CUBA TRIP: Havana + Viñales

Long overdue recap of my trip to the beautiful island of Cuba! This is one of my favorite adventures and I can't wait to share it with you. Before I show you the photos, I want to provide some tips as you possibly plan a trip to Cuba. You can find a ton of blogs  that go over in detail but I'll give you some tips that really helped me in planning and while I was on the island.

TIPS & INFORMATION

TRAVELING FROM TO CUBA FROM THE STATES:

• Travel under any of the 12 allowed categories, including Support The Cuban People. Declare that category when booking flights, lodging, and during re-entry into the US.
• Stay at casas particulares, eat at local restaurants, and support local businesses.
• Avoid staying at hotels banned by the US State Department and spending money at military-owned businesses. Here is a complete list.
• Keep detailed records of your time in Cuba. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) can ask you about your travels for the next five years. If you can’t prove that your trip fell within one of the 12 approved categories, you could get in trouble
• Obtain a Tourist Visa (we flew via Alaska Airlines and they recommended Cuba Travel Services which is $50 + $35processing fee).

CURRENCY/BUDGETING

• Bring cash, your credit/debit cards will not work on the island!
• Budget about $100 per day (includes food, lodging, etc.). I definitely did NOT need as much money because our casas offered breakfast for an additional $3-4 per person (included fresh juice, fruit platter, coffee, biscuits, eggs and toast). We ate on the cheap and found this amazing paladar called La Catedral (food was amazing and cheap!).
• They have two currencies (CUC and CUP aka moneda nacional). You need a passport to exchange money and they charge a 10% penalty fee. I was told to exchange to euros first to avoid it but they still hit me with the penalty fee since I had a US passport. Your money will exchange to CUCs as that is their tourist currency which is equal to $1 USD.

TRANSPORTATION

• Try not to use government owned taxi service. We found it quite easy to find "locals" and they were much cheaper too so we could tip and know it was going to them directly (they were very grateful).
• DO NOT fall for the horse rides, they're all scams and tell you its $15 but really they mean $15/hour per person. They are really pushy but you can politely decline.
• There is a hop-on hop-off bus that runs from 9am-6pm and is $10 per person and it takes you all over town so you can view the city and get off/back on as you wish. We did this one day only and used it as our "taxi."

INTERNET SERVICES

• I went without internet and loved it, I strongly encourage you to wait until you get home to post your photos - enjoy the moment ;)
• If you "need" it then you can buy ETECSA prepaid wifi cards at hotels which will give you access to ETECSA wifi networks, which can be found at major hotels, the malecon (sea wall) and public parks.
• Download the Cuba Travel Guide by Triposo app (its an offline map and FREE)

MISCELLANEOUS

• Drink bottled water, do not drink tap water
• You are now allowed to bring back $400 worth of souvenirs, including up to $100 worth of Cuban cigars.
  
• Pack toilet paper and bring with you everywhere! Almost every restroom had zero rolls available but conveniently a lady was there providing some for tips.
  

ARRIVING TO CUBA

We only took carry-on luggage because we heard the baggage claim area was extremely slow. Our host arranged for a local driver to pick us up from the airport, we walked out and were greeted with a hundred people waiting for people LOL.

El Malecón - Havana

A must - catch the sunset by the Malecón! Once we checked-in, we went right back outside to enjoy the sunset with the locals. View photos below along with the captions.

Photos above: View from our Casa Particular room/deck, Panoramic view from our Casa Particular room/deck, View from our Casa Particular room & View from the front door of Casa Particular. After wandering, there was very little open late at night so we ended up at this Paladar with "interesting" food options LOL. We also had a large spiral staircase to get to our room. View from the 2nd floor during breakfast, we ate outside. Breakfast always started with fresh juice, coffee & fruit then followed by eggs and toast. After, we spent the day exploring: El callejon de Hamel, Museum of the Revolution, the buildings/homes near the malecon, the Capitol building and the the rooftop of Parque Central hotel during sunset. We ordered iced coffee and this is what we got...ice is a luxury there!

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Viñales Valley

We decided to take a day trip to Viñales Valley, mostly know for it's cute town, gateway to mogotes and tobacco fields. View the captions and photos below for more details!

Photos above: Home/land on the side of the road, Cuban Belly Palm Trees, Mural de la prehistoria painted on a mogote by Leovigildo Gonzalez (follower of Mexican artist Diego Rivera) which symbolizes the evolution of life in Cuba, Walked through a cave (so humid) then took a small boat to get to the other side, Visited a tobacco farmer and got to see how cigars are made in the secadero, (Side note: Did you know that tobacco farmers are mandated to sell 90% of their product to the Cuban government for set price and only 10% can be sold to visitors at their own price?). Lastly, we visited The Mirador - a view of the Viñales Valley but a thunderstorm hit right when we got there. It went from sunny to rain in minutes!

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Vedado y Havana Viejo

When we planned this trip, we knew we wanted to stay in different neighborhoods so we ended up in Vedado  (where the "mobsters" used to live). We saved Old Havana for the last day because it was more of a "tourist trap" and crowded. At least we could say we went to La Bodeguita del Medio, etc. View photos below and detailed captions. Also, view video of our cruise in a classic car HERE.

Photos above: Local taxi to get to our next casa particular, Dinner at La Catedral paladar (Each entree was $5.70!!), View from our second casa particluar in a Vedado mansion, Breakfast made by our second host, Coppelia - famous ice cream spot. It was mediocre but a nice treat to beat the heat & humidity. Basílica Menor y Convento de San Francisco de Asís, La Bodeguita del Medio, Catedral de la Habana and Went for a cruise in a 1957 Chevy Bel Air - check out a video HERE.

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Overall, this was an epic few days and I'm so glad I got to see Cuba before all of the hotels/resorts begin to build. Will I go again? Maybe, but to visit other towns.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed this rundown of Cuba!