The Hostelz.com Review - Genuine, independent review you can trust.
For the budget traveler, particularly the single traveler who doesn’t want to fork out for a private room, you can’t really do better than Villa Las Arecas, so book early, especially in high season.
The Location
Viñales is a picturesque, small town in Cuba’s interior that is very popular with visitors because of its beautiful, hilly scenery. You’re never far from the center of town or the hiking trails in Viñales, it’s that small. Having said that, Las Arecas is only a three-minute walk to the main street where the restaurants and shops are located, and a further ten minutes or so to the trailhead for trips on foot, by bike, or on horseback into the Valle Las Palmaritas. There is a tourist office, travel agents, a currency exchange office, and the Viazul bus office on the main street also.
Rooms and Bathrooms
Las Arecas has three rooms -- two private and one dorm. The private rooms are in the back garden and have two double beds in each. Both rooms have a small patio with garden chairs and a table. Inside, the rooms have air conditioning and a fan, and both rooms have beautifully clean en suite bathrooms. The dorm is one the roof of the family house. There is a roof terrace outside the dorm and inside, guests will find three beds -- two singles and a double. In the future, this may change, as the owners want to bring in bunk beds to make a more Western-style dorm. The dorm bathroom is sparkling clean and there is twenty-four-hour hot water here. Towels and soap are provided. There are power points in all rooms as well as a mini-bar in each.
Common Spaces
The common areas are the private room patios and the roof terrace, although there are three tables in the area just below the stairs to the roof where you can have any meals you might want to order from the family.
Summary
This is excellent value. The hostel is really clean and well looked after, and the owner Gladys is so friendly and helpful. She has maps and leaflets about the trails in the area and her father used to be guide, so he knows all the good spots to visit. Guided tours can also be arranged here. One of the big advantages of staying here is that the hostel has its own Wi-Fi hot spot. You still need an Etecsa internet card from the office in the main street to log on, but you don’t have to go outside looking for a hot spot as in most Cuban towns or cities. Restaurants and bars are just a minutes’ walk away and there’s plenty of them; this is a very popular destination for international tourists. Just beware that no English is spoken here.
Photos taken by the Hostelz.com reviewer — Genuine photos you can trust.
LondonroadMa
Hostelz.com Staff Reviewer
Published on Dec 24, 2018
Location and Contact
Location
We are in a central area that is very easy to find in the town of Viñales, on Adela Azcuy street, house number 23 B between Camilo Cienfuegos and Orlando Nodarse streets. Just minutes walk from the main square or bus stop. If you need any information or help for your arrival, do not hesitate to contact us, we are here to answer all your questions.