Havana is the most fascinating city we’ve ever come across. It’s vibrant, bustling, exotic and raw. Cuba as a whole is a wonderful country to independently travel, but with so much to see, do and experience in the capital, you may never want to leave…
Here is some vital information and advice (based on our experience) to make your trip to Havana a memorable one.
Budget & Finance
Let’s start with the money. If you don’t have a firm grasp on the two currencies in Cuba, you can easily be taken advantage of and end up spending more than you need to.
CUC = Cuban Convertible Peso (pegged to the USD)
CUP = Cuban national Peso (1 USD = 25 CUP)
1 CUC = 1 USD
1 CUC = 25 CUP
1 cup = 0.04 CUC
It’s important to know the difference between the two currencies.
The Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC) is the currency that you’ll be using for almost all of your purchases (accommodation, transportation, restaurant meals, bus tickets, internet). The Cuban national Peso (CUP) is the currency that the locals are paid in, and the one that they most typically spend. Street-food, small snacks, local buses and fruits & vegetables at the markets will be charged in CUP.
Is Cuba expensive? No. Cuba can be travelled on a budget, especially if eating at the peso shops and taking local transportation.
It’s a good idea to have both CUC and cup in your wallet. If you want to buy an ice-cream, a glass of fresh guava juice, a small pizza, or some popcorn (among other things), you’ll need some CUP. It is possible to pay with CUC, but it’s difficult to figure out the conversion, and the person selling to you will have to come up with a lot of change.
You can take your Cuban Convertibles (CUC) to a money changer called Cadeca, this is also the place that you will change your Euros, pounds or Dollars. Make sure to bring your passport.
Note: CUC is not a “tourist currency”. The locals have to spend it on the same items as you do. The only time that the CUC is actually more expensive for tourists is at museums and some historical sites when the cost is equal in CUC for tourists as it is in cup for locals (ie: Foreigner pays 10 CUC ($10 USD) and locals pay 10 cup (40 cents)).
For more information about the currency in Cuba, click here.
Peso pizza is one such item that you can purchase with CUP
Airport advice in Havana
Tourist Card:
Before arriving in Cuba, you will need to purchase a tourist Card. This is similar to a visa, but it does not get placed in your passport, it’s a separate piece of paper. sometimes the card is included in your flight price, but more typically than not, you’ll have to purchase it at the airport before departing for Cuba. sometimes there is a separate booth for purchasing the card, while other times you can simply buy it right where you check-in for your flight.
We flew out of Guatemala City and were able to purchase the card at the Copa Airlines check-in counter. The cost of the card was (and always is) $20 USD.
On arrival at the Havana airport, the immigration officer will stamp the card, and give you back half of it. You must keep this until you depart. losing this part of the card will result in a whole bunch of unwanted bureaucracy when you try to leave. bottom line… don’t lose it.
The tourist Card that you will need to present to immigration upon arrival in Havana
Insurance:
As of may 1, 2010, it’s obligatory to have insurance coverage to travel to Cuba and you must show proof of health/travel insurance upon arrival at immigration. This needn’t be a big expense. We purchased our insurance for just $1.60 / day.
As of 2016, the popular world Nomads insurance covers most travellers to Cuba – sorry fellow Canadians, we are not covered by them for visiting Cuba – yet. enter your details below to get a free quote:
For more on planning and preparing for a trip to Cuba (including purchasing travel insurance), click here to see our updated article.
Getting into the City:
Bargain hard for your taxi!
The Havana airport is about 30 – 40 minutes away from the center of town, depending on traffic. If you are travelling early in the morning, there will be no traffic and it will only take you 20 minutes.
The cost of a taxi is 25 CUC at most. bargain hard – we got our taxi for 20 CUC into Centro Havana.
Other notes & Tips:
The arrivals hall is quite busy and hot, and it takes a long time for your luggage to arrive.
The line-ups for immigration/security are very long.
There are two money changers located just outside of the airport, one to your left, and one to your right. The line-ups for the changers are massive.If you have a debit or credit card that will work for you in Cuba, we suggest going upstairs to the 2nd level where there is an ATM machine. There are hardly any line-ups here and it can save you a lot of time.
Leaving Havana:
The line-ups to check-in and drop off your bags can be very long (we waited 1.5 hours in line). If you are able to, we highly recommend finding some wi-fi and doing a web check-in (the web check-in line was 5 times faster).
There is a money changer inside the airport at Departures. In theory, it is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If that one isn’t open, there is another money changer after security.
There is only one small snack shop for food in the departures hall after you’ve checked-in.
As of may 1, 2015, there is no departure tax. nobody will be charged to leave Cuba from the Havana airport.
The line-up we waited 1.5 hours in!
Areas of Havana
Downtown Havana can basically be broken down into three main areas:
Havana Vieja: Havana’s colonial masterpiece. Located to the east of the center, a popular tourist area, many beautifully restored historic buildings, lots of sights, the most hassle from touts and lots of restaurants/bars.
Vedado: Located to the west of the center, the business/financial district, the most modern area, terrific nightlife, best live music, many restaurants and hotels.
Central Havana: Located between Havana Vieja and Vedado, the more “local” area, terrific location, many old buildings and homes, practically no hassle from touts, equal walking distance to Vieja and Vedado.
The seafront promenade (The Malecón) stretches for 8 kms along the northern coast of Havana, from Havana Harbor in Havana Vieja, along central Havana and ending at the Vedado neighbourhood.
The Malecon at sunset.
