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GENERAL DESCRIPTION
OF TRAVEL TO CUBA: Below is general information on travel to and in Cuba, and choices in terms of costs and personal preferences. This description has evolved as answers to questions about travelling to Cuba. It is not comprehensive, but rather anecdotal, personal, and biased toward budget travel and exposure to the reality of Cuban life, culture, and people. Use it along with one of the excellent travel guides. Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble (bn.com) have hundreds of Cuba related titles. This site also has a Recommended Reading List. An excellent introduction to the reality of Cuba today with beautiful images is Tony Mendoza, Cuba Going Back (1999, U TX Press, paper $19, hard $40). Information About Cuba on the Web: For a comprehensive link to other websites, ranging from arts and culture to Fidel's speeches, from the CIA's Factbook on Cuba to news and newsgroups, see: http://www.lanic.utexas.edu/la/cb/cuba/. Another general info (commercial) site with links is Cuba Web. Cuba Net is an excellent overall current news source. A site that calls itself the "official website for Cuba," but obviously is not the Cuban Government's site, see: http://www.cuba.com/ For political information from a moderate point of view, see:
Or for an examples of hardliners, see:-
For the State
Department's view of the history of US-Cuba relations and
a statement of current US policy toward Cuba, see: And for the State Department's chronology of Cuba under Castro, see http://www.state.gov/www/regions/wha/cuba_chronology.html. Licensed vs. Unlicensed Travel for U.S. Residents Travel to Cuba itself is not difficult, but it is not easy to reconcile the technicalities and to find the reality of travel to Cuba. For those not interested in tackling the details of the grotesquely named "Trading With The Enemy Act" or categories for "general" and "specific" licenses to qualify for legal travel to Cuba, these key facts may be sufficient:
To begin with, what is legal or permitted involves TWO governments: the U.S. and Cuba. So, when one asks, "what is allowed?" The answer may be, "according to whom, the U.S. or Cuba?" Cuban airport immigration officials facilitate U.S. tourism and usually will not stamp American passports. To be safe, some ask not to be stamped. Although requests for $5 "donations" by airport immigration officers have been reported, it is strongly recommended that travelers never attempt overt bribe offers to Cuban officials. In terms of U.S. law, travel to Cuba is either (1) legal, more accurately "licensed," or (2) illegal, that is, "unlicensed." From this point on, the rules get complicated and arbitrary, and even simple rules are inconsistently and sometimes inexplicably applied. Contrary to popular belief, U.S. law does not prohibit U.S. citizens from visiting Cuba. However, tourism is effectively banned by the U.S. embargo, which prohibits U.S. citizens or residents from spending money there by visiting or buying anything from or selling anything to Cuba, and threatens those who do with 10 years imprisonment and fines of $250,000 for individuals and $1,000,000 for businesses. However, unless one is engaged in commercial transactions with
or in Cuba, the U.S. has not used these criminal sanctions, although
this alone is no guarantee with the fanatic U.S. Administration,
which seeks any opportunity to score political points and achieve
enough electoral votes to re elect the president. Civil sanctions
can be sought instead of up to $55,000, and $7,500 is the usual
amount of fines the government tries to impose. The trade embargo and travel restrictions are rooted in the 1917 Trading With the Enemy Act, which, in effect, puts Cuba in the category of Iraq, Libya, and North Korea. It authorizes the President to prohibit or regulate trade with hostile countries in time of war. According to a 1998 Pentagon report, Cuba poses no national security threat, and its military capabilities are only defensive. The State Department says that Cuba no longer actively supports armed struggle in Latin America or elsewhere. Nevertheless, U.S. Presidents, both Democrats and Republicans, annually sign state of emergency declarations with respect to Cuba, putting Cuba in the official and legal category of an enemy. The legal prohibition is about controlling dollars; thus, enforcement, regulations, and applications for permission to travel to Cuba are handled by the U.S. Treasury Department, not the State Department. Specifically, it is the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), U.S. Department of the Treasury, Washington, D.C. 20200, tel. (202) 622-2520. The U.S. sanctions for unlicensed travel to Cuba are not limited to U.S. citizens, but state, "any person subject to U.S. jurisdiction who engages in any travel-related transaction in Cuba violates the Regulations." Thus, foreign nationals who are U.S. residents should also not risk a Cuban entry stamp in their foreign passports. Other than a "fully hosted" visit, U.S. law permits only a few categories of "licensed" travel, such as to gather news or attend professional conferences and athletic competitions. General licenses are categories that do not require specific permission in advance from the Treasury Department, such as diplomats and full-time journalists and researchers. Everyone else must apply for and obtain a "specific license". These include religious organizations, human rights groups, and projects to directly benefit the Cuban people. To learn about all of these categories, contact the Office of Foreign Assets Control, U.S. Department of the Treasury, Washington, D.C. 20200, tel. (202) 622-2520. Request the Cuban Assets Control Regulations. The Treasury Department maintains an online home site describing the various categories.
