Cuba

 

German Version

Information  visa, bus, accommodation etc Entry/Visa Departure Currency Money Change Security Health Language Accommodation Transport Weather Food Books,Newspapers Telephone/email Links mail me!

Beach near Santiago  "Never I saw a more beautiful country or more friendly people ."                                                                    Christopher Columbus    click on map to enlarge!

Highlights Havanna Varadero Vinales Trinidad Santiago Guardelavaca Baracoa Maria Gorda Isla de Juventud Cayo Coco others Cigars Rum Music/Literature Human Rights

Information

Entry:

You need:

• a valid Passport,
• US-Americans (only!) are not allowed under US law to trade with Cuba. They might be prosecuted by visting Cuba. Free travel might be guaranteed by the US-constitution, but that might be not accepted by American judges. Using Dollars was the trading argument, so use Euro or visit only friends who have invited you, if you get trouble. There seemed to be no interest of prosecution or a small fine was levied,a s people told me, but that might change politically. I met some Americans who visited Cuba. The Cubans haven't anything against US-citizens, they were treated as any other European tourist. Avoid to get a stamp in your passport. The Cubans will stamp the visa on an extra sheet of paper for US- Citizens, which you could throw away after returning to Mexico. Many US-Americans enter Cuba via Cancun/Mexico without having any problems. Don't buy cigars for respecting your law!
• a Tourist card (tarjeta del touristico)  Ask your tour operator for the "tarjeta del touristico", that serves as a visa  A visa at the airport is possible, but very expensive and it takes a lot of time
• a Hotel Voucher for at least three days  Warning, read this!

On the tourist card you must fill in field No. 5 "direccion en Cuba o nombre del evento" name and place of a hotel. Cuban authorities thus want to force people in the state-owned hotels for earning "Euros". Sometimes your statement is sufficient, but the hotel must exist in reality. Sometimes custom officers ask for a voucher (hotel booking confirmation). A confirmation of an official private room with licence "casa particulares" should be officially accepted now, but this might be handled from any custom officer different and depends sometimes of the running capacity of the state owned hotels. Some told me they hadn't any problems with a casa particular voucher. Faked vouchers are also common and I didn't hear that these statements were proofed. I can't guarantee for anything.

But you must fill in an accommodation adress on the Tourist Card. This adress must exist and have a licence to rent rooms.

I met a German guy who had made a statement in No. 5 of a not existing hotel. He was forced for three days in a hotel in Guardelajara for 100 Dollars per day. Some people were told to pay such a hotel for the entire fourteen days of their trip. He only could escape from there by booking a flight to Havana.

If you are a student or otherwise less affluent, your backpacker dream could come to grief already at the customs.
I can't really recommend travelling to Cuba, only because of this nuisance.

This arbitrariness exists still in Spring 2005.
If things have changed, mail please!

I don´t wish to deter anyone from visiting this nice country by giving improper information.
 

• Luggage no more than 20 kg. You have to pay 10 Euro per kilo excess weight. Sometimes custom officers charge a lump sum from 10 Euro, if you tell, you want to sustain poor Cuban families. Package holiday tourists are treated more generous. Practice might have changed.

Departure:

There is a departure tax of 25 Euros, payment only in cash. Customers of certain tour operators were relieved from the departure tax.

Currency:

New:
Cuba has changed recently to Euro !!! Dollars are changed to a course with a deduction from 20 %. Dollars are hardly accepted now, Euros are more welcome.

Three kinds of money exist in Cuba.

1. Euros
2. moneda national (Pesos) 20 Pesos = 1 Dollar (2001)
3. peso convertible = (cuban creation, only in Cuba valid dollar notes)

most of the goods today in Cuba are paid in Euro or Peso/Convertibles, the letter is the same as 1 Dollar. There are special shops, where Cuban people can buy goods only in Euro, only food and other daily goods are paid in moneda naional (pesos).  In Tourist Resorts only Peso convertibles or Euros are accepted. When Cubans talk about Pesos, they often mean Euro/Dollar, payment in Euros is frequently expected from tourists. Money change is possible at "cadecas", where people are queuing up for changing Pesos in Euros. You mustn´t queue up, ask people in the queue for changing money. You can also ask greengrocers on markets or other people for changing money, but don´t accept a very bad exchange rate. A  re-exchange in Euros is not possible, don´t change too much money.