Where to sleep in Havana
In our opinion, casas particulares (directly translated: private houses in Spanish) are the way to go! They are the popular accommodation option in Cuba, and are a substantial part of what makes this country so unique to travel in. Casas are like homestays – you have your own private room, attached private bathroom, air-conditioning, meals are available and you get to meet families all around the country.
You have three options for booking hotels and casas (one in the same in Cuba):
Show up unannounced and look around until you find something that you like.
Have your previous casa/hotel call ahead to your proposed next one and reserve you a room.
Book your casa/hostels online before you go, or during your stay.
Keep in mind that finding and using Internet and wi-fi in Cuba is a bit of a hassle, it’s best to book ahead if you can so you don’t waste your time in the country looking for a wi-fi connection!
Where to stay in Havana
There are endless casas particulares and guesthouses to choose from in Havana. The first casa we stayed at in Cuba was “Casa Habana Blues 1940“, and it was a terrific introduction to casas particulares! The location was good, the hosts were excellent and our room was spacious and clean. Click here to see the latest price on HostelWorld for that casa.
☞ Click here to compare prices and see reviews on hotels and casas in Havana on Booking.com
☞ Click here to compare prices and see reviews for casas & guesthouses in Havana on HostelWorld
There are also numerous properties available on Airbnb. If you want to join Airbnb, click here to sign up and receive $35 off of your first stay!
In Havana, we chose to stay in the Center, as we always prefer to be just outside of the main touristy areas, and walk there when we feel like it. This casa was a 5 minute walk to the Malecón, the room was very clean with private bathroom and a/c. The food cooked there was very delicious and the home was gorgeous. Daniel and Fina are very kind and welcoming.
The lovely Casa we spent 6 nights at in Havana
For more on Casa Daniel y Fina, click here to see our article.
Casa Daniel y Fina (also known as Casa Habana Blues 1940)
Calle Belascoain No. 360, apartment 1
Between San Rafael and San Jose
Centro Havana
Phone: (53) 7-870-0945
Email: daniel_renta@yahoo.es
☞ Click here to see the latest price of Casa Habana Blues on HostelWorld
Where to eat in Havana
Contrary to belief, the food in Cuba is actually quite good. Havana has some excellent restaurant options and it’s definitely fun to go out in the evenings for dinner. However, we suggest having at least one meal at your casa (the home cooked food is really good!)Paladar Dona Eutimia
Located on a side-street just off of the Plaza de la Catedral in Havana Vieja.
The food here is delicious and budget-friendly (especially for Havana). There are many touts trying to show you menus and steer you into other restaurants, but just ignore them and continue to the end of the road until you find Dona Eutimia. This place is packed so call (or have your casa owner call) and book ahead.
Location and contact Information
Address: Callejon del Chorro # 60-C | Plaza de la Catedral, Habana Vieja, Havana 30600, Cuba
Location: Caribbean > Cuba > Havana
Phone Number: +53 7 8611332
Two must-try dishes at Dona Eutimia:
Enchilado de la Casa: This delicious snapper fish was sautéed in white wine and a spicy red sauce. The meal was accompanied by a salad, black beans and rice, as well as the fried plantain chips on the plate. At the end of our trip, this was still my favourite meal during our travels in Cuba!
This meal cost 9 CUC.
Ropa Vieja: A very popular meal in Cuba, this dish of shredded beef or lamb is fantastic. The meat is stewed in a tomato sauce with green peppers, onions, garlic, cilantro and cumin and is usually served with rice.
This meal cost 8 CUC, but can be found elsewhere in the country for much less.
Yum! This Enchilado de la Casa was amazing.
La Abadia Restaurant
Located right on the Malecón, this little outdoor eatery is a terrific place to watch the sun set while enjoying fresh seafood and a mojito!
Arroz La Abadia (rice with shrimp, lobster and fish) is a wonderful meal and well worth the 20 minutes it takes to bake.
The cost is just 5 CUC.
Filete de Pescado (fish fillet). The fish on offer when we were there was snapper, and the meal was very good.
The cost of fish with rice and salad was 4.50 CUC.
Bar Cafeteria Lluvia de Oro (located in Havana Vieja)
This bar/restaurant has been in operation since 1920 and is very popular. While we only stopped in for a beer, many others were enjoying meals. main dishes of chicken, pork or beef.
Meals start at 3.50 CUC.
Sloppy Joe’s Bar (Located just off of Parque Central)
Did you know that the sloppy Joe sandwich originated in Havana? Come here to try the famous sandwich, or just to enjoy a drink. The food is good, the actual bar itself is beautiful, but be warned, the staff and service are awful.
Meals are 5 CUC and up.
A Sloppy Joe sandwich, so good!
Peso Shops
You can also find many peso food spots around the city where you can enjoy low-cost pizza, sandwiches and fresh juices. We highly recommend eating at peso shops, as it’ll definitely help your budget as all purchases are charged in the very low-cost national Peso (pizzas are 10 CUP – 25 CUP and fresh juice is 1 CUP).
*Note: If you are backpacking Cuba on a tight budget, you can eat for very, very low-cost in Havana by enjoying the peso food. However, in our opinion, if you only eat this type of food, you’ll be missing out on some of the country’s delicious local cuisine. The seafood meals are of terrific value and the home-cooked food at the casas is amazing.
For more, check out our article:
7 Dishes That will Shatter Your Misconceptions about the Food in Cuba
Freshly pressed guarapo (sugar cane) juice, for 1 peso.
What to See and Do
The list of attractions, tours and activities in Havana is endless. There are over 900 buildings of historical importance in this city alone! With fantastic nightlife, wonderful museums and a gorgeous beach nearby, you’ll never be bored here.