Cuba
- Naomi
- Feb 23, 2017
- 7 min read
Updated: Nov 12, 2018
I decided on a whim to visit Cuba and didn't know what to expect, but I learned and loved so much about the country and its people. This was the trip that inspired me to start this blog!
How long to stay:
At least a week! My boyfriend and I spent 4 days in Cuba and already have a list of things to do when we return.
Our itinerary: 2 days exploring Havana, 1 day trip to Viñales, 1 day at the Playas del Este beach. We should have planned 2 additional days to travel to Varadero beach and another day in Havana to visit Fusterlandia.
Where to stay:
For an authentic Cuban experience, stay in a Casa Particular, a Cuban person's home with rooms for rent. Home sharing existed in Cuba long before Airbnb. You can easily show up in the country, look for the Casa Particular symbol, and ask if there's availability, generally for ~25 - 35 CUC per night. Airbnb is simply a listing of available Casa Particulars online, but has the advantage of allowing you to pay by credit card in advance versus paying with CUCs upon arrival. To qualify as a Casa Particular, each guest room comes with a mini fridge and bathroom.
What to pack:
Toilet paper: many places won't have it or will charge you for a few useless sheets
Hand sanitizer: hand soap is almost nonexistent
Converter: the voltage is different, so I'd recommend bringing a converter even though outlets look the same
Sunscreen: it is hard to find and expensive
Bug repellant: because Zika
Snacks: snacks are difficult to acquire, so bring an emergency supply
Dolla dolla bills:
There are two currencies: CUP (Cuban Pesos, for locals) and CUC (Cuban Convertible Pesos, tourist currency). CUC are worth roughly $1USD and 24 times more than CUP. CUC have pictures of monuments on the bills, whereas CUP have pictures of famous people. Don't get ripped off by not paying attention to what change you receive.
It's worth it to exchange USD for Canadian Dollars or Euros before getting to Cuba, because Cuba charges a 10% penalty tax on USD. You won't be able to acquire Cuban currency in the US, so just do it when you get to the HAV airport, at a bank, or at your Casa Particular or hotel (if they offer it). You'll need your passport.
When exchanging currency, get the smallest bills you can, ideally 5 CUC bills and smaller. It's EXTREMELY difficult to get change, so you could end up getting ripped off and paying more when you buy anything.
The cheapest places to buy essentials (rum, water) are government stores.
As a tourist, you'll almost always have to pay more than locals. Many restaurants have more expensive menus for tourists. The first restaurant we visited had a packed downstairs seating area, but the host insisted we eat upstairs in an empty fine dining room with dishes priced ~12 CUC. Only after we started to leave did he let us eat downstairs with locals for ~3 CUC per dish.
Gettin' around:
Hitchhike. Seriously. Just hold our your hand, shout your destination, and agree on a price with the driver prior to getting in the car. No need to only seek cars with "Taxi" in the window, as almost everyone will be willing to stop, sometimes for a cheaper rate. Don't expect to ride alone though-- your driver will probably be picking other riders up along the route, Uber Pool-style.
If you're not in a rush, flag down a few cars until you get a good price. We stayed in Vedado and paid 1 - 5 CUC to get to Old Havana each day. We arranged for our Airbnb host to pick us up from the airport for 30 CUC, but only paid 25 CUC by finding a ride ourselves on the way back. 20 CUC is probably doable.
If you're lucky, you'll experience hitching with a local driver watching reggaeton music videos on his dashboard.
Check it out:
La Fabrica de Arte: A highlight of our trip. A massive, multi-story art gallery serving food and drinks that transforms into a cosmopolitan club as the night goes on. Over the course of the evening, I not only saw awesome Cuban art, but also a jazz performance, rap show, theater performance, and DJ set. Get there at 8pm or you will waste time in line and may not get in. 2 CUC for entry, and drinks are generally 2 - 3 CUC each.
Day trip to Viñales: A breathtaking valley town in Cuba's countryside 2.5 hours west of Havana. Instead of paying 60 CUC for a day trip with other tourists, go to the national bus station in Havana and negotiate with the taxi drivers to take you there. We shared a taxi collectivos with 7 locals and paid 15 CUC each to the nearby town Pinar del Río, then hitched another 10 CUC total to ride to Finca Agroecologica El Paraiso restaurant. From the restaurant, it's easy to hike to a nearby lookout spot, tobacco farm, and cave. Walk down from the mountain to the little town of Viñales and there will be plenty of people willing to offer you 15 CUC rides back to Havana.
