Playa de Cayo Jutías near Viñales


Blauer Oldtimer unter Palmen bei Viñales

The next morning I was out in the fields of Viñales again for sunrise, this time with a bit more luck than the day before. After breakfast we visited a small tobacco farm with our host and topped up our supplies.

An adventurous drive to the beach

Then we set off for the beach of Cayo Jutías, about two hours north-west of Viñales. The road there was the wildest of our three-week road trip: deep, unexpected potholes and bushes growing out of the middle of them. At some point the surface was so bad that we drove on the gravel beside it whenever we could.

A beach worth the effort

The beach of Cayo Jutías was well worth the journey. But because we had set off late and weren’t sure about the drive back, we soon turned round again – in hindsight a wise decision.

Rounded limestone rock in the mist, palms in the dark foreground, Viñales
A rounded limestone hill rises out of the morning mist in Viñales.
Mist blanketing the valley, a chain of limestone rocks behind, Viñales
The mist blankets the valley, the chain of limestone hills behind.
Two details: limestone rocks rising out of the morning mist in the Viñales valley
Limestone hills above the morning mist, twice.
Warm light on the clouds above the limestone rocks in the mist, Viñales
Warm light on the clouds above the misty valley – luckier this time.
Tall grasses and palms vanishing into the dense morning mist, Viñales
Tall grasses and palms vanishing into the mist.
Sun on a limestone rock above the mist, palms in between
The sun striking a limestone hill above the mist.
Two morning views: cloud light and a sunlit rock in the mist
Light in the clouds and a sunlit rock in the mist.
A golden cloud above dark limestone rocks in the morning mist, Viñales
A golden cloud above dark rocks in the morning mist.
Sunrise behind palms above a dark field in Viñales
Sunrise behind palms above the dark field.
Leaning tall palm against a deep blue sky, morning in Viñales
A leaning palm against a deep blue sky.
Red path against the light and a cow in tall grass, Viñales
A red path against the light and a cow in the tall grass.
Red farm track between bushes and palms, limestone rocks in the morning light
A red track between bushes and palms.
Row of palms silhouetted against the low morning sun, Viñales
A row of palms silhouetted against the morning sun.
Wooden house with a steep shingle roof, palm and banana plants, Viñales
A wooden house with a steep roof on the small tobacco farm.
Dried tobacco leaves hanging close together under wooden beams
Dried tobacco leaves hanging close together.
Framed Fidel portrait and a man rolling a cigar, in black and white
A portrait of Fidel and a man rolling a cigar.
Blue and white classic car with tail fins between palms by a wooden hut
A blue-and-white classic car between palms.
Older man with a big straw hat and cigar, in black and white
A big straw hat, a cigar and a calm gaze.
Convertible on the country road and red-brown fields in front of wooded mountains
A convertible on the country road and red-brown fields before the mountains.
Wide sandy track through pines, rusty warning signs on the right
A wide sandy track through pines, rusty warning signs at the edge.
Red classic car and a second car on a gravel track between palms
A red classic car on the gravel track between palms.
Driftwood and washed-up seagrass on the pale beach of Cayo Jutías
Driftwood and seagrass on the pale beach of Cayo Jutías.
Small motorboat in shallow turquoise water off the beach of Cayo Jutías
A small boat in the shallow turquoise water – worth the journey.
Red classic car with De Luxe lettering, star and bird mascot, Cayo Jutías
De Luxe – a red classic car at the beach.
Blue car with open doors between slender trees on the beach of Cayo Jutías
A blue car with open doors between slender trees by the beach.
Two oxen pulling a wagon with two men, in black and white
Two oxen pulling a cart along the road.
Man with sunglasses on his head on a rutted track in the bush
Right in the middle of the rutted track – the wildest road of the trip.
Cracked asphalt and a sandy edge, a pale animal far down the road
Cracked asphalt and a sandy verge.
Broken road through palms and bush, limestone rocks on the horizon
A cracked road through palms, limestone hills on the horizon.
Palms in front of a steep rock face and a second overgrown cliff
Palms before a steep rock face.

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