The largest category of licensed travel is Cubans living in the U.S. who are permitted, once a year, to visit close relatives in "humanitarian need." One of the ironies of the Elían González saga is that if Congress had succeeded in making Elían a U.S. citizen or resident, he could have visited his own father only once a year and only if there was a humanitarian need. In the last few years, there has been a steady flow of celebrities, tours, and just plain tourists openly going to Cuba. For example, newspapers and the web have reported that visitors to Cuba have included,
The U.S. regulations state that recreational travel is prohibited. However, in fact and in law, it is not so. A fully hosted trip could be totally recreational. Before March, 2003, federal regulations permitted people-to-people educational exchanges, and there were educational exchanges by many U.S. organizations, such as American Museum of Natural History, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Carter Center, Center for Cuban Studies, Friendship Force International, Geographic Expeditions, Harvard University Art Museum, National Geographic Society, Natural Trust for Historic Preservation, People to People Ambassador Programs, and cultural, alumni, senior, and even veteran groups. Some unlicensed travellers to Cuba get caught by U.S. authorities. Illegal travel to Cuba has become so routine for some people that they walk directly to U.S. Customs officials after deplaning in the Bahamas or Canada on direct flights from Cuba. The official observing a U.S. citizen or resident who is obviously coming from Cuba may take their names and addresses and forward the information to the Treasury Department. (Perhaps they should also give these foolhardy people an intelligence test as was done in the early 20th century to exclude undesirable immigrants.) Also, offenders who have been to Cuba by way of a third country such as Mexico or Canada sometimes get nabbed carrying "Cuban-origin" products, most commonly rum or cigars. It is legal to import up one liter and 100 cigars, if they are not Cuban. It does not matter where you buy Cuban origin products. It is illegal to bring them into the U.S. Customs will confiscate them or the agent may order that you to break them up yourself- on the spot. Check the Customs Service website. The agent may ask where the Cuban-origin products were purchased. Also, although rare, Cuban immigration may stamp U.S. citizens' passports. U.S. Customs or Immigration may question a traveler about the countries visited before returning to the United States. However, it happens. Sometimes returning unlicensed travellers get caught. There are two iron-clad rules about what to do. Do not lie. It is a felony to lie to a federal official. Second, (and this is the tough one) do not say anything more. If caught, tell the truth about where you have been--remember, it is not illegal to go to Cuba. Technically, it is the act of spending money on travel-related expenses by an unlicensed traveller to Cuba that is prohibited.There are many instances when travellers have admitted travelling to Cuba and Customs or Immigration officials have said, "We don't care." In America, an accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty, and the government must prove every element of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. A traveller to Cuba does not have to prove innocence. Do not be embarrassed to tell Customs or Immigration officials that you refuse to say anything more. After all, it is the government that is trying to catch you on a technicality: the government says that Cuban soil is not actually off-limits to Americans, but if you spend so much as a penny, it will put you in prison for longer than if you rob a bank. The government is attempting to convert conduct that is normally considered legal--that is travelling to a foreign country--into a serious crime. If the unlicensed traveller does not admit to spending money in Cuba or that she or he does not have or qualify for a license, the government has a problem. It can not send the FBI to Cuba to find out, for example, who paid for the hotel room. The person could have been on a fully-hosted trip. And it is almost impossible for the government, even Treasury's OFAC office, to know whether an individual traveller was licensed. The person could fall into one of the categories for general licenses, such as a journalist or professional researcher; or the person could have been travelling under a specific license issued by OFAC, but the license could have been issued in another name, for example, a organization leading a religious or educational trip. That does not mean that you should claim that you were on a fully hosted trip or that you are a journalist. You should not even say that you did not spent money. You should not say anything. Leave it to Immigration or OFAC to figure out whether you did something illegal and what to do about it. The legal situation is even more complicated than that. Recognizing these technical problems, OFAC has written regulations that presume that anyone travelling to Cuba has spent money there. The regulations also require everyone possibly subject to the regulations to keep and produce for OFAC all financial records for up to five years. And finally, OFAC can try an end run around the obligations placed by the Constitution on criminal prosecutors and seek to obtain "civil" fines in an administrative proceeding and to force the person to agree to a "settlement." However, no court has said that OFAC may force a traveller to prove that she or he is not guilty and even produce the evidence of innocence. The reason is that OFAC has either not prosecuted anyone or when it has evidence of guilt, OFAC has used the civil administrative process and accepted settlements from offenders willing to pay to avoid prosecution. In those cases where OFAC receives a report of possible violation of the anti-travel regulations, it usually sends the person a letter entitled "Requirement to Furnish Information," asking for the purpose of the trip, itinerary of activities in Cuba, and a complete disclosure of expenditures. No one is known to have been prosecuted for ignoring the letter. Even those who respond and admit travelling to Cuba get no follow-up, although OFAC says that there is a five-year statute of limitations on violations and that it has gone after some people two or three after their trips. Some travelers who have received the "Requirement to Furnish Information" have obtained the assistance, without cost, of the Center for Constitutional Rights (212.614-6464). The Center sends OFAC a letter refusing to provide the information because it violates constitutionally protected rights of travel, of association, against self-incrimination and from selective prosecution. The Center says that OFAC has never thereafter responded or attempted to schedule a hearing. Cigar Aficionado, which understandably follows Cuba closely, has reported that "this magazine knows of two instances in which Americans were fined $2,500 and $5,000 for illegally visiting Cuba." (June, 2001, p. 135.) More reports are appearing of others who have "voluntarily" paid settlements to avoid possible prosecutions. Ry Cooder paid a large fine, although it is said to be much less than OFAC demanded. On June 27, 2001, OFAC issued a "Cuba Travel Advisory" warning that tour packages offered by travel agencies in third countries "for scuba diving, bicycling, hunting, fishing, hiking or other tourist travel in Cuba are illegal." A retired 64 year-old social worker who joined a Canadian bicycle tour to Cuba paid $7,600 to the Treasury Department. These and other U.S. citizens, including a man who took his deceased father's ashes to be buried in Cuba, have become recent targets of the Treasury's prosecutions.
Recent news reports confirm that sanctions against Americans travelling to Cuba are being aggressively enforced for the first time in the embargo's long history. Until now, Congress has willingly accepted non enforcement of the onerous travel restrictions by previous U.S. Presidents. Now, reacting to the Bush's Administration's covert campaign against Americans visiting Cuba, members of Congress have begun to ask whether the weighty sanctions of the Trading With Enemy Act should be used to chase retired American citizens who are riding bicycles in Cuba.
