Cuba for Beginners

Complete Havana Series V1

Includes: Cuba Travel Tips, Points of Interest, and Places to Stay and Places to Eat.

INDEX
1-7 Money saving tips and introduction
to traveling in Cuba.
6-9 Places to Stay
10 - 12 Places to Eat
13 -15 Points of Interest
17 Map
1
 Cuba for Beginners
Cuba for Beginners is written by Americans who
love the island and want to help others go there
and have an enjoyable experience. This guide is
Cuba for Beginners not meant to replace other more commercial
books. Rather it is a more concise, candid and
up-to-date guide designed to teach you how to
plan your trip and save you money while travel-
ling in Cuba.
So how can this guide save you money?
Cuba is probably the safest tourist destination in
the Caribean but there are many traps that can
take away from your vacation. This guide is
designed to walk you through the most basic
things that you should know about Cuba before
you go and how to best plan your trip. We offer
candid tips that will help you make your way
through Cuba, and we identify up-to-date places
to stay and eat that can save you hundreds of
dollars.
Before you go
There are basic things you should understand
before leaving.
What Cubans think of Foreigners
Cubans have no hard feelings against
Americans. If you are from the U.S., the govern-
ment and regular people alike will treat you with
respect. Most people are very curious about life
in other countries.
Money
The tourist currency is the dollar. Most every-
thing that you will buy will be in the $US dollar. In
general, there are two economies: the dollar
Highlights economy and the peso economy. It is a good
Money idea exchange some dollars for pesos, called
moneda nacional. You can do this at most
Use only small bills. $20’s or smaller.
Cuban establishments that work in pesos, at
Get some pesos
stands called cadecas (there are some at the
Use a money belt
Coppelia on Linea and M streets) or with almost
Take all of the money you need with you and
any Cuban on the street. You don’t need
keep it with you.
much— 5 to 10 dollars at a time is plenty. Having
pesos is good for small purchases, ( food and
some transportation) and will save you money.
More information about using the peso for eating
and transportation will be covered in other sec-
tions. The exchange rate is around 26 to 1.
Cuba printed their own currency that matches the
value of the dollar. They are called peso convert-
ibles and can be used in Cuba as dollars. You
probably won’t see too many even though most
Cubans want to get rid of the ones they have.
You can exchange them at the airport before you
leave if you get stuck with any. Granma always
reports that the exchange rate in 1 Peso for the
Dollar, they must mean the peso convertibles
and not the moneda nacional.
When using the dollar always have small
bills. Getting change is a problem with almost
any purchase, but a real nuisance at restaurants
and with taxis. Always use larger bills at the
more commercial places and save your small
bills for bargaining with taxis, street vendors,
restaurants, smaller stores, etc. Bargaining is
normal for almost everything.
Remember, if you are an American you have to
carry all of the money that you will need with you
(unless you get a Transcard — see below).
There is no easy way for you to get money in
Cuba. If you run out of money the only thing you
can do is go to Western Union, or a bank, and
have it wired, which can take days or weeks and
draws attention to yourself from the American
authorities. It is very important to estimate how
much you will need and bring all of it with you.
Remember, Cuba is safe. No one will rob you at
gunpoint, but if you are not disciplined you will
outspend yourself quickly. Cuba can be cheap,
but there are many ways to spend money. In
general, be smart with your money.
Transcard
Go to http://www.cash2cuba.com/. There you
can get a card that works in the Cuban ATM’s. It
is a relatively new service and the writers of this
guide have never used it. However, people we
have met who have used it have not reported
any problems.
2

Cuba for Beginners
Highlights
Go through a third country
Use Divermex to arrange for Cuban flight
The Cubans know not to stamp an American
passport
Safety
Cuba is extremely safe. There are police on
every corner and the Cubans tend to steer clear
of violent crime. More so than other tourist
places the police will protect tourists, and they
do not solicit or take bribes from tourists.
What does happen, often, is common begging,
hustling, and conning. People will try to con-
vince you to give them money. There is an
intensity and craftiness of street conning and
begging that rarely exists anywhere else. More
on how to deal with the hustlers is covered later.
Basics
Bring everything you need that you usually have
easy access to. You may take certain things for
granted, so make a quick inventory. Take with
you any medicine, even simple over-the-counter
items, and hygiene products that you may need.
Many items are available but expensive and
hard to find.
Guide books
We recommend Lonely Planet or Moon
Handbooks for historical information, maps and
other info.
Maps
Decent maps of Havana are available at the air-
port in the new terminal on the second floor.
Otherwise you can get a map at any of the car
rental services, in the lobby of the Habana Libre
(on Linea and M streets) or at the bookstore La
Moderna Poesia on Obispo street just off
Parque Central. We provide a simple map on
page 16.
How to get there
Americans are not forbidden to go to Cuba.
They are only forbidden to spend money.
Almost 70,000 (non-Cuban) Americans travelled
to Cuba in 2000. For that year less than 2,000
fines were issued for travelers, and most of
those where never convicted and thus never
had to pay anything. The fine can be up to
$8,000. Even though Congress is weakening
the travel restriction ban, the Bush administra-
tion has been increasing the numbers of fines
but still the vast majority of travellers do not
have to pay a fine. If you are careful you will
have no problems. If you want to go legally you
can apply for a visa from the Treasury depart-
ment. To learn more read this document before
contacting them.
http://www.treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/sa
nctions/t11cuba.pdf.
Here is how to contact the Treasury
Department:
OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL
U.S. Department of the Treasury
Washington, D.C. & Miami, Florida
202/622-2520 :: 305/810-5140
http://www.treas.gov/ofac
Contacting them may just draw attention to
yourself, so read the document first and see if it
applies to you. If you choose to gowithout an
official OK from the Treasury Department you
can minimize your risks by following these
steps.
Book a ticket to a third country that makes
sense for your location. For instance if you live
in Texas, go to Cancun or Mexico city. If you
live in Florida, go to Jamaica. You can contact
Divermex in Mexico and possibly arrange
for a flight from Mexico.
(http://cancun.com/tours/divermex/.) They will
hold a flight for you that you can pay for when
you arrive at the airport.
Buy your ticket to Cuba at that airport.
Usually, you can get out that day or the next. If
you arrive early in the morning, you can get on
a flight to Cuba without ever leaving the airport.
There are many airlines that fly to Cuba. The
cheapest is Cubana, the state airline of Cuba. It
is usually $100 less than the others, but it uses
a mixture of new and old Russian planes that
can be charming or scary depending on your
attitude to such things. The Russian planes use
a system that produces a white mist in the plane
before take off, so don’t panic when that happens.
3

