Everything You Need to Know About Havana, Cuba

Cuba is the largest Caribbean Island known for colorful vintage cars and architecture. My boyfriend and I have been dying to go… and since we were already in Mexico we figured there’s no better time than the present. It’s much easier for US citizens to get to Cuba from a different country and from Cancun it’s only an hour and 20-minute flight. It was a pretty easy process, we got our Cuban travel visa at the airport for $20 and had to pay another $20 to exit Mexico. From the moment we arrived, it’s like being transported back 50 years (in a good way). We spent our time in Havana, the capital and culture center of the country. We stayed for 10 days, which was a little long for us, 3-5 days is plenty if you're just planning to explore Havana. We saw most of the city on the first day but each day you can expect to see something new... 

Things to know before your trip:

It’s best to speak Spanish or be with someone who does. The only locals we met that spoke English were at the fancy touristy hotels. 

DRONES are not allowed into Cuba! We knew this going into our trip but since we’re traveling full-time we had nowhere to leave it. Once arriving in Cuba they flagged the drone and we were forced to leave it at the airport. This was super sketchy since there were no computers, they wrote all the information in a notebook and put the drone in a pillowcase to store it till our return flight. Thank God we got it back, surprisingly it only took an hour of waiting and $33.

Cash is king in Cuba. US credit/ debit cards WILL NOT work, so make sure you bring plenty of cash for your whole trip. Also, the US dollar gets the worst conversion rate on top of a 10% exchange tax, so it’s best to convert to either Euro or Mexican Peso prior to arriving in Cuba. 

Currency:

There are two national currencies in Cuba the CUC and CUP. The CUC is what tourists use- 1 CUC is equivalent to about 1 US dollar and CUP is mainly used by the locals. Be sure to download a currency app to help with your conversions!

Cuba can be cheap or expensive depending on your preference. In the tourist areas, a beer/ cocktail runs around 3 to 7 CUC ($3-7) and a meal for two around 20 CUC ($20). We stayed in an area called Vedado and you could get the same traditional Cuban meal (chicken, rice, black beans) for 2 people for 3 CUC ($3) and a beer for 1 CUC ($1). You can find these local cafeterias in most residential areas, literally selling out of their garages, and the food is just as good as the restaurants for a fraction of the cost. 

NO WiFi- the only way to get WiFi in Cuba is to buy these little internet cards that work for one hour of WiFi in certain parks and hotels. You’ll easily be able to spot these parks because everyone is on their phone. Once in the parks usually a local will walk up to you and see if you need a card and sell them to you for 2 CUC ($2). The WiFi is pretty weak but gets the job done. That being said, do your homework on all you want to do and see before your trip since you can’t just look it up online. I recommend downloading the offline CUBA APP before your travels that has maps, history, attractions, restaurants and more. Also, download the Havana area on Google maps so you can access it offline, this was a life saver for us. Downloading some movies or shows off Netflix is a good idea too, our tv had one music channel that didn't even work most of the time.

WATER is hard to come by!! We walked multiple times for blocks looking for water. So if you find it stock up!!

Accommodations: We stayed in this Airbnb for under $20 a night in Vedado, an urban neighborhood about 2 miles away from the main square. It was very comfortable and across the street from many cafeterias and markets. If you've never used Airbnb before you can use my link for $20 off your first booking here! 

Staying with a host family in a Casa Particular is another cost-effective route which I've heard great things about. You can find these online prior or by walking up to any casa with a sign on the door. There are also many nice hotels in the area but expect those to cost you $100 or more a night. 

Transportation: We mainly took the bus that will get you all over the city for 5 cents. This is the cheapest option but it can be pretty rough, packed and hot but worth it for the price. 

The classic car taxi rides cost 30 CUC ($30) for an hour and they will give you a tour around the city, take you to revolutionary square, and other landmarks. This is the most expensive route but you have to take at least one. Always negotiate the price if they try and charge you more. 

Also, the bicycle taxis are great because they take you inner city and stop along the way so you can get out and see the sites for 10 CUC for the hour.

WHAT TO BRING:

• Hat
• Sunscreen
• Cash $$
• Umbrella- everyone walks around with umbrellas because the sun is beaming and it’s super hot
• Hot sauce- If you're like me and like your food spicy, make sure to bring your own because most places don't have it.

Bring all your toiletries and anything you might need with you, the stores are very limited over there even when it comes to groceries. 

Things to do and see:

Parque Central is the central park of Havana, where all the old cars/ taxis hang out. You can easily walk from this area to the Capital building, Old Havana, and the Malecon in a matter of hours. This is the place to be, full of historical bars and restaurants playing live music at any given time. We took the bicycle taxi that got us familiar with the area so from there we were able to navigate around pretty well. The streets are filled with art, colorful buildings, markets and more. 

Plaza de la Revolución

Pink cars everywhere! 

Colorful cars/taxis are everywhere in Parque Central waiting to give you a tour of the city

La Bodeguita is said to be the birthplace of the mojito and a bar Hemmingway frequented, located in Old Havana.

Havana Cathedral

Our Lady of Kazan Orthodox Cathedral ✝ 

La Guarida is another rooftop bar with a great view of the city and The Malecón

 

El Malecón

El Malecón comes alive at night. Locals and tourists fill the coastline sipping rum and enjoying the sunset. We grabbed a juice-box of rum for $1 to get the full experience.. we should have grabbed a soda too because it's so strong, I could barely drink it!

View of El Capitolio from the roof of Hotel Inglaterra the oldest hotel in Havana

Hotel Inglaterra- has delicious sangria and a great view of Parque Central

Gran Hotel Manzana is another rooftop bar/ restaurant with such a beautiful view of the city! After a day of walking around, the rooftops are a great place to catch some shade and relax.

The Cuban Art Factory (F.A.C.) was one of our favorites. It's a huge art gallery in Vedado that has multiple stages playing live music, dance floors and bars scattered throughout. We loved it and couldn't believe it was only $2 to get in. It's only open Thursday- Sunday at 8 pm, so if you are in Havana on the weekend definitely check it out! 

Plaza Vieja (Old Square)

The beaches in Havana are beautiful!! It really makes you feel like you are on a Caribbean Island, unlike being in the city. Right in front of Hotel Inglaterra in Parque Central, they have a tour bus every 30 minutes that takes you to Santa Maria beach, only $5 round-trip. Santa Maria was full of locals and tourists drinking, so the beach was a little littered with broken bottles and trash but still a great beach to escape the heat, less than 30 minutes from the city. There's another beach "Playa Varadero" 3 hours from Havana that is supposed to be beautiful and more touristy, we didn't get the chance to check out. If I could do it all over again I'd spend a few days there as well.

Havana is so beautiful and unique, unlike any city I've been to before! It's a great place to unplug (no WiFi) and get back to a culture where everyone socializes and plays outdoors, instead of getting their interactions online. If you get the chance to visit, I'd highly recommend it! Any further questions, comment down below and I'll be sure to respond! Xoxo Kristin
Instagram/kclifff


Check out the video from our trip Instagram/a_mendoza_ made!