Though it’s taken me a long time to write this post, I wanted to make sure I could include as much information as possible. This post will be part of a series, the first with my tips about how to travel to Cuba and the next with my itinerary. Havana is an amazing place with the most welcoming people and beautiful culture. Everyone should visit Cuba and see what it has to offer. As far as traveling there, these are my tips:
Getting there: Though it is considerably harder for Americans to travel to Cuba nowadays due to travel restrictions, it is absolutely worthwhile. Currently, in order to fly directly to Cuba without visiting another foreign nation first, you must obtain a visa. Our visa was under “support for the Cuban people.” For more information about visas, you can visit the US Embassy’s guide on travel to Cuba. From Florida, the flight to Cuba was a breeze. We booked through Southwest Airlines and found that the flight was very affordable. I just checked out their flights from Tampa to Havana and they are all under $150 a leg. I would highly recommend flying Southwest as you likely won’t find a better deal.
Accommodations: I would highly recommend our Airbnb. We stayed in the Hostal Coabana, located near Habana Vieja. The place was stunning, featuring lovely Cuban tile and an adorable open-air courtyard area with cute little plants everywhere. Each morning we were greeted with a delicious breakfast which was included in the price. Our host and his family were so helpful and were able to set up tours for us from our apartment. I was nervous traveling to Cuba because I did not expect much from our accommodations based on my previous stays in similar countries. However, I absolutely loved our Airbnb. It had the coldest air conditioning and was updated for modern conveniences. The beds were comfortable and the linens were even changed daily! From all the travel guides I read prior to visiting Cuba, they recommend staying in a “Casa de Particulares.” Staying with locals allows you to get a taste for their culture and gain experiences you may not have otherwise. You can take $35 off your first AirBNB stay with this link!
Money: If you are a U.S. citizen, upon arriving to Cuba you will quickly learn that your debit and credit cards DO NOT work anywhere. You will not be able to withdraw money from an ATM either. Before departing, withdraw enough cash (and more) to get you through your entire stay in Cuba. We were there for five days and four nights and felt that $500 would be sufficient (we had already paid for airfare and Airbnb). While Cuba is relatively inexpensive to visit, we realized we were running out of money fairly quickly. I think the excitement of the trip and experiencing the culture caused us to spend more on food and drinks. I would bring $100-$200 more than you think you need just to have a contingency fund. We tried to use our cards at the ATMs and were completely unsuccessful. We decided to slow down our spending in the last two days in order to make back to the US. Luckily, we met another American who was willing to lend us $100. I was hoping to Venmo him the money while in Cuba but we quickly learned that Venmo does not work in Cuba. He was kind enough to allow us to repay him when we got back to the United States (thanks Brian!). Definitely do not underestimate the fact that you will not be able to get any money while you are in Cuba. Come prepared and don’t be like us!
Exchange: As far as exchanging money, we found the best exchange rate was at the Almacenes San José Artisans’ Market. We also often exchanged money at hotels near Parque Central and at the airport. While visiting Cuba, as an American you will likely be using the CUC instead of the CUP. The CUP is the Cuban Peso and is more of a currency for locals. The CUC is very similar to the dollar so it is easy to understand how much you are spending as it’s almost 1 dollar to 1 CUC.
Wifi/Technology: Wifi is not easy to come by in Cuba. When you arrive, you will need to purchase wifi cards that allow you to access the internet in certain locations. The company that sells the cards is ETECSA. The cards are typically about $4.50 for an hour of internet access. Once you purchase the cards, you will not be able to access the internet freely like you do in the United States. You will have to visit certain locations – we had the best luck with hotels. However, when you are walking you will likely see Cubans gathering in squares or on street corners staring at cell phones – finding wifi hotspots. To use these hotspots, you still must have the card and access code. I would recommend purchasing your card at a hotel and relaxing there while you access the internet. We did this about once daily at the Iberostar Parque Central as it was a nicer hotel close to our location. I would recommend downloading anything you may need prior to your arrival to Cuba because internet access and data are sparse. Another thing to note is that some of your apps will not function in Cuba as the internet is restricted by the government. As I mentioned before, you will not be able to use Venmo. Snapchat also does not have functionality in Cuba (say bye to your streaks!) However, I honestly enjoyed unplugging during our trip as it allowed us to enjoy everything Cuba had to offer.
Culture/Locals: We found that Cuba was incredibly safe. The locals were beyond welcoming. I loved talking to the locals and experiencing their culture that way. I will say that most locals speak very little English so you will have to rely mostly on Spanish. However, they will try their best to communicate with you in English. It is not uncommon for the locals to approach you. They may ask you to buy a cigar or to give them money for a drink/food item. If you take any pictures with them or of them, they will expect a small sum of money in return. Don’t let this scare you! One of the best parts of Cuba was talking to the locals and having authentic conversations. They always asked us where we were from and how we liked Cuba; genuinely caring to hear our answers. One local even invited us to see the inside of her home. Typically, in foreign countries I would be wary of talking to strangers, thinking they may expect something from me in return. In Italy, you have to worry about gypsies. In France, you have to worry about pickpockets. Even in some places in the United States, you have to worry about getting mugged. In Cuba, the locals genuinely want to talk to you and share their culture with you. In my experience, I found that they were the kindest culture with no bad intentions. Definitely keep your wits about you but take the time to stop and talk with the locals – it will change your experience drastically.
History: Traveling to Cuba feels like stepping back in time. Many of the cars are from the 1940s and 1950s. The buildings reflect architecture going way back into the 1500s. The way my dad described the beauty of Cuba was “visual overload.” Everywhere you go, you’ll find yourself looking around, distracted by the beauty of the city. Seeing the city “frozen in time” was one of my favorite things. I loved sitting at the Floridita bar and imagining the glamour of 1920s and imagining Hemingway sitting there among the locals. The buildings in Old Havana were stunning, reflecting some Spanish and European architecture. Some of the squares in Havana reminded me of Italy or places I had visited in Europe.
If you can’t tell by reading this post, I absolutely loved visiting Cuba. Cuba was unlike anywhere I’ve ever travelled to in the best possible way. I hope you will take the chance and visit Cuba some time soon!
Note: Almost all of the photos above were taken by my dad, Bob Croslin (I’m not that professional)
