October 10

Today we pick up our rental car, which will take us from A to B over the next few days. We booked through Aventoura — be sure to read our tips on renting a car, as the process is anything but straightforward! After about an hour of waiting, we finally receive our Geely, which is in terrible condition, and head out through the Habana Miramar-Playa district along the magnificent palm-lined avenue toward Las Terrazas.

Together, Las Terrazas and Soroa form the Reserva de la Biosfera Sierra del Rosario, Cuba's first UNESCO biosphere reserve covering 250 square kilometers. After reaching the Las Terrazas visitor center and paying the entrance fee, we visit Buena Vista, a historic coffee plantation with a restaurant and stunning views over the valley. Since two tour buses have just descended upon the place, we opt for coffee at the Molock, the only hotel in Las Terrazas. From here you get a beautiful overview of the lake.

But we're actually here for a different reason — we want to do a canopy tour. No reservation is needed (just follow the CANOPY signs in Las Terrazas). The price for all ziplines is CUC 35; if you only want the two lines across the lake, it's CUC 25 per person. If that's not your thing, you can paddle on the lake or choose one of the many hiking trails (information available at the Centro de Informacion al Visitante). A guide is recommended for the hikes. Ziplining is one of our favorite activities, and if you've never tried it, you absolutely should — the line across the lake is spectacular. If you're a canopy enthusiast, you should also check out Costa Rica.

Our next stop is Soroa. We're staying at Hotel Villas Soroa (Carretera a Soroa Km 8 | Candelaria, Soroa, Cuba), booked with half board through Logitravel.
Before dinner, we visit the El Salto de Soroa waterfall, which is part of the hotel grounds. For 3 CUC per person, you can visit the waterfall and even swim in the "Poza del Amor" (Pool of Lovers).
At the waterfall, we meet the world's best Coco Loco mixer: Ariel Soroa Rojas. He sells fruit and coconuts at the waterfall, served either plain or spiked — that's the Coco Loco. His friend Yosvany Rodriguez Maryuez plays guitar alongside. We each drink two coconuts filled with rum, liqueur, and other secret ingredients — combined with the amazing atmosphere of the waterfall and the wonderful music (including Dany's favorite song about Che Guevara), this is probably the most beautiful place to enjoy a proper cocktail that's both delicious and affordable! After being gifted some bananas and a pineapple, we made our way back to the hotel for dinner, fully loaded and rather tipsy.