Remedios
	Casa Particular / B&B Remedios Hostal Haydee y Juan K José Antonio Peña#73 e/ La Pastora y Maceo Remedios Villa Clara Tel. +53 (42) 39 50 82 Price: 20-25 CUC (20 CUC in low season: 15. de abril - 30. of june, 15 of september - 31. of october) Description: Haydee y Juan Carlos rent three big rooms a couple of meters from El Parque Martí, in the downtown. This colonial house was deeply transformed and modernized and the final results are bigger rooms, a backyard and two beautiful terraces, one is roofed and the other rises over the city of Remedios with a unique view and well aired to enjoy the sun, if you please! Even though this is a very central house, all rooms are quiet since windows face interior backyards. Rooms have a double bed and a single one, air conditioning, fan; each room has a bathroom with hot and cold water. In the roofed terrace one may enjoy meals prepared by Haydee who is an excellent cook; if you want she also prepares breakfast (4 CUC), lunch and/or supper (8-12 CUC). Juan K is the trained barman, so don´t you leave without one of his drinks, especially a Piña Colada. While in this house you feel the warm hospitality of hosts and that´s why I do recommend this visit! Reservation: by phone or also by e-Mail (Spanish or English)

Founded in 1578 Remedios is one of the first five villages founded in Cuba and the first one in Villa Clara province. It is a small and well preserved colonial city that resembles Trinidad. There you may find impressive churches, plazas, parks and welcoming restaurants and bars. In the museums you will receive a wide knowledge of life and history of the city. We could say that Remedios is very similar to Trinidad with the difference that the second one has completely been discovered by foreign tourism.

In the city

• I recommend visiting the churches, especially Iglesia de San Juan Bautista and one of the many museums, Museo de las Parrandas where you will have a detailed explanation of the most interesting fiesta one may witness, maybe, in the entire island.

• Finally, sit down calmly in a park or cafeteria and observe the everyday life of this beautiful city.

Excursions

• The keys: Cayo las Brujas and Cayo Santa María are good options. An embankment is the road passing firstly through Las Brujas and then going to Santa María. In both keys there are several beautiful beaches of fine sand and clear waters. A disadvantage here is the lack of trees offering some shadow for rest. In Cayo las Brujas there is a small hotel of Cuban group GAVIOTA. This hotel has some cottages, a restaurant with a wonderful view and a long beach with many parasols. One might enter the hotel just to stay at the beach. It is a very quietplace with restaurant to savor good dishes. Admission to this beach, including 12 CUC consumation-credit at the restaurant, costs 15 CUC. This is a good price to enjoy at the hotel facilities with hammocks and parasols in a very beautiful and almost deserted beach; since this is a very small hotel. One can enjoy the same facilities in the hotels of Santa María but at higher prices (30 to 50 CUC) because those are luxury hotels with an all included plan. There are, of course, virgin beaches in both hotels though you should have your own car and take some umbrella with you to go there
  Transportation: The best option, but more expensive, is to rent a car (around 50 CUC a day). This allows you to explore the keys and stay wherever you like. You may also rent a motorcycle (24 CUC daily) having in mind that the sun may be pretty strong. Another possibility is renting a taxi to Cayo las Brujas (35 to 49 CUC in round-trip). It is important to return in the same taxi because taking a taxi from the key is very expensive, 35 CUC just to take you in a return trip. Last options are going on bike (for sport fans) or taking a workers bus which is not sure since not all the bus drivers will be willing to pick you up. It is good to mention that only foreign tourists, Cubans married to foreigners or having abroad residence conditions are allowed to visit those keys… Finally I propose to rent a car if economy helps you; the other way is taking a taxi to Hotel Gaviota in Cayo las Brujas. This taxi should be rented in advance since there are few taxis in Remedios.
  If you want to stay one or more nights at one of the various hotels on the islands you can travel also by Viazul. Some months ago Viazul opened a new line conecting Trinidad and Cienfuegos with Santa Clara, Remedios and Caibarién and the three islands: Cayo las Brujas, Cayo Ensenachos and Cayo Santa Maria. There's one bus per day in both direcions. Here you find the actual timetable. Important: take some repellent with you because after sunset an enormous army of mosquitoes will be on you.

• Caibarién. You can also visit this fishing town which has a pier and a small beach. An excursion from Remedios to Caibarién (7 Km) may be done by train with several daily departures from Remedios, by bus, by collective taxi (5 to 10 CUC) or on a bicitaxi (if you know any sport bicitaxi driver). For more information visit my site on Caibarién.

Arrival and departure

• Train: a beautiful trip from Santa Clara. There are one or two trains departing daily from Santa Clara to Caibarién with stops in-between towns including Remedios. These trains take about two hours and cost 1.90 CUP. Tickets must be bought two hours before departure. There is another daily train from Sagua to Caibarién with a stop in Remedios. For detailed information visit my page about the trip Santa Clara-Caibarién on Train.

• Viazul conects Remedios with Santa Clara, Cienfuegos and Trinidad and in the other direction with Caibarién and the islands Cayo las Brujas, Cayo Ensenachos and Cayo Santa Maria. Here you find the actual timetable.

• Collective taxis: They take you to Remedios from Caibarién (about 5 CUP), to Santa Clara (around 40 CUP).

• Taxi: This is in fact the most comfortable and fast way to go to Remedios. From Santa Clara they cost 15 to 20 CUC.