Cuba for Beginners
Highlights
Cuban immigration is daunting but harmless
Say you are staying at a big hotel
It costs $12 - 18 for a taxi from the airport
You can log on to Cubalinda.com to get a list of
prices from various destinations.
There are also taxes that you will need to pay. So
expect to pay a $20 dollar airport tax in Cuba upon
departure and other costs that may be specific to the
airport you are flying from. When you buy your ticket
you will need your passport.
The Cubans know not to stamp your passport if
you are American. They will normally stamp your
tourist visa instead.
Cuban immigration appears a little more intimidating
than most immigration points at airports. They have
stalls where you will be asked questions and then
they buzz a door for you to leave after you are
processed. They may ask where you are from, if
you have been to Cuba before, what kind of work
you do, if you have friends in Cuba. It seems more
intimidating than it is. You are not doing anything
wrong in their eyes, so just answer the questions
and don’t worry. Besides being asked to show your
passport and tourist visa, you will be asked which
hotel you are staying at. If you don’t have one they
will require you to get a room at much more expen-
sive rates than necessary and you will pay right
there and then. It is best to tell them that you are
staying at one of the big hotels. Hotel Libre, Hotel
Inglaterra, Hotel National, Hotel Capri, The Riveria,
to name a few. They have no infrastructure to check
on this. If you have already arranged to stay at a
casa particular (you will learn more about these in
that section) you may show them a printed docu-
ment, although they frown on tourists staying at pri-
vate houses. In the casa particular section (in
Places to Stay and Places to Eat) we have listed a
few that have email addresses (they all have phone
numbers and you can call Cuba, country code 53,
Havana city code 7) for advanced booking, but it is
better to say you are staying at one of the big
hotels.
Getting from the airport.
Taxi’s from the airport always cost $12 - $18
depending on which neighborhood in Havana you
are going to. There are no buses or trains. The
cost is not per person so you can group with other
people to reduce your costs.
Taxis
Getting around can be difficult. There are buses, but
most likely you will not want to use them. There are
no easy to find public transportation maps and the
bus routes can be confusing. There are a few differ-
ent types of taxis, and in general you can get any-
where in the city for $3 or less. But they will try to
ask for much more, so always negotiate first. Know
where you are going and get a price first. There are
usually so many taxis that you can walk away from
the first few and eventually get the price you want.
Meter taxi
Many of these taxis will not use the meter and nego-
tiate the price instead. Using the meter is not
expensive for short distances. Make sure they either
use the meter or you have first negotiated the price.
Non-meter taxis
These are professionally marked cars without
meters. They are generally a similar price as the
meter taxis.
Peso taxi
Cubans generally take peso taxis, cars that drive a
general route and charge a flat $10 pesos. If you
speak enough Spanish to tell them where you are
going and can understand what they tell you as a
response, you can take them.
Private cars
There are many people who are illegally taxiing
tourists around. In general they are safe and cheap-
er than normal taxis. They will ask you to pay them
before arriving at your destination and will want to
be discreet. Trust your judgement. You can also
find private drivers for longer trips, such as going to
the beach or site seeing, for much less than a nor-
mal taxi. Often they will give you their phone num-
ber and you can arrange for rides throughout your
stay.
Cocotaxi
These are tourist vehicles that look very funny and
tend to be more expensive. But you can easily
negotiate a cheaper price.
4

