I love dancing but seldom go clubbing (can’t stand the smoke!) in Malaysia. However, whenever I travel, I always visit popular bars to experience the nightlife in different cities.
So, of course, I was very excited when I found out about Disco Ayala aka La Cueva, a dance club built into a natural cave in Trinidad when I was doing my research for my 15-days Cuba trip.
At that time, “Despacito” was played everywhere around the world. I got even more excited, imagining dancing to the song in the Latin-influenced country.
However, clubbing in Cuba isn’t as great as listening to their live bands. Read on to find out why.
“Despacito”… Before Heading to La Cueva, Trinidad
As always, before heading to a club, one must always have dinner. Since the club opens at 11pm, I and some friends decided to go for dinner at 7pm.
In Trinidad, locals and travellers will gather at the “Spanish Steps” for lunch, tea time or dinner.
By the time we reached there, the restaurants were full and the evening started to get lively thanks to the live music.
Luckily, we found a small restaurant on the second floor of a building. Although it’s small, there’s a live band ready to entertain you.
Surely we wouldn’t want to miss having dinner while listening to Latin songs!
The first sign of the upcoming clubbing-in-Cuba disappointment was there.
The band said that we could request some songs, so I requested “Despacito”. But they looked at me as if I was requesting a French or Indonesian song.
The singer discussed with the group, took out his phone, and did some research… We’re like, what’s happening here? Surprisingly, the band delivered a great performance although the singer sometimes mumbled.
I felt bad that I made a difficult request to them but was amazed at how fast they caught up with a difficult song request.
Also read: “The Crab Migration in Trinidad, Cuba”
Also read: “Stay at Home Virtual Tour: Cuban Casa (Homestay)”
Cigar, Cocktail and Clubbing Experience at Disco Ayala, Cuba
Two things you must remember if you wanna go to Disco Ayala aka La Cueva: the location is a bit outskirt and the road isn’t smooth. Although Cuba is safe in general, it’s better if you go there in a group.
Also, forget about looking pretty – there’s no need for high heels. Just wear what makes you feel comfortable!
It’s not easy to find the au-naturel club as you won’t hear loud music or see big signage.
In fact, the five of us were almost giving up and ready to go home when we saw a small bar and the other travel group that we met before.
Luckily, their tour leader was there and he knew the place. In the end, all of us went clubbing together ^ ^
The great thing about Disco Ayala? They didn’t do much to renovate the cave. Imagine dancing with stalactites and disco lights surrounding you!
The not-so-great thing? You’ll hear only local songs.
No Daddy Yankee, Maluma, Becky G, Jennifer Lopez, Romeo Santos or Prince Royce. They played salsa and reggaeton, but no “Despacito”.
Por qué ? Why oh why???
I didn’t recognize a single song and the songs the DJ played that night weren’t my preference. Then, suddenly I realized.
I didn’t hear any familiar songs since the day I stepped into Cuba.
The small bar near La Cueva was the only place where I heard familiar songs. I wonder if it’s the same thing in Havana?
Is it because Cuba is isolated from the other parts of the world?
Don’t get me wrong, I really appreciate Cuban music. I enjoyed listening to “Guantanamera” and others while having my meal.
Their live bands were amazing, even the street performers played really well!
But sorry, I didn’t enjoy clubbing in Disco Ayala.
In a nutshell, you should visit Disco Ayala aka La Cueva when in Trinidad, Cuba as a once-in-a-lifetime experience clubbing in a natural cave.
So, live bands, bars and dance classes in Cuba? Yes.
Clubbing in Cuba? Not my preference, but you can try it!
Also read: “Your Food Survival Guide When Traveling in Cuba”
Also read: “I Flew Almost 24h to Cuba Only to Find It’s Quite Similar to Asia – Updated”
