10 Tips for Traveling to Cuba: Plan Your Cuban Getaway
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In 2015, I spent my spring break studying abroad in Cuba.
For ten days, I explored Havana and the Bay of Pigs area in Northern Cuba, visiting clinics, hospitals, pharmacies, and universities in order to learn about the Cuban healthcare system. This was my first time visiting Cuba, and I had an incredible time.
I went on a custom program organized for my university by Witness for Peace, an amazing organization with the mission to “support peace, justice and sustainable economies in the Americas by changing U.S. policies and corporate practices that contribute to poverty and oppression in Latin America and the Caribbean.” Our itinerary was jam-packed with amazing educational opportunities as well as visits to cultural sites in Cuba.
In the past few years, tourism to Cuba from the US has been booming with people who “want to see the country before it gets Americanized.” I was one of those people, and I’m so glad I got the opportunity to see a country that is frozen in time.
Even though the Cubans are still driving 1957 Chevrolets, don’t expect to see a country that is completely frozen in time: there are several newer cars on the roads, the youth all flock to WiFi zones with their smart phones, and you’ll hear Justin Bieber or Taylor Swift’s latest hits playing from boomboxes while walking down the street.
Cuba is still a complete cultural experience – it’s amazing to see those old cars, or almendrons, cruising down the Malecon, and to experience a huge city that’s completely devoid of McDonald’s and Starbucks.
Are you planning your own Cuban getaway? Read on for 10 tips for traveling to Cuba!
1. Consider taking a guided tour.
Normally, I always plan my own trips. I find that it’s generally cheaper, and I don’t have to go by a strict itinerary. I’m also usually pretty confident in my ability to find quality accommodations that are in a great area and at an affordable price.
With Cuba, though, it was nice having things arranged in advance. A lot of the best places to stay are difficult to find online, especially if you want to go venture further afield than Havana.
Witness for Peace
As I mentioned before, I went to Cuba on a people-to-people tour with Witness for Peace (WFP). My specific program focused on the healthcare system and was a custom itinerary arranged for my university, but WFP currently has several delegations scheduled in the coming months on a variety of different topics like arts, culture, and Cuban politics. You can also contact them to develop a custom delegation.
While visiting Cuba with WFP, you’ll stay at the Centro Martin Luther King, which has clean & comfortable dorm-style rooms with en-suite bathrooms and A/C during the night and a water purification system to fill up your bottles with clean drinking water. You’ll eat many of your meals here as well in their dining room. The food was always plentiful and delicious (and very rice & beans heavy, so be prepared!). There are also some on-site classrooms where you’ll do some activities and reflection related to your delegation.
During your delegation, you’ll be accompanied by a couple of tour facilitators as well as an interpreter. Our interpreter, Alberto, was amazing. Our program was the week before President Obama’s visit in March 2016, and he was selected to be one of the interpreters for ABC News during the visit! I highly recommend checking out his book on his experiences of his life in Cuba and his experiences as an interpreter.
If I return to Cuba (which I plan to) and take a guided tour, WFP is definitely my first choice. I had a great experience, and their delegations are extremely affordable for what you get: generally less than $2000 for about 10 days worth of accommodations, on-site transportation (flights not included), meals, exploring, site visits, tour facilitation, and interpretation.
Other Tours
In addition to Witness for Peace, there are a ton of other tours you could take. My top picks? Cuban Rhythms by G Adventures or Complete Cuba by Cuban Adventures! If these don’t strike your fancy, check out Tour Radar for more Cuba tours for every budget.
2. Bring enough cash to last the duration of your trip.
This is especially important if you’re American because our credit & debit cards don’t work in Cuba.
Make sure to bring enough cash to last the duration of your trip; if you run out, it’ll be extremely difficult to get more money. Western Union does have a presence in Cuba in case of emergencies, but it’s the safest bet to just bring enough cash to last.
On another note…
3. Bring Euros or another currency to exchange in Cuba, not US Dollars.
This was something I did not do on my trip to Cuba, but I wish I did.
Although Cuban tourist currency (the Cuban Convertible Peso, or CUC) is roughly 1:1 with the US dollar, Cuba imposes a 10% tax on exchanges from USD to CUC. This can be avoided by bringing a different currency to Cuba and then exchanging that to CUC.
The best way to do this is to order the different currency from your bank at home or through an agency like AAA, rather than doing so at an airport exchange kiosk – you’ll get the best rate this way. You’ll still be losing some money, but it’ll be much smaller than what you’d lose by exchanging USD.