In sum, never lie about whether you traveled to Cuba. Do not help the government by admitting anything more. If you hear from OFAC, it is probably best to respond, and state that you did not violate any federal law or regulation. Period. If OFAC writes notifying you that a civil penalty will be imposed, you must respond to the notice. Again, don't lie or say anything more than (1) you violated no law, (2) you do not waive any defense or rights. In these situations, an official of OFAC may contact you about negotiating a settlement. This is the principal way that OFAC extorts fines. The same two rules apply in oral communications with OFAC: do not lie, and do not say anything more than that you did nothing wrong. If OFAC sends you a Penalty Notice, you must respond within the time state, currently 30 days. This is the key notice, although few cases get this far. Your failure to respond to it will result in a Final Penalty Notice. At that point you are screwed, because you can no longer file an easy administrative challenge. The key point to make in your response is to request a hearing and pre-hearing discovery. Although this may seem legalistic, at this point the matter should end. OFAC has not pushed administrative penalties to the hearing stage. It is an understatement to say that the Bush Administration has made prosecution of travel to Cuba a national priority, even to the point that other Republicans are complaining that the Treasury Department is diverting resources intended to track down terrorists. The Homeland Security Department has joined in, announcing that Immigration and Customs officers will "use intelligence and investigative resources to identify travelers" who pass through Canada, Mexico, and other countries en route to Cuba. Check the Breaking News and Alerts page for recent developments. There are no guarantees, but the risks of facing civil fines are negligible, so long as the traveller is discreet and prudent, and if caught, does not lie or talk. Very few of those who travel to Cuba are confronted by Customs or Immigration officers. Even then, if someone does not attract attention, say by bringing thousands of cigars or a gross of Che berets, the issue may end there. Any further action by OFAC seems to be limited to a form letter. Although OFAC says it may someday do more, thus far, when put to the test, OFAC has either backed off or accepted "voluntary" settlements. There have been no hearings, the next step OFAC would have to take if an offender refused to pay. OFAC has never chosen to test the powers it gave itself in the regulations to shift the presumption of innocent or against self-incrimination and prosecute a traveller to Cuba in court. How a traveler chooses to go to Cuba, depends on whether the traveler is "licensed" or "unlicensed." An unlicensed traveler must go through a third country, such as Mexico, Bahamas or Canada. A licensed traveler has a choice: also go through a third country, or go directly from the U.S., on charter flights which leave from Miami, NY, and LA. Either way you go, the travel agent should sell you a Cuban tourist card for 30 days, for between $15 (Cancun price) to $30 (Miami/LA). A problem in travelling to Cuba is that usually one travel agent cannot handle all arrangements to get there. Most U.S. agents are not permitted to sell flights to Cuba. For example, a U.S. agent cannot book a flight from Cancun to Cuba. Further, they can not book the charter flights from the U.S. to Cuba. There are a limited number of agents who are recognized by the Treasury's OFAC as "authorized travel service providers," and they are the only ones who can sell seats on the direct charter flights from the United States. (See Marazul and Tico, below.) You'll need to fill out an affidavit re your license. The charter flights can be expensive (Miami-Havana, $330, LA-Havana, $670), have a limited schedule, and are often full. Also, paperwork and formalities at both ends can be costly, time consuming, inconvenient, and irritating. For example, the Miami flights require that you arrive at 3am for a 9am flight; six hours of waiting for a 40 minute flight. Before boarding, officials read an announcement, twice in English and in Spanish (four times total) about the illegality of traveling to Cuba without license, even though everyone in the waiting area has to have a license and everyone has already signed same statement. Presumably, treating passengers as though they were in the second grade is justifiable, because you have at best an exception for trading with the enemy. The charters strictly enforce a 20 kilo weight limit (50lbs. in LA), including carry-on luggage. Since most of the passengers are returning Cubans, these flights use a separate terminal in La Habana, and get special scrutiny from Cuban customs, which exacts a dollar duty for every dollar of gifts or purchases brought into Cuba. If you go unlicensed, then a U.S. travel agent gets you only to your port of departure for Cuba, but then you must get a non-U.S. agent for the ticket to Cuba--usually for cash, since U.S. credit cards do not work for Cuba. The Cancun "system" illustrates the hassles. First, book the reservations for CAN-HAV-CAN by phone or via e-mail; show up at the airline ticket counter, without a ticket; they direct you to one of nearby travel agents, and hopefully you find yours; the agent writes out your ticket and a Cuban tourist card; you pay in cash; and return to the ticket counter and obtain a boarding pass. There are flights to Cuba from the Caribbean, Latin America, Canada, and Europe. There may be cheap flights or charter to Cancun, Jamaica, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. Usually the cheapest flights to Cuba are Cuban Airlines, the state-run airline that flies ancient and scary Soviet planes. See cubana.cu. Example: Can-Hav-Can $199 on Cubana, and $255 on Aero Caribe; Nassau-Hav-Nas $235 (Cubana). There are flights to Cuba from:
For a fairly comprehensive listing of departure cities, see www.nashtravel.com/gateways.html. For agents, here are some suggestions:
Also, there are quite a few travel agents with websites. Again, two types: (1) outside the U.S., which arrange travel from another country to Cuba. Some of these are listed above, eg., Nash. Others are: gocuba.com and usacuba.com. (2) The "authorized travel services providers" arranging direct flights from the United States; these include Marazul, www.marazultours.com, LatoCuba.com, and Tico Travel, destinationcuba.com Visas/Tourist Cards/30-Day Limit A valid passport is required for entry to Cuba. Visas are available from the Cuban government (consulates in other countries; Cuban Interest Section in Wash. D.C.), but are not necessary. Instead travelers need only a tourist cards ("tarjeta de turista") issued by travel agents and airlines for $15 (Miami and LA agents charge $30). Havana immigration stamps the tourist card rather than the passport. The tourist card is good for 30 days and will be collected and must be presented when exiting. Tourist cards can be renewed for an additional 30 day increment in Cuba. Extensions, called a "prórroga", involve buying $25 worth of "stamps" from a bank, and then going to an immigration office for the prórroga. The process may take 1/2 a day. Immigration offices do not like to give extensions until the visa is about to expire. Also, travel agents, at least on the charter flights, will not sell more than a 30-day RT airline ticket. Thus, to take advantage of availability of extensions, you may need to buy a 30-day-RT airline ticket and similarly limited tourist card, and then change each in Cuba. Changing return flights in Cuba is not simple, and will usually cost another $75. Visas are available (actually, required) for journalist and business visitors. These cost more, must be issued by the Cuban Interest Section in Wash. DC, and will get your passport stamped, but may avoid the 30-day limit. Also, longer than 30 day stays may be arranged by applying for a regular visa from the Cuban Interest Section in Wash. DC. It is not an over-simplification to say that there are only two styles of travel in Cuba. Indeed, one of the difficulties of travel is the lack or restriction of variety. Your choices are state-run/foreign-joint venture-run hotels and restaurants or the small network of private homes and eating places. In Cuba, no matter what the name of the hotel, restaurant, or store, almost everything is owned and operated by the state. Hotels and restaurants are run by government employees, even if operated by a foreign joint venture. Except for the extreme high-end, state-run hotels have dilapidated facilities, shabby rooms, bad service, and poor food. There are several reasons. Although tips would seem a strong incentive, the state pockets most of workers' pay. State-run restaurants and hotels must buy from state-run suppliers, and they get mostly frozen and canned foods. State enterprises are not permitted to buy fresh fruits and vegetable at the emerging private markets. Hoisted on their own socialist petard. Also, the government has built tourism on tourist packages for $500 or $600, airfare included, for a week of surf and sun. There is little incentive to offer more that the absolute minimum.