Peso convertible are Cuban produced Euros/Dollars, therefore only worth a cent in Cuba. You can change peso convertible in Euros at the airport with only a slight loss.

It is important to take small notes with you. 20 Euro notes are frequently a problem.

Changing money:

Traveller cheques from Thomas Cook in Euros are changend into Euros notes at banks with a fee of 2-5% .
No Traveller Cheques from American Express !!! The USA is still in conflict with Cuba. They expropiate (or rob) every single Dollar from Cuban bank accounts, they can get. Be careful of transfering money to Cuba, the money often is transferred via the USA and you never will see it again.

Visa Card (also bad:  Master Card) from European financial institutes can be used for money advance payments in a bank. Credit cards are hardly accepted.

But there are now ATM where money could be drawn from your credit card. Ask for the fees at your bank home.

Nuisances

Cubans are in general nice, helpful and open-minded to tourists, but people are poor. The wages in a factories are often no more than 20 Euros per month, too little to have a proper living. Some people often try to do some talking to tourists in pretending to learn some English and ask afterwards for a donation. Though a dollar is not much money, I don't like paid conversations and most Cubans don´t like it either that people make more money by this way than working in ordinary jobs. The same donation is expected, if people show you around without being asked and talk about the sights or any other items.
When I was asked for conversation I was used telling people at once that I liked to talk to local people, but don't give any donations for that. But there are still many Cubans, who were really interested in talking to foreigners for free.

Security

Robberies were reported, but are extremely rare. Theft doesn't happen more than in Europe.  Luggage is safe in official "casas". I also walked dark alleys without any fear at night.

Health:

Vaccinations or prophylactic against Malaria are not necessary. Consider that a prophylaxe itself can harm you seriously, therefore a Malaria prophylaxe always has to be outweighed by the risks (look here: Malaria)  Cuba has many hospitals and physicians, but due to the embargo politics there is a lack of technical devices and efficacious medicaments.  Children for example who have epileptic attacks are not treated properly with good medicaments and have to suffer from the political situation.
Take your own medicaments with you and also suntan lotion, condoms etc. I forgot my toothbrush and couldn´t buy it in any shop there. Toothbrushs weren´t sold at that moment.

Wheather:        back to top

 
in summer are more rainy days, but good season for travelling is all the year!
 

Month	Jan	Fev	Mar	April	May	June	July	Aug	Sept	Oct	Nov	Dec
Temp/day	26	27	28	29	30	30	31	32	31	29	27	26
rainydays	6	4	4	4	7	10	10	9	11	11	7	6

temperature at night:  subtract 8 degrees Celsius
temperature of water : all year 24 to 28 degrees Celsius
 

Language:

Spanish. Very few people speak some English, even the basics are unknown. You can speak with tooth and nails, Cubans try for understanding. Spanish is an easy to learn language compared to German or French. My advice for having Spanish courses is Salamanca in Spain (near Madrid) or Antigua in Guatemala (see travel report Yucatan). Booking courses in  these countries on the spot is cheaper than booking from home. I don´t know, if there are language courses in Cuba, but I think those are more expensive than in Spain or in Guatelamala.

Accommodation

 
Cuba is not a very cheap country for travelling like South and Central America or South East Asia due to taxes from 100 % and more from private entrepreneurs.

Hotels:
are all state-holded and prices are on European level, but comfort doesn´t reach European standard. You are not admitted to cheap peso hotels.

Private rooms "Casas Particulares" 
Private rooms to let are signposted by a blue triangle (see above) at the door of houses. The price was 15 to 20 Euros, add 5 to 10 Euros more for Havanna (in the year 2000).  Price should be increased now by 50 % . It is recommended to eat in your casa, the dinner is about 5 Euro and breakfast 3 Euro. If a "jinetero" (broker) or taxi shows you the room, you have to pay 5 Euro more for brokerage. Tell the owner, if you have ordered a taxi to his address, otherwise you have to pay 5 Euro more. The same is if someone is standing around and who certainly will claim he had arranged the room.

