World’s Newest Long Trail: Cuba’s Ruta de la Revolución

See a Cuba tourists never see. Hike la Ruta de la Revolución trek which follows the historic route of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara that started the Cuban Revolution—from landing in Cuba in a foundering boat to their famous hideout deep in the Sierra Maestra Mountains. Walk for days on wooded trails and mountain roads—see no cars, only the occasional mule cart. Eat dinner by oil lamp with campesino families in remote rural villages. And finally, be one of the very first to do the La Ruta de la Revolución while it’s “undiscovered” and unspoiled. We didn’t see a non-Cuban until we reached Fidel Castro’s Comandancia de La Plata hideout deep in the Sierra Maestra Mountains.

The following includes:

  1. A Trip Guide to La Ruta de la Revolución Trek (the only online or in print guide, even in Cuba)
  2. Detailed Route Description and Photo Essay since few non-Cubans have visited this area. It documents the people and places and should give you a good feel for what La Ruta is all about.
  3. Some Travel Tips for the Ruta including info on Cuban Visa
  4. And a List of the Gear we took, including some Insect and Disease Prevention Clothing and Tips
Ruta de la Revolución

View of the Sierra Maestra Mountains from near Fidel Castro’s Comandancia de La Plata hideout and command center.

La Ruta de la Revolución Trek Highlights

  1. La Ruta de la Revolución is a new long trail for the world. As far we know, only four people have completed it in the last few years (and Alison, our guide and I are three). This is an exciting chance to do a trail while it’s undiscovered and unspoiled. [At writing, only one travel agency guides it.]
  2. It has history because it follows the trail that started the Cuban revolution. It follows the treacherous path that Fidel Castro and Che Guevara took from their secret boat landing on the coast (2 dec 1956) to the famous mountain hideout (La Comandancia de La Plata) where they planned/orchestrated the revolution. (Only 21 of the original 82 men made it.)
  3. You’ll see a Cuba that other tourists don’t see. This is not the touristy beaches, antique cars, and clubs of Havana. Instead you’ll walk woodland/jungle trails and remote rural roads often times accompanied by campesinos on foot or horseback as they go between small villages and the farms they work.
  4. Experience the people and homes of a remote and rural Cuba. You’ll stay with campesino families each night in their palm thatch roofed casas. Dinner is cooked over an open wood fire in an earth floored kitchen. You’ll share simple peasant food and conversation with the family in the light of an oil lamp. (For us, this was our favorite part of the trek.)
  5. Finally, you’ll climb through coffee plantations, cross mountain streams and walk through small villages into the refreshing cool air of the Sierra Maestra Mountains. On one side, you’ll have views across the Caribbean Sea and on the other, the vast expanse of Cuba stretching northward to the horizon.
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La Ruta de la Revolución (red rectangle) is located in a remote part of Cuba seldom visited by tourists. It goes through two huge National Parks comprising most of Cuba’s southernmost coast.

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[click on map to enlarge] La Ruta de la Revolución (BLUE line) starts in far western Granma Province in the small coastal village of Playa de Las Coloradas. It is here that Fidel Castro’s boat the Granma landed in 1956. The Ruta follows through Parque Nacional Desembarco del Granma – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It then climbs into the vast Gran Parque Nacional Sierra Maestra, home to the highest mountains in Cuba and ends at Fidel Castro’s Comandancia de La Plata hideout.

Top Things You Need to Know about La Ruta de la Revolución

Location Cuba’s Southwest Coast
Reference This is the only guide online or in-print for La Ruta de la Revolución. For a good general Cuba guide we recommend Lonely Planet Cuba
Season All year, but the weather is coolest in “winter,” November to February
Duration  6 to 8 days (it’s best to take more time, you’ll get more out of the trip)
Distance ~150 kilometers on a combination of trails and rural roads.
(There is an option to split the route into half each about 3-4 days)
Navigation and maps A far as we know, you are only allowed to do this trek with an “official” guide. And even if it was allowed un-guided, you’d be crazy to try it—even with excellent Spanish and good travel skills. This route is not mapped. And even Cuban maps of the area do not have some of the roads and trails you’ll use. [See Guiding Section in next table]
Physical intensity You need moderate hiking fitness. The first half is mostly rolling terrain—rural roads and farm trails. At times it can be hot and humid with full sun (you are hiking in the Caribbean). The second half is cooler but on steeper mountain roads, ending up on very steep mountain trails.
Gear Travel light! This is a List of the Gear that worked well for us. Given the warm climate and that you’re not carrying food, you might even get by with a daypack or  just about any 20 to 30 liter pack you have, e.g. REI Co-op Flash 22 Pack.
Camera Bring a good one! Alan used a Sony a7R II with a Sony 28-70 F3.5-5.6 lens
Alison a Sony a6000 with a 18-105 f/4 lens.
See more about Selecting a Travel/Backpacking Camera here.
Sleeping You’ll stay most nights with campesino families. This will mean a rural home with very basic facilities—but lovely families and people! See more in our Detailed Section on Sleeping.
Food There are essentially no stores, and only a few meager “restaurants” along the route. Mostly you’ll eat whatever the local people cook for you in their homes. See more in our Detailed Section on Food.
Water We chemically treated all water on the trip. We like these simple and effective Katadyn or Portable Aqua treatment tablets—best travel water treatment going!  See more in our Detailed Section on Water.