Cuba for Beginners
Highlights
Don’t buy drugs in Cuba
Internet is available but expensive
Bring all of your film and video tape
Bicitaxi
These are bicycle taxis that are good for short
trips around town. In general they are $1 to go
almost anywhere. They were developed to only
be used by Cubans, but they pick up tourists
readily.
Rent a Car
Rental cars are expensive, generally $70 a day,
but make for a fun way to see the country. They
are available in all of the big hotels. Look over
the car thoroughly and make sure it is in good
condition. Cuban rental agencies don’t have the
same standards that you are used to. Try to get
the newest car available.
If travelling to another city you should be aware
that hitchhiking is a normal mode of transporta-
tion in Cuba, mostly outside of the cities. Picking
up Cubans in your rental car is a great way to
meet people and a great way to keep from get-
ting lost. Once you are off the main highway you
are bound to miss a few turns here and there.
Most streets are marked but not very well.
Because of this, be more careful while driving at
night.
Buses and Trains
To travel outside of Havana you can also take
buses and trains. Both of these can either be
done the touristy way or the Cuban way and
have a wide range of prices and pitfalls. All of the
big hotels can arrange a tourist bus trip via
Viazul, the state run bus service for tourists. Or
you can go directly to the bus or train station and
get a ticket on a cheaper Cuban fare. They usu-
ally charge tourists more than the Cuban rate,
but less than Viazul. Rates fluxuate, but you can
get anywhere on the island for under $50.
Estacion Central (Centro) Trains
Arsenal and Egida
Any taxi or driver will know how to get there.
Empressa Omnibus Nacionales
Ave Independencia 101
7 70-6155 (for reservations)
Telephones
There are two public telephones, ones that use
cards and can make international calls, and a
peso phone that will allow to call anywhere in
Cuba. The peso phone is much cheaper for all
local calls and requires peso coins.
All of the big hotels offer phone services for inter-
national calls and tend to be extremely expen-
sive. You can call the U.S. There are
telephone/internet services on the street in air-
conditioned glass structures. They are slightly
cheaper than the hotels.
To Call Cuba you can dial direct by using country
code 53, Havana city code 7. Most people do not
speak english.
Language
People in Cuba speak Spanish, albeit a difficult
to understand version, and not much English. In
all of the touristy places you will find English
speakers, but not many in other places. It is
helpful to get a phrase book and learn a few key
phrases. Cuban Spanish is faster than other ver-
sions whick makes it more difficult to understand,
even for Spanish speakers.
Drugs
Drugs are highly illegal and can cause a tourist
to spend weeks in jail waiting for trial. Be careful
of undercover police trying to sell you marijuana
or cocaine. Entrapment laws don’t apply in
Cuba.
Police
The police are everywhere and generally will
leave you alone, and protect you when neces-
sary. Almost anything you do that isn’t violent,
drug related or harmful in some other way will be
overlooked. Cuban police do not take bribes and
you can get in trouble for offering one.
Internet
Internet access is available in most big hotels in
5
 Havana and generally costs $2 every 15 minutes,
although some hotels charge a flat $6 fee to get
started. The connections are not extremely fast.
Cuba for Beginners Film processing
You are going to want to take photographs so
bring all of the film or video tape you need. Film
is available but expense. MiniDV is very difficult
to find. You can process film at a few locations.
Western Union
In an emergency you can find a western Union on
#351 Obispo telephone # 62 0011.
American Interest Section
If your life is in danger for some reason, you can
go to the American Interest Section for sanctuary.
Short of that you should avoid this place at all
cost. It is located on Calzada between L and M.
Gay and Lesbian
In general gays and lesbians have been perse-
cuted in Cuba by the government. They will not
persecute a tourist for being gay. To learn more
see “Gay Cuba” by by Sonja de Vries (http://cata-
log.frameline.org/titles/gay_cuba_dir.html) or read
“Before Night Falls” by Reinaldo Arenas, both are
very informative. In today’s Cuba the problem
seems less severe and there are many hangouts.
Gay men are often found at the Malecon and 23,
near La Rampa.
Health and Medicine
You should anticipate and buy any prescription
drugs, over-the-counter drugs or hygiene prod-
ucts you generally need. Most of these items are
