Ciego de Avila travel guide

Getting around

Much of the city can be seen on foot, or you can use abicitaxi or coche for longer distances. For excursions out of the city, car hire is the most convenient, or you can hire a state or private taxi to take you around, or take a tour.

Getting there

The airport 24 km north of Ciego de Avila was closed in 2009. The international airport on Cayo Coco is convenient if that is your destination, saving a long bus ride out to the cays. So far it is receiving scheduled international flights from Argentina, the UK and Canada, as well as domestic flights from Havana, and charter flights according to season and demand. The railway station is central and trains on the Havana to Santiago route stop here, but are unreliable and foreigners are often not allowed on. Víazul buses are more convenient, running from Havana to Santiago, Havana to Holguín, Varadero to Santiago and Trinidad to Santiago, several daily. However, if you break your journey here, make sure you have a reservation well in advance for the onward bus, as the long-distance buses are usually full when they go through town.

Air

The Jardines del Rey international airport is on Cayo Coco , T33-309161-5. Cayo Coco airport receives AeroCaribbean flights from Havana as well as international flights from Canada, the UK and Argentina. In 2009 the international airlines landing here were Cubana, Sunwing, Thomas Cook, Airtransat, Canjet and Air Canada. The terminal has banking services, tourist information and shops selling handicrafts, cigars and rum.

Airlines

Cubana, Carretera Central 83 entre Maceo y Honorato Castillo, Ciego de Avila, T33-201117. AeroCaribbean at Cayo Coco airport, T33-309106, cocodr@enet.cu. Aero Club Palmares offers microlight flights from Cayo Coco hotels, CUC$30, 10 mins. Tandem parachute jumps taking off from the airport and landing on the beach are available for CUC$120 per person. Tandem paragliding from a boat and landing on the beach is CUC$40.

Bus

The Ciego de Avila bus station is on the Carretera Central just east of the zoo. Víazul, T33-225109, stops here on its Havana–Santiago route. Víazul, to Havana, Trinidad, Varadero, Holguín and Santiago. Only tour buses go to Cayo Coco, there are no public buses.

Morón bus terminal is at Martí entre Poi y Céspedes, but Víazul does not come here.

Car hire

Cubacar, in Ciego de Avila: Hotel Ciego de Avila, T33-200102; Hotel Santiago Habana, T33-266169; Libertad s/n entre Honorato del Castillo y Maceo, T33-212570; Candelario Agüero entre Arnaldo Ramírez y Onelio Hernández, T33-207133; Terminal de Omnibus, Carretera Central Este, T33-225105. In Morón: Hotel Morón, T33-502028; Cristóbal Colón 32, T33-502020; Parque Echeverría, Serfio Antuña s/n, T33-502152. On the cays in most of the hotels. Rent a Car Vía, T33-222050. Rex, at Hotel Sol Cayo Coco, T33-302244; Hotel Ciego de Avila, T33-228013, specializing in the luxury end of the market. Mopeds can be hired on the cayos at most of the hotels for CUC$15 per hr or CUC$40 for 24 hrs.

Petrol stations

At Carretera de Morón, Circunvalación Km 2.5, Ciego de Avila; at Carretera Central e Independencia Km 444, Ciego de Avila; Crucero Campo Hatuey, Majagua (Carretera Central); at Carretera de Bolivia, Vía Cayo Coco, Morón; and at the roundabout at Cayo Coco.

Taxi

Cubataxi, Reparto Ortiz, Ciego de Avila, T33-266666, central office on Cayo Coco, T33-308202, reservations T33-302222; Av Tarafa, Morón, T33-503290. A taxi from the airport on Cayo Coco to Cayo Coco hotels is CUC$10-15; from the airport to Cayo Guillermo, CUC$15-25. Bicitaxis in Ciego de Avila charge in pesos cubanos, making them a very cheap form of local transport for foreigners. A taxi from Ciego de Avila to Morón is CUC$10.

Train

Daily train to Ciego de Avila to and from Havana and Santiago. In theory it arrives from Havana at 1230 and from Santiago at 0440 but is technically reserved for Cubans. Morón is on the Santa Clara–Nuevitas railway line; the train runs one day to Santa Clara and the next day to Nuevitas, uncomfortable but if you can get on you pay in pesos cubanos. You can also get to Camagüey by train daily from Morón, paying in pesos cubanos.

Banks

Banco Financiero Internacional, Honorato del Castillo, Ciego de Avila, T33- 225274, Hotel Sol Cayo Coco, T33-301252 and Hotel Iberostar Daiquirí, Cayo Guillermo, T33-301607. Cadeca, Independencia 118, Ciego de Avila, T33-266009, 0900-1730; Honorato del Castillo e Independencia, Ciego de Avila, T33-266418; Calle Martí, Morón, T33-502246, as well as in the airport and in hotels on the cays.

Customs

Aduana at Cayo Coco, T33-309107.

Immigration

Independencia esq La Cruz Verde (store), Ciego de Avila, T33-223665, phones manned 24 hrs, tourist card extensions CUC$25.

Medical services

Clínica Internacional de Cayo Coco, next to Hotel Playa Coco, open 24 hrs, T33-302158, http://www.servimedcuba.com. Facilities for tourists also at the provincial hospitals in Ciego de Avila and in Morón, where there are rooms reserved for foreigners.

Post

At the corner of Chicho Valdés y Marcial Gómez. DHL and Cubapost, Carretera Central y Marcial Gómez, Ciego de Avila, T33-222096, for documents and packets, Mon-Fri 0800- 1700, Sat 0800-1200, and at Calle 5 entre Carretera de Morón e Isabel, T33-223126, 0800-1800. In Morón, Calle Martí esq Serafín Sánchez.

Telephone

Etecsa, on Parque Martí, Ciego de Avila, in the 12-storey building, providing phone, fax and internet service. Telepunto, Joaquín de Agüero entre Honorato del Castillo y Maceo, Ciego de Avila, T33- 207201, on Parque Martí, Morón and the cays also sells prepaid cards for internet access, CUC$6 per hr, and cards for national and international phone calls, open 0830-1930 daily.