 

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Rural Cuba is social. If people are going your direction, they will walk beside you and companionably chat. Along with locals we walked beside this mule team carrying coffee in the Sierra Maestra Mountains.

Arranging for Your Trek

Cost $1,280 USD for 2 people to do the trek in 8 days. Includes: transport from the airport to trek start, guiding, food and lodging along the route, and transport from the end of the trek back to the airport.
Guiding Bayamo Travel Agent, based in Bayamo, Cuba offers the only guiding. The Ruta de la Revolución Trek is not listed on their site. You will need to email them to make arrangements. As of this writing, the only guiding language was Spanish, although Anley Rosales Benitez, the owner of Bayamo Travel speaks excellent English and could probably arrange for a translator.
Getting there Its easiest and fastest to fly into the town of Holguin, Cuba. There are direct flights to the Holguin Airport (HOG) from the US. Your travel agent/driver will meet you there and transport you to the trip start. Flying into Bayamo would also be an option. Flying into Santiago de Cuba is your third option although it will take longer to get to the trek start.

 

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Trail to Che Guavara’s radio station (Radio Rebelde) the communications center for La Comendancia de la Plata. They would get warned by campesinsos when enemy planes were flying over the area and quickly pull the radio tower down. (Batista’s forces never found the Comendancia).

Most villages along the route are very small. Just a few homes and some farm building.

Most villages along the route are very small. Just a few homes and some farm buildings.

Shorter Route Options

This trip can be broken into two parts, each about 3-4 days:

  1. Option one, the first half is from Playa de Las Coloradas (in Desembarco del Granma) to the small village of Cinco Palmas. It was here that the revolutionaries re-grouped after being scattered into 27 separate groups after a disastrous first battle. In Cinco Palmas, you’ll find a bronze statue of campesinos who helped the revolutionaries on their trek.
  2. Alternatively, option two, if you are interested in a cooler (though more hilly) trek, you can start in Cinco Palmas and hike to the Comandancia de la Plata (Fidel’s hideout).
Route Days km ele. gain meters ele. loss m total ele. change
 Total Route 6 to 8  150 4200  3700  7900
 1st Half to Cinco Palmas 3 to 4  70 1000 900 1900
 2nd Half Cinco Palmas to Comandancia 3 to 4*  80 3200 2800 6000

* Note: Given the 6000 m (20,000 ft) of elevation change, some hikers might consider 5 days for this half

We picked up a horseback rider as we passed a small panadaria (bakery). He rode with us for a few miles, chatted and gave us directions and information about upcoming villages.

We picked up a horseback rider as we passed a small panadaria (bakery). He rode with us for a few miles, chatted, gave us directions and information about upcoming villages, and where to get food.


Sleeping, Food, and Water

"The

Sleeping

You’ll stay most nights with a campesino family. Usually this is a rural home where three generations share two or three bedrooms. There will be a tiled floor family/eating room, and a dirt floor kitchen with an open fire. These homes, while extremely compact, are quite clean. They are inspected by the health department regularly (check the back of the front door for their last health inspection date). The dirt-floor in the kitchen is because there is open-fire cooking. They will probably throw a mattress on the floor in the common room for you to sleep on. [Your guide will take care of all sleeping arrangements and pay the family generously for your stay!]

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The casa we stayed in the first night. It’s a typical rural village home— plain wood walls, a corrugated steel roof, and glassless windows. There’s a tiled floor main room in the front with 2-3 bedrooms partitioned off to the left. In the back is a dirt floored room (man standing in it) that serves as a kitchen and storage room. This was the only home we saw with a television. In most homes, electricity is just a few fluorescent bulbs used from 7 to 10 pm.

An outhouse on the property will handle biological needs.  There is no running water in the homes so you’ll bathe in an outdoor area with a barrel and a dipper. We found it glorious after a long hot, sweaty day of hiking. We hand-washed our clothes in a laundry tub and hung them up to dry overnight.

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Most homes have 3 generations and up to 10 people. This girl is sleeping on the floor of the main room as there isn’t a bedroom for her.

Until the route becomes more established with set/pre-arranged places to stay each night there is a small possibility you’ll sleep outside in a tent or hammock. Either because you stop hiking for the day before you reach a suitable village, or because with three generations of people in their home there isn’t enough room for you to sleep. But you still will get dinner, breakfast and to bathe. We brought our own hammocks, but most people will likely be more comfortable with a a light backpacking see the List of the Gear we took.

Every home we stayed at kept, goats, chickens, and pigs. This casa at the base of the Sierra Maestra Mountains was the only place we stayed that had running water (piped from a mountain stream, see cistern in front).

Every home we stayed at kept, goats, chickens, and pigs. This casa at the base of the Sierra Maestra Mountains was the only place we stayed that had running water (piped from a mountain stream, see cistern in front).

Food and Water

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We shared a 5 liter bottle of treated water (left in photo) that would last us about 1/2 day until we had to refill it and chemically treat water again. Picture is the start of the trek through the wooded trails of Desembarco del Granma National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This is one of the longest sections of the trek without water. It’s also one of the hottest sections.

Food

As of this writing, buying your own food along the route is not an option. There are essentially no stores, no towns and only a few meager “restaurants” along the route. You’ll eat whatever the local people cook for you in their homes. We had two meat dinners and one vegetarian dinner, based entirely on what our hosts had in their homes the day we arrived (unannounced and unplanned). We always ate a big dinner, and had some bread/butter for breakfast. For us, lunch was a catch as catch can. (But you should request with your travel agent/guide what meals you want.) Your final option, although a heavy one, is to buy food in a grocery store in Cuba before the trip and carry it with you. We did not do this, rather we carried about 5 energy bars each.

