The great thing about living in South Florida is the chance to take quick weekend trips to amazing Caribbean islands! Track a few options using Google Flights to keep an eye out for your next deal!
With Latin & Caribbean flare, Cuba was a great destination with colorful murals and jamming music at every turn. We didn’t expect to love this place as much as we did! Despite the many changes in the political climate since we visited, Cuba is still open to US Citizens to enjoy, at least for now.
Flights to Cuba
The average flight from Miami to Cuba from South Florida will cost about US$180 or more round trip, depending on the time of year you are going. The flight itself is very short, only 45 minutes and there are many direct options to Havana. Give yourself ample time to wait in line at the airport, I’d recommend getting there 3 hours early if you don’t have priority check in (same applies for leaving Cuba, lines can be very long, go 3 hours early). You will have to check in and get a visa at the counter which makes the lines very long.
Recently, the US government has issued a Level 3 warning on travel to Cuba and no longer has an Embassy on island. As always when traveling abroad, take the necessary safety precautions and be mindful of your surroundings.
Getting around Cuba
One of the few countries that does not have Uber! You will have to use local Taxis which I found to be quite expensive, probably due to limited options. Always get the price up front and negotiate whenever possible. A Taxi ride from Havana airport to the city center is $35 CUC and will take about 30 minutes without traffic.
Using your cell phone
Your cell phone will NOT work in Cuba! One of the few destinations in the world where you can actually disconnect and be technology free! Many hotels do provide Wi-Fi for a small fee but the connection is very slow and limited during peak hours. You may only be able to squeeze in a few IG posts but don’t plan on scrolling through your feed or watching videos like you may be used to. There are a few hot spots within the city where you can also purchase a Wi-Fi card, these typically costs US$3-5 per hour and you must bring your passport to purchase. Check with your cell phone carrier for pricing if you do need to use roaming on your device, as always ensure your phone is unlocked.
Visa requirements
Depending on the airline you travel on the visa price may change, friends who have traveled on American Airlines paid US$100 for their visa where I only paid US$50 on Delta and received it at the counter upon check in. When filling out the visa form we were asked to note our country of birth rather than the country our passport was issued by. For example, despite having a US Passport I wrote in Saint Lucia on my visa application. I pre-booked a tour online in advance as proof of “supporting the Cuban people” which was my reason for traveling but was never asked for any verification. Many people have traveled without needing any proof, I just wanted to be extra cautious.
Getting through immigration in Cuba was very easy, they only seemed to care that I purchased the visa and did not ask any additional questions. Returning to the US was also simple, I did not experience any issues going through US Immigration. However, it’s best to always check the US travel advisory website to see if any of this has changed with the new political climate. Visa requirements are also subject to change.
Travel insurance
Some websites suggest you need a health insurance policy to travel to Cuba, according to Delta this was included in our ticket price. We were not required to show any proof/documentation for this. However, the good news is Cuban health care is pretty top notch and affordable if you do need to use their services. Health tourism is an actual business in Cuba, not that you actually want to be sick or end up in the hospital while in a foreign country. Probably one of my biggest fears! Your credit card may give you some travel insurance coverage, check with them before traveling or checkout Insure My trip for rates.
You MUST bring cash to Cuba!
If you don’t remember anything else from this blog, remember that Cash Is King in Cuba! US credit cards DO NOT work and you cannot pay in US dollars in many places. I recommend budgeting as much as you can in advance, below are some tips to help.
- Book your hotel online where possible and pay in advance using your US credit card, we used Trivago for our reservation as many online booking agents were not available at the time. When traveling abroad, I typically prefer to book directly with the hotels and call a few days ahead to confirm my reservation.
- Decide what tours you’d like to take and ask the guide to provide estimates so you know how much cash you may need to have on hand, don’t forget to negotiate! You can find a few top rated tour operators here.
Currency
$1CUC = $1USD
Cuba has two local currencies (CUC & Pesos) but is moving towards only using CUC, originally designed for tourist. Don’t bother with Pesos, it is very devalued and many places don’t even accept it. When changing USD to CUC you will be charged a 10% tax plus 3% fee. Note, this doesn’t workout to the 1:1 exchange mentioned due to the extra taxes and fees applied. Exchange as much as you can at the airport, that’s where you will get the best rate. You can also exchange money at most major hotels like Hotel Nationale but the rate isn’t favorable.
CUC vs Pesos, what’s the difference?
CUC has pictures of buildings on the note while Pesos has pictures of people. This is a quick way to easily identify if you have been given change in Pesos, a noted scam.
Accommodations
We booked the Four Points Sheraton hotel in Havana, another great SPG hotel and were able to pay online in advance. This was a newer, upscale hotel in comparison to many places in Havana. It was located in a beautiful residential area housing many embassies and only a 15 minute drive from downtown Havana. A Taxi into the city will cost about US$15, pretty expensive if you go back and forth more than once a day.
AirBnb
Many people use AirBnB as hotels can be very expensive in Cuba, the average hotel will be close to US$300 a night or more! Some good areas to stay are Vedado, an upscale neighborhood near the Malecon or Havana Centro near Fort Havana.