For those not on cheap packages, most hotels run from expensive to very expensive. Few are worth the prices. The exceptions are: the few hotels for Cubans ("peso hotels"), which foreigners are not permitted to use, but sometimes can get away with by paying in dollars; budget package tours, which will include air travel, room, and meals and must be bought from travel agents in Europe, Canada, Caribbean or Mexico; and occasional "campismos", what Cubans consider camping but are spartan rooms, usually for Cubans and heavily used in August. Of importance to the traveller in Cuba, there are limited forms of permitted free enterprise or more accurately independent employment in Cuba:
Another category of "free enterprise" isn't legal, but it is the largest competitive market in Cuba: that is anything on the black market, people selling cigars, rum, and sex. The nascent network of private rooms in casas particulares are cheap ($15-$35/day/room) and friendly. And you get to meet and stay with a Cuban family. The casas particulares are usually restricted to tourist areas, and heavily taxed and regulated by the government to prevent anyone from getting ahead of their government employed colleagues. Most are legal, but some are illegal, which means that they are not registered and paying taxes -nothing happens to you if you are caught staying there. Some casas particulares will also serve food; most will fix you a breakfast. Casas Particulares and Paladares The trick to budget travel in Cuba is to locate the casas particulares and paladares. Legal casas particulares will almost always have a 4 inch blue "A" decal on the door. Just knock and ask. In Viñales, the owners have been putting up signs and giving themselves names, usually including the word, "Villa", as in "Villa Rosa". In some places, such as in Havana's Vedado and La Habana Vieja, paladares also have signs; even if it says, "restaurant," it is a paladar if it is in a home. Many times, you have to ask, and someone will willingly take you to a paladar and then expect a commission from the owner. If you've already found a casa particular, ask them for suggestions.
Among paladares, prices and menus do not vary greatly, usually around $8 to 10 for entrees. Most paladares stick to a standard fare of "cocina criollo", indigenous Cuban food. It's mostly variations of black beans, rice, and meat. Fish may be available, salads are skimpy, and even vegetables may get cooked in lard. (Country-wide, almost every dish, snack, or drink has sugar, fat, or salt. Cuba is very hard for the health or food conscious and vegetarians, no matter where you eat.) Although uniformly better than restaurants, there are some things to watch for in paladares. A few don't have written menus; so, get prices up front. Some will have different menus: one for tourists and others for Cubans. Since the average price of a meal could be a month's salary for a Cuban, a price differential may not be unreasonable. However, some paladares vary prices according to whether the customer is brought by a "jinetero" expecting a commission. The accommodations at casas particulares vary widely. A few are just a bedroom in a small house or apartment that the family moves out of for the night. The entry may be through the family's living room, which is probably never vacant, since the typical Cuban family has three generations living together. In some, the bathrooms is shared, or you must leave the bedroom to reach bathroom. However, even these cramped, intimate arrangements have provided lasting memories and insights into the realities of Cuban life. (Do not kid yourself: even the sparsest casa particular is not "living like the Cuban do." Not even close.) Many Cubans have built or rebuilt rooms and baths, added heaters to showers, air conditioning, private baths and entrances. A few now have televisions, "mini-bars" and refrigerators. The owners buy supplies on the black market, hustle to locate good (even prohibited) food, find taxis and paladares, and generally become host and concierge for their guests. Staying in casas particulares can be seen, either, as the hassle of finding a room without the certainty of star-ratings or a guidebook's list by price and amenities (see the sidebar in the LP Havana guide entitled, "It's Tough Renting A Private Room In Havana"), or staying in Cuban homes is an opportunity to discover your personal favorite casa particular and Cuban family. Staying in a casa particular in Cuba is not the same as a bed and breakfast elsewhere. It may be more like a visit to a distant cousin you have never met. Cubans are accustomed to large family settings and share whatever they have with family, friends, and neighbors. When you are their guest, they seem naturally to accept you as another family member or neighbor. Very often, once a traveller has stayed at a casa particular, they stick with that family despite other recommendations. Personal relationships are formed. Photos and letters are exchanged. Friends are referred. Finding a casa particular is more work and risk. However, bad experiences in casas particulares are rare indeed, while those in Cuba's hotels are commonplace and epic--the cold, congealed food, construction work at 6 am, or the all night car alarm. There are additional reasons to stay at casas particulares. Cuba practices tourism apartheid. Tourism is officially segregated. What is sold to tourist is denied to Cubans. Beef, shrimp, lobster: tourists only. The best beaches (Cayo Coco), even if deserted are between (Cayo Santa Maria), and closed to Cubans. Resorts are set aside exclusively for foreign tourists, and Cubans can not enter whether it is to lounge on the beach, stay and eat, or even to make a phone call. (Cuban joke: A child is asked, "what do you want to be when you grow up?" "A foreigner.") If you are travelling with Cubans, staying in official hotels is not an option. (Technically, casas particulares cannot rent rooms to Cubans and foreigners staying together, although whether this is enforced depends on the locality and officials; however, all hotels prohibit it, and the major Havana hotels will have their "tourist police" guarding the door or the elevators.) Some travelers find it uncomfortable, unacceptable, or immoral to go along with apartheid, even if they are not travelling with Cubans. Some travelers may admire the owners of casas particulares and paladares and prefer to see their money support the beginnings, or the resurrection of free enterprise in Cuba, rather than sustain a withering Communism regime or the multi-nationals that are partnering with the Cuban government. The casas particulares and paladares are fighting a system that works against them. Casas particulares are not to rehabilitate their houses; cannot be booked by state-run travel agencies; pay the government for everything from a sign in front to serving breakfast. In return, casas and paladares receive no assistance from the government and instead are forced to overcome bureaucratic barriers. Fees are high and not pegged to income. Paperwork is mind-numbing and time-consuming. Inspections can be frequent. Fidel Castro has spoken out against them several times, and usually one of his criticisms is enough marching orders for the regime. After one, the government made owners of casas particulares criminally responsible for anything illegal done by a guest. By staying in casas particulares, eating in paladares, and using private taxis, travelers help "free enterprise" and get to know Cubans who are taking risks and trying to get ahead. Since permitted in 1993, many Cubans have opened casas particulares and paladars in popular tourist areas of Vedado in La Habana, Santiago de Cuba, Trinidad, Baracoa, and Viñales, and the provincial capitals. However, do not expect to find casas particulares or paladares in many other areas. The government prohibits them in Varadero and nearby Matanza, forcing travelers to stay in its hotels at Cuba's most popular beach resort. And the regime's crackdowns against self employment are forcing others to give up, and despite Cuba's housing crunch, there are now vacant extra rooms and suites in houses that used to rent.