Ruta de la Revolución

Oil lamp lit dinner with a campesino host family. They moved the table to make room for our drying laundry which you can make out in the background. Simple food of rice, beans, yuca, yami (a type of sweet potato), bananas and a small amount of extremely cooked meat. In the morning, they refused payment from us saying that it was what they were supposed to do as good people. (They finally relented when we insisted they take the money, if not for themselves, then for their daughter.)

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This was the only bodega (small store) we saw on the route. It’s few goods are artfully arranged on the shelves to semi-disguise the reality that there’s little inventory. There’s no refrigeration and no perishable food. [That’s a working scale on the counter since most stuff rice, beans, sugar etc. are all weighed and sold in bulk.] There was nothing we wanted.

"We

Water

This route is in rural Cuba with lots of farm animals living around every home. We chemically treated all water on the trip. The “best” water you find (if not all) will be trucked into the village. With the number of farm animals everywhere, we stayed away from water in the streams. And in the hot weather, during the dry season, many streams may not be running. We also carefully treated all our water and ended up carrying more than we would of liked. Don’t assume water will be plentiful while hiking.

water-tablets

This route is usually hot and water sources are far apart so you’ll carry a fair amount of water. We shared a 5 liter bottle of treated water that lasted us about 1/2 day until we had to refill it and chemically treat water again. We like these fast, simple and effective Katadyn or Portable Aqua treatment tablets. You can also use these Aquamira Water Treatment Drops which are more economical but a bit more fussy to use.


Detailed Route Description and Photo Essay

Part 1 – Overview of the Route – A Walk Through Culture and History

Be sure to soak up all the history on this route. Every day has points of the interest from Fidel, Che and the revolutionaries long and dangerous trek to their final mountain retreat. So keep an eye out for markers, monuments, plaques, etc. We saw cleared farm areas (makeshift camp sites for the fighters), markers for various events and battles, and even Che’s command center in Minas Frias. Our guide was great at pointing these out to us and explaining as we went along. By the end of our trek, we found that we knew more about this historic trek than most Cubans.

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There are some strange historical markers/sites like this preserved section of a culvert marking the place where Fidel Castro crossed under a road to go undetected by Batista’s forces!

You’ll also walk though farmland and small villages, some with historical context, but all worth exploring. For us, the highlight was visiting and staying with the campesinos (rural farmworkers). We saw a way of life from almost hundred years ago in the U.S. They still use ox carts!

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Coffee is still carried from the mountains by mule.

The first half of the Ruta de la Revolución is mostly flat. It can be hot and humid as you have yet to climb into the cooler mountains. The trek starts by walking the length of Parque Nacional Desembarco del Granma – a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a unique coastal karst (limestone) habitat. Much of the trail is lined by trees and there are numerous markers explaining the historical events that occurred the first three days of the revolutionaries trek. The first half of the trek ends in Cinco Palmas where it is possible to take a road out. The small village of Cinco Palmas is where the remaining revolutionaries re-grouped after their disastrous first battle scattered them into 27 separate groups. Here you’ll find a bronze statue of the local campesinos who helped the revolutionaries.

The gate into Minas del Frio.

The gate into Minas del Frio. This where Che Guevara had his secret command/training center during the revolution. Now it’s a mostly decommissioned military base deep in the Sierra Maestra Mountains. At this point, we are getting near la Comandancia de la Plata and our guide is asking military personnel about directions.

After Cinco Palmas the trek gets hillier but also a bit cooler. Expect plenty of ascending and descending each day. You’ll climb through coffee plantations, cross mountain streams and go through small villages up into the refreshing cool air of the Sierra Maestra Mountains. On one side, you’ll have views across the Caribbean Sea and the other, the vast expanse of Cuba stretching northward to the horizon. On your last day, you’ll culminate at the Comandancia de la Plata. The only way to get there is literally trekking through the jungle just like Fidel and the revolutionaries. Our last day on the trek had 3000 m (10,000 ft) of elevation change!

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Fidel Castro's house in La Comandancia de la Plata (mountain hideaway and command center).

Fidel Castro’s house in la Comandancia de la Plata (mountain hideaway and command center).

Note: Playa Los Coloradas is worth a day to explore before your trip. The Desembarco del Granma National Park, is a UNESCO World Heritage site and worth investigating for it’s unique ecosystem, its hiking trails, and even a few archeological sites. There is also the Desembarco del Granma museum which has a full-sized replica of the Granma, the boat that carried 82 revolutionaries from Mexico to Cuba (the original boat is in Havana). There’s even a walkway through the mangroves to the very place the Granma ran aground.


Part 2 – Detailed Route Description

In our usual “get ‘er done in a hurry” style, we had only allowed 4, possibly 5 days to do the trek. Since the trek hadn’t been done in years, and the last person to do it took 8 days, we were unsure that we’d get done in time. We were even sure if we be able to follow the path correctly. As such we were in “hair on fire” mode from the get go. Most sane people will take longer to do the trek. Among other things you’ll want more time to visit with people along the way, explore the small farms and villages, enjoy the views and take lots of photographs.

Note: Our route description is for the 4 days it took us to do the route. Most trekkers will want to take 6-8 day to fully enjoy the Ruta.

