My Cuban Mother
"Vas a estar así."
She makes a tick-tick-ticking noise, imitating a train chugging along as she shakes her shoulders and chest forward and then to either side; she's not a train, but she's still a force to be reckoned with. My Cuban surrogate mother, Rosa, is skeptical of my desire to ride the infamous Hershey train.
She tries to explain how the antique trains used for local transport are rickety, that they'll have you moving about in the cabin whether you wanted to or not. The seats are hard and you'll feel sticky all afternoon. Other unspoken descriptors are unreliable, slow, and hot, simply because that's how one would describe all local transport in Cuba.
Johanna, a German tourist staying in the same hostel, is up for exploring Havana and then the countryside with me. We hug Rosa and tell her not to worry, that for us it's more about the journey of riding on the train than a need to arrive in Hershey at a decent hour.
We actually look forward to the tick-tick-ticking of the train as it rounds the curves and edges of the countryside, showing off parts of Cuba that neither of us has yet encountered, both having only just arrived. At this point, we are taking our first steps beyond La Habana and the hallowed Cuban stomping ground of the Malecón, the street by the sea.
The day before, I obtained a rare set of detailed directions from a Cuban on how to catch the ferry in Old Havana, which takes you right to the train station.
For $1MN ($0.04), right across from the Havana Club Rum Museum, you hop on the ferry towards Casablanca and then stumble onward towards the train station, in our case just barely making it onto the train before it left a meager ten minutes behind schedule (pictured below).
If you miss the train, however, a couple of American girls we met told us that there is a popular beach nearby, so come prepared with a bathing suit and towel, just in case.
The antique train car, pictured above, proved much smaller than anticipated, and although I was dripping with sweat, it still felt cooler than expected. Somewhat literally, but mostly figuratively.
After several minutes, I finally worked up the courage to ask the conductor if I could stand in his front car and take some pictures from there. Well he was tickled pink, and surprised me by later on just taking my camera and snapping of pictures of me "driving" the train, insisting that my German friend come up and pose as well.
We were delighted, and he was happy to have the company, even if we were just staring wide-eyed at the sightly countryside around us.
An hour and a half of chugging along was all it took to arrive in the town formerly known as Hershey; it was founded by that same American company, and it retains the American name by word of mouth only, as it was renamed Camilo Cienfuegos post-revolution.
Getting to Matanzas
The locomotive's final stop is Matanzas, a city which I visited later, but we decided on the halfway point of Hershey since the town had so much history, having been an important hub for Cuban sugar. Hungry as we were upon disembarking, we took the conductor's advice and skipped the tiny town of Hershey in favor of Santa Cruz, a few kilometers away on the coast.
Bathed in a viscous mixture of sweat and sunscreen, we accidentally walked all the way there while moseying towards a taxi, and then searched the muted town for a restaurant and water.
Honestly, the city itself was not impressive, although the lovely terrain surrounding it was exactly what we had been looking for. Enrique, a man who wanted to practice his English, found us in the restaurant we had fallen into, and took us in his rented bicitaxi to someone who could drive us to the train station so that we didn't miss our return trip home.
I'm embarrassed to admit after the fact, that I was too proud to pay the $5CUC for a taxi back, and actually delayed us a bit before relenting. Don't be like me. Pay $5CUC to get back, even if it seems ridiculous while in your Cuban haze of low prices and wages everywhere except for in taxis.
On the bright side, once we made it back to the station in two sullen balls of sweat, we drank a bit of rum with the train conductor's friend and enjoyed a similar-but-different breeze in the front of the car. Cuba is always changing, and eventually I started learning to change with it.
Would you ride this train, or any other in Cuba?
Matt
Hey. When did you do this? Since the pandemic? Wondering if it’s back in action, or if this all happened years ago. Thanks.
Max
Hi, Matt! Unfortunately this was a couple years before the pandemic, though I've had readers comment since the start of the pandemic about having ridden the train.
Tony Smith
Hi I still have not heard if the Hershey train is still working. On the Havana bus, I asked the tour-guide he was supposed from Matanzas and claimed it hasn't run for over 5 years.
Can anyone help I'm here till March 13.
Tony
Heather
Hi
Im traveling over new years 2023 to Matanzas, is it worth taking the train into Havana? Once in Havana, how expensive is it for the day? Food/restaurants, taxis etc.?
We would be going back to Matanzas the same day.
Thank you ?
Max
Heather,
If you're just going for the day, you would be better off taking the bus or a taxi for time purposes, but once you get to Havana it can vary widely. I've eaten meals in the city center for $0.50CUC and for $10CUC, so while taxis are comparable in price across the island (within cities, that is), food is only slightly more expensive in Havana. Though tourists are seen as even more of a target in Havana than pretty much anywhere else on the island, so keep your valuables close and enjoy the day; there's so much to do there. Have a great trip, and happy new year!
-Max
Claire
Thanks for sharing. I'm heading to Cuba in May and thought this might be a great way to travel from Matanzas to Jibacoa. Heard a lot of people say it's been out of service for a few years, but reading you post gives me hope I will be able to ride the train in 2023!
Max
Some people apparently located IN Cuba already have said recently that it's in service, but I can't confirm that firsthand for myself. Please let me know if you to ride it, though!
Randy
Thanks for sharing. My wife and I are going to be staying in Boca de Camarioca near Matanzas.
We are intending to pick up rented bikes in Havana and after reading your post my thought to bring them back in the train is evaporating.
Maybe a taxi with a big trunk would be best.
What do you think?
Randy in Canada
Max
Hi, Randy! If you're going to rent bikes, there would definitely not be room for them on the train-- I agree that your thought of a taxi with a big trunk probably makes the most sense. Enjoy your trip!