Playas del Este: Beautiful beach a 20 minute drive east of Havana. Go to Parque Central where the buses leave for the beach, but rather than take a bus, meet other people and share a taxi instead. We fit five people in a car for 2 CUC each one way. To return to Havana, find another group of people and do the same.
Malecon: Walk along this seaside street at sunset. Buy a bottle of rum and a cigar and look for the local with a pet duck.
La Gruta night club: getting turned away from FAC turned out to be great, since we resorted to asking a local about the best Saturday night life and ended up at this huge underground club filled with 90% locals, a live DJ, and constantly streaming music videos. The jams were a mix of reggaeton and rap. 5 CUC entry and 2 - 4 CUC drinks. Advanced twerking practice suggested.
La Zorra Y El Cuervo Jazz Club: Havana's most famous jazz club. Steep 15 CUC entry, but includes two drinks and the performance was stellar. Get there early or you may not score a seat.
John Lennon Park: There's really nothing to see other than a statue of John Lennon, but a cute woman holds onto Lennon's glasses to protect them from thieves, and puts the glasses onto Lennon's nose whenever someone poses for a picture with him. Bring Havana Club rum and some cigars for a chill afternoon of people-watching.
What to nom (in order of deliciousness):
Cangrejito: Crab-shaped guava-stuffed fried dough near the Capitolio. Hands down the best food of the trip for 1 CUP each. YOU CAN GET 24 FOR 1 CUC. Only regret was not stuffing my suitcase with them.
Cuban tacos at Casa Tacos: Why settle for a sandwich when tacos are in the picture? Two Cuban tacos for 3 CUC. They have a huge taco selection, and most tacos are 2 for 1 CUC, including chicken tacos that were so good, I ordered them for dessert too. Located at the intersection of Basarrata and Neptuno.
Pork plate at Somos Cuba Paladar: Paladars are privately-run restaurants that are oftentimes in Cuban family homes. The meal was on the steeper side at 12 CUC, but REALLY good, so do yourself a favor and don't even think about splitting your plate with someone (can you tell this is another of my regrets?). Located at 202 San Ignac
Street hamburgers: The breakfast choice of many Cubans that are surprisingly tasty. Eight CUP each, so yes, you can get three hamburgers for 1 CUC, not that I'd recommend going THAT far...
Hawaiian pizza and jamon parrilla sandwich: Maybe it's because we were famished from an exhausting day of people watching and sipping Havana Club in John Lennon Park, but this roadside eatery hit the spot for dinner AND was open at 2AM. Hawaiian Pizza went for 15 CUP, and the jamon parrilla sandwich for 24 CUP (yes, less than 1 CUC). Located at the intersection of Calle 15 and Calle 12.
Coffee: bold and strong, regardless of where you order it
Finca Agroecologica El Paraiso in Viñales: food was B+ (except the soup, A+), but you eat ON TOP OF A MOUNTAIN with a breathtaking view of Cuban hills and farmland. Paradise. 10 CUC per person for enough food to feed you, your clone, and your imaginary friend. Get the 3 CUC anti-stress drink, their version of a piña colada with a few extra spices, and pour liberally from the entire bottle of rum that accompanies it.
Things I learned:
Cuba is extremely safe, as in, hitchiking and walking alone at 2AM safe, but don't be stupid
Cubans eat hot dogs for breakfast (and so did we, because food was difficult to find)
Instead of ice cream trucks, Cubans have ice cream bicycles, complete with happy tunes to let you know they're nearby!
Internet is nearly nonexistent, only at designated spots in the city and some hotels. Get each person in your party their own internet card, because multiple people can't use the same one concurrently. There are telecom stores where you can buy internet cards for around 1.75 CUC per hour, but lines are long, so better to buy one from someone off the street for 3 CUC as long as the access code isn't scratched off.
Before EatWith, Cuba had Paladars; before Uber Pool, Cuba had taxi collectivos; before Airbnb, Cuba had Casa Particulars. People often cite technology as a key to the growth of the sharing economy, but Cuba is an example of how extreme lack of technology, combined with an overarching sense of one people and one nation, produced a similar effect. I'm passionate about the ways that the sharing economy can bring people together, and it was amazing to see it in action and so far advanced in Cuba.
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