Waymarks for driving in Cuba

In June/July 2007, I went to Cuba for a holiday.

On the roads there are few signs pointing to towns, and the only road map, the Guia de Carreteras, doesn't have much detail. On my first trip to Cuba (in November 2004), I was not aware of this and got very lost on my first drive. Day 3 of the diary for my 2007 trip describes the three things I did to avoid getting lost this time.

As a result of the 2007 trip, I've got some waymarks for driving from Santiago to Baracoa, Baracoa to Santiago, Havana to Las Terrazas, Las Terrazas to Vinales and Vinales to Havana. This information is provided below.

If you are interested in getting information about some other route, I would recommend that you obtain a copy of the book "Bicycling Cuba" (by Wally and Barbara Smith, 0-88150-553-6) as your route may be covered in that book. Although targetted at cyclists, because it's difficult to get information about routes, I think this book is also extremely useful to those using a car. The book is described at http://www.bicyclingcuba.com.

In the tables below, the column headed odometer K gives distances in K from the start as measured by the odometer of the car I was using.

I've also produced a Gmaps-Pedometer page for the first 170K of this route. The position on this page of each waymark is given in the column headed gmaps K. You will have to zoom in to find a particular waymark.

Important note: there is one place where the route given on this Gmaps-Pedometer page differs from the route given in the table below. It's the section of the Gmaps-Pedometer page between 96K and 98K. In travelling from the 96K point, the Gmaps-Pedometer page takes a route which is "5 blocks" south of the route that is taken in the table below. At the junction where you have a choice, there is a sign for Baracoa for the route given below. (On the way back, I usually take the route given on the Gmaps-Pedometer page.) I've also produced a Gmaps-Pedometer page showing the difference between the two routes. (Ignore the markers on this page.)

In the table below I'm referring to the Gmaps-Pedometer page that was used for the first 170K of the route from Santiago Airport to Baracoa. The position on this page of each waymark is given in the column headed gmaps K. You will have to zoom in to find a particular waymark. Remember that the numbers are not appropriate as they are measurements from Santiago Airport. (You need to subtract each number from 95.6.)

In the section of the route involving the northeastern outskirts of Guantanamo, I think the junction on this Gmaps-pedometer page is not signposted: you have to turn right.

And at the point where two routes are given above on the route out from Santiago to Baracoa, I use the southern route as it is easier. Here is a Gmaps-Pedometer page showing the southern route. As you can see, you just proceed along the road until you reach a T-junction where you turn right. It's the section of the Gmaps-Pedometer page between 98K and 96K.

I've also produced a Gmaps-Pedometer page for the route from Las Americas to the Airport. The position on this page of each waymark is given in the column headed gmaps K. You will have to zoom in to find a particular waymark.

I've also produced a Gmaps-Pedometer page for the route from Havana Airport to Las Terrazas. The position on this page of each waymark is given in the column headed gmaps K. You will have to zoom in to find a particular waymark.

I've also produced a Gmaps-Pedometer page for the route from Las Terrazas to Vinales. The position on this page of each waymark is given in the column headed gmaps K. You will have to zoom in to find a particular waymark.

I've also produced a Gmaps-Pedometer page for the route from Vinales to Havana Airport. The position on this page of each waymark is given in the column headed gmaps K. You will have to zoom in to find a particular waymark.

When I did this route, I failed to come off the autopista at the right point. The junction didn't look right to me and, according to my odometer, it was too early. If you also do this, then you may want to see a Gmaps-Pedometer page for an alternative route to the Airport.

Having not turned off the autopista at the right point, I attempted to take this alternative route but I found it difficult to follow (as I hadn't prepared it beforehand) and so I didn't quite keep to it! It takes you to the next main intersection of the autopista. Here, using a series of junctions that come right after another, you turn right and then turn right again The route joins a main road (Rancho Boyeros) going south. You go along this road for some distance. Leave Rancho Boyeros when you get to the right turn for Terminal 2. You go pass the front and side of Terminal 2 before reaching Terminal 3 (the terminal for most international flights).

Feedback

If you found this information useful, please let me know. If you actually used the information on this page on your trip to Cuba, I'd be grateful if you would let me know this, and please report any errors so that I can update the page. Thanks.
Barry Cornelius
July 2007