now available but costly and difficult to find. This
Highlights includes simple items like tampons, cough medi-
cine, condoms, aspirin, bug spray, sun tan lotion,
Cuban’s can only stay with tourists in etc.
Casa Particulars
You can only bring 20 kilos of luggage Hospitals
If you get hurt there are hospitals that will take
you and your cash. It is relatively cheap but pay-
ing your bill is part of the experience. Hospital
Calixto Garcia (7)55 2197, Hospital Cira Garcia
(7) 24 0330.
Disease
Castro was known to quarantine AIDS victims
and is reported to require some people to take
mandatory AIDS tests. They claim that the island
has an almost zero instance of AIDS, Hepatitis,
TB, etc. I wouldn’t trust those numbers, but dis-
ease is less prevalent than in other poverty strick-
en nations.
Sex and Cuba
The word commonly used for prostitution (and
hustler) is jinitero. This applies to the men and
the women (jinatera). There are many prosti-
tutes, both male and female, and many more
people who you may not call a prostitute, but will
have sex in exchange for hanging out with some-
one with money. Mostly they do this to be able to
eat at restaurants, go to clubs and other perks.
The going rate for a straight sexual exchange is
$30 or less, and they always ask for more. The
other situation is less easy to calculate.
Be careful of young men or women soliciting you
for sex. Always check ID’s if you are interested in
spending time with someone. All Cubans carry
ID’s, it’s the law. If they tell you they don’t have
it, they are most likely lying about their age. It is
against the law for foreigners to have sex with
anyone younger than 18 in Cuba. The penalties
for you and the Cubano can be severe.
Prostitution is illegal but the tourists rarely get in
trouble (as long as they are with adults), however
the Cuban can be jailed.
Cubans are not permitted to stay in hotels with
foreigners, but for the most part they can stay in
casa particulars. You should ask the owner of the
room you are staying at if you can have company.
There’s no need to be shy, Cubans have a rather
healthy attitude toward sex.
Hustlers
Besides prostitution, the term jinitero also applies
to hustlers. And they can do all kinds of things:
get you black market cigars, find restaurants for
you, places to stay, get you in to unique clubs,
show you around, help you bargain for goods and
services. You name it. If you need something
6
 there is always someone to help you find it, the Disposable razors
trick is finding that right someone. So don’t rule Chocolate
them out, but as with anything, be careful. Blank videos
Hand held portable radios
Fishing line,hooks,and sinkers
Cuba for Beginners Most likely you will be approached day and night
by men looking to be at your service for a few dol-
Sporting Equipment (balls, mits, shoes)
Basically, everything we take for granted
lars. Most will approach you with “my friend, my
friend.” Getting good at dispersing them casually How much to bring
will become an artform for you. If you don’t need A new Cuban travel restriction limits tourists to 20
anything and don’t feel like answering “where are kilos (44lbs.) per person. You can bring up to 10
you from” for the hundredth time, just tell them you kilos more for $15 per kilo, but everything over 30
that are tired and don’t want to be bothered and kilos will be confiscated. Cuba imposes restric-
they will usually go away. Most hustlers don’t tions such as these sporadically and changes the
want trouble and don’t want the police to see them rules often. So weigh your things and be ready to
bothering a tourist. give certain things up if necessary. It is common
to have items you bring for Cubans be confiscated
Bring stuff for the Cubans by immigration.
It’s a great way to help people and to make
friends. What do they need? Just about every-
thing. Immigration will take items away or charge a
tariff if you bring too much, especially books,
videos, vcr’s, etc. There is a recently imposed
limit of 20 kilos (44 pounds) or less. Also keep
in mind that you can not bring VCR’s.
Simple medicines (aspirin, cough drops, sinus medicine,
band aids...everything is expensive in Cuba)
Videos
Books
Pens and pencils
Paper (they have no paper)
Toilet paper They are very low on toilet paper)
Deodorant
Perfumes
Pantihose
Make-up supplies
Clothes, hats, shoes, stuff for children, Sunglasses (no
one has any)
Bugspray
Nail polish and remove
Highlights Shampoos and conditioners
Bring stuff for the Cubans Liquid hand and body soaps
Hair colors,hand
Lotions
Baby powder and shampoo
Children's toys
Coloring books and crayons
Towels
Any religious materials
Pocket calculators
Pocket Spanish-English dictionaries
Shoe polish