Our Day 1

We had a 5:00 start in the dark to 1) get as many miles we could for the day, and 2) to get the most hiking time in the cool of the morning.

"Our

Day one is filled with Ruta markers highlighting various points of interest along the first three days of the rebels march inland.  The trek begins at Playa Los Coloradas, the beach where Fidel and his revolutionaries landed in Cuba. The boat, the Granma was a US built boat that sailed from Mexico. It was designed to carry 20 men but had 82. As such it was very slow, arriving two days late, and was at risk of sinking by the time it reached the Cuban shore.

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One of the may concrete route markers and explanatory plaques along the first 18 km of the route.

"The

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Monument at Alegria del Pio, the site of the first battle of the revolution. Batista troops ambushed Castro’s rebel forces 3 days after landing. It was disastrous for the rebels with about 1/3 killed, 1/3 lost and the rest dispersed into 27 groups. Only 21 of the original 82 made it to the Comandancia de la Plata. [this site is about 18 km from the trek start]

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We saw children eating helado (frozen treats on a sugar-cane stick) and followed it to the source. This woman on the right had a chest freezer and was running a small side business making popsicles in the bottoms of soda cans using sugar cane syrup.

Our Day 2

Day two begins with some rollers and by mid morning you are walking roads. You pass by the small town of Manteca pretty quickly, and just the other side is another camp where Fidel and the revolutionaries stayed (so you know you are still on the Ruta).

An open air dance hall the morning after Saturday night’s fiesta. The small store had only strong alcohol and no food. We managed to find maltados, a sweet non-alcoholic carbonated beverage flavored with malt.

An open air dance hall the morning after Saturday night’s fiesta. The small “Cafeteria” had only strong alcohol and no food. We managed to find Bucanero Maltas, a sweet non-alcoholic carbonated beverage flavored with malt. It was just OK, but something cold! the extra hydration was welcome.

Continuing on, you acquire a fairly major carretera (road) and walk it until the cut off to Cinco Palmas. Along the major road is a marker where Fidel crossed the road (see photo earlier in post).

The afternoon of the second day we arrived at the small village of Cinco Palmas. It was here that the revolutionaries finally managed to re-group after being scattered into 27 separate groups after a disastrous first battle at Alegria Del Pio. In Cinco Palmas, you’ll find a bronze statue of campesinos who helped the revolutionaries on their trek.

"Cuba’s

From here on the hiking gets progressively hillier and steeper for the rest of the Ruta.  Coffee plantations start as soon after you leave Cinco Palmas. Keep an eye out for coffee beans carried by mule, drying plants, and seedling coffee plants on the side of the road waiting to be planted.

This is how coffee was brewed at every home we stayed. You can see the open wood fire in back to boil the water. (The Sierra Maestra Mountains are the heart of coffee growing in Cuba. Just the right elevation for the best coffee.)

This is how coffee was brewed at every home we stayed. You can see the open wood fire in back to boil the water. (The Sierra Maestra Mountains are the heart of coffee growing in Cuba. Just the right elevation for the best coffee.)

Mother and daughter of our host family. Daughter is in school uniform and ready to head out.

Mother and daughter of our host family the second nite. Daughter is in her school uniform and ready to head out on mule, to her school.

Our Day 3

Day 3 started out with rolling hills, then flattened out a bit until hitting a huge hill. In 1980, the government paved the road on this hill because it was so steep that trucks frequently flipped over on it. It is a stiff climb up to the top at 850 meters.

A panadaria (bakery) in the middle of nowhere. It’s where our host of the `night before worked.

A panadaria (bakery) in the middle of nowhere. It’s where our host father of the night before worked. This is where we picked up the horseback rider as a walking companion.

Fidel's Comandancia de la Plata is somehwere out there in the distance. One of our first views of the heart of the Sierra Maestra Mountains.

Fidel’s Comandancia de la Plata is somewhere out there in the distance. One of our first views of the heart of the Sierra Maestra Mountains.

This was the largest building we saw on the trek. It is the only building at the center of one of the largest towns, housing a pharmacy and a min-restaurant. Patriotic slogan, "you soy la revolución," means I am the revolution.

This was the largest building we saw on the trek. It is the only building at the center of one of the largest towns—on a dirt road of course. It houses a pharmacy and a mini-restaurant. The patriotic slogan, “yo soy la revolución,” means I am the revolution.

We chatted with these two young men for a bit but didn't ask what was in the bottle.

We chatted with these two young men for a bit but didn’t ask what was in the bottle (but had a good guess).

We stayed the night in the foothills of the Sierra Maestra in preparation for making the final ascent the next day into Fidel Castro’s Comandancia de La Plata hideout.

View from the front yard of our casa on day 3. Completw rooster and jury-rigged electrical pole.

View from the front yard of our casa on day 3. Complete with rooster and jury-rigged electrical pole.

The father of the family we stayed with was feeding his sick son small pieces of bread between his fingertips.

The father of the family we stayed with feeding his son small pieces of bread between his fingertips.

Our Day 4

Our Day 4 started out with a steep climb to la Comandancia de la Plata via Minas Frias. It’s an unrelenting climb up into to la Comandancia de la Plata. Our total elevation change for the day was 3000 meters or around 10,000 feet.

Sunrise start into the Sierra Maestra Mountains.

Sunrise starts climbing over the Sierra Maestra Mountains.

