Playa de Cayo Jutia near Viñales

The next morning, I was back in the fields of Viñales for sunrise – a start, wild and hopeful, with a bit more luck than the day before, a contrast between effort and success. After breakfast, we visited a small local tobacco farm with our casa owner and stocked up on cigarettes, a touch of local flair.

An adventurous drive to the beach

Then we set off for the beach at Playa de Cayo Jutías, about two hours northwest of Viñales – the road there was the wildest we encountered on our three-week road trip through Cuba! Deep, surprising potholes and bushes growing right out of them challenged us, raw and unpredictable. At some point, the road surface was so bad that we drove off onto the gravel shoulder at every opportunity – a spectacle of adventure and improvisation.

A visit worth it

The beach at Cayo Jutías was well worth the visit, a moment of calm after the drive, gentle and inviting. But since we left Viñales late and were unsure about the return route, we turned back soon after – in hindsight, a wise decision.