7

Cuba for Beginners
Highlights
Private rooms are called Casa Particulars
and are cheaper than hotels
Places to stay
There are hotels and there are private rooms
called casa particulars. The hotels are generally
more expensive, although we have found some
medium ranged hotels for this listing. In casa
particulars you are mostly staying in someone’s
house or apartment. The hotels don’t allow
Cubans to visit, so if you want to invite a Cuban
to your room you need to stay at a casa particu-
lar. In general the family doesn’t care who you
bring home but won’t accept people under 18.
Casa particulars
Opening up their homes to tourists is one of the
ways that Cubans can legally make money.
They usually convert some rooms in their house
for tourists. Some of them have private
entrances, some of them share a common area
with the family, others are completely private
apartments. This list of casa carticulars is less
than 2 months old. Travel agencies in Europe
charge $30 dollars for an up-to-date list like this.
Some of these have email addresses so that you
can book a room in advance over the Internet.
They all have phone numbers (Call Cuba by
dialling country code 53 and Havana city code
7).
Casa Particulars
Habana Vieja
El Parador Numantino
Consuldo 223 between Animas and Trocadero
53 7 862 7629
Has 4 rooms and a common area. Each room
has a bathroom, air conditioner, mini fridge and
TV. $30 – 35
Jorge Luis o Mina
Calle Belascoin #452
On the corner of Zanja and Belascain in the
Super Cake building.
537 879 0432
Two bedroom apartment on the 7th floor of the
famous Super Cake building, complete with
kitchen and living room area.
$50
Dr. Antonio E. Clavero Machado and Terracita
Amada
Lealtad 262 Between Neptuno and Concordia
862 3924
email: aclavero@infomed.sld.cu
They have 7 rooms and a common area with a
balcony. Each room has a bathroom and air
conditioner. Nice place for a group of people.
$20 – 25.
Rufino Anel Martin and Pilar Rodrigues
Santos
Neptuno 556 between Lealtad and Escobar
537 862 4149
They 4 small rooms with air conditioning and a
bathroom.
$20 – 25.
Dr. Ernesto Garcia
Lealtad 262 between Animas and Virtudes
537 861 2753
email: garciaruiz@hotmail.com webpage:
http://geocities.com/garciaruiz49
Two rooms with common area. Each room has a
bathroom, air conditioner and fridge.
Melba and Manuel
Lealtad 59 between Lazaro and Laguna
863-1701
Has one large rental with 2 rooms, kitchen, bath-
room plus two balconies. Entrance is not private.
$40
8
 Sra. Caridad Maricela Dominguez
Jovellar #208 between Infanta and San Francisco. Calle 25 No. 161 Apartment 4, between Infanta
Cuba for Beginners 878 2822 and O, Vedado.
email:odalys@ipf.co.cu 870 5164
Two rooms, A single and a double. Air conditioner, email:mdmguez29@hotmail.com or
private entrance, fridge. mabel@giron.sld.cu
$25 2 rooms, air conditioner, fridge, radio, shared
house with owner but many Americans stay there.
Ofelia $25
Virtudes 211 between Aguila and Amistad
863 4004 Sra. Magalis Sanchez Lopez
3 rooms, air conditioning, bathrooms, fridge, private Calle 25 No. 156, between Infanta and O.
entrance. 70 7613
$20 - 30 Two rooms, private entrance, shared Patio garden
and sun deck, air conditioner, fridge, TV,
Xiomara Morasen $25
Virtudes 216 between Aguila and Amistad
537 8 61 0656 Vedado
Two rooms, air conditioning, bathroom, fridge. Miguel or Juana
Meals available. Acts as an agent for 3 or four more very nice apart-
$25 ments.
Calle 0 No. 58, apartment 31
La Romantic Colonial Across the street from the Hotel Nacional.
Familia Puig 209 2238, 267,3375
Amistad No. 178 Kitchen/living area, fridge, bathroom. Small apart-
Between Neptuno and Concordia ment in a high rise.
862 2330 $20 – 25
email: adriaemail@webcorreos.cuba.cu
website: xgoodhopex.tripod.com Eloisa
2 rooms, air conditioner, bathroom, fridge, private 350 27 de Noviembre
entrance. Between M and N
$20 878 3488
email: eloisamn@yahoo.es
Centro Air conditioner, bathroom, private entrance, fridge.
Sr. Fernando Cachaldora Very clean, good food.
Jovellar #16 2nd Floor in between Marina and $25 – 30
Soledad
537 878 4319 Tania
When you stay here you are actually in someone’s Calle C No. 659
apartment. They leave when it is rented. It’s big Between 27 and 29
and has a kitchen and air conditionar. 832 77 02
$30 Air conditioner, bathroom, living area, kitchen,
fridge, double bed. Good for single or couple.
$25

9
 Marpoly
Calle K #154 Hotel Linclon
Between 11 and 13 Virtudes # 164
32 2471 Between Galiano and San Nicolas
Cuba for Beginners 2 rooms, air conditioner, fridge, bathrooms, common 33 829
area in a vintage house. Medium ranged hotel in Centro. Older style. Air con-
$30 ditioning.
33 8209
$35 – $45
Hotels
In general, the hotels in Cuba have two categories. Vedado
Very expensive but not worth it or super expensive Hotel Nacional
and sort-of worth it. We have a found a range of Calle O and La Rampa
clean and adequate medium ranged hotels for you 7 33 3564
with a few of the better high priced hotels thrown in Beautiful building on the Malecon.
for good measure. $120 - $200

Habana Vieja Hotel Colina

Hotel Lido L between 27 and Jovellar
Consulado 216 between Animas and Trocadero 33 4071
67 1102 email:hotel@lido.hor.tur.cu Medium ranged hotel. Air conditioning.
Medium priced hotel. Air conditioning, includes $44 – 54
breakfast.
$36 –$46 Hotel Horizontes Vedado
Calle O
Hotel Inglaterra Between 23 and 25
Prado No. 416 between San Rafael and San Miguel 33 4072 email: recep@vedado.hor.tur.cu
8 60 8595 Includes breakfast. Nice, clean and Modern. Air con-
Great hotel on Parque Central ditioning.
$80 - $150 $67 –$77

Hotel Seville Hotel Universitaro

Trocadero 55 Calle 17 #111
Trocadero and Prado Between L and M
537 60 8876 Older hotel, air conditioner, fridge, clean
gergal@sevilla.gca.cma.net $25 - 35
$105 - $135
Also has a roof garden restaurant. Mirimar
Open 7 – 10 Villa Costa
On Prada and Virtudes Calle 1ra
$18 – $30 per person Between 34 and 36
7 29 2250
Golden Tulip Parque Central Seafront, sizable room, clean
7 66 6627 email:sales@gtpc.cha.cuy.cu $28 - $38
Prado and Neptuno on Parque Central
4 star Hotel. Expensive but nice.
$165 - 250

