From Havana to Guanabo Beach by train

As was the case last year, this summer Havana residents once again had access to the train between the city and the popular beaches east of the capital and Guanabo in particular.

Reactivated by authorities for the summer season, the “beach” train began operating in early July and is scheduled to end its operations this Sunday, just before the start of the new school year. As in 2024, its starting point — and destination on return trips — was the Egido and Arsenal Cargo Yard, in Havana’s historic center, with several stops along the way.

Departure of the train to Guanabo Beach, in East Havana. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez.

Arrival of the train at the Guanabo Beach stop in East Havana. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez.

With scheduled departures from Tuesday to Sunday, the train once again ran the route to Guanabo in the morning and returned to Havana in the evening, although it did not always adhere to the schedule and sometimes ran beyond the established official hour and a half.

Along the way, it resumed its usual stops at intermediate points such as Arenal, Guanabacoa, the Jewish Cemetery and Berroa, as well as at busy beaches, including Bacuranao, Tarará and, finally, Guanabo: the main destination for travelers and the return point after an intense day of sun and beach.

Intermediate stop of the train to Guanabo Beach, in East Havana. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez.

With its three restored cars and stiff seats, the Guanabo train is certainly not the most comfortable or luxurious, but it does represent an affordable option for Havana residents and visitors.

The trip to the beaches and return to the city remained the same price as last year: 35 pesos (CUP) per person, or 70 CUP for a round trip, a much lower price than any private vehicle would charge amid the current crisis and inflation.

For that reason, and also for the opportunity to escape the heat and “disconnect” with the family from the power outages and difficulties of daily life, many again opted to take the train this summer. Adults and children, family and friends, once again climbed into its cars and, after getting off in Guanabo, walked the stretch to the beach, laid on the sand and dived into the sea.

Photojournalist Otmaro Rodríguez captured that journey — with its views and stops in between, and the intense blue of its final destination — just before the summer season closed this weekend.