There is a fee of 100 to 200 Euro per month for a licence of renting rooms to foreigners. The fee is a kind of tax and it has to be paid, even if business is doing badly and no service from the state is returned. The tax is levied for State income and house owners shouldn't earn too much money from tourism compared to other Cuban working people. Competition is hard, landlords try to satisfy their guests and additional income from dinner and breakfast is welcome.  Rooms are simple, but clean and at any rate acceptable.

If renting a room,  your name, domicile and passport number will be registered, surveillance of persons is important in Cuba. Therefore you don't get your own key, but must ring up your landlord at night to allow him register persons you take to your rooms. Sometimes "casa especiales" without surveillance are offered.

Link: privatpensionen.de , casaparticular.info
Casa/ rooms: mail your private accommodation with price! You can mail in Spanish!
Holguin: Agramonte # 108 Altos entre Fomento y Cervantes, Preis: 25 CUC, Tel. 53-24-42649  jaimeat@hlg.tel.etecsa.cu
 

Transport:          back to top

American road cruisers
Private cars are often american cars that were left in Cuba after the revolution in 1959. Alos some old eastern brands lie Wolgas are on the road. The owners lavish care and attention to their cars, because buying another car is hardly possible.  New cars are taxis or cars in state property.

It is not allowed for Cubans to give foreigners a lift. Payment is supposed and a heavy fine for illegal taxi business is imposed. Getting catched is likely at one of the many spot checks on traffic.

click on photo to enlarge!

General:
Cuba has a size of 1100 km length and 200 km width and a population of 11 Mio. Going by rental car is comfortable, but also expensive. You can reach more reasonable many destinations by busses "Viazul", but unfortunately not all, so not Maria Gorda, Guardelavaca or Sierra Mestre. Taxis are also very expensive.

Taxi:
expensive, calculate with  0,75 Dollar per km ( Price sometimes could be negotiated)

Rental cars:
also very expensive 60 -100 Dollar per day incl. insurance.  Booking in Europe could be cheaper ( from 33 Euro/day but without insurance - add 10-15 Euro/day ).
You have to pass traffic spot check of police at walking speed, otherwise you have to pay a fine! There are not many petrol stations, fill up your tank in time.

Trains:
prices are reasonable. Holguin-Havanna ( 800 km) was charged about 30 dollars in 2000. Tickets for foreigners in Dollars are available at special booking offices, don´t queue up, ask people. The trip took 14 hours, the train was grubby and old fashioned, but ok. Food is served, payment in Peso. Only some destinations have rail connection. .

Bus:

Viazul
is the national bus company for tourists.  Busses are going to many destinations for example to Havana, Trinidad, Varadero, Vinales, Baracoa, Santiago or Holguin. Busses are comfortable and mostly on time . The fare was to be paid in dollars and was reasonable. Santiago-Havanna was charged 50 Dollar (2000).

viazul.cu

Astrobusse
should be 20% cheaper for tourists, but foreigners were directed to Viazul.

Local busses and passenger lorries
nearly free. Fare is paid in the bus in moneda national. There are no timetables or bus stop signs. Often it is a game of chance if a bus is coming. Waiting and hoping is the game.  Some busses are dedicated only for factory workers.

Bicys:
a kind of rickshaw. Foreigners pay 1 dollar or more (3-5 in Havana). In smaller towns payment is in moneda national. You should agree the price by contract before, otherwise you are in danger to be charged of fleecing prices ( if that happens, pay a good price but no more, the ordinary Cuban price is only some pesos!) Sometimes in tourist centers the use for foreigners is not allowed.

Hitchhiking
for Cubans exist a duty of giving a lift to natives, but it is not allowed to give foreigners a lift (see American road cruisers)

Bike:
a bike tour is often recommended. Mail your experiences!  Bring spare parts from home, you might not get any there, though  Cubans are champions in improvisation. Velos are rented in some places for 5 dollars per day. These bikes are simple Chinese models without any gear changes at most.

Food         back to top

"Paladares"
are private owned restaurants. They are more expensive than state owned restaurants, but the ambience and the efforts of entrepreneurs to satisfy their guests offset the higher price. The price was 5 to 10 dollars for a meal, a can of local beer (is soft, but good) is 1 to 2 dollars.