10
 Places to eat
Eating in Cuba can be both frustrating and expen-
sive. You can eat well and pay a lot of money, you
Cuba for Beginners can also eat bad and pay a lot of money. The
There are few different options. Eating at your casa
particular, state run restaurants, private restaurants
(paladars), peso restaurants, and on the street.
Understanding the differences is important.
Casa Particular
Most casa particulars will make, breakfast, lunch
and dinner for a reasonable price. Breakfast, usu-
ally $2-3, consists of eggs, coffee, fruit, bread,
juice, etc. Dinners can cost from $6 –12, and many
will prepare any dinner you like as long as you
order in advance so they can go shopping.
Restaurants and cafeterias
These can offer a wide variety of styles and prices.
In general, any restaurant that is not in a private
home is state run. In recent years they have
advanced the level of service and variety of styles.
At one time, all of the restaurants would have a
large menu but never have any of the items. Many
of them are still like that. You can tell the differ-
ence by the quality of the décor and waitstaff.
There are many very inexpensive peso restau-
rants, but it can be difficult for a tourist to pay the
same the price as Cubans. In other cities it is easi-
er to walk in and eat, but in Havana they will tend
to hustle you by either trying to charge you dollars
instead of pesos or by handing you a menu
designed to deceive tourists. You can tell the dif-
ference between prices in pesos by how many
lines are in the dollar symbol. The peso only has
one line through it and the dollar prices have the
usual two lines. In general fried chicken or a pork
Highlights dish with salad and rice will cost a Cuban between
Eating a meal a day at your Casa $10 and $16 pesos, but some restaurants will try to
Particular will be cheaper and better than charge a tourist anywhere between $5 and $10
dining out dollars for the same dish.
Paladars
Private run restaurants are one of the legal ways
that Cubans can make money. They tend to be
good but expensive. You can negotiate for a better
price if you like. They usually have more items
than are on the menu so you can ask if they have
steak or lobster. Most of them are quaint with no
more than 10 tables, and they tend to have good
service. Many of the hustlers will try to get you into
a paladar as many are hard to find. Always look at
the menu and negotiate a price and trust your
instinct. It will be more expensive if someone
brings you since they get a commission. Also be
careful of hustlers wanting to eat with you—unless
you want to pay for their dinner. Paladars close
and reopen often, although fewer new places open
than those that close for good.
Street food
The street food is cheap and generally safe but not
great. You can get everything from ice cream,
pizza, fried chicken, rice dishes, and more for any-
where from 10 cents to $2. It helps to get pesos
first but these places can be good for changing
money as well. Most of these places can be found
on the street in doorways.
Restaurants
Habana Vieja
Puerto de Sagua
On the corner of Egido and Acosta
867 1026
Reasonably priced restaurant with a fun bar filled
with fish tanks. Steak, seafood, pizzas, salads. $6
– $20 per person (lobster is the only $18 dish).
Osteria Italiano
12pm to 12am
On the corner of Prado and Colon
Quick, easy and affordable Italian eatery.
$5 – $7 per person.
Ristarante A Prado
12pm - 12am
On Prado and Neptuno
8 60 9636
Italian international cuisine.
$15 – $25
11
 Hotel Seville Roof Garden Tong Po Laug
7pm – 10am Barrio Chino, Cuchillo No. 10
Prado and Virtudes, on the 9th floor of the hotel
Cuba for Beginners Expensive but worth it for the beautiful 9th floor
views of the city. Great for a sunset dinner.
Toi Sen
Barrio China, Cuchillo No. 5
$18 - $30
Huang Hu
Vedado Corner of Cuchillo and San Nicolas
Casa de la Amistad
Paseo between 17 and 19 Parrillada (Take Out)
Beautiful building filled with shops and restaurants. Across from Toi Sen (this is a decent peso take-
Lunch – simple dishes, pasta, patries, sandwiches, out place that serves rice dishes for about $1).
pizza, good coffee. Reasonably priced.
$7 - $12
Paladars
Trattoria Maraka’s
Habana Vieja
12am – 12pm
Torresson
Calle O between 23 and 25, just off the corner
12am – 12pm
from La Rampa
Malecon No. 27 between Prado and Carcel
Great Italian restaurant, reasonably priced
61 7476
$8 - $18
Traditional Cuban dishes, including lobster. Quaint
place that overlooks the Malecon.
El Toro
$8 - $15
12pm – 12am
Calle O between 23 and 25, Second floor just off
Restaurante Fenix
the corner from La Rampa
12 pm to 12 am
Great steak house
Animas 273 between Aguila and Amistad
$15 – $25
Offers lobster, shrimp, chicken, fish, salads and
more. Nice atmosphere. No menu.
El Jardin
$12 – $18
12pm – 10am
Linea and Calle C
Fornos Cha
Vegetarian peso restaurant
12pm to 12am
Very good and cheap.
On the corner of Neptuno and San Miguel
$4 -$8
Chicken, pork, salads, seafood.
$6-$12 per person
China Town (Barrio Chino)
China Town can be a good alternative to the Bellomar
expensive paladars and the cheap restaurants. It Criolla Style, fish, chicken, pork, seafood, salads.
falls somewhere in between in price but not quali- Virtudes 169A
ty. You can have a complete meal including drinks On the corner of Virtudes and Amistad.
for between $5 and $10. But there are other $12 – $18
places that are twice the price, so always check
the menu. The three we recommend below are the
cheapest and best quality on the street.

