Matanzas is a little off the beaten track and most visitors to Cuba won’t make it here. It’s about halfway from Varadero to Havana and there a few attractions of interest here. Mainly, though, you’ll come to Matanzas for a slice of local life in Cuba that’s not too far from Havana. However, this being Cuba there are a variety of options for travelling between Matanzas and Havana, so here are all the details of how to go from Matanzas to Havana, complete with the story of our trip with the one-legged driver.
THIS POST MAY CONTAIN COMPENSATED AND AFFILIATE LINKS. MORE INFORMATION IN OUR DISCLAIMER
How Far is Matanzas from Havana Cuba?
The distance from Matanzas to Havana is almost irrelevant because you can’t ever equate the distance with how long it will take like you would in other countries. In Cuba, it’s much more appropriate to ask “how long does it take to get from Matanzas to Havana?” And then the answer depends on the mode of transport that you take. So.
TOP TIP
Easiest Way from Matanzas to Havana
This pre-bookable transfer from Matanzas is the easiest way to travel this route. It gets great reviews, you can prepay it and relax.
How Long does it Take from Matanzas to Havana?
A private taxi to Havana from Matanzas will take just over an hour, depending on where you want to be dropped in Havana. A taxi colectivo from Matanzas Cuba to Havana (central park) takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes. The Viazul Bus, which will take you from Viazul Matanzas station ONLY to the Viazul Bus Station in Havana, where you’ll either need to walk or take a taxi to the centre will take significantly longer – it’s timetabled to take 2 hours and 25 minutes. There’s a new Viazul timetable out now (February 2024) and you can get a copy of it and our full guide to the Viazul Bus Network here.
Matanzas to Havana Transport Options
There are several options when working out how to get to Havana from Matanzas (and also vice versa getting from Havana to Matanzas).
- Viazul Bus – our full guide to the Viazul Bus Service is here
- Book a pre-booked individual taxi
- Take one of the taxi colectivos (a shared taxi)
- Use a Daytrip sightseeing route – new for 2024!
Here are the details on the transport options you have when travelling to Havana from Matanzas.
Viazul Bus Matanzas to Havana Viazul
This is the route that most visitors on a budget will use to travel to Havana from Matanzas. As with all Viazul bus stations, you’ll need to work out how to get to the bus station as they’re not always in the centre where you want them to be.
Where is the Matanzas Viazul Bus Station?
The Matanzas Viazul bus station is a short walk from Parque Central in Matanzas. When we arrived the buses were sold out for two days and so it was there that we put our names on the reservations list for a bus two days into the future. This Viazul bus would take us from Matanzas to Havana. We planned to take a bus from Havana to Baracoa at the far end of the island in two days. If we caught this bus that we’d put our name down for then we would arrive in Havana with 30 minutes to spare before our Havana to Baracoa bus. If you’ve read our ultimate guide to the Viazul Bus network, you’ll know that we don’t like the reservations list. It’s not worth the paper it’s scrawled on.
The Viazul Bus Reservations List
The reservations list in Matanzas is a handwritten note detailing our names and the date of the bus we wanted to take. No money exchanged hands. Our confidence in getting onto this bus and therefore meeting all our other connections was at zero.
After the hard work of booking the Viazul buses for the remainder of our time in Cuba, we had to meet the connections. If we missed the bus to Baracoa, then we’d have been scuppered.
So we decided to head back to Havana the day before our Baracoa bus left and stay overnight to be sure that we’d catch our bus from Havana to Baracoa. When we get back we only have to make it to the Havana Viazul bus station by 1100 to check in for a 1200 noon departure.
Matanzas to Havana by Colectivo
When we arrived at the Matanzas Viazul Bus Station attempting to get to a same-day bus from Matanzas to Havana we weren’t in luck. Full. Said the guy in a dodgy-looking Viazul T-shirt as we stood in line waiting to try and buy a ticket for the 13:00 Viazul Bus from Matanzas to Havana. (the timetable now is leaving Matanzas at 09:50 and there is only one bus per day) He’d asked us where we were going, as it was 10:30, we had full packs and there was no imminent bus in sight. Colectivo? He said hopefully. And then told us in Spanish that the bus was US$7 and the Colectivo would only be US$10 per person.
Matanzas to Havana Colectivo Prices
Matanzas to Havana on the bus was 7 EUROS when we took this trip. A colectivo was then US$10 (aka about 10 EUROS). Colectivo prices in Cuba are similar to about 25-30% more than a bus ticket. Viazul bus tickets from Matanzas to Havana in 2024 are 10 Euros.
Colectivo Area Matanzas Viazul Bus Station
And so we followed him out to a tin roof covered waiting area beside the ticket office to stand with all the taxi and collective drivers. It was hot and getting hotter. We were in the shade. The drivers and their runners approached each arriving local bus. No other independent tourists in town meant this could be a long wait.
Negotiating a Colectivo in Matanzas
“Hey bebe, you and me, 30”, said the one-legged man sitting on the seat behind us. Our hustler repeated the offer in Spanish. Quinze cada persona. Ahorita. 15 per person, right now. We stuck it out another 15 minutes before we cracked when they mentioned air conditioning.
And so we left Matanzas in a mostly air-conditioned manually geared car driven by a one-legged man. To his credit, he fumbled only one gear change and overtook everything. His driving method being to slow only for the regular roadside police checks
Taking a Colectivo from Matanzas to Havana?
Journey time from Matanzas to Parque Central in Havana in a colectivo was for us 1 hour and 8 minutes.