A possible problem if staying at a casas particulares arises because immigration officers at the airport will insist that you must have a voucher for a paid hotel room and direct you to hotel agents waiting to nail you for multiple nights at over-priced hotels. However, if you tell them that you have a room rented at a casa particular and give them the address, they will accept it. Insist if necessary, although it has never failed. (The new Lonely Planet guides to Cuba and Havana are wrong on this point.) Recommended Casas Particulares Finding your own personal casas and paladares is a rewarding benefit of visiting Cuba. The numbers make it difficult to review and compare them as hotel and restaurants. However, a few are truly exceptional. These are practically guaranteed. And they represent the new breed of enterprising, hard working Cubans who are taking the risks of operating as entrepreneurs in a Communist environment. Also they are representative of Cuban people: generous, gregarious, dazzling, wonderfully bigger than life. * * * NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE * * *
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Ana María and Victor are enterprising; she has contacts with other casas particulares and can set up a "package" of casas particulares in other cities; and dependable--if she or another casa she refers you to is full, they will find you another safe, secure place to stay. Most important, Ana María the quintessential Cubana, savy, sassy, and openhearted. Salvador Allende (Carlos Tercero) No. 1005, e/Requena y Almendares, Plaza, tel. 8-78-29-46; or anacaribe@yahoo.com (and alternatively, amistad@islagrande.cu (Ana María Fariñas.)) Another classic Cubana is Esther Cardoso. There are not many casas particulares in Habana Vieja and Centro Habana, where tourists will spend the most time. Esther's house is on the borderline between those neighborhoods. She has beautifully reconstructed a colonial home with high ceilings, balconies, and shuttered windows. Esther is an actress, teacher, and director. Her group, Teatro Buendia has performed in Europe. Her living room can include cross section of modern Cuban culture. Aguila #367, e/Neptuno y San Miguel, Centro Habana. 8-62 04 01. esthercardoso@hotmail.com. Viñales has the most stunning scenery in Cuba. A small town set in a valley of towering limestone cliff, verdant forest of pines and palms, and deep red soil of small tobacco farms. The cliffs attract rock climbers, and the Viñales Valley could become a world class recreational destination. The hotels are restricted to the ridges outside of town to capture the spectacular views. The only accommodations in town are in the many casas particulares. Fresh paint and rehabilitated homes are everywhere. (However, Viñales may have the strictest enforcement of the laws segregating foreigners and Cubans.) Trinidad is another popular destination, and there another reliable contact-host is José Miguel Suárez del Villar, Jose Martí No. 165, e/ Camilo Cienfuegos y Lino Perez, Trinidad, CU CP 62600, ph 41 9 2572. A couple of other excellent casas particulares are: in Santiago de Cuba--Sra. Isabelita Driggs, B. Masó No. 363-B (San Basilio), e/ Pío Rosado y San Félix, Tel (226) 2 3511; in Baracoa, Sra. Rosa Elvira Calderin, Frank Pais No. 19, e/ Maceo y Marti, tel. (21) 43634. In Moron, an excellent alternative to Cayo Coco, is the home of Plácido Sardiñas, Sordo No. 14, e/Calle6 y Pafria, 5560. Plácido has a couple of rooms, private entrances, TV, videos, is an excellent cook, and even a private patio for guests. Gringo Viejo, Calle 21 No. 454 e/E y F, Vedado, La Habana, 831 19 46 Noon to 11 p.m.; closed Sunday. Perhaps La Habana's best combination of originality, quality, and price is Restaurante Gringo Viejo. It is hidden behind an iron gate, features a large movie poster of the Old Gringo himself, Gregory Peck, a photo collection of owner Omar González with contemporary Cuban celebrities, and even a classic 1956 Plymouth in front. Done up in plastic vines, colored lights and vast quantities of stained glass, Gringo Viejo could be mistaken for a speakeasy. With excellent fish dishes, possibly the best flan in La Habana, and a small bar, Gringo Viejo is a complete evening's entertainment. La Guarida, Concordia No. 418, e/Gervasio y Escobar, Centro Havana, 8 63 73 51). 7 p.m. to midnight. The only paladar hip enough to say "reservations recommended," La Guarida is definitely Habana's trendiest restaurant and is celebrated for its creative dishes. It is atmospheric and was the setting for several scenes in the Oscar-nominated Cuban film "Fresa y Chocolate". La Guarida is in a converted residence on the third floor of a crumbling, but still beautiful 18th century building in Centro Habana. High ceilings, aged wood paneling, and a changing, international menu together create an ambience that recalls the Havana of the 1920's. Its fabulous Old Havana building, with its marble walls and floors, its grandly decorated facade and 30-foot ceilings, all just short of crumbling, tells you a lot about the magnificence of parts of the city pre-Revolution and its present state. La Cocina de Lilliam, Calle 48 No. 1311, e/13 y 15, Playa, 29 65 14. Lunch from noon to 3 p.m.; dinner from 7 to 10; closed Saturday. A 65-year-old colonial style house, with a lush garden where diners sit on comfortable wrought-iron chairs, La Cocina de Lilliam is one of the most beautiful garden restaurants in Havana. It also has some of the best food, and even a nice selection of wine from Spain's reliable producer Torres. La Cocina de Lilliam is an escape from the warm, humid Cuban weather and a great place to eat lunch or dinner. La Julia, O'Reilly No. 506-A. e/ Bernaza y Villegas, La Habana Vieja, 62 74 38 is an excellent example of traditional Cuban cooking (and great black beans) in La Habana Vieja, which has few other good paladares. Some other recommended paladares are:
Also, there are some government restaurants worth a try. A favorite with budget travellers for its inexpensive fare is Restaurante Hanoi, Calle Teniente Rey, esq. Bernaza, 57 10 29. La Cecilia, is a popular restored mansion in Miramar serving comida criollo. Avenida 5 No. 11010, e/110 y 112, 33 15 62. El Ajibe has the same management as La Cecilia, and Lonely Planet calls it the “best Cuban fare in town.” Avenida 7, e/ 24 y 26, Miramar, 24 15 83. Marakas in the Vedado is a rare genuine pizza oven in Havana. Calle O, e/23 y 25. Transportation: Getting Around in Cuba For the tourists, getting around the island is relatively easy. For Cubans, transportation is one of the major hassles of daily life, and they spend hours hitching or waiting for buses, tractors, whatever, to get to work, to shop, to visit hospitals and family. Paying in dollars gets the tourists on any outgoing bus--immediately and usually ahead of Cubans who have bought their tickets in pesos. But, as a foreigner, you can not pay the extremely cheap peso rate. (NB: the Moon Handbook is dead wrong on bus travel, reservations are unnecessary and you can just show up and usually get on--because you are paying dollars.) A traveler can get around Cuba by air (Cubana Airlines only), train, bus, or rental car. Cuba has an antiquated train system. Reservations are necessary, and getting one can take a from a couple of hours to most of a day. The trains are said to be even less reliable than the buses. In La Habana, the taxi scene has changed. Previously, there were government and many private taxis; all required negotiations, and the private ones were cheaper. The ease of finding private taxis and their willingness to enter tourists areas patrolled by police were an indication of whether there was a crackdown on Cuba's freewheeling entrepreneurs. However, the government has imported many new cars; there are about 1/2 dozen taxis companies; and they now have meters, and are available by phone (24 24 24; 55 55 55; 66 66 66, and several other catchy combinations). Now, the meter-charges are consistently less private taxis, although the price-per-kilometers vary between companies; the new Havanauto taxis are the current bargain. Better service and price have done what police crackdowns could not. Perhaps there is a lesson here for the government hotels and restaurants. Car rental is easy, available (except during Christmas holidays), hassle-free, and expensive. Regardless of what any guide book says, dollar gas stations are now plentiful. There is no apparent reservation system; its whatever is available when you get there. Driving in daylight is no problem, because there is little traffic. At night, the roads include unlighted bikes, horses and horse-drawn carts, tractors, and, during the sugar harvest, huge tractors of sugar cane. There are few road signs, and many badly deteriorated roads. Plan on picking up hitch-hiking Cubans for company and directions. Rentals are not cheap, averaging $45-60/days for sub-compacts. Gas is about $.90/liter, or about $3.60/gallon. Diesel is half that, and some diesel cars are available. (There are opportunities to buy stolen gas for less.) La Habana is full of rental agencies, Havanautos and Transautos being the largest. There are many cars available at the airport, although it is said that those are the most expensive. All larger cities will have rental agencies. Even though the agencies are all state-run, prices vary. A new one, Micar, is the cheapest at this time. Ave 1 y Paseo, Vedado, Telf. 55 35 35 (for example, diesel Fiats @$45/day, plus insurance of either $5 or $10/day; neither insurance covers stolen tires and wheels). A rental car saves time on getting around. However, it will cost more than buses and taxis combined. And you must find a secure garage or guard for your car every night. (Note how few of those classic old American cars that you see have outside rear view mirrors.) All casas particulares will arrange a garage or guard for about $1-2/night. A few other pointers for drivers and renters: When you rent, the agency carefully goes over each dent and verifies spare, jack, radio, etc. It is because these get stolen and are often missing. A flat spare tire gets swapped with that of another car and becomes the problem of the next customer. Driving rules have few surprises, except that all drivers must stop at railroad crossings, favorite haunts of cops and hitch-hikers. On the Autopista Nacional watch out for policemen waiving drivers down, sometimes with clipboards to look official: do not stop. They are hitch hiking. (Many, some say most, La Habana cops are from Oriente, eastern Cuba, another reason, that police are to be avoided.) Also, cyclists are so unaccustomed to encountering vehicles that they casually wander along and across highways. When driving, give them a warning with a blast of the horn. The cyclists' reactions will not be anger as in the U.S. Buses are a very good way to get around. However, major buses go out from La Habana, as spokes on a wheel, directly to major cities. There are buses linking other cities, but the service is bad to non-existent; that is why there are so many Cuban on the roads hitch-hiking. The only good bus service that links other cities are those from La Habana to Santiago de Cuba. For example, there is daily bus service from La Habana to Trinidad and another to Sancti Spíritu; however, there is no bus service between the two, even though they are only 60 KM apart, and Sancti Spíritu is the provincial capital. There are two bus lines: VíaAzul, an excellent deluxe carrier with limited service, and ASTRO, the national bus service. VíaAzul is dollars only. The VíaAzul terminal is in Nuevo Vedado, across from the zoo: Casa Matriz, ave. 26 y Zoológico. 81 14 13, 81 56 52. Some VíaAzul buses, such as those to Viñales, can be booked and caught at the La Habana ASTRO bus. terminal, which is more convenient (disregard LP on this point; the problem in doing so has been fixed). Although much better than ASTRO, VíaAzul cost only a little more; for example, HAV-Viñales is $12 on VíaAzul, and $8 on ASTRO. ASTRO charges dollars for foreigners and pesos for Cubans, but it is cheap, and dollar passengers get priority, which usually means that you do not need a reservation. ASTRO buses are always full, hot, and unreliable. Also smoky from exhaust fumes and everyone smoking, including the driver sitting under the "no fumar" sign. The ASTRO terminal in La Habana is on Ranco Boyeros, e/ Ave. 19 de Mayo y Bruzón. Inside there is a separate, no hassle office for dollar customers. It is easy to tell from peso tickets booths: uncrowded, air-conditioned, chairs, a TV. In other cities, ask at the terminal where to go if your paying in dollars. You usually do not have to wait in the same, long lines as do the peso customers. There are many private and government taxis outside the ASTRO terminal eager to negotiate a private ride. The "come on" is always that the taxi will take to your destination for the same price as the bus. Charges can vary widely, from $25 to $80 for the same ride. In La Habana, public transportation is available. Elsewhere, public transportation means bicycling, horse-bicycle-human drawn carts, and hitch-hiking in cars, trucks, or tractors. You are free to try these, and they are safe, but very, very slow.