If I had to do it over again I would stay in Old Havana despite this area being quite a bit more expensive. Old Havana is a unique historic place with old time charm, cafés within walking distance and incredibly preserved architecture.
Zuleyka ‘s Home Complete House is a recommendation I got from my co-worker who said it was nice, clean, economical and provided breakfast (I didn’t stay here). Keep in mind most accommodations in Cuba are basic and are not the same standard as North America. However, this is a way that Cuban people seem to be making some extra income off of the new tourism market. I would recommend only using AirBnB if you are traveling with a group of friends who are willing to rough it out a bit. This may not be something you want to do as a solo traveler.
Things to do in Havana
Take a city tour
Havana is the heart of Cuba, a great historic city to see and explore! Use a tour guide to help you navigate, you’ll learn the history and get to ride around town in a classic car for the day. Get a convertible to fully enjoy the experience!
The guide can also customize the tour for you depending on what you’d like to do. Some of the places you will visit on a typical city tour include Plaza Vieja, Gran Teatro, El Malecon, San Francisco de Asis Square, Plaza de Armas and El Morro.
Old Havana
Be sure to spend some time walking around Old Havana, the government has recently renovated the old buildings allowing you to see the beautiful architecture of the country. This is where you’ll find many colorful buildings and streets, the perfect place for photos!
Where to eat & take a drink
Hotel Nationale
As an iconic historic hotel overlooking the ocean, Hotel Nationale is the perfect place for a sunset drink. This prominent hotel is where Obama and pretty much all presidents stay. Take some time to walk inside the hotel lobby and take some photos outside in the garden area.
Where to Eat
Looking for authentic Cuban cuisine? Los Naranjos is a great restaurant with quality service in a historic setting.
Looking to dine in the same hot spot as Kim K and Beyoncé? Checkout La Guarida, an upscale restaurant with old time charm. Inside you’ll find a windy staircase and tons of authentic Cuban architecture that will really take you back in time!
A Night Out
With art galleries, food, drinks and lots of music Fabrica is one of the most popular places to visit in Havana. The trick is to go here early for dinner or drinks to beat the long lines and stay late for the after party! If you don’t go here early you will probably get stuck outside in a line that tends to wrap around the block. La Cecilia is another famous night club in Cuba giving you that authentic flare and salsa dancing into the night. You can visit here for dinner or late night drinks.
Cuban Coffee
Cafe con leche is a must have when visiting Cuba! Checkout Cuba Libro a quirky coffee shop offering authentic coffee drinks and great people.
Crime is low in Havana but still use your usual precautions, you can walk around at night without a problem. No one will be harassing you for a taxi or begging you for anything in Cuba (so refreshing). Everyone is really nice, relaxed and moves in slow motion, you may even need to remind the server that you ordered a drink. Patience is key here!
Varadero
Getting to Varadero is a two hour drive from the Havana airport, you’ll get a chance to really see the beauty of the country on this drive. Take the time to enjoy the amazing scenery around you.
There is also a great lookout spot along the way where you can stop to get a fresh pineapple daiquiri, purchase local crafts and listen to a band. We stopped here on our way back to Havana to help break up the drive a bit.
Where to stay
As we were ringing in the New Year we decided on the Sol Palmeras resort to get a bit more action and activities, what a terrible idea! The hotel that was outdated (which we expected), had watered down alcohol and terrible food. I lived off of croquettes for days that was literally the only edible thing here.
We even tried to order a ham and mushroom pizza, and as you can see there wasn’t just a sliver of mushroom given. I did like that the hotel was on the beach and we were able to do some water sports during the day but other than that it was quite boring. Visiting in late December/January we caught a bit of cold weather, not ideal for the beach only setting.
Things to do
Saturno Cave
Located just outside of Varadero near the town of Mantanzas, Cuevo de Saturno is a small cenote and typical stop for most jeep tours. Visiting here was a last minute decision and we were lucky enough to get here on a holiday to beat the crowd. The water was pretty cold but we decided to jump in to get the full experience!
Downtown Varadero
I’m really not into spending days laying out on the beach, the adventurer in me needs more! It didn’t help that our hotel was particularly bad either. To get a rest from here we took a short taxi ride to Downtown Varadero. Not much to see here but a few souvenir, coffee and rum tasting shops.
What I missed in Cuba
Every time I travel I discover places I wish I had known about! Trinidad, Cienfuegos and El Nicho Waterfalls all make that list. I’d recommend visiting here if you have the time, the photos look amazing, you’ll get the opportunity to drive through the country side (4 hours from Havana) and even visit a cigar factory. There is the option to take a bus to Trinidad but I recommend using a private driver, as always negotiate your price. This will be more expensive but you will have the freedom to stop, take breaks when needed as well as work off your own schedule. Work with your hotel concierge or AirBnB host to book this. Pedro, the tour guide listed above can also work with you on getting here. Flying is also an option from Havana.
Want to see more?
Checkout this Vlog by Roger B Stillz!