Sure we might have got on a bus the next day for US$7 each. And if we’d waited there might have been two other folks arrive to go to Havana and our fare would have US$20 in total. But, it all depends on who cracks first. And we did and were drinking Cristal beer in Havana for lunch rather than rapidly warming bottled water outside a bus station in Matanzas.
Matanzas to Havana by Prebooked Transfer
Of course by far the easiest way to travel from Matanzas to Havana is by a prebooked (and prepaid) transfer. We use and recommend Civitatis – who partner with locals in Cuba to provide this service. Check prices and book transfers in Cuba here.
Take a private driver and go sightseeing from Matanzas to Havana
This is somewhat different from a taxi and very different from a colectivo. It really is about maximising your time in Cuba. I’ve written about the services that Daytrip offer here.
Taxis go from A to B. They don’t stop along the way, they get you there, generally as fast as possible. Colectivos, well they might stop along the way, but not necessarily where you want them to. Daytrip’s private driver service allows for sightseeing stops en route. It’s a great way to pack more into your time in Cuba. Check this route and your stops here!
You prebook and pre-choose where you’re going from and to. And where you want to stop off at along the way. And for how long. It’s a brilliant way to see Cuba. So your route from Matanzas to Havana, well you could pick from one or more of the following sightseeing stops along the way.
- Visit Finca Vigia
- Stop at the Mirador de Bacunayagua
- Or explore the Cueva de Saturno
Daytrip contract with local drivers on your behalf, and you’ll book and pay a deposit (of about 23%) online. Between Havana and Varadero there are several spots not far off the direct route that are worth visiting- I’ve covered them above. Each stop you want to make is costed in, you say how long you want to stop there, and you get a total cost. Brilliant. See what options there are and book your trip here.
Transport Options Matanzas to Havana Costs
- Private Taxi: US$70 arranged through a casa particular in Matanzas
- Prebooked transfer – why not check out real time prices for your EXACT transfers?
- Colectivo: US$10 per person (four people), or US$30 for the two of us when the driver wanted to go anyways. Arrival in Parque Central Havana
- Viazul Bus: 10 Euros per person – book in advance. Bus leaves Matanzas at 09:50. It takes 2 hours 25 minutes. Arrives into the convenient for no one, apart from taxi drivers, Viazul bus station.
There’s more here about the different transport options that Cuba has.
Where to stay in Havana
To be at the centre of the action in Havana you’ll want to stay in old Havana. Here’s the best casa particulars to take a look at.
The Casa Buenos Aires is in a superb location in the center of Old Havana, just one block from the Museum of the Revolution, making it easy to walk all the sights of Old Havana. There are three private, ensuite rooms here, all with a private bathroom and a private balcony. Breakfast and laundry are available here. There is internet access here, a glorious garden, and a terrace with a bar where you can enjoy a fabulous Cuban cocktail. See photos of the Casa Buenos Aires here.
The gorgeous Casa Giraldilla is a restored colonial house dating from the 1920s and has high ceilings and a glorious balcony for people-watching. Carmen and Carlos speak English, Spanish, and a little French. All rooms are ensuite and have either a window or a balcony onto the street. There are two doubles and a twin room here. Breakfast and internet access are available here. There is a glorious terrace on the roof available to all guests. Book a room here.
The Casa de La Plaza de Cristo is in a building that dates from 1903, an 8-meter-long balcony gives all guests a magnificent view of the Plaza de Cristo. It is a fabulous location to stay in Old Havana. Rooms here are bright and airy, simply decorated, and have air conditioning. Rooms are ensuite and breakfast is available for an additional cost. You can see the location of this great old Havana casa particular here.
ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR EXPLORING CUBA INDEPENDENTLY
These are the resources and booking sites that we use when traveling to Cuba.
-Get a Cuba Travel and Medical Insurance Quote from Visitors Coverage here –
Alternatively, Civitatis Insurance is a great option for the required insurance for Cuba.
Read about the Cuba eVisa, and buy your Cuban eVisa here.
Flying via the USA and relying on entry with an ESTA? Read this.
Book your Viazul Bus tickets here
Use Daytrip to book transport between cities AND to sightsee along the way
Pre-book and prepay shared & private shuttles here
Book the best FREE Walking Tours in Cuba
Reserve attractions, day trips, and activities in Cuba here
Get online in Cuba EASILY with a Cuba SIM Card – prepay for a Cuba SIM card here, or read my guide to Cuba physical SIMs here.
Download and install a VPN BEFORE you travel to Cuba > discount coupon here
Book Accommodation in Cuba’s Casa Particular here
Popular Routes Around Cuba
Getting around Cuba is some of our most popular content here at Cuba’s Best, so here are some of the most traveled routes and your options for getting around.
- Cuban Transport – and overview
- How to go from Havana Airport to Havana
- How to go from Havana Airport to Varadero
- Varadero Airport to Varadero
- How to go from Havana to Varadero
- How to go from Havana to Vinales
- How to go from Matanzas to Havana
- How to go from Varadero to Trinidad
Final Words on how to get from Matanzas to Havana
One of the best things about getting off the beaten track in Cuba is the transport that you’ll take to get there and the tales you’ll have to tell afterwards. We definitely experienced local life in Matanzas and it’s a laidback break before we headed back into Havana. So we hope you’ve enjoyed our tales or our one-legged driver and how not to catch the bus back to Havana, but to take a colectivo instead!
Cuba’s Best is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
