PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Passports and Visas
All visitors must have a valid passport, a tourist card (for further details see Arriving by Air), health insurance, and an onward ticket. It is wise to photocopy passport details. US law currently allows its citizens to visit Cuba if they fall into one of twelve categories under a general (pre-authorized) license from the OFAC (for further details see Arriving by Ship).
Customs Regulations and Immigration
Visitors are allowed to bring in 200 cigarettes and 6 pints (3 liters) of spirits duty free, plus 44 lb (20 kg) of personal belongings into the country. Certain electronic items are prohibited, and Customs is sensitive to visitors arriving with cellphones, cameras, or computer storage devices. Customs searches in Cuba can be rigorous, and the authorities take a harsh line on drugs.
Travel Safety Advice
Visitors can get up-to-date travel safety information from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK, the State Department in the US, and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Australia.
Travel Insurance
Medical insurance is now obligatory when visiting Cuba, as any illness or accident may involve paying for treatment. It is also worth having insurance against loss or theft of valuables. Visitors intending to engage in any form of extreme sports during their trip should ensure that they are covered.
When to Go
Cuba’s tourist season runs from December to April, when airfares, accommodations, and car rentals are at their most expensive. This period is less hot than the rest of the year, but temperatures in January can reach 79°F (26°C). The hurricane season lasts from June to November, with the majority of storms occurring in September and October.
Most visitors to Cuba arrive for beach vacations of a week to 10 days. Havana itself requires at least four days to fully explore, while Viñales, Trinidad, and Santiago de Cuba deserve two each. Allow at least three to four weeks to explore the length of Cuba, from Pinar del Río to Baracoa.
What to Take
Light cotton clothing is recommended. Bring swimwear for a beach holiday, as it can be expensive in Cuba. It is worth packing a sweater or lightweight jacket for heavily air-conditioned restaurants, chilly winter nights, and visits to mountainous regions. Long-sleeved clothing and mosquito repellent help guard against mosquitoes. Sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses are also essential items.
Time Zone
Cuba is on Eastern Standard Time (EST) and is 5 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), the same as New York and Miami. Daylight saving time operates from May to October.
Electricity
Cuba’s erratic electricity supply works on a 110-volt system, as in the US and Canada, although some outlets are 220-volt and are usually marked. Plugs are the two-pin North American type, so European visitors will need to bring adaptors.
Opening Hours
Most offices are open 8:30am–12:30pm and 1:30–5:30pm Monday to Friday. Shops usually remain open 8:30am– 5:30pm Monday to Saturday. Banks typically open 8:30am–noon and 1:30–3pm Monday to Friday, and then 8:30–10:30am on Saturdays. Museums hours vary widely, but bear in mind that many are closed on Mondays.
Sources of Information
Official Cuban tourist offices in Canada and the United Kingdom provide basic information on the country. For more specific details, it is better to contact independent agencies. US citizens planning a visit should contact the Cubatur office in Canada.
Cuban websites are all state-run, and care should be taken if booking online. US websites are now permitted to accept bookings for trips to Cuba. La Habana is an online magazine with a monthly “What’s On” downloadable brochure.
Infotur tourist offices are scattered throughout major tourist centers, but few have the resources to answer more than the most basic questions.
Cuba’s larger tour operators can provide information on specific regions and activities, but their knowledge is often limited and unreliable. It is better to seek out smaller operators who can offer more specialized tours.
Government-run tour operators can provide guides, and many taxi drivers also act as driver-guides. Car-rental agencies will provide a driver-guide on request. Many individuals offer legal freelance services, but exercise caution when hiring them.
TV, Radio, and Newspapers
All branches of Cuban media are state controlled. The government’s official newspaper, Granma, is published in English and distributed at hotels. There are two other newspapers, Juventud Rebelde and Trabajadores. Foreign publications are not sold in Cuba. Most tourist hotels have satellite TV showing CNN and a selection of English-language news stations, although Cuban homes receive only local state-run stations.
Maps and Guides
A few bookstores in Havana and some shops in large tourist hotels sell a limited range of maps, books, and other travel-related literature. There are very few outlets elsewhere. A second-hand book sale is held daily on Havana’s Plaza de Armas.
There are several good maps of the country; the best are the National Geographic Adventure Maps. In Cuba, tourist outlets sell a tourist map of Havana published by Ediciones Geo, and Guía de Carreteras, an excellent road atlas.
