greetings! Headed to Cuba..

[TheRedBeanPanda]

A friend and I had a great time in Playa Giron before Covid. We dove with Centro Internacional de Buceo (International Blue Dive Center on GMaps). The diving was not super remarkable but suited for beginners and the dive shop was well-run, everyone was in a very good mood. In general, Playa Giron was nice to stay at and just chill out.
General tips: Cuba has so much to offer, I loved it there! Forget Varadero unless you literally just want to laze around a hotel pool, nothing to see there. Dive trips offered from those hotels usually take you all the way South, anyways.
For acommodation, we only pre-booked two nights in Havana and from there, anywhere we went people were offering casas particulares at the long-haul bus stops when we were getting off. Worked super well during the shoulder season. You sounds like you're somewhat adventourous so that might be just the thing for you. Things might be different now because they're in times of crisis. But in any case anything you're going to book through Airbnb or Booking etc. will be loads more expensive.
Bring cash, try to get your hands on the local currency CUP for street food and don't listen to the haters. Speaking Spanish you won't have any problems, anyways. As soon as I opened my mouth speaking Spanish, people's attitudes changed completely For nice nature check out Viñales.
P. S.: If you're planning to travel around the country on your own by bus or car, bring loads of snacks. You won't be able to just buy stuff for the road in Cuba. Also bring anything you can to leave to the people such as menstrual products, cosmetics, pain meds etc. Leave that to any nice people that you meet, they will highly appreciate it.

 

[goalieboy29]

For the scubacuba folks - looks like no flights into cienfuegos during off season. How long is the transfer from airport to faro luna please?

 

[jmark18]

For the scubacuba folks - looks like no flights into cienfuegos during off season. How long is the transfer from airport to faro luna please?

From the airport in Santa Clara it is about 2 hours by bus. I think there is a small airport near Cienfuegos but no idea who flies there if at all.

 

[Joneill]

A beautiful island and a magnificent culture. Don't pay any attention to those who criticize politically. Bring cash, don't rely on credit cards. Most things are a financial bargain. World class music and excellent diving over healthy reefs.

Well… it does deserve to be criticized politically but that was not the OP’s question.

I’ve only heard good things about the “Gardens of the Queen” on the Southside - but not sure how that fared after last summers bleaching temps.

I honestly don’t think that you can use the term “healthy reefs” anywhere in the Caribbean anymore. Some places may be better than others but, unfortunately, it’s all in rough shape.

 

[goalieboy29]

Thanks bud. I've seen packages during the winter that fly into CFG and that's like a 20 minute transfer. Dang. 2 hours. Ok cheers.

 

[rgkv]

Thanks bud. I've seen packages during the winter that fly into CFG and that's like a 20 minute transfer. Dang. 2 hours. Ok cheers.

Here's one for you.. one of my times to Fargo Luna, the transportation profided from the airport to the hotel, ran out of gas, middle of nowhere, driver cant speak English, couple of cars stopped, even a taxi, which I wanted to take, but they said no. Waited an hour for a guy to show up with a pop bottle full of gas....DID NOTHING!!!! wait another hour for a bigger bottle of gas... make it to a gas station, pound on the owners door, Its now after midnight,, to wake him up to turn on the pumps... **** show it was

 

[rmorgan]

I’ve only heard good things about the “Gardens of the Queen” on the Southside - but not sure how that fared after last summers bleaching temps.

The Jardines de la Reina took a very hard hit from the scalding ocean temperatures last year. We were there in January and it was bleak. There's a before (May '23) and after (September '23) article in the online dive magazine, Xray. Still lots of sharks, lots of grouper, interesting topography, excellent topsides. But I wouldn't go for the reefs.