Restaurants
In state hold restaurants the menu is mostly more ample than the actual offers. But food wasn´t bad and the service was good either, contrary to other reports.

Casa Particulares
In "casa particulares" owners cook meal for 5 dollars and a breakfast is served for 3 dollars. Dinner was excellent every time, don´t expect much from the breakfast. It is very recommended to eat at your "casa", it is the best value for money and you support your host too.

Fast Food
many snack bars serve delicious snacks to glut the small appetite. You get pork sandwiches for 5-10 peso or small pizzas (very delicious if fresh from the oven!). A tumbler of self-made lemonade quenches your thirst. I didn´t get any problems by eating from street snack bars.

    click on photo to enlarge!

 
Cuban cuisine
is not very manifold, but good. The most offered dish is  "pollo" (chicken) served with rice and black beans. Side dish is a salad of tomatoes and cucumber or a fruit salad. Lobster or shrimps are excepted to state-owned restaurants, but sometimes casa owners have some connections.

Breakfast is rather poor.  Some slices of white bread, two eggs, tomatoes and coffee, sometimes orange juice or fruit salad, that´s all.  Cuban coffee is a strong espresso.

A link to cuban cuisine is  http://cocina.cuba.cu (in Spanish)

Drinks
the country is famous for its cocktails. The most famous is "mojito" (rum, lemon juice, sugar, soda, mint leaf and ice cubes), that was Hemingway´s (and mine) favorite in Cuba. Available from 2 dollars, very delicious!!!!  Cuba libre (cola-rum) is another famous drink, cheap and in Cuba it is rum-cola (cola is more expensive!).
 

 

Chicas:

means "girl" on Spanish, but also means young women, who sleep with foreigners to achieve financial advantages.
Women often take the first initiative, Caribbean beauty and usual Cuban easiness in sexual behaviour do the rest.  It is not pure prostitution, because sympathy is necessary; but it isn´t love either, making a better life is the predominating purpose.
Therefore longer relationsships with tourists are favoured, sometimes love and a good partnership could develop.
But there are still relationships between Cubans and foreigners that are based only on sympathy and love.

Some propaganda states that Cuba is making a living from prostitution, whereas the embargo is one reason of the poverty of the country. Castro fights these reproaches by oppressing women contact to foreigners. If a woman has contact to more than one foreigner, prostitution is supposed and she is clapped into prison or labour camps.  Being on places were tourists are, could be sometimes sufficient for jail. It happened sometimes that fiancés have to bail out their fiancées after returning to Cuba.  Tourists are not persecuted yet.

Foreign women aren't alone very long either, if they feel lonely.

Marriages between European and Cuban often fail, because many Cuban wifes couldn't get accustomed to European life, feel unhappy and get homesick. But there are still also happy marriages.

Warning: AIDS is also a problem in Cuba!

Telephone/Email:        back to top

very expensive: 4,40 dollar/min. Email service were in Cuba only in Havanna at the Capitol and in Santiago at Hotel Santiago in the year 2000. It should be very expensive.

Newspapers and books:

"Granma" is the propaganda newspaper. Slight and not very informative.  There are two or three other newspapers of this quality. Many literature is about the revolution. Apart from that books are rare, even in Spain from South American or Spanish authors.

Human Rights

Cuba is blamed by many European Countries to violate the human rights of peoples. Opposition to the regime of Fidel Castro is usually punished by jail.  Free speech is not possible. Recently the government executed some people, who had tried to flee from Cuba by kidnapping a ferry.

Cigars (puros):

Cigar plants need proper soil and a favourable climate. Some areas have a proper soil, others a favourable climate, the best combination still is found in Cuba. Therefore the best quality of cigars is made in Cuba.

The most famous brand is "Cohiba".  Black marketeers sell "cohibas" in a box for  25 dollars. But they are fake. Cohibas are the most supervisest cigar brands in factories. However fake cigars could be worth the money, but you have to be an expert to distinguish a good from a bad quality. If you buy cigars from an official shop, keep the receipts. Cigars without bills of official shops are confiscated (thousands of them every year) at the custom.

Music:

Cuban music is famous for its rhythm (salsa) . Live bands are playing the "Casa de la Trovas", munical music pubs that are found in every town.  "Trovas" means "Balads" in Cuban Spanish. "Son" is another Cuban music stile.