Currency
The Cuban national peso (CUP) is made of 100 centavos. The peso is used mostly by Cubans; there are very few places where tourists will be able, or wish, to use pesos except local buses, baseball stadiums, and food stalls on the street.
All tourist transactions and major purchases are conducted in Cuban Convertible Pesos (pesos convertibles), designated as CUC$, with bills of 1, 3, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100. The value is pegged at US$1.00 and CUP24. However, it has no value outside Cuba. Euros can be used in Varadero, Cayo Coco, and Cayo Largo.
Banks and ATMs
All banks in Cuba are state-owned. Most will exchange foreign currency at the official rate, though queuing can be quite a lengthy operation. The regular opening hours are normally 8am–3pm Monday to Friday, but some banks are also open on Saturday mornings. Some ATMs in major towns can be used to obtain cash advances using cards such as MasterCard and Visa, except for those that have been issued or processed by any US institutions.
Foreign currency can be exchanged for CUC$ and CUPs at CADECA casas de cambio (bureaux de change). A 10 percent commission is charged if you would like to change US dollars; however, no such commissions exist for other currencies.
Credit Cards
MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels, restaurants, and tourist-oriented stores, but not in out-of-the-way places and smaller outlets. Cards issued by US banks can be used, but may not work. Be prepared for the electronic processing system to be unreliable. Credit cards can be used in order to obtain cash advances at certain banks. An 11 percent commission is charged for using credit cards.
Communications
Operated by ETECSA, a state company, public phones are plentiful and normally reliable. Public phones work with prepaid phone cards for between CUC$5 and CUC$50. These allow you to make relatively inexpensive international calls from any public telephone. Making calls from hotels can be quite expensive.
Cubacel is the cell phone service provider and has offices in most major cities and tourist centers. If you bring your personal cell phone, Cubacel may be able to activate it, but it is expensive.
Local area codes may have 1 or 2 digits, and the number of digits of local numbers varies. To call outside Cuba, dial 119, followed by the country code. To call Cuba from abroad, dial the international access number (00 in the UK, 011 in the US and Canada), then 53 and the local number.
Mail is extremely slow. Every town has a post office, and most tourist hotels also sell stamps or prepaid postcards. All mail is read by censors. If sending anything of value or importance, use DHL, which has offices in all major cities.
Laptops for personal use may be brought into Cuba. You can log onto the Internet in many hotels and a few cyber cafés. However, the cost can vary widely. Private Internet access for Cubans is limited to a privileged few. Wi-Fi is very limited.
Emergencies
The Cuban police are rarely very responsive to reports of crimes against tourists, and reporting a theft can result in a lengthy bureaucratic procedure. Every town and village has its own police station but few officers speak English. If you are a victim of theft or are involved in an accident, the best course of action is to contact your embassy or consulate, which should be able to help you (for further details see Embassies and Consulates). You should also contact your embassy or consulate for help immediately if you are arrested.
Asistur exists to help tourists in distress and has offices in most tourist centers. The Consultoría Jurídica Internacional can provide legal help and has branches in all of Cuba’s main cities.
In the event of a car accident, call the traffic police (tránsito) and your car-rental company. It is also wise to contact your embassy immediately. Do not allow any vehicle that has been involved in an accident to be moved before the police arrive.
Canada, the UK, and most European nations have embassies in Havana with consular services, as does the US since August 2015. All can provide assistance to travelers.
Medical Services
Cuba’s healthcare system is free of charge to Cubans. Foreign visitors are usually treated in international clinics; emergency treatment is provided at ordinary hospitals, but hygiene is usually questionable. Payment is made in convertible pesos or by credit card, but fees are relatively inexpensive. Most tourist hotels will also have a doctor or nurse on call.
Pharmaceuticals are in short supply, except in farmacias internacionales, found in major cities and resorts. It is advisable to bring your own supply of medicines you require, as well as any prescriptions you have for these, and plenty of sunscreen and insect repellent.
Personal Safety
Violent crime against foreigners is rare, but in tourist areas and run-down sections of Havana, there is always a risk of pick-pocketing and bag-snatching. Avoid dark and lonely spots, do not carry large amounts of cash, or flaunt expensive items. Theft from hotel rooms is a common occurrence, so keep your possessions locked in your bag and your valuables in a safe.
