Cuba may well be, in the overheated fantasies of us Westerners, the most exotic place in the Western Hemisphere, primarily because of its still controversial socialist government, its history of repression under Fidel Castro and of corruption under the dictator that preceded him, Fulgencio Batista, its long, checkered relationship with its big neighbor, the United States and its pariah status among human rights proponents.
As a result, Cuba takes up a lot more space in our collective consciousness than other countries of its size (area: 42,800 sq miles, pop. about 11 million). For example, it was nearly the cause of World War III after the Soviet Union placed ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads there that threatened the United States. To find out more, google “Cuban Missile Crisis” and/or stream the movie Thirteen Days.
That is why Cuba also has an outsized presence in Western culture, and because of the American writer Ernest Hemingway, who lived in Cuba from 1940 to 1960, when Fidel Castro and Che Guevara rolled into Havana. His classics The Old Man and the Sea and To Have and Have Not are set there, though they will tell you little about the island itself. For that, I recommend Rachel Kushner’s wonderful fictional reminiscence Telex from Cuba, a lovely book about a childhood on the island.
There are also many films about Cuba, such as the wonderful documentaries Memories of Underdevelopment and The Buena Vista Social Club, which celebrates a group of elderly Cuban musicians who helped create the island’s popular musical style. And, if you haven’t seen it yet (really? why not?), some of the action in The Godfather II takes place in Cuba in the late 1950s, in the runup to the Cuban Revolution, when mobsters ran most of the gambling on the island.
But there are much better reasons to visit Cuba than its history: the weather, the people, the beaches, the music, the food and, yes, it’s cheap. The reasons it’s so cheap is the long-time economic incompetence of the Cuban Communists, aided and abetted by a similarly long-term (since 1958) U.S. trade embargo . The embargo includes restrictions on all commercial, economic, and financial activity, making it illegal for U.S. corporations to do business with Cuba.
Let’s be clear: Cuba is a socialist state, with the role of the Communist Party enshrined in its Constitution. Its government is authoritarian and represses political opposition. It censors and represses independent thought and journalism. And its people are poor and don’t eat very well. If, knowing that, you can still have a good time there, then you should definitely go.
But Before You Go. . .
. . . listen to the Buena Vista Social Club CD as well as other Cuban music and watch some movies or read up. Make sure you have travel insurance and a visa, if required. And check out this Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/263655143276359/
It’s essential that you know as much as possible before setting foot in Havana – or any other place that is something of a mystery and is politically and economically incorrect (by which I mean repressive and poor). Below is an edited version of solid advice from a traveler named Christian Georgiev, who appears to be a Havana fanatic and answers queries sensibly (but is now no longer available on the site):
- Never eat in a restaurant where the menu has prices in US dollars because it is overpriced and generally worse than the restaurants in which the locals eat.
- Don’t use taxis before you have agreed on a price. Always question the price they tell you. Divide it by at least 2 to get an idea of the normal price. Always bargain.
- Buy a Cuban SIM card on the first day, with which your internet will be fully accessible. For two weeks it costs about 12 euros without any restrictions on use.
- Never, never drink tap water; always check if it is factory sealed, and personally open every bottle you buy or are served in a restaurant.
When to Go
November to April is the best time to visit Cuba, with March to mid-April the most pleasant months: warm and sunny without the humidity or storms of summer humidity. Prices may be slightly lower in January and February, when night-time temperatures drop, but the rain stays away and the sun shines all day long.
How to Go There
Tricky. Cheap direct roundtrips, with total flying time of about 20 hours, give or take, appear to be available only from Paris and Madrid. And you can get them for between 800 and 1,000 euros, depending on the carrier. From other European airports, you’ll have to do with at least one stop on each way, sometimes two, with total time of from 28 to as many as 50 hours. Reserve early to get the best and most convenient flights.
In those cities where inexpensive direct flights are not available, the best strategy is to take the fastest one-stop-each-way option. The standard rule of the faster the trip, the higher the price generally applies here, but not always. Up to you to find the optimum solution. The Spanish carrier Air Europa appears to have the biggest selection of affordable flights to and from Havana, but does not serve all airports. Good luck!
Where to Stay in Havana
There are some incredibly inexpensive hostels, casa particular (privately owned bed-and-breakfasts) and small hotels – some near the city center – that appear to be clean, comfortable and user-friendly. If you get recommendations from people you know and trust, by all means take the advice. If not, ask someone who knows or do the research online.
From people I have talked to and some research of my own to corroborate, the Hostel Red seems to be the best hostel in the city as well as just a great place to stay. If you’d rather stay at a real bed and breakfast or hotel, make sure that the many great reviews they boast about “10 Superb (202 reviews)” are genuine. I noticed that a number of places that seem to have dozens or even hundreds of great reviews only have two or none when you try to access them. The Hostel Red’s were genuine.
What to Do in Havana
The most important thing to do in Havana is to cut through all the historical and political static and try to get a feel of the people and their culture. The best way to do that, for starters, is to go dancing or just listen to the music.
Everyone will tell you to go to El Floridita, once called the best bar in the world and where Heminway soused. But that is for the deep pockets. Instead, try the Van Van Restaurant, the Palacio de la Rumba de La Habana, FAC – La Fábrica de Arte Cubano (a cultural center that has an art gallery, dance club, a bar and some amazing street art) and La Gruta (salsa dancing, LGBTQ+-friendly). The city’s Vedado district has many great music spots.
There are also a number of jazz clubs which, if you love jazz, as I do, must be visited. Cuban musicians have added a great deal to the music over the years: Tito Puente, Paquito D’Rivera, Mongo Santamaría, Chano Pozo and the great contemporary pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba, to name just a few. In Vedado, La Zorra y el Cuervo is probably the best jazz club in the city. It has a cover charge that includes two drinks and is often crowded. Also check out the Cafe Miramar and La Bombilla Verde.
