Back
Cub _ hav _ vintage cars II _ rafe no pay

There are several car hire offices in Havana (though fewer elsewhere), which are often near tourist hotels. Driving is fine – there are relatively few cars once you get out of Havana, even on the so-called motorway! As you’ve heard, road signs, both for directions to places and for traffic information, are very poor. Familiarise yourself with the compulsory stop sign in particular. You must stop when you cross a railway, even if the line looks unused.

Your fluent Spanish will be a great help to you, particularly given the poor signposting – we generally advise that you may need to ask locals for directions at times. I have a few other tips to help too: the first is to get a good map – there are plenty available online - the best you can afford. Stanfords in Covent Garden is the best place in the UK. (If you book through us we’ll give you a map, of course.)

Secondly, getting out of Havana and finding your way eastwards to the start of the motorway which runs towards Santiago is really, really difficult, so I’d advise paying a taxi driver to guide you to the point where the motorway starts. (Again, we include an escort for this part of the journey in our self-drive holidays.) Finding your way westwards is easier.

I would also avoid driving at night – it’s easier to get lost, and lots of vehicles drive with no lights. Now Cuba is such friends with Venezuela, petrol is much easier to find. Fill up in medium and larger towns, and be aware that petrol stations are very intermittent on the eastbound motorway, which bypasses larger towns.

In terms of the birding, I’m sure you already have plenty in mind, but I would try the Laguna de Las Salinas (part of Las Salinas Wildlife Refuge) for observing migratory birds between November and May, and also Cayo Sabinal, to the north of Nuevitas in the province of Camagüey.

Tailor-made holidays

Flexible, custom-made holidays to Latin America created to match your exact requirements: our tailor-made itineraries are as unique as the clients for whom they are designed.

Design my trip

Papagaio

Your edit for Latin American inspiration

Our exciting range of articles on Latin America explore everything from iconic destinations and lesser-known cultural gems to delicious traditional recipes. You’ll also find exclusive travel tips, first-hand client reviews and the chance to get your personal questions answered by our travel experts.

View Extraordinary Inspiration
Bartolome, Galápagos

Meet our team

Real Latin american experts

  • Carrie
    Carrie Gallagher - Travel Expert

    A former JLA tour leader, Carrie brings a wealth of on-the-ground experience to our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours department.

  • Charlotte
    Charlotte Daubeney - Travel Expert

    Charlotte's fascination with Latin America began with a family holiday to Belize. She went on to study Spanish in school and at university before spending a year living in Santiago, Chile.

  • Mary
    Mary Anne Nelson - Travel Expert

    Born in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, Mary’s insider knowledge and dry sense of humour make her a highly valued member of the Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tour sales team.

  • Sophie
    Sophie Barber - Travel Expert

    Sophie lived in Chile before joining us and has travelled extensively across Latin America, from Mexico to the furthest tip of Patagonia and beyond to Antarctica.

  • Ben
    Ben Line - Travel Expert

    Ben fell in love with Latin America on a six month backpacking trip from Colombia to Mexico in 1995. Since then he has explored most of South America, including living in Peru for a year. He is now Head of Sales.

  • Juliet
    Juliet Ellwood - Travel Expert

    After graduating with a degree in Anthropology and History and having been fascinated by Latin America since childhood by the book featuring photos of Nazca, Juliet first visited the region in 2003. Since then, Juliet has visited the majority of countries in Latin America but has particularly extensive experience with Peru, a country she loves for many reasons but not least, its incredible archaeological richness and delicious food!

0 1 2 3 4 5