12
 Amistad De Lanzarote Sofia
12am – 12pm La Rampa and O
Cuba for Beginners Amistad #211 between Neptuno and San Miguel
863 6172
Sandwiches, pizza, chicken, patio dining. Fun
hangout with music.
Chicken, pork, fish, salad, rice dishes. $5 - $10
$7 – $10
Centro
Vedado La tasquita
Aries 12am to 12pm
12am - 12pm 160 27 de Noviembre, between Espada and San
27 de Noviembre, No. 456, between J and K. In Francisco.
front of the University. Vedado. Criolla style, pork, chicken, fish and ensalada.
832 4118 $8 – $12 per person
Wide ranging menu and moderately priced.
$6 – $10 El Jinete
Corner of 25 and Eszda de Infanta (next to the
La Complamente Las Vegas Club).
Linea Between Calle L and N, In the back next to 12am – 12pm
El Rapido Chicken, pork, fish,
Decent peso paladar. Traditional Cuban cuisine. $8 – $14
$3 - $5

Monguito
Nuevo Vedado
12pm - 12am La Casa
Calle L #408 Calle 30 #865
In front of the Habana Libre between 26 and 41
831 2615 7 81 7000
Chicken, fish, pork, salad. Great Cuban food. Great atmosphere.
$6 – $10 $9 - $16

Los Mosqueteros
Calle 23 No. 607
Between E and F
Overlooks Calle 23, near La Rampa
Chicken, pork, seafood.
$12 – $20

Union Fracesa de Cuba

On the corner of 17 and 6
8 32 44 93
Fish, pork, steak, pastries, wine selection. Very
nice building.
$12 - $18

13
 Points of interest
Cuba for Beginners This section is not meant to replace the
extensive info available in the many guide-
books, but instead is meant to point out a
few places in and around Havana that you
shouldn’t miss.
We would also like to recomend aquiring a
taste for discovery. Much of what makes
Havana interesting is the people and the cul-
ture. Havana is a very safe place (as
described in “Tips for Travelling to Cuba”),
so feel free to walk around the various
neighborhoods and see what you find. Take
a ride in a bici-taxi, buy some pastries from a
doorway shop and enjoy the worn architec-
ture.
Every turn can offer a new discovery, so
don’t rush from place to place. Just take in
the atmosphere and see where it leads you.
The Malecon
The Malecon is a must see. It may be the
most famous seawall in the world and is a
favorite hangout for thousands of people liv-
ing in Havana. There are many outdoor
cafes, restaurants and even a few museums.
Across the street is where everyone goes to
hang out on the wall and drink rum, swim or
just people watch. Perfect for a sunset stroll.
Some highlights:
Torresson
Malecon No. 27 between Prado and Carcel. Nice
paladar that overlooks the Malecon.
Museo de Grafia
Gallery on the Malecon, near Prado.
Obispo street
Starts on the East side of Parque Central
and runs to the Plaza de Armes
Obispo is a great street for music, shopping
and more. There are little shops, some
restaurants and bars loaded with great live
music that runs from the afternoon until mid-
night. And it is a great way to get to the
Plaza de Armes and the Plaza de la
Catedral.
Some highlights:
Western Union
LLuvia de oro
Great place for music and drinks.
Cafe Paris
Great place for music and drinks.
La Moderna Poesia (on Obispo)
Modern bookstore with plenty of useful books for
tourists
Prado
Prado is a pleasant walking boulevard that
runs from the malecon to Parque Central. It
is lined with restaurants, hotels and dance
clubs. There is much to discover.
Some highlights:
Hotel Seville
An old mobster hangout complete with pictures of
pre-revolutionary Mobsters and movie stars. Has
a great top floor restaurant and bar that has a fan-
tastic view of Havana, great for sunset dinners.
Parque Central
One of the more famous and touristy parks
in Havana but a must see. Lined by the
Hotel Inglaterra, Gran Teatro Garcia Lorca,
The Capitilio and the now rehabbed Bellas
Artes museum of Art. It’s filled with hustlers,
street artists, chess players and most inter-
esting, dozens of baseball fanatics who
spend the day arguing about baseball.
Some highlights:
Hotel Inglaterra
Gran Teatro Garcia Lorca
Go see a ballet, the building is beautiful and Cuba
has some great theatrical talent.
The Capitilio
Bellas Artes museum
Havana Vieja Galleria, Bar, Tienda and Museum
La Moderna Poesia (on Obispo)
Modern bookstore with plenty of useful books for
tourists
14