Literature:

  Tavel guides:     Cuba:   (David Stanley)    Lonely Planet
  Romans:            Graham Green:     Our Man in Havanna
                             Hemmingway: The old man and the sea

Links:

Rooms: privatpensionen.de , casaparticular.info
Bus: viazul.cu
Cooking:   http://cocina.cuba.cu (in Spanish)
 

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Highlights: (Map)

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Havana:

...        ... 
cathedral              click on photo to enlarge!                       typical house in Havanna

big city with more than 2,5 mio inhabitants. Some museums. If you want to pay money for national propaganda or if you are interested in the Cuban Revolution you can visit the Revolution Museum downtown. It is still part of Cuban life.

The nightlife of Havana is famous. It is not really cheap (but also not very expensive) , if you visit performances or clubs that are dedicated to tourism.

The old town with the cathedral is worth seeing, as well ambling over the "Malecon" quay and the "Boulevard Prado" in the evening. At day you can visit the fortresses of "el morro" und "fortallezza".  Curious is the "Capitol" building 10 minutes walk from downtown, a replica of the Capitol building in Washington/USA .

Striking is the omnipresent decay of the city, that begins even some hundred meters far away from the cathedral. In "Vedado"- the former exclusive area of mansions- are wonderful old mansions, that are going to seed.

Decay, bustle, old American road cruisers, cameos (big busses with humps) and much more constitute the particular morbid ambience of this city.

I didn´t like Havana very much, but many people really love it. Make your own opinion!

 

Varadero:

Varadero
click on photo to enlarge!

is a (many kilometers) long and wide dream beach, with white powder sand and shallow azure blue water; but also a tourist ghetto without Cubans, who just live there. Cuban´s without working there have no access to Varadero, thereforeVaradero is not the real Cuba. The next town "Matanzas" is 50 km distant. Visiting only Varadero is in my opinion rather boring. Bring your paperbacks from home, you can´t buy any there. "Casa particulares" in Varadero and Matanzas are not allowed, but should still exist.  Bus Viazul (10 Dollars one way) starts to Havana in the morning and return from Havana in the late afternoon. It stops at the aiport, but only two or three times a day ( viazul.cu ).

 

Viñales:

..Valley Vinales   .. ..   ..
 click on photo to enlarge!

was my personal highlight. Vinales is a small town in beauteous scenery.  "Mogotes" (that are limestone formed hills),  the red soil and green tobbaco plants pattern an individual, harmonic, picturesque storybook landscape.

You can have a ride or bike trip from 5 Dollars/hour or you can do some fine walking (see photos).  The "Mural de la Prehistorica", a very trashy rock painting from a lady love of Fidel Castro and also the  "Cueva del Indio" ( limestone cave ) could be visited, but you don´t miss much by skipping it.

I would recommend a bike or walking trip through the beautiful landscape.  You can visit the "Atlanticos" at the first day.  Go southwards for five kilometers to the signposted "Mural de la Prehistorica"; because you have to go the main street first, it is better doing it by bus, taxi or bike. Instead of taking the last 300-meter section of the route to the mural painting to the left, go straight on the field paths (or visit the painting and go back). The houses of the Atlantiquos are situated half the way up to the top of the mountains, you have to ask. It is a three-hour (return) trip.  The Atlantiqos are a sect, who believes in the purity of  water, which includes several daily bathing and drying in the sun.

Another trip at the second day is by bike to the "Cueva del indio" five kilometers to the north and turn to the left to the "Valle Ancon" after two more kilometers.

Vinales is already very touristy, but still has preserved its Cuban ambience. Visit the pubs of the village at night. There is often live music at  weekends. My pub visits were very nice and the "Mojito", a Cuban drink,  was tasted excellent. Be aware of girls who are touching your genitals clandestine in melees just for fun.

 

Trinidad:

Trinidad
click on photo to enlarge!

A pretty nice small town of 30.000 inhabitants. One part of the old city is a "Unesco Heritage Site" and was therefore restored some years ago. This part is not much alive. There are some nice pubs with Cuban live music.