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The historic Comandancia of Che Guevara is in Minas del Frio (Minas Frias). It was here he organized rebels while Fidel was in the nearby Comandancia de la Plata. Now the area around Che’s Comandancia is mostly an abandoned military base.

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Every child in Cuba goes to school, even in remote rural villages. This group of students, are from a school in the Sierra Maestra Mountains, not too far from la Comandancia de la Plata.

At some point, you turn off the road into a small side track and head into the mountain jungle. The trail gets difficult here—very steep uphills thru a narrow jungle path followed by steep downhills. This was easily the toughest part of the hike. Early on we acquired a second guide (a local campesino) who guided us through the jungle into the Comandancia. (Like Fidel 60 years earlier had a campesino guide them to the site!)

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At some point the maze of small mountain trails confused even our guide (left in photo). We ended up getting a local campesino from a banana farm (right) to guide us through the mountains to la Comandancia de la Plata. Picture is in front of the old Hospital for the Comandancia, which is now under reconstruction.

Signage near the La Comandancia de La Plata, Fidel Castro’s mountain command center. This is at the very end of our trek. But it’s what most tourists see getting out of their 4WD vehicle to hike to La Comandancia, or to Pico Turquino, the highest point in Cuba.

Signage near the La Comandancia de La Plata, Fidel Castro’s mountain command center. This is at the very end of our trek. But it’s what most tourists see getting out of their 4WD vehicle to hike the short 3k to La Comandancia. Having not trekked the 150 km Ruta from the coast, they miss much of the context of the Comandancia de la Plata.

The height of luxury. Breakfast at our casa particular (bed and breakfast) in Santo Domingo at the end of the trek.

The height of luxury. Breakfast at our casa particular (bed and breakfast) in Santo Domingo at the end of the trek.


Travel Tips

  • As of this writing, stand-alone GPS units (SPOT and inReach included) and Satellite Phones were not allowed into Cuba. To confirm, Cuban customs did indeed check our luggage with X-ray machines and also asked us if we were bringing a GPS into the Country. Be forewarned. Strangely, cell-phones with a working GPS are fine. Go figure!
  • Our US cell phones don’t work in rural Cuba (but this may change in the future). But your guide’s cell phone will likely work on some sections of the Ruta. In the bigger towns in Cuba, you can buy Internet cards. On the trek, you will not have this option.
  • We were able to recharge our cell phones at two out of the three houses we stayed in. Electricity will be scarce so don’t expect every house to have it.
  • US debit or credit cards don’t work with Cuban ATMs.
  • So for US Citizens, this is a cash-only country. US dollars will cost an extra 10% to exchange so Euros, Canadian Dollars, British Pounds or any other currency is recommended.  That said, you can change US dollars if needed.
  • CUBAN VISA: US Citizens need a Cuban visa to get into Cuba. We went thru the Miami airport. At the boarding gate in Miami, a kiosk sold Cuban visas good for one visit, for $100/person. We assume this is the same at other airports in the US. Alternatively, you can get a visa through the Cuban consulate. It costs only $50/person however: you will need a passport photo, you’ll fill out forms, provide a copy of your passport and must hand it all to them in person (I provided all the same for my spouse, but it cost $75 since they weren’t there in person with me). A week later, you return to pick up your visa. The $100 airport visa is a much better deal.
  • US CATEGORIES (not really a visa): The US government has several categories of reasons allowing you to go to Cuba. The reason that people have started to go now is that in March, 2016, the US Gov’t added the category of “people-to-people” to their list. You can go to the State Department website to read more about what this means (https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/cuba.html) see “support for the Cuban people”. As long as you fall into one of these categories, you do not need a visa from the US to travel (but will still need a Cuban visa). We carried our itinerary with us upon returning to the US to prove we spent time with Cuban people, but were not asked for it or anything else at US customs.
  • Remember, you are in a very rural area. As such, we saw virtually no cars on the trek. Almost all transport is either by foot or by horse/mule. There may be options to rent horses/mules along some sections, but that needs to be well organized beforehand.
"Cuba Ready" kiosk at Miami Airport.

“Cuba Ready” kiosk at Miami Airport where you can get get a visa.

Gear for La Ruta de la Revolución Trek

Note: this is a excerpt from our 9 Pound – Full Comfort – Lightweight Backpacking Gear List which we use for worldwide trekking, including our recent trek into the Jungles of Columbia to  see La Cuidad Perdita (the Lost City). Depending on the time of year, temperatures on the Ruta can vary from the humid 80-90s °F with intense sun at lower elevations, to temperatures in the 40’s to 50’s°F on cool nights in the mountains. There is always a slight chance of rain even in the lowlands. The chance of rain increases when you get into the mountains as they have their own weather.