4. Be aware that Cuba has two currencies.
In addition to the CUC mentioned above, there is also the Cuban Peso, or CUP. This has an exchange rate of roughly $1 USD = 26.500 CUP.
This is the currency that most locals use, and a common scam is for shopkeepers to give you CUP in change when you paid with CUP. The values on the coins or bills may seem right, but the value is much lower than the CUC that you paid with, so be aware when getting back change!
5. Stay in a Casa Particular rather than a hotel.
Casa particulares are a type of homestay accommodation in Cuba: they’re sort of a mix between a bed & breakfast and an Airbnb.
When staying at a casa, you’re typically staying in a bedroom in someone’s private home. In some cases, they also can be a full home or apartment. Sometimes meals are included in your stay, and other times you have to purchase them separately, but they’re always home-cooked, delicious, and affordable.
Staying in a casa is the best way to get a local, Cuban experience without breaking the budget. You’re also putting your money back into the pockets of the Cuban people rather than giving it to a state-run hotel. Worried about staying in someone’s home? Don’t be, the hosts will give you your privacy, though it’s definitely worth it to practice your Spanish and have a conversation with your host family.
You can find and book a casa here or directly on Airbnb – just search the location in Cuba where you’ll be staying (and use my link for $40 off your first Airbnb stay!)
I stayed in a casa in Playa Larga, a small beach town right on the Bay of Pigs. My hosts made a delicious breakfast and lunch, and had a bar that sold the best piña coladas I’ve ever had! You can visit their website for more information and to reserve a room.
Check out these great tours of Havana!
6. Eat at a local paladar.
A paladar is the restaurant version of a casa particular – these are restaurants that are privately-owned or in-home.
Cuba is not considered a gastronomic destination, so paladares are one of the best ways to get the best local flavors: you’re basically eating in someone’s personal kitchen! One of the most famous is the Paladar San Cristobal, which has been visited by tons of celebrities including President Obama, Beyonce, and Mick Jagger, among others. At paladares, you’ll be able to try delicious Cuban cuisine along with some of Cuba’s best drinks including mojitos and daiquiris.
7. Don’t buy cigars from people on the street.
Cigars are commonly counterfeited in Cuba, and tons of people have capitalized on unsuspecting tourists wanting a great deal on some Cuban cigars.
To make sure you get the real deal, only buy cigars from hotel gift shops, like at the Hotel Nacional or Habana Libre, or one of the cigar factories. Avoid the cigars sold on the streets and in craft/souvenir markets – they’re likely fake.
Also, if someone claims to “know someone” who can get you a great deal on some Cohibas, those are probably fake too.
8. Learn a little about the history before you visit.
This is something that applies to a trip anywhere in the world.
It’s so much more meaningful when you know the history behind a destination, and Cuba is a country that is bursting with history. Learn more about the embargo and the reasons for it, and the arguments for and against it. Learn about the Bay of Pigs invasion and why it failed. Read about the Cuban Revolution. Trust me, it’ll make seeing the Granma yacht at the Museum of the Revolution so much cooler.
9. Keep an open mind.
Cuba is a developing country, and things are likely to be much different there from what you’re used to at home.
The only places with Wifi are select hotspots, and you have to buy an internet card to use it. You’re not going to have access to luxuries that you’re used to at home, like American fast food, clean and plentiful restrooms, and even the ability to flush your toilet paper. If you’re going to be visiting Cuba with kids, they may be in for a bit of a culture shock, especially if this is one of their first times traveling abroad . Before your trip, take some time to learn about all of the ways their Cuban trip will be different from what they experience at home.
However, Cuba is full of welcoming people and wonderful culture, and it’s definitely something to experience. Keep an open mind to make your experience a great one.
10. Don’t drink the water.
Enough said. Being sick on trips is no fun, so this might be one of the most important tips for traveling to Cuba!
This applies to ice and frozen drinks too. I made this mistake, and it was not fun. Bottled water is cheap and easy to find though, so this is an easily avoidable mistake.
If you’re in a more touristy spot though, frozen drinks may be OK. I had a few AMAZING piña coladas at my casa particular in Playa Larga and those didn’t make me sick! Just in case though, bring some anti-diarrheal medicine with you to prepare for the worst.
Planning your own trip to Cuba? Looking for more tips for traveling to Cuba? Shoot me an email at sydney@aworldinreach.com. Cuba is an amazing destination full of history and culture, and I can’t wait to go back!
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