20 km to the north is the handsome valley "Valle de Ingenious".  Sugar cane is cultivated there, so some ancient old manors ("ingenio") houses of the colonial planters could be visited.  Slaves had to do work under pitiful conditions. At one of the ingenio is standing a tower, that serves as supervision tower for the slaves. "Ingenios" are signposted.  The valley is not a "must see".

Some more of  Rum. (under construction)

On the peninsula Ancónis, 16 km south of Trinidad, is a nice beach. I think there is a bus, but I am not sure.

20 km in the North is situated  "Topes de Collantes" with a health center and the possiblity of walking to the "Salto de Caburni", a waterfall with pool.

 

Santiago de Cuba:

  El Morro            .Santiago
 click on photo to enlarge!

Vivacious town of more than half a million inhabitants. The city town has not many particular attractions. From the city hall Fidel Castro has announced the victory of the revolution. Santiago has an ample nightlife. You can visit the "casa de trova" (live music club) , that was location of the film "Buena Vista Social Club" from Wim Wenders.

You can visit the fortress "El Morro"( erected in 1642). Take the bus no. 212 to Ciudamar or 213 to Punta Gorda. It is a short walk up to the fortress from the final bus stop. Below the fortress is a nice public beach.
Near the bus stop small passenger ferries go the isles of "Cayo Granma" and "La Socapa".  From La Socapa you have good view to El Morro. Cayo Granma is a pretty small island with picturesque houses at the shore.

Overland busses from Viazul / Astro leave at the bus station  at the Avenida de los Liberatores. Near these bus stations leave also passenger trucks to the twenty kilometer distant beach "Playa Siboney"  picture at the top . You have to ask people, because there are no signs, and busses that stop at the roadside, are coming and going all the times.
 
 

..La Socapa                    ..

 click on photo to enlarge!

More to do  (I hadn´t have enough time for)

•  El Cobre:  pilgrimage church
•  Ride along the south coast from Chivirico to Pilon that is considered as beautiful
•  National park "Gran Piedra" (mountain peak 1214 m)  and "Parque Baconao" (dinosaurs in concrete and botanical garden)

 

Guardalavaca near Holguin:

Guardelavaca is a tourist ghetto like Varadero with beautiful beaches. There is no bus connection to any other town.
Holguin is 50 km away, a bigger town with airport (15 km distant from the city), nice but nothing special to see.
Casa in Holguin: Agramonte # 108 Altos entre Fomento y Cervantes, Preis: 25 CUC, Tel. 53-24-42649  jaimeat@hlg.tel.etecsa.cu
 
 

  Guardelavaca

Link for a suggested round trip (in German)   cuba-individual.com

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more, I hadn´t have enough time to visit  :

 

Baracoa:
a small town in the east of Cuba (province Guantámono).

Guantánamo is known because the chanson  "Guantanamera" from José Martí and the 116 sq km US-military base, that is leased since the year 1903.

Columbus calls Baracoa the most beautiful place of the earth in 1492. There is a tropical humid climate.

Nice should be the palmed beach of  "Maguana". Climbing the 589 m  table mountain  "El Yunque", a boat ride on the river "Yumuri" with the black beaches at its estuary mouth (Boca de Yumuri) and a visit of the national park "Alejandro de Humboldt" by a boat ride through mangroves 40 km northwest of Baracoa is also recommended.

Bikes are rented for enjoying the scenery.

 

Maria Gorda
at the western end of Cuba.  Should have a nice beach and a good diving base. It is difficult to get there without a car. .

 

Isla de Juventud
is called  "isla del tresoro" (treasure Island),  former hiding place of pirates and location of the film "Treasure Island" from Louis Stevenson.  Nice beaches should be "Punta del Este" and the black coloured beach "Bibijagua". The prison "presidio modelo" is now a museum. Fidel Castro was one of the convicts.  The  "Cabo Francés" in the west is known as a great diving base for its coral reefs.

The neighboured Isle Cayo Largo is a big tourist resort with beautiful  beaches and diving opportunities.

 

Cayo Coco
 small island and a tourist resort in the north with nice beaches.

back to: Information

 

Feedback, corrections, news, critics, links and suggestions are welcome !! I can also read Spanish, but I prefer to answer in English!
mail me:

  kambodschajoe@hotmail.com
 

Excuse my English, that is not my native language, thanks!

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