Item Description Comments
Backpack for all your gear 30 to 40+ liter backpack Osprey Exos 48 PackULAOhm 2.0 Pack great!, or Hyperlite Mountain Gear SW 2400. See Recommended Lightweight Backpacks for other choices.
Day Pack Just about any 20+ liter pack
REI Co-op Flash 22
Warm climate and not carrying food so you can also use a daypack. Alison used an Ultimate Direction Fastpack 25
Tent Light one e.g. Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL 2 Tent For the slight chance you need to sleep outdoors.  REI Quarter Dome 2 Tent or for lighter options see: Recommended Tents and other Shelters
Hammock Good for tropical climate Tent alternative. Something like an Ultralite Backpacker Asym Zip or Hyperlite Asym Zip
Quilt Fleece blanket or Sleeping Bag Only a light one is needed if at all. We didn’t use one.
Ground Pad T-Rest NeoAir X-lite “Women’s” Perfect size for most. Warm. Super comfortable!
Dry bags These inexpensive dry bags Keep gear dry — especially, cameras, electronics & docs like your passport, etc. and these dry bags have a valve-free air expelling design for compact packing
Clothing  and insect repellents See Disease Prevention, Insects and Clothing below for our clothing list and strategy for avoiding mosquito and other bug bites
Trek poles Cascade Mountain Tech Carbon Help on muddy/slippery trails. Pers. favorites. 1/3 price but equal to the best poles
Water bottle SoftBottle Water Bottle Need 2-3 liter capacity per person. Can use standard commercial bottle. Or  collapsable ones like these
 Water purify  Chemicals light and effective  Katadyn or Portable Aqua tablets or Aquamira Water Treatment Drops
Camera Camera Equipment  You’ll want a good one. See Best Lightweight Backpacking Cameras
Earplugs Foam Earplugs NRR 33 If sensitive to noise. Tight sleeping quarters.
Charging EasyAcc USB Battery (5.4) Charge iPhone 6s ~3x, iPhone 6s Plus or Samsung Galaxy s6 ~2x (5,500 mAh, actual!)
Electronics An excellent kit for travel See “Best Lightweight Travel/Backpacking Electronics Gear” for both on and off trail use
Headlamp Black Diamond Iota Weather sealed. Bright 150 lumens. Can be recharged in the field! E.g the EasyAcc battery pack. Reduce battery waste, and see better!
Toilet paper In waterproof Ziplock bag TP not always at toilets in camp.
Hand sanitizer Travel Size  For use when water/soap not available
Soap Dr. Bronners  Small 1 oz bottle
Towel PackTowl Personal Towel Fast drying. Get one less than 100g (3 oz)
Sunscreen small plastic tube about 1/2 full for face & hands: most of body covered—large hat
Sunglasses Needed!
Lip balm Bert’s Bees or similar Minimal wt for dedicated lip balm
First Aid Kit Meds, wound/injury, foot care A small personal kit see the one in my 9-lb Gear List
Headnet Sea to Summit Head Net (1.2)
Insect repell. Sawyer Picaridin for skin 0.5 oz pump is airline OK small, pocketable, and easily applied in field. Picardin also in lotion is the most effective on the market.
Knife/scissors Wescott blunt tip school scissors More useful than knife – OK for plane carryon
Knife Gerber L.S.T. Drop Point Can cut bread and salami – very light for 2.6″ blade (not carry on legal)
Repair Tenacious patch, duct tape, glue Also consider Aquaseal and a NeoAir patch kit

See our 9 Pound – Full Comfort – Lightweight Backpacking Gear List for a more complete list of gear.

Disease Prevention, Insects and Clothing

This is tropical Caribbean trekking with possible exposure to bug transmitted and water/food transmitted diseases. The CDC recommends visiting your travel doctor (ideally, 4-6 weeks) before your trip to get vaccines or medicines you may need. We got all our travel vaccines for water/food transmitted diseases. And we chemically treated all water along the route. We at well-cooked food as much as possible along the route. None of of us got sick.

A short list of Clothing and Bug Protection (a cool set that you won’t overheat in)

Note: this excerpted from a more detailed article. Best Ways to Protect Yourself Insect Diseases While Hiking some readers may want to investigate it in more detail.

Best Ways to Protect Yourself from Lyme and Zika While Hiking

Item Description Comments
A Hat (repellent) Exofficio Bugsaway Hat Bug repellent for upper head area
 B Shirt hiking* RailRiders Men’s Journeyman Shirt w Insect Shield & Women’s Oasis Cool fabric, mesh side vents, sun protection, Lifetime insect repellent (vs. sprays 8-14 hrs)
Shirt (alt) Exofficio Bugs Away Halo Long Sleeve Shirt Men’s and Women’s Also good, widely available via Amazon and other retailers like REI. Lifetime insect repellent.
C Pants hiking* ExOfficio BugsAway Ziwa Pants Men’s and Women’s Available in both Men’s and Women’s.  Light, cool, sun protection. Lifetime insect repellent.
Pants (alt) RailRiders Men’s Eco-Mesh Pant with Insect Shield RailRiders pants have huge side vent on legs for cooling. Lifetime insect repellent.
E G Bug repellent on face neck hands Sawyer Picaridin lotion 14 hrs!
Pocketable Picaridin 0.5 oz spray
Lasts 14 hrs! No odor. Won’t melt plastic. Small, pocketable, easily applied.
 D Physical Prot.  Tuck pants into socks Prevents tick entry into pants. Stops pants legs from “gapping” and exposing ankle to mosquitos
F Physical Prot.  Tuck shirt into Pants Prevents tick entry into pants and lower shirt area.
 H Gaiters Dirty Girl gaiters (fun colors!) or
REI Co-op Activator Gaiters
Seals pants against tick entry. No ankle gaps. Can be treated with permethrin spray.
H Gaiter trap shoe
(optional)
Altra Lone Peak shoes or
Altra Superior shoes
Velcro “gaiter trap” permanently attached to heel of shoe. (adhesive ones that come with gaiters only work for a while)
Rain Jacket Outdoor Research Helium II or inexpensive REI Coop
 Fleece shirt  North Face TKA 100 1/4-Zip  Light and compact travel garment. For warmth in camp at night and sleeping. Good pillow!
 Underwear Patagonia briefs Mens
Patagonia briefs Women’s
Dry fast, will rinse/wash most days
 Bra  Patagonia Active spots bra  Alison’s favorite
Hat regular Outdoor Research Sun Runner Hat Removable sun cape. Adaptable to most situations
Shoes hiking  Lightweight trail running shoes Boots not desirable! Most non-Goretex trail running shoes that fit. You probably own a pair.
Shoes sugg.  Altra Superior Trail-Running
(or Lone Peaks)
Light. Huge toe room. Super comfortable!
Shoes sugg. Inov-8 ROCLITE 295 (20oz) Light, sticky rubber, durable.
Shoessugg. Brooks Cascadia (25 oz) Popular trail shoe, available many stores
camp footwear  Sandals for showering/camp
Socks Inexpensive cotton M’s and W’s
(bring 3 to 4 pairs)
Socks get dirty & stinky fast in hot climate. Best to wear cheap ones & use as rags after the trip. [Can treat with Permethrin if you want.]