Cuba for Beginners La Rampa
La Rampa is the intersection of Calle L and
23. Surrounding it is the Havana Libre, the
Coppellia ice cream café where hundreds
of Cubans wait in line for hours to get the
primo ice cream of Cuba, Cine Yana, it’s
short walk to the Malecon.
Some highlights:
Habana Libre
Coppelia
The cream of the ice cream shops. The shear
size of this place will surprise you. The hundreds
of Cubans standing outside are actually waiting
for hours to buy a cheap dish of ice cream. You
can buy the same ice cream on one of the two
smaller stands on the sides for about $3. It
tastes better when you wait 2 hours though.
Cine Yana
There are tons of movie theaters in Havana and
they often show dubbed or subtitled American
movies.
Sofia
Fun cafe with live music. A hang out for foreign-
ers and Cuban’s alike.
Neptuno
Neptuno runs off of Parque central, right
next to the Hotel Inglaterra. It’s a fun street
filled with Cuban clothing stores, repair
shops, barber shops, street food vendors
and even some live music. Makes for a
great authentic Cuban shopping spree.
Casa de la Musica
Concordia and Galiano, next to the Teatro
America. Brand new concert hall filled with
Cubans dancing their asses off.
Tropicana
Probably the greatest show in Cuba and a
definite must see just to say you saw it.
Packages run from $65 to $95. The more
expensive package includes transportation
and meals but you can also take your own
taxi and eat beforehand to save money.
The food isn’t anything special. Every driver
knows how to get there. You must book
tickets in advance and you can do that at
almost any big hotel.
Hotel Riviera
Great 50’s style lobby completely intact.
Has a fun bar and a Cabaret that is quite
good for $30. Take a tour of the lobby. On
the Malecon and Paseo.
Museum of the Revolution
The state version of Cuban history filled
with great artifacts and even some wax fig-
ures of Che Guevera and Camillo
Cienfuegos. Give yourself atleast 2- 3
hours to take it all in and make sure you
see the famous boat, Granma. A must see!
Hotel Nacional
A giant Spanish style Hotel on La Rampa
and the Malecon. Worth touring its garden
just for the views of the Malecon. Also
check their show schedule as they often
have some very good cabarets.
Plaza De La Dignidad
Built to host the many rallies that crop up
for various reasons. It is worth going to see
the statue of Jose Marti holding Elian
Gonzalous and pointing back toward
America. Near the American Interest
Section on 9th and the Malecon.
Barrio Chino
Mentioned in the restaurants section, this is
a fun little corridor filled with Chinese
restaurants. Yes, that’s right. There used
to be many chines on the island and you
will still see many of Chinese descent.
Located behind the capital. They have just
built a new Chinese marker that expands
the China town area but the original corri-
15
Cuba for Beginners dor is just off of Zanja.
John Lennon Statue
An oddity worth seeing. Yes, Castro actually
made a John Lennon statue. It baffled even
the Cubans. Located in Vedado in Lennon
Park.
Havana Club Rum museum
A fun place to see the colorful history of Rum.
On ave del Puerto #262 esq.Sol Havana
Vieja.
Club 1830
Has shows most nights but also makes for a
great afternoon trip to see the castles made
from seashells. At the end of the Malecon
before Mirimar.
Plaza De San Francisco
A pretty cobble stoned square, near the har-
bor of Havana, that is home to one of the
most beautiful churches in Havana and the old
Terminal Sierra Maestra.
Iglesia y Conveta de San Francisco de Asis
A beautiful 1700’s church on the Plaza.
Plaza de Armas
Has a history museum, restaurants and a few
other tourist attractions but is best know for it’s
book fair. The fair happens most days and
you can scour through thousands of revolu-
tionary texts.
Plaza de la Catedral
Maybe the most beautiful plaza in Havana. It
has a collection of restaurants and musicians
that you will not want to miss. Just north of
Plaza De Armas in Habana Vieja.
Univerisidad de la Habana
The steps leading up to the university are
quite a site. And strolling through the campus
makes for an interesting afternoon. On Calle L
and Calle 27, near La Rampa.
Bay of Havana
It’s worth talking a walk on the east end of
Havana Vieja, just south of Obispo on Peurta
Av. On one side you will find colonial architec-
ture, Spanish churches and various small
plazes; and on the other a striking view of
Havana’s industrial harbor.
Morro Cabana Historical Park
A must see while in Havana. The park is
made up of 2 Spanish fortresses, that you can
see from the Malecon, located at the mouth of
the harbor on the north side. The ancient
structures are immense and have been beau-
tifully restored. Call 7 62 7653.
Hemingway's Marina and Beach Club
Named after Ernest Hemingway who lived in
Havana before and after the Revolution, the
Marina is located at Av 5ta and Calle 248. It
is also home to numerous restaurants, bars,
and nightclubs. Deep sea fishing, snorkeling
or sightseeing on a yacht is available. You
can call 7 241150 or email commercial@com-
ermh.cha.cyt.cu.
Beaches
There are no sizable sandy beaches in
Havana but there are many beaches to the
West and the East. The East side is prefer-
able to the Cubans and the water seems
cleaner. Playa del Este is a collection of
beaches just outside Havana. Of the many
that comprise the 6 km stretch Santa Maria is
most Cuban’s favorite. Any taxi driver will
know how to get there.
16
 onum ental
Havana Via M

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17