Havana, Cuba (Courtney Druen)
Make sure to visit the cafe in the patio for good music & drinks served by Manolo - he’s a gem
- More about your oliver guide: Courtney Druen
- Trip type: Adult, City
- Activity level: moderate
- Ideal length of trip: A LONG WEEKEND IN HAVANA
to & from
I went before Cuba opened up to Americans. We took a charter flight from Miami. Take taxis and talk with your drivers.
Where to Stay
Stay in Havana, not outside the city. Expect that your hotel will be different than what you expect. I liked Hotel Seville for its location, staff and wifi. Visit the cafe in the patio for good music & drinks served by Manolo – he’s a gem. Go up to the gallery on the top floor for drinks/bites/cigars & 360 degree views of the city.
Where to Eat and Drink
What to Do
- Havana Art Market
- Fine Arts Museum (Cuban collection): Ask for Omar as your guide, he is a friend & he is everything!
- Habana Art Gallery: The owner & his team have a good edit, make sure you see all the back rooms.
- Check out the market on Sunday on Paseo Marti. Really great gifts.
- Vedado is a nice day trip. If you go, hit Los Naranjos for dinner.
- Habana Riviera hotel is known for 50's flair and a fun pool. They also have a big market in an old warehouse that gets good reviews.
- Try to visit artists in their homes and studios.
- Talk to the locals and artists.
- Take early morning runs around Havana.
- Eat at Paladares
inside scoop
- Dress simply and modestly. I left my watch at home and wore a dress, sneakers and sun hat everyday.
- Bring paper products for the restrooms.
- Ask for monedas (coins) when you exchange money. You will need them for tips.
- Wrap your bags in plastic wrap at the airport.
- There were no ATM or credit card machines. You could not exchange American dollars when I was there, but this may have changed. I know the prices have gone up and had friends run out of cash - which was my nightmare
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Havana, Cuba (Stephanie Plexico)
Go now! Time has stood still and it is magical.
- More about your oliver guide: Stephanie Plexico
- Trip type: Adult, City
- Activity level: moderate
- Ideal length of trip: CLEARLY, THERE IS MUCH MORE TO SEE IN CUBA, BUT YOU CAN EXPERIENCE THE BEST OF HAVANA IN THREE DAYS. WOULD ADD A DAY TO SEE THE BEACHES AND HEMINGWAY'S HOME.
to & from
The flight from Florida is an hour and customs is seamless in Havana. I looked into getting a driver to pick us up and there is no need to. You can get a taxi right there and it is about $30 CPU. 30 minute drive to Havana. Change some money at the airport. NO American dollars are allowed and credit cards are not accepted. The visa process is simple. Taxis are easy to find in Havana and it is a great walking city.
Where to Stay
Hotel Saratoga: It is very central and the people that worked there were so nice. We were very pleased. Side note: where Madonna, Beyonce & Jay Z stayed here. Casa Particulars or Home Stays are very popular and affordable. It is a great way to get to know a family and experience authentic Cuban hospitality.
Where to Eat and Drink
- La Guaridia: A restaurant in a beautiful dilapidated building, with a magical roof deck three stories up. Call (instead of email) to book a table. Madonna just had her birthday party here.
- El Cocinero: In old power station, ask for rooftop lounge, cool place
- Floridita: Home of the daiquiri and Ernest Hemingway’s local hangout
- Rio Mar: Lunch
- San Cristobal: Need to book
- Hotel Nacional for the sunset and drinks
- Many good restaurants – I would select ones that are on a roof deck, plaza or have live music.
What to Do
- Private walking tour of Old Havana: Hire a private guide because you learn so much from the guide’s own personal history and experience of life in Cuba. We used Fertours. We thought we would only want a 2-hour tour, but it turned out be a five-hour tour (including lunch), which was ideal, because there is so much to see and learn.
- Museum of the Revolucion: housed in the former Presidential Palace. The exhibit provides a fascinating overview of the Revolution the Cuban government's perspective.