Rule Number One: U.S. credit cards/travelers checks are not accepted in Cuba. This is because U.S. banks will not pay for charges in Cuba or for flights to Cuba, even for legitimate charges and even if traveling to Cuba legally. Travelers checks on U.S. banks, including American Express, usually can not be cashed, although sometimes a bank will cash American Express. Rule Number Two, however, is: the only currency travellers will need in Cuba is U.S. greenbacks. Thus, no changing money, no calculating exchange rates, no touts asking to change money, and no calculating the actual cost of purchases, such as is 55 pesos a lot for a beer? Just bring U.S. cash. Try to bring more than just large bills. Changing a $100 bill is always a hassle, and requires a passport at government facilities. The "official" rate of exchange is around 26 pesos =$1, or a peso is about a 4 cents. Even that rate is arbitrary, since there is no international market buying and selling of pesos. Sometimes the government pretends that a peso is a dollar: an admission charge may be "equally" priced, but in dollars for foreigners and pesos for Cubans. Or a speeding ticket was 10, pesos for Cubans and $10 for tourists. However, there is little of interest to travelers that can be purchased for pesos. Almost everything you want will be at dollar-only stores, restaurants, bars. Even private taxis, homes, paladares must be paid in dollars. In those instances where payment is usually in pesos, for example, in a private food market, payment can be made in dollars, or someone will exchange dollars for pesos -- sell you pesos. Although it is extremely rare that a foreigner will confront the situation, there are government facilities that accept only pesos. Find a nearby Cuban and ask to exchange some dollars for pesos. In short, there is no need to change money. However, interpreting quoted prices may still be a problem, because Cubans can use the word "peso" to mean both peso and dollar. Which is meant depends on the context. A beer is usually a dollar: so, if quoted a price of 20 pesos, it is a dollar. Between Cubans a peso means peso. Where ever Cubans are the customers, such as cones of peanuts being sold on the street, peso means peso. At dollar-stores, restaurants, museums, hotels, peso means dollar. Also, there is a third currency circulating, particularly coins: it is the government's "convertible peso" or "divisa". A divisa equals one dollar, and can be used in Cuba (only) the same as dollars. For clarity, "moneda nacional" always means pesos; "dolar" or "divisa" always means dollars. "Fula" is another term for dollars, although it now a relict of the era in the 80s and early 90s, when possessing dollars was illegal; there are still Cubans in prison for the crime of having dollars. "Fula" means bogus; and "fulastres" were people of low moral character who had dollars. It is very unlikely to be heard now that one-half of the population is involved in the dollar economy. If you do not want to bring only U.S. dollars, there is a Canadian debit card that is widely accepted in Cuba for charges and for cash at banks. You send them money (check or wire transfer) up front and then charge or withdraw it in Cuba. It is called Tran$card. An account can be set up over the phone (905) 660-5558. (NB: sending money through a third country can be a violation of the U.S. embargo. Some remittances for Cuban families are permitted. A licensed traveler may take or use money transferred to Cuba to pay for travel expenses provided the total expenses do not exceed the State Department's "Maximum Travel Per Diem Allowance for Foreign Areas" in effect during the period that the travel takes place; at present this is $158/day in Havana and $125/day elsewhere in Cuba.) The province of Pinar del Rio is home to the world's finest tobacco. Genuine Cuban cigars are completely hand-rolled and packed in tightly sealed cedar boxes. Cuba's prestige brand is Cohiba, and comes in 11 medium to strong types. Cohiba Espléndidos, once among Fidel's favorites and classic Robustos are the most commonly available. Aficionados also fancy H Upmann, the brand of President John F. Kennedy, Romeo y Julieta, and Montecristo. Purchased in a state-store or hotel, a box of Cohibas can cost $250 to almost $400. That box is over £400 in England, and not for sale in the U.S. Very good imitations can be bought on the black market for $25 to $50. Guidebooks will tell you that cigars bought on the street are of dubious quality. Actually black-market cigars can be very good hand-rolled cigars. Don't buy them on the street. Most Cubans that you get to know, such as proprietors of casas particulares, can arrange to have cigars brought to you. Everyone and their brother will say that the cigars are stolen by someone who works in the factory. Actually, they just know someone who rolls them at home, and it is possible that the roller at one time worked at a cigar factory. Labels, rings, and boxes are stolen or fake as well. As one befuddled tourist exclaimed, "if they can steal the box, ring, and label, why can't they steal the cigar as well?" Authorities try to identify stamps, seals, and other marks of authenticity. If there is one, the forgers will have it as well. Inspect to see that individual cigars are tightly rolled, have a smooth as silk wrapper leaf, its capa, and are soft when squeezed. A crinkling sound probably means the tobacco has dried out. A box of the best forgeries should have a uniform color. When smoked, it should have a deep robust smell, and draw smoothly. Unless you are a connoisseur, however, you may not be able to distinguish the real thing from good black-market imitations. At one-tenth the price, the street-version could give you the same pleasure. Getting Help, Hustlers, and Survival in Cuba All travelers at some time need to ask for help. In Cuba, even Cubans are always asking directions or the time of day. Tourists often do not even need to ask. A quizzical look attracts help. Whether it is curiosity or natural generosity, Cuban are quick to come to assistance. However, a fact of tourist life in the third world is dealing with hustlers: people who will attach themselves to travellers for handouts, meals, and opportunities to cut deals. For example, even if a person is not a