* You can treat your own clothing with permethrin spray (Amazon) or REI. This lasts for up to 6 weeks or 6 washings. (For comparison: factory treated clothing is good for up to 70 washings, essentially “life-time” use). Both clothing treatments far exceed the 8-14 hours of skin applied repellents like Picaridin and DEET. And they don’t require the time/attention needed to properly apply repellents to large areas of skin each day.

Note: We took two set of insect repellent pants and shirts — one pair exclusively for hiking, and one pair reserved for dry/camp use only. The reason is that hiking clothes will get wet with rain and/or sweat during the day and will not dry completely overnight. In the morning we just put on our damp hiking clothes (they will be dry in 30-60 minutes from your body heat), and put our dry camp clothes back in our packs. That way we always had nice clean clothes to change into after washing up. A courtesy to the families we stayed with!

24 replies
  1. Anley Rosales Benitez
    Anley Rosales Benitez says:

    I think you can do it by yourself and your friend. You have to go with a government guide everywhere you go within a National Park. You might be able to go through but if you are caught or stop by immigration or police you might get in trouble.
    Best regards
    Anley Rosales

    Reply
  2. Philip Kenworthy
    Philip Kenworthy says:

    I am hiking this trail with my Cuban buddy this december. Very excited!! How cool are the nights at higher elevations..? we are both using hennessy hammocks and below 15*C my butt starts to get cold. Debating bringing my bubble pad but its bulky, any recommendations? (We have light sleeping bags. +1c) We are going to complete the journey without a guide…

    Reply
    • Alan Dixon
      Alan Dixon says:

      Hi Phillip, great to hear your interest in this trek.

      1. First, when we were there you are only allowed to do this trek with a guide. Maybe things have changed, but I would make sure before you commit to doing it on your own.
      2. In a few of the Villages even with a guide they wanted to get our passports and register/check us out with the local police department before letting us stay in the village. That is there is a lot of suspicion of foreigners in the remote villages on the route.
      3. As far as I know there is no published map our route to this guide. As such, I am wondering how you will find your way along the correct route.
      4. I think you could do this with a hammock and a warm sleeping quilt. I believe that temps are no lower than 50 F in most of the mountain villages.

      Hope this helps and wishing you a great trek. -alan & alison

      Reply
      • Philip Kenworthy
        Philip Kenworthy says:

        Thank you for your imput. Much appreciated. When we backpacked Ceinaga de zapata and then Playa Larga we greased the wheels with a few CUC;). They actually brought us some food and let us pitch our tents on the beach lol. That being said we may have to hire a guide if they are adament. My Cuban friend has visited the Sierra Maestro before and being Cuban I hope he can have the route mapped out. Wouldn’t be fun to get lost in the mountains.

        Reply
  3. Anley Rosales Benitez
    Anley Rosales Benitez says:

    Hi Alan
    Anley here I did the route too. We had a great time. It reminded me the part I was a kid.

    Reply
    • Alan Dixon
      Alan Dixon says:

      So glad you made it out on the trek Anley. And even more pleased that you enjoyed to so much! Tu amigo, -alan

      Reply
  4. Luz Z
    Luz Z says:

    Hi Alan,
    I did it. I finished it by go up the Turquino at the end of la ruta. I did Turquino in one day without my pack.
    Leonel says first woman to do that, the whole ruta and Turquino. My tour went hard because it has rained for a few days really hard and great route was muddy. 2e day in the rain and darkness.. got at the casa 19.30
     The 3th day we couldn’t go on and staid at casa 2 because the crossover became rivers. We even went to the river with a rope the help Gustavo get over. By the way the picture of the man with the little boy.. he’s not the father but his uncle.  mrs from casa 2 Osleida sent you a lot of regards. 1 week before me 9 Italian and 1 German female started the route. At day 2 the German and 1 Italian had to break off. They were heavy backpack. I also did have 17-18kg. Even though i used everything I had, I won’t do that again. After 2 days Trinidad, i’m on my way to Havana right now. To buy a ticket to la cuidad perdida. Also saw on your blog.  But I definitely not gonna take my whole back pack with me.  Thank you for sharing. With lot of regards. The Aruba Dutch

    Reply
    • Alan Dixon
      Alan Dixon says:

      Luz (Aruba Dutch?), so glad you enjoyed the trip (at least I assume you enjoyed it based on your report). And congratulations on a stellar performance — even summiting Pico Turquino. Impressive! And so touched that Osleida remembers us and sends her regards. Thanks for passing that on :-) Wishing you a great trek to la Cuidad Perdida. Warmest, -alan & alison

      Reply
  5. Fabrizio
    Fabrizio says:

    Hi Alan, thank you so much for your reply and for information we needed! We will organize all with Alan and Alan’s guide following your suggestions. Ciao Fabrizio

    Reply
  6. Fabrizio Soldati
    Fabrizio Soldati says:

    Hi Alan, I am really interested to your experience in Cuba’s Ruta de la Revoluciòn from Playa Las Coloradas and I would like to do it in next mid November. Me and my friend Rodolfo are 60 years old, we do trekking but not extreme adventure for survival as the description in your website, so is very important for us understand what Ansley Benitez is really able to organize for us. I sent to him an email with the reference of your website and he wrote that he will involve the only one guide that is able to do this. But nothing about the trekking, eventually maps of the path, the scheduled stops during thetrekking, where we will found water to drink, and food or where we will sleep. Maybe we will do only half path. The only information we have is your information and we don’t understand if the only knowledge that we will have the Ansley’s with us guide will be enough. Thank you and compliments for your great article and sharing your experience. Fabrizio

    Reply
    • Alan Dixon
      Alan Dixon says:

      Hi Fabrizio. Apologies for the late reply. Just back from a weekend of hiking in the Blue Ridge. Fall colors not quite there yet. About a week away.

      First a clarification: The trek is not yet standardized. There is no set daily itinerary, scheduled stops or standard places to stay/camp each night. As such, each trip is customized to the client’s needs and hiking pace. So you will hike as far as you can each day and then Anley’s guide will arrange for food/water/meals and a place to stay for the night in whatever village you are near. And the trip will take as long as it takes you to hike the approximately 150 kilometers at a comfortable pace. [My wife and I are fast hikers so we did the trek in under 5 days. But again the guide will accommodate your hiking pace.] As to doing part of it, Cinco Palmas would be a good partial hike. But you can discuss this with Anley. Finally, Anley’s guide does know the route. Wishing you a rewarding trek. Saludos, -alan

      Reply
  7. Luz
    Luz says:

    Hi Alan,
    I’m trying like for 15 yrs getting to Cuba. finally I’m going. Have the ticket already.
    In january 2018 I will be going to Cuba backpacking for about 17-19 days. During the preparations I found out hiking in it’s common european way is not allowed in Cuba for tourists. So a little bit desappointed I started making my travelling schedule. Took me days. I was finally done and becsuse of a slip of my finger, I accidently got to your story. Now I have to restart a whole new travel. And The Ruta de la Revolución Trek is definetly going to be in it. Thank you for putting it online.
    Stuart it will be nice hearing from you when you get back.

    Reply
  8. Stuart
    Stuart says:

    Thanks to this blog, myself and a friend are doing the Ruta de la Revolucion early 2017!
    This year we climbed Pico Turquino and toured around the area – all arranged by Anley. We enjoyed it all so much, we’re going back.
    FYI – I took an old GPS on our last trip and gave it to our guide as a thankyou. I’m bringing earplugs on this trip, you think rural Cuba is going to be quiet, but the pigs and roosters sure start early.

    Reply
  9. Tod Robinson
    Tod Robinson says:

    Hello Alan,
    My wife and I have been following your sight for quite sometime and it has helped tremendously in our preparations to get ready for a number of trips and the JMT. We also hope to begin our journey on the PCT next year.
    I just bought the new Zelphlyte burner and a Trail Designs Caldera set up. Stoked!!! I do have a two questions which are: have you ever been hassled or know of someone who has been fined by Rangers for using the set up above in a no burn zone and or in a restricted fire zone? I also found a New Sony RX100 ii on the web with charger, battery, 64 mb card and all the goodies for $515.00 is that a great deal and is the camera everything it’s cracked up to be? Wanted an excellent light weight camera for the adventures to come. Thank You so much for the hard work you put into your sight it is excellent.

    Sincerely Tod and Janike Robinson

    Reply
    • Alan Dixon
      Alan Dixon says:

      Tod, thanks for the kind words. Glad to be of help. Q1: yes I know of people who have been fined, and I have had my camp checked but have not been fined since I was in compliance.

      Q2: is more difficult as it depends more on personal preference and your shooting style. I would say you’d need to compare the Sony RX100 ii to the Sony a6000. Cost is similar, and the a6000 is not as much heavier than you think! Even tho I own both cameras I find that I have only taken the Sony a6000. for the last two years. Points in its favor are 1) a great viewfinder, almost essential for daylight shots, 2) a larger sensor with better performance, 3) way better selection of lenses [if you want them, and I do since I use it as home and travel camera too], and 4) I just find it easier and more pleasing to shoot with the a6000. As I have it mounted on my shoulder strap with the Peaks Designs Clip I don’t mind the weight and can access the camera super fast. Bottom line, I have taken more and better pictures with my a6000.

      But a good friend of mine recently looked at both and decided on the RX100. Soo… take a look at 5 Most Important Features for a Backpacking Camera (make sure you watch the video clip at the end) and Best Lightweight Backpacking Cameras to get a better sense of whether the Rx100 or a6000 is a better fit for you. And then feel free to comment back.

      Have a great hike on the PCT! -alan

      Reply

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