Cuba

Understand

Before the 1959 Cuban Revolution, Cuba was a popular tourist destination for U.S. citizens, largely due to its vibrant nightlife, casinos, and beaches. Many of the casinos were operated by American organized crime groups, and the country became a playground for wealthy visitors. The government of Fulgencio Batista, the military dictator in power at the time, was criticized for neglecting the welfare of many Cuban citizens while fostering close ties with U.S. businesses and investors. American companies owned significant portions of Cuban land and industry, and many wealthy Americans maintained vacation homes on the island. Following the Revolution, Cuba underwent significant changes. The new revolutionary government nationalized foreign-owned properties, leading to strained relations with the United States. In response, the U.S. imposed a trade and economic embargo (referred to in Cuba as el bloqueo, or "the blockade") that remains in place to this day. However, since 2009, U.S. citizens with family in Cuba have been permitted to visit the island under specific conditions. After 1959, tourism in Cuba primarily catered to domestic visitors, and many facilities fell into disrepair. This changed in the 1990s when the collapse of the Soviet Union, a key ally and financial supporter, forced Cuba to seek new sources of revenue. The government reopened the country to international tourism, investing in modern hotels and resorts. Today, Cuba welcomes visitors from Europe, Canada, and even the United States. Popular tourist destinations like Varadero and Holguín boast a range of 3- to 5-star hotels, while in less touristy areas, travelers can stay in casas particulares—privately owned guesthouses that offer a more authentic Cuban experience. Despite its appeal, Cuba faces ongoin

See

The highlights of a trip to Cuba should include

Old Havana Varadero Beach The Bay of Pigs in Western Cuba is historically important for the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion of 1961. The area is a site known for its diving, with an abundance of marine fauna. Valle de Viñales: a beautiful and lush valley inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a cultural landscape because of its use of traditional tobacco-growing techniques. Alexander von Humboldt National Park in Baracoa Playa Paraiso in Western Cuba Saturno Cave, near Matanzas Ciénaga de Zapata National Park 1 El Nicho Waterfalls. Fabrica de Arte Cubano in Havana is one of Havana's premier nightclubs and art galleries. Parque Monumento Nacional Bariay, north of Holguín Cayo Saetia Island,

Getting there

Entry requirements

Tourist visa

A tourist visa card (visa de tarjeta del turista) is necessary for travelers from most countries. This visa, which is really little more than a piece of paper on which you list your personal information, costs US$15-25 (or €15-25) from most destinations, depending on where purchased. Costs US$50-100 from the US. It can be purchased at the airport in Cuba on arrival, but many airlines will require a valid tourist visa card before you board a flight. It is usually valid for 30 days and can be extended once for another 90 days at any immigration office in Cuba (for ~US$25) - beyond this you would need a flight out of Cuba within the extended visa period. Your passport needs to be valid at least six months past the end of your planned return. Canadian passports must be valid for at least one month beyond the date of expected departure. From Canada, the tourist card is normally provided on the flight. It can also be purchased from most Latin American gateway airports if departing from there (Cancun: 250 Mexican pesos, Mexico City: US$25). If you are coming from Europe (this may apply to other countries), you need to have the visa before boarding the plane. Sometimes, the airline provides these at the airport, however check first that this is the case. Without a valid visa, boarding will be denied (the airline would otherwise get a US$1,000 fine from the Cuban immigration authorities). Your visa will be stamped upon arrival in Cuba and must be retained in your possession to be stamped when you exit the country. There is a ~US$25 fee to replace a lost visa. Regular tourists who renew their 90-day visa are eligible to depart the country (to any destination) and return immediately enjoying a further 90 days (180 including the 90 days extens

Getting around

Maps OpenStreetMap still has the best coverage of Cuba. For reliable offline maps, GPS navigation, comprehensive trails and map information, consult OpenStreetMap, which is also used by this travel guide, and by many mobile Apps like OsmAnd (advanced with many add-ons), Mapy.cz, Organic Maps (fast and easy to use by the original developers who left Maps.me after new ownership degraded the app), or use OpenAndroMaps for South and Middle America with apps like Oruxmaps or Locus. You can help improve the map by contributing places and other data to OpenStreetMap by editing the map or taking street-level photos with Mapillary and uploading when you have good connection or leave Cuba. Several years back the OpenStreetMap community used Mapillary to effectively capture imagery of La Habana useful for mapping.

By bus The bus is the most popular way of getting around the island. There are two long-distance bus lines, Viazul, which is generally for tourists and Astro, which is generally for locals. Shorter distances are served by local provincial buses. In case, you prefer to solely use the local transport options, like buses or amarillos, it is better to do so outside of larger cities—it is much easier there. So, get there first if you are inside of a city.

Viazul

Víazul is Cuba's main bus line for tourists and is the comfortable choice of public transportation to tour the island. The buses are reliable and punctual as there is little traffic in Cuba. The buses sometimes take detours or make pauses along the route, especially at road-side restaurants or local souvenir or food shops in the mosquito-ridden nowhere. However, Víazul is not automatically better, actually only the night buses are very comfortable. Also, Víazul buses run far less often the Astro buses. Hence