise transport to popular tourist destinations.

Car Rental

The town is easy to reach by car if you choose to rent your own vehicle, and this can be done at the airport or in Havana itself. Take the Autopista Nacional (A4) from Havana westwards to Pinar del Rio, then turn north on the Carretera Vinales and drive another 26 km / 16 miles to Vinales. The entire route is well-marked in English and Spanish. In town, you can rent a car from hire companies such as Cubanacán, Havanautos, Micar and Transtur. Scooters can also be rented by the day from Cubanacán. For an especially scenic mountain drive, take the road from the Peninsula Guanahacabibes, which passes through both Guana and Pons.

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Buses and Coaches

Most travellers reach Vinales by coach transport. Viazul offers two buses daily from Havana to Vinales, passing through Pinar del Rio. These depart from Havana at 09:00 and 14:00, taking three hours 15 minutes to complete the trip. The bus station in town is located at Calle Salvador Cisnero 63, standing conveniently just across from the central plaza. Daily buses travel between Cienfuegos, Las Terrazas, Soroa and Trinidad, while limited bus services also connect destinations such as Cayo Jutias, Cayo Levisa and Maria la Gorda.

Trains

A slow train travels from Havana to Pinar del Rio during the night, every other day. It arrives in Pinar del Rio early in the morning, and from there you can hire a taxi or catch a bus north to Vinales. While train transport isn't the usual way people get to this part of Cuba, it is certainly an interesting and pleasant experience if you have the time.

Taxis

It is quite commonplace for tourists to travel from Pinar del Rio to Vinales by taxi. These can be hired all over Pinar del Rio and the trip takes about 30 minutes. Once in town, taxis are the easiest way to get around, with many waiting around the main plaza for fares. Your hotel can also call and arrange a pick up for you. Taxis can be hired for the entire day if you want to do some regional sightseeing.