Sailing "No Keys": Matanza, Cuba

February 12, 2011

A group of us from the Marina went for a day trip to Matanza. We were picked up just outside of our Marina and the price of going on the bus was $10.00 CUC’s for a round trip. Matanza is about 40 miles away from the Marina to the west. The day was a bit overcast but perfect for traveling around.

Our Transportation.....Nice

Cuba has hills, mountains and deep gorges

We are headed to “The Caves”. This wonderful site is located high in the hills above the City of Matanza. This is a must see if you visit Cuba. The price to enter is $5.00 Cuc’s. There is a small museum that shows you some of the tools that were used to excavate the opening of this cave. There are also other items of interest plus the history of these Caves. As you enter these caves, it is very muggy and warm. The steps become wet and slippery and the ceiling begins to drip. The lighting is not that great but the Guides are good and can speak 3 different languages to tell you the history and point out prominent sites. Our pictures are not that great as it is very dark but the crystals are beautiful and just makes your jaw drop.

Entrance to the Caves

After the caves, we boarded the bus again and headed to downtown Matanza. We got off in the central part. There are many narrow streets but there is a wonderful square with statues. There is a modern hotel and the architecture beautiful. The price to spend a night here was $70.00 Cuc’s per night. We continued to walk and find a place to eat a late lunch before heading back to Varadero. We did find a little place that looked classy but all they had to offer today was a ham and cheese sandwich and it was pricey, $4.00 Cuc’s each and they only had 1 menu and it was obvious that it was just for tourists just like us. This was a disappointing. We had our lunch and continued on a walking tour of the downtown area.