black market dealer in cigars or rum, everyone probably know people who are and can earn a commission setting up a sale. Again, a little background. Very few Cubans can support themselves or a family on wages alone. Average wages are $8 to $10/month, paid in pesos. A doctor, dentist, or professor earns, at most, $20 a month. Yet, consumer items, such as soap or shampoo, cost about what they do in the U.S.. Thus the reality of life for almost all Cubans is a daily struggle to get by on meager state-rations and earn additional pesos or dollars. Everyone must hustle. Doctors and engineers pedal bicycle rickshaws because they can earn three times more in tips from tourists than their salaries. Corruption is commonplace: not the bribery common to Mexico or SE Asia; rather it is stealing from the government, which fuels the black market in everything from cement to gasoline. And of course, there is classic trade of "hustling," buying and selling black market goods, such as rum and cigars, attaching yourself to tourists for a few hours or evening for meals, cigarettes, or cash. In Cuba, hustlers or touts are called "jineteros" and "jineteras", literally "jockeys," but it now means someone who's hustling, be it cigars or sex, or steering tourists to private rooms and paladares for kickbacks. In La Habana, they hang out in tourist areas; in Pinar del Rio, jineteros swoop in on bicycles upon cars with rental plates. All this means that even average citizens, who do not deal in black market goods, may not pass up the chance to earn a commission helping a tourist. Anytime you must ask Cubans to find a casas particulares or a paladar, it could cost you. If someone takes you to a paladar, it may not effect what you pay, although some paladares have separate menu, and thus prices, for customers brought by jineteros. However, if a jineteros shows up with you at the door of a house when you are looking for a casa particular, it will cost you a higher rate of up to five dollars for the commission that the homeowner has to pay. Taxi drivers will try to take you to where they can get a commission, rather than the address you request. There have been cases of tourists taken by taxis to another casa and been told that it is the address they requested. Double check by asking at the home if this is the name and address that you are seeking. However, in general, jineteros are a minor annoyance. Their insistence-annoyance level is trivial compared to touts in Hong Kong, Bangkok, or Kathmandu. In Cuba, not everyone who talks to you in the street wants something from you. Cubans are curious to know foreigners. People want to tell you about their difficult situations. They may invite you into their homes for a "cafecito". Even women are not shy about talking to travellers.
In La Habana, a customary source of traveller assistance, however, will not work. Most cops can not help with directions. They are themselves strangers in La Habana, recruited and drafted from Oriente, get dropped off and picked up on a street corner for the day, and sometimes can not even direct you to a police station. It is not necessary to bring anything for yourself to Cuba, except medication. Just about anything can be purchased in Cuba, so long as there are dollar stores around. (Conversely, this means that when outside of major cities or tourist areas, in effect where there are no dollar stores or restaurants, almost nothing can be purchased; peso stores have only basics, such as rice, sugar, cooking oils, and can be used only by Cubans shopping with their quota books.) Other than newspapers, magazines, books, vitamins, and medicine, Cubans and visitors can buy almost anything with dollars. Centralize purchasing by the state does mean that often there is little variety. An even more personal gift would be to burn some CD's of popular music. Cubans love almost everything Americans, and U.S. pop music, from Michael Jackson to the latest rap, is very popular. You will hear Hotel California more often in Cuba than on a U.S. "oldies" station. Bottled water is available at dollar stores and restaurants,
and most paladares and casas particulares have bottled
water. In fact, the level of hygiene is excellent, and tap water
is almost always potable and safe. Names, Addresses, Communications In Cuba, the surname is the second name; its the father's name, and the third name is the mother's. Fidel Castro is actually Fidel Castro Ruz. Women do not take their husbands' surname. They retain their maiden names after marriage Addresses follow the street name and number with either "e/" or "esq/". "e/" stands for "entre" or "between" and will be followed by the two cross streets, straddling the address. "Esq/" stand for "esquina" or corner and will be followed by cross street at the corner. Very convenient. Cuba is one of the least wired countries on the globe. Less than five percent of Cubans have phones. Often a phone number is an illegal extension; when you call, the person answering, may say call again, "repita la llamada", because the system is for the one you are calling to get the second ring. Annoying when calling long distance, but unavoidable. Or the phone number may be a neighbor or someone who will take a message and pass it along the next time they meet. Cubans cannot call outside of Cuba on their phones, except for expensive, operator-assisted collect calls. For an international call, buy a calling card, sold in units of $10 and $20 at banks, hotels, and dollar stores, and use it at one of the blue-card phones.
Internet hook-ups are appearing. In Habana: the new Golden Tulip Parque Central Hotel, has access from 8am to 8pm, $4.50/15 minutes and $7/30 min; a cybercafe in the Capitolio, $5/hour, but usually a long wait--up the two hours to get on. The phone company, ETECSA, is opening internet access offices and offering the equivalent of pre-paid internet access cards. In Havana, there is an office at the International Prensa office at 23rd and O in the Vedado. The card is $15 for five hours access, but there is a separate charge for the phone line of 5˘ a minute. Thus, the total is 25 cents a minute. ETECSA is opening similar offices in Varadero, Cinefuegoes, Trinidad, and Santiago de Cuba. This is changing quickly. |
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