What are taxi prices like to Cayo Santa Maria?

Question: I planned my visit to Cuba with a small stage at the Havana and a visit to Cayo Santa Maria. Should I know the price for the taxi? Should I ask the taxi driver the same return? Thanks.

Answer: Cayo Santa Maria is just under 390 km from the capital city of Havana. By rental car the one-way trip takes between five and six hours, depending on road conditions.

State taxi companies also provide transport to and from Cayo Santa Maria although the cost is high. For instance, Cubataxi (Tel 855-5555 in Havana) charges CUC 200 for a one-way trip from Havana. If you plan to return to Havana the same day, the round-trip charge is CUC 360 with the right to stay in Cayo Santa Maria for three hours. Each additional hour spent in the Cayo costs CUC 8.

The most economical way to travel from Havana to Cayo Santa Maria is by plane. Since the hotels located on Cayo Santa Maria come under the Sol Meliá chain, Solways Travel – the certified Tour Operator of Sol Meliá products within Cuba – provides flights and other services (hotels, cars, vacations, transfers, excursions, events, destinations and “travel deals”) both within the country and to the three cayos: Cayo Coco, Cayo Largo and Cayo Santa Maria.

For Cayo Santa Maria, Solways flights land at Cayo Las Brujas, which is 10 km from Cayo Santa Maria. The cost of the ticket usually includes the ground transfer to and from Cayo Santa Maria.

The Solways home website is www.solways.com and the website for Solways Cuba iswww.solwayscuba.com , both in English. Their page includes departure and arrival times, from which airport you depart and to which you arrive, frequency of flights (days of the week) and per person cost of a one-way flight, usually including transfers to and from the airport. On June 6th, 2009, for instance, the cost for one person to fly one-way from Havana to Cayo Santa Maria was Euros 66 – and there is a Currency converter located at the bottom of the page.

You can either book your flight online or contact the Solways travel expert in Havana (address below) at (537) 204-5577, extension 1441. You can also email them at [email protected]

Solways Cuba

Edificio Santa Clara, 4th floor (for reservations)
Miramar Business Centre
Playa Municipality
Havana, Cuba
Telephone 204-5577, extension 1441 (for questions) or 204-5940

NOTE: as a reference point, Solways is located next door to Cubacel, and Edificio Santa Clara is across the street from Hotel Meliá Habana.

On Cayo Santa Maria, the Solways office is located in Hotel Meliá Las Dunas. From Havana, the phone number is 042-350100.