Visitors in well-trodden tourist areas may well experience some level of harassment from individuals offering a range of services. Jineteros (male hustlers) will attempt to sell you fake cigars as the real thing; jineteras are female prostitutes. The best way to deal with either is simply to ignore them.
Cubans hitchhike from necessity due to the poor public transportation system, although officials discourage tourists from hitchhiking or offering lifts. Foreign embassies in Cuba report an increasing number of robberies by Cuban hitchhikers.
Cuba’s government has a history of repressing homosexuality. However, it is now becoming increasingly lenient and even supportive. Unfortunately, police harassment of homosexuals still occurs.
Women Travelers
Female tourists can receive a fair amount of unwanted attention from Cuban men, which, for the most part, takes the form of verbal intrusions. The most effective response to them is a stony glare or cold indifference.
Despite advances in women’s rights, machismo is ingrained in Cuba’s male culture. This is generally limited to flirtatious behavior toward women but can also include expressions of bravado and even aggression intended to demonstrate male pride.
Health and Hygiene
Do not drink the tap water. Some people prefer not to brush their teeth with it. You should also make sure that ice cubes are made from purified water. Bottled water can be bought cheaply and is widely available. Do not drink from a bottle of water that is unsealed, as it may have been refilled with tap water.
The best way to avoid an upset stomach is to steer clear of certain foods, notably lobster and shrimp dishes. Also do not eat meats or dairy products that have been allowed to stand too long on a buffet counter or in the sun. Food from street stalls should be avoided.
It is easy to become dehydrated in Cuba’s warm climate, where sweat often evaporates immediately. Drink plenty of bottled water and watch out for headaches, exhaustion, and muscle cramps – signs that you may be suffering from dehydration or heatstroke.
Do not underestimate the power of the tropical sun. Sunburn and sunstroke are the most common health problems tourists encounter when visiting Cuba. Avoid the hottest part of the day, between noon and 3pm, and use a strong sunscreen, even when the weather is cloudy.
Culture and Etiquette
Cubans generally dress informally but are usually smartly turned out. Top restaurants require trousers as opposed to jeans or shorts for men. A collared shirt is a good idea for meetings.
It is common courtesy to ask permission before taking a photograph of any individual, but this especially applies to members of the police and military personnel. Photographing industrial complexes, airports, ports, and military installations is strictly prohibited.
Cuba enjoys harmonious relations between races, and mixed-race marriages are common. However, racism has not been entirely eradicated, and black youths are the most likely targets.
Civility is important to Cubans, who greet everyone in a room when entering. Women will embrace and kiss each other’s cheeks, while men shake hands. Common greetings that you will hear (and ideally use) everywhere are buenos días (good morning), buenas tardes (good afternoon), and buenas noches (good evening).
The Cuban government is highly sensitive to criticism of the Cuban system. Secret police and informers are ubiquitous. For this reason, Cubans are extremely wary about discussing politics with people they do not know or trust. Avoid drawing people into conversations about politics, except in private, and foreigners should avoid making critical statements in public. Any tourist who meets with dissidents or visits “independent libraries” is also likely to face problems with the Cuban authorities.
Bureaucracy pervades every aspect of Cuban life involving the State. Most services oriented toward tourism function fluidly, although unbending regulations can make dealing with businesses and especially government institutions an extremely frustrating experience.
Dining
Long gone are the days when visitors justifiably complained about stodgy cuisine and boring menus. Standards have improved vastly since 2011, when Raúl Castro ended most restrictions on private restaurants and initiated reforms in farming and food sales. Havana has experienced a culinary revolution of sorts, with scores of new paladares (private restaurants), many of them world-class. It’s now possible to dine well every day of the week on globe-spanning menus, although the most consistently rewarding dining is still often found in restaurants that specialize in Cuban fare. Even many of the state-run restaurants have improved. Some paladares wouldn’t seem out of place in New York or London for their chic ambiance; others, such as Havana’s La Guarida occupy gorgeous but dilapidated buildings. And private restaurants specializing in pizza and burgers (of vastly varying quality) are now numerous.
No community in Cuba is now without at least one paladar, including the beach resorts, such as Varadero, where private restaurants had been previously banned. Trinidad has also seen an explosion of quality paladares. Virtually everywhere beyond Havana, paladares tend to be packed with locals. Dishes are often simple, but always filling and usually of surprisingly high quality – and almost always better than the state-run restaurants, which the government intends eventually to eliminate entirely.