- Cabaret-Tropicana. Book in advance
- Buena Vista Social Club
- The National Ballet
- Jazz Clubs
- La Fabrica de Arte Cubano (FAC, The Cuban Art Factory). Jazz, performance art space, gallery and disco all in one. Very sadly, FAC was closed when we were visiting. I would be remiss to not include it, because it is supposed to be a phenomenal cultural experience and I plan to return to Havana to visit FAC.
inside scoop
- The Cuban people are wonderful. They are highly educated, thoughtful and curious to speak with tourists…take the time to get to know them and learn their wonderful history.
- Watch Papa Hemingway in Cuba: It was the first Hollywood film to be filmed in Cuba since the 1959 revolution
- Many of the sidewalks are cobblestone and are in disrepair, so you will want comfortable walking shoes.
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Crazy for Cuba??? We have 3 more guides for you to check out!
Find Courtney Druen’s guide here.
Havana, Cuba (Megan Harvey)
Go see Havana before it changes too much!
- More about your oliver guide: Megan Harvey
- Trip type: Family, Beach, City
- Activity level: moderate
- Ideal length of trip: A LONG WEEKEND TO 2 WEEKS. JUST GO SEE HAVANA BEFORE IT CHANGES TOO MUCH!
to & from
We flew via Mexico City on Areo Mexico.
Where to Stay
We rented a great airbnb apartment in Old Havana in Plaza Vjejo. We stayed at a Casa Particular in Vinales.
Where to Eat and Drink
Eating at any paladares (privately owned restaurants as opposed to the government owned restaurants of the past) in Havana. We also loved the food in our Casa Particular in Vinales.
What to Do
- Explore Havana
- Take a horse carriage tour of the city-- kids were enthralled with the street performers, the old cars, the music and the people watching.
- Taking a ride in an old convertible along the Malecón
- Visit the old haunts of Hemingway
- Walk along the Malecón
- Visit the Hotel Nacional
- Talk about the history of Cuba with your kids. This is an opportunity for everyone to learn a lot.
inside scoop
MONEY– Bring all of your cash money in clean crisp USD. You cannot use credit cards or ATMs. You carry ALL of your cash and this can be a little stressful. Try to pre pay for anything you can. Prices are going up as tourism increases so make sure you have more than enough.
skip it
Don’t come to Cuba for five star service and accommodations. Go to Cuba to see Havana and the countryside. Save the Caribbean vacation for another island.
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Crazy for Cuba??? We have 3 more guides for you to check out!
Find Stephanie Plexico’s guide here.
Havana, Cuba (Erika McGrath)
Keep calm and baila conmigo!
- More about your oliver guide: Erika McGrath
- Trip type: Adult, Group getaway, City
- Activity level: moderate
- Ideal length of trip: 7-10 DAYS
to & from
We flew from SFO to Miami, spent the night in Miami and then took a 6am chartered flight to Havana, Cuba. On the ground, we had a tour bus and tour guide.
Our on the ground sponsoring organization was: Altruvistas contact: malia@altruvistas.com. Our guide was Cicely Sanchez. Our local sponsoring organization was Yogaventures, contact: lisa@yogaventures.org
Where to Stay
- We stayed in hotels although some people opt to stay in private homes to help directly support Cubans who are still mostly on fixed low government-mandated salaries.
- Hotel Copacabana in Havana
- Hotel Iberostar (all inclusive) in Varadero
Where to Eat and Drink
- Floridita - A favorite of Hemingway's
- Buena Vista Social Club
- Hotel National - Great place to listen to music on outside patio, full of history
- San Cristobal Paladar
- Moneda de Cuba
- La Guarida
- Al Carbon
- Ivan Chef Justo
What to Do
- Take a taxi ride in an antique car
- Take a Rumba or Salsa lesson. Dance is a huge part of Cuban culture.
- Talk to as many people as possible to learn about what it's been like over the last few decades. Education is free and Cubans are highly educated.
- Take a walking tour of the four major historical squares of Old