Visit Habana Vieja, or Old Havana. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for its well-preserved colonial architecture, cobblestone streets and lovely plazas. It starts at Parque Central in central Havana and stretches all the way to the Havana Harbor.
From where you can visit the Malecón, the five-mile-long oceanfront promenade that starts at the Havana Harbor and runs through Habana Vieja, Centro Havana and Vedado. It’s best to be there at sunset, because Havana sunsets are memorable. Strolling along the Malecón will also give you a glimpse of some of the locals’ daily lives. Watch the fishermen on the shore and walk down some of the side streets.
Also check out the Capitolio Nacional, or the National Capital, which is large and very impressive and was inspired, ironically, by Washington DC’s Capitol Hill. It was built in 1926, when it was the seat of the Cuban Congress. From 1959 to 2013 it housed the Cuban Academy of Sciences and the National Library of Science and Technology.
If you want to know more about the Cuban Revolution from the Cuban revolutionary’s point of view, spend an hour or two at the Revolution Museum, (Museo de la Revolución), which is located in the former Presidential Palace.
For those who are into museums, the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes is a must-see. It houses the world’s largest collection of Cuban art in the world. There are two Bellas Artes museums; if you can see only one, choose the Arte Cubano.
Havana Street Art
Havana is one of the great street art cities of the world. You can come across brilliant and brilliantly colorful works just walking aimlessly through the city, especially if you wander along the Malecón. But there are also spots where they have bloomed like wildflowers. For example, the city’s San Isidro neighborhood, where the walls of a one-story streetcorner building were painted by several Cuban artists. Every now and then, the walls are painted over and feature new works. Also in San Isidro, check out the wall opposite the Galeria Taller Gorria.
There are also astonishing works to be seen at the Fábrica de Arte Cubano, with murals climbing over walls and doors, most of them based on the Santeria religion. Also check out the interior of the boutique hotel Malecón 663, where the walls and patio have been richly decorated by some of Havana’s best-known graffiti artists. (A room in the hotel will set you back about 150 euros a night, not bad for the location and the comfort, but not for the budget.)
There’s also a building on the Calle Cardenas in Habana Vieja that has been transformed into a street-art canvas. But the city’s collection is so rich that all you have to do is walk around with your eyes open and you’ll get the proverbial eyeful.
Havana Street Food
Street food in Havana is varied and incredibly cheap. There are street food vendors everywhere, and especially in tourist hotspots like the Plaza Vieja. But for some special street dishes, try the Mercado Agropecuario, a large farmer’s market on Calle 15. That’s where you’ll find vendors selling some of the best sandwiches in the country, such as a pan con lechón (bread with suckling pig and mojo, a garlic-flavored sauce) on a hamburger bun.
Or go for the popular pan con croqueta (fried ham and cheese croquette on a bun, with mayo, lettuce, and tomato), which is the king of Cuban sandwiches. Also look for Ventanitas, or windows of private homes through which the owners sell warm dishes. It’s perfectly legit, usually very good and inexpensive. You can also buy guava pastry (pastelito), slices of coconut or guava pie and other sweet treats from food carts, hole-in-the-wall vendors and the front steps of a house. And you will always come across someone selling sweet and juicy tropical fruits.
Other popular street food includes pizza (Cubans are crazy for pizza), but it is usually not worth the little money you will spend on it. However, chicharrones (pork cracklings sold in paper cones) are quite good. As are mariquitas (fried plantain). In some cafes, they are served as an appetizer or as a side dish instead of fries.
For more sweet snacks, try chiviricos, which are fried dough with lots of sugar. They are very crunchy and very sweet. Be sure to have an appointment with your dentist lined up when you return home.
Finally, if you want something more substantial to eat on the go, buy a cajita. These are small, thin cardboard-boxed meals of beans and rice, some meat such as breaded beef filet or marinated pork and a dressing. Which brings us to . . .
How to Pay for It
First of all, bring lots of cash. Many restaurants and businesses don’t accept credit cards, except those that are probably too expensive for your budget. US dollars and euros are the best currencies to have, but you’ll also need local currency, the CUP, for tipping and buying street food and other small purchases – and for being prepared for chancing upon a small eatery that looks just perfect and is very cheap.
Cuba has two sets of exchange rates: official and black market. Understanding these rates is essential, as there’s a huge difference. If you prefer to pay in local currency rather than euros or dollars, you really need to exchange your money on the black market because the rates are twice or even three times better than the official. It’s safe but not legal, so it’s best to be discreet about it. Important: Avoid street solicitations, because they are mostly people trying to rip you off.
Inform yourself of the daily exchange rates in both markets so that you know what to expect and ask for. Also, many restaurants have their own form of currency exchange, so ask about the rate before eating. Usually it will be halfway between the official rate and the black market rate, which is fine. If it’s close to the official rate, leave. If it’s close to the black market rate, pounce.
It’s always good to have some local currency in your pocket. But be sure to spend as much of it as you can on the last day. They won’t take it back.
Finally
Yeah, traveling to Cuba it sounds like a bear, but it has always been my experience that the more inconvenience you encounter on a trip, the more authentic the place is. Now authentic Cuba has its downside – just ask the people (no, don’t, they’ll get into trouble) – but it has an awesome upside of great weather, great music, wonderful people, as well as unique ambiance and feel to it. And – I forgot to mention this – it’s a Caribbean island, the largest, in fact. The world just feels better in the Caribbean, doesn’t it?