Beach resort hotels usually have a choice of restaurants offering international cuisine and the option of à la carte or smorgasbord-style buffet dining (know as mesa sueca, meaning “Swiss buffet”), usually included in your all-inclusive rate.
Budget travelers will find all manner of snacks sold at cafés and streetside stalls. Almost all of these sell the ubiquitous ham and cheese bocadito (sandwich) and/or simple cajita (boxed lunches). Caution should be used when buying food items at streetside stalls, where hygiene may be questionable. When buying ice cream, stick to Coppelia –the state-run chain, with outlets in most major cities – or Nestlé, sold in shops nationwide. Every community has at least one agromercado (produce market), where you can buy fresh fruit and vegetables for pesos.
Shopping
Rum and cigars are readily available, but should be bought only in state-run Casa del Habano outlets, some of which are attached to Havana’s factories that make cigars for export. Do not buy cigars from jineteros (touts) on the street; their wares will almost certainly be fakes or flawed.
Cuban music CDs can be bought at ARTex stores, often to be found in hotel lobbies, but touts also sell bootleg copies of variable quality on the street.
Opening hours for state-run tiendas (stores) are typically 9am–5pm, although some stay open longer. On Sundays, shops close at 1pm.
Accommodation
Quality varies markedly at all-inclusive hotels, but in general you get what you pay for. The buffet may get monotonous, and alcohol is limited to national brands of rum and beer, with watered-down wine for dinner. In theory, everything is included in your room rate, but check in advance to see what extra charges may apply. In general, those managed by foreign companies are of a higher standard than the locally managed all-inclusives.
Renting a room in a private home (for further details see Private Room Rentals) is rewarding for visitors who want to experience everyday Cuban family life. Conditions at casas particulares can be fairly simple, but the cost is less than hotels, and the experience is authentic. Recent years have seen a tremedous increase in the number of casas particulares, including many relatively deluxe homes, some of which can be rented in their entirety and may have as many as five or more bedrooms. Home-cooked meals are often available for a little extra. Most casas particulares will accept unmarried couples. Licensed room rentals are identified by an official blue marker resembling an inverted anchor. In Havana, rentals range from CUC$25–60 per room per night, depending on quality. Homes rented in their entirety typically range from CUC$100–400 nightly. In the provinces such rentals are considerably cheaper, with some budget properties for as low as CUC$15 per room per night.
Almost every hotel and casa particular offers air conditioning. Large tourist hotels have a back-up generator, but smaller hotels will often suffer blackouts. Some hotels also have ceiling fans, and casa particular owners will usually provide a standing fan if you request one.
Most hotels can be booked online through the state-run hotel chain websites, although it is usually more reliable to use the websites of foreign hotel chains, such as Iberostar and Meliá, which manage the hotels. Many casas particulares have their own websites, and/or are represented by websites such as Airbnb and MyCasaParticular. Since 2015, licensed US travelers may now legally use such websites to make reservations.
Very few hotels have facilities for the disabled, although recently built or renovated hotels usually have at least one room that is equipped for disabled travelers. Cuban society is very caring towards disabled people, and hotel managers will try to make their stay as comfortable as possible.
Tipping is customary for hotel staff, although it is at your own discretion. Tip porters CUC$1 per bag carried to your room. If you leave CUC$1 daily in your room you are less likely to experience theft of personal items by housekeepers.
Most large tourist hotels have adequate parking facilities for rental cars. However, smaller inner-city hotels and casas particulares rarely do. In such cases, enquire about a secure parking lot that is well guarded, to ensure the safety of your vehicle.
DIRECTORY
LOCAL TOURIST OFFICES
TRAVEL SAFETY ADVICE
Australia
UK
US
WEBSITES AND BOOKSTORES
EMBASSIES AND CONSULATES
Canada
7204 2516UK
7214 2200US
7839 4100MAJOR PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
Jan 1
Jan 2
Jul 26
Oct 10
Dec 25
EMERGENCIES
Ambulance
104Fire Service
105Police
106POLICE STATION
Havana
7867 0496ASISTUR
Havana
7866 4499Santiago de Cuba
22 68 6128Varadero
45 66 7277