There was a time in my blogging career that I wrote about Cuba. There were years of covering the island from various points of view: tourist, political, social and cultural. And he always recommended, encouraged, readers to hurry up and visit Cuba, before it changed forever.
Time passes and the island changes, but you still have time to see the Cuba of yesteryear and understand the Cuba of today. However, take note of what you need to know to travel to Cuba and be well prepared.
Cuba
A trip to Cuba gives us a excellent combination of history, culture and tourism. It doesn't seem to me that other Caribbean destinations, with the exception of Mexico or some Central American countries, have such an offer.
These are not beautiful beaches, nor mountains or mangroves or corals. It's not about good weather and good hotels, it's about all that plus a super interesting contemporary story.
That's why my advice is that Before traveling read about the Cuban Revolution, about Fidel Castro and Che Guevara and learn a little about what Cuba is like in these first decades of the 21st century, how it persists since the fall of its ally, the Soviet Union, and despite the unjust blockade to which the United States still subjects it. .
What to know to travel to Cuba
If we leave aside its history, we can then focus on practical issues. Briefly, it is round trip plane tickets, a tourist visa or card, the A-1 Visa, unless your country of origin has a visa exemption agreement.
This tourist visa It is a personal document that has your data, including those of minors if any are traveling with you. Additionally, if you arrive to the island from the United States, and regardless of your nationality, you must have the Pink Visa. The visa is valid to enter the country only once and stay up to six months.
Yes, you must have health insurance for the entire time you are in Cuba, and if for some reason you don't arrive on the estimated date, no problem. It remains valid until you log in. If you do not have medical insurance when you arrive on the island, you can purchase a policy there that has a price for each day of stay.
On the other hand, if you arrive in Cuba with more than 5 thousand dollars you must declare everything in the Customs Declaration. And speaking of money, always you should bring cash Well, outside of hotel shops, excursions or casinos, ATMs or the use of credit cards will be difficult.
Tourists are asked to use Cuban pesos, CUP, which are bought or exchanged at hotels and airports. Obviously, if you want you can pay with euros or dollars, and Cubans are very happy. The official exchange houses are licked Cadeca, although you can also do the operation in banks, always with a passport and keep in mind that at midday they usually close for a couple of hours.
Of course, there used to be certain restrictions that operated on the exchange of dollars to CUP but although they are no longer there, an 8% commission may still be charged on the exchange of dollars. Very expensive. Also remember not to take home CUP, which cannot be exchanged anywhere outside the island.
It seems silly but you should have Enough toiletries. The blockade is still taking its toll on the supply of those things, so soap, toothpaste, sunscreen and even intimate hygiene products are best brought from home.
Is there Internet in Cuba? yes, but It is limited, expensive, slow and unreliable. Ergo, take the opportunity to disconnect. I remember that Venezuela laid a submarine cable a few years ago to improve the service, but the comments regarding the Internet in Cuba remain the same.
The supplier company is the national telecommunications company, ETECSA, and you will see WiFi hotspots in parks and squares of the country, but they can make you desperate. One option is to buy from ETECSA a Nauta WiFi card, between one and five hours of Internet service. The one-hour one is around a dollar and the five-hour one is around five dollars. You must also show your passport to make the purchase and yes, the lines are long.
Some hotels sell the Nauta but more expensive and it may be that in the plazas some Cubans also offer it to you, saving you the queues, but check that where the pin is, it has not already been erased. Another option is to buy one Cubacel SIM 30 days for about $30, which you can pre-order and pick up at the airport.
Visa, money, toiletries, a plug adapter… what else? Well, I would think that we have to decide When should you go to Cuba?, it isn't true? Cuba is embracing the Caribbean from the south and enjoys the typical tropical climate that one imagines.
The dry season is between November and April and that is when the days are long and sunny. It is the best time to visit Cuba and that is why there is a lot of tourism, especially between December and March.
Between May and October is the rainy season, but eos doesn't mean it's going to rain all day. They are showers, squalls, passing storms, so there is sun and rain alike. And of course, the super heat and super humidity combine in July and August, Cuban holidays. And another thing to keep in mind regarding the climate in Cuba: there is a third, more dangerous season, the Hurricane season. Es between June and November So if you decide to go anyway, you have to cross your fingers because it's mild.
What is transportation like in Cuba? Despite being an island, the distances between the cities are great and you can easily spend two weeks just moving around the west of the island, which is where Havana, Playa Larga, Cienfuegos, Trinidad and Viñales are, for example.
You can rent a car but Cuban routes are hardly signposted and fuel is expensive, so you have to use public transportation or shared taxis. Today the fuel issue is fatal, so it even affects public transportation and tourism itself.
cubacanan o Viazul his own bus companies that serve tourism because They connect the largest cities. Viazul has a website where you can buy tickets but I think it is always best to buy them at the ticket office. Cubacaban operates the service Connecting, between cities, and it is quite efficient. A trip between cities is around 14 to 30 dollars. The cheap option is buses, shared taxis, interesting to get to know more people.
Finally, where to sleep in Cuba? Well, beyond the hotels and resorts, I think it is worth the experience of staying in the famous Casas Particulares, private households that rent rooms. You meet Cubans and that makes the trip more interesting. And if you have more money, I always recommend staying in the boutique hotels that ancient cities offer. Old monasteries or recycled mansions that are beautiful.