Havana Travel Guide, Cuba

It was always a dream to visit Cuba and I realised it last summer. It was an amazing and very interesting experience, even if it is not as glamorous as it seems to be on pictures. This country seems so far, in term of distance but also of travel in time. It is like time has stopped and it is just magic.

I am so happy and proud to have been there! It was an enriching experience from merely point of view. First of all, from a human point of view. We had the chance to meet locals and discuss with them from their all-day life and their feelings towards their country. We can't say that they are happy about their situation as the lack of development, freedom and money affect them a lot. But even if their life is hard, they tend to have a positive mindset! And secondly, from a cultural point of view. We learned a lot about the history of the country, stories that we don't hear about in Europe, but also about their traditions, rituals and religion. Discovering the reality of their life make me realised the chance I had to grew up in a developed country with all I needed and with the most important thing: FREEDOM!

We went there in July and stayed mainly in Havana, so it was warm (always over 30°) and very wet. It took us a little bit of time to get accustomed to the heat and the smells in some part of the city.

Seeing all these ancient houses, which are so impressive and colourful was marvellous! The architecture and old cars make you really travel in time. When we walked around, we liked to imagine what could have been the life in these houses in the past.

The vegetation is breathtaking and very different from what we know in Europe. You will find some small parks in the city centre but the most impressive one is the Parque Almendares. It is a real forest downtown. The vegetation is luxuriant - it is like being in the middle of the jungle with all these huge trees and vines. It seems so unreal!! Moreover it is the place of one of the most deepest rituals of the cuban culture, where people get "purified" from their past life.

Parque Almendares

HOTEL: We found a lovely "non official" hotel which is called Animas 303. It is well placed near the famous Paseo del Marti. The rooms are clean, it is modern and sober. Moreover, there is air conditioning and hot water (I know it could be surprising to notice it but it is not the case everywhere in Cuba). The hosts are very kind and helpful. 

Arcangel

FOOD:

• We had our favorite spot for breakfast just next our hotel: Arcangel. It was a lovely place where you can have a delicious coffee, fresh juices and fruits as well as omelette.

• 304 O'Reilly: The place is modern and the food delicious and traditional. Moreover the service is very kind. One of our favorite during our stay, we even went there twice.

304 O'Reilly

• La Guarida: this place is a little bit fancier than other. It is so picturesque, and when arriving in front of the house you would not bet there is a restaurant in here. The restaurant is in the last floor and on the roof top there is the bar with a breathtaking view over the sea and the city!! It is certainly one of the better view from Havana. We went to the bar for a drink before dinner to admire the sunset. It was a magical moment and the better night we had in Havana. Concerning the restaurant, the food isn't so special and it is quiet expensive for Havana, but if you want to go there you have to book a table few days before.
• Riomar: It is a little bit off-centre, but the taxi ride is worth it! You will follow the Maleçon to go there, so you have a beautiful view over the sea during the whole ride. You can eat there delicious sea food for a quite reasonable price regarding the place, which is very modern, and the location: you eat on a terrace over the river. The only drawback is the price of the taxi ride which is quite expensive (15CUC per ride). But all in all, it is a very nice place which I totally recommend.

Riomar

• La Fabrica de Arte Cubano: It is a trendy place where young people and artists gather to have a drink, admire the art and party. It is a pleasant atmosphere and we spend a lovely night there. We could be surprised to see a place like this in Havana so cutting edge it is! Moreover, you can enjoy some Cuban tapas which are very good and cheap.

SALSA LESSON: One of our better experience in Havana was our salsa lesson. We already took some beginner dance lessons where we live but we never danced the salsa. It was a very good moment to learn the Cuban salsa with locals. We really enjoyed it and had so much fun! 

INTERNET: It will be hard to share right away your holidays pictures on instagram or snapshat. There is no 3G system in Cuba. You have to buy a card on which you will have an identification number and a password to log in the free wifi area. There are not many parks where you have this free wifi access. The most important and central one is the Parque Fe del Valle. But generally, if you see people just standing in the street, all looking at there phones there is probably an internet access.

BEACH: If you want to relax and go to the beach you definitely have to go to Playa del Este. It is 20/30min far from Havana and there are bus which directly drive you there from the city centre. We took the bus from Parque Centrale where there are departure every 30 minutes. There are several stops with the bus and I recommend you to go to Santa Maria. It is the nicest spot and there are less people than on the other beaches. Lastly, I would recommend to avoid going to the beach on the weekend because all the locals go there and the place is very crowded. You should better go during the week so you will have the beach on your own.

Administrative tips:

• You need a tourist card to enter the country which is delivered from the cuban council in your home country. 
• There are 2 currencies in Cuba: one for locals (the cuban peso; CUP) and the one for tourists (CUC). You can only get CUC once you arrived in Cuba. You would better not rely on your credit card (it is not very developed there and you will pay huge fees) and pay all your spendings in cash. You can get cash in banks or official hotels. 
• Prices in CUC are not very cheaper than in Europe. 
• 1 CUC = 1 dollar = 24 cuban peso

I hope you enjoyed this Havana travel guide! Don't hesitate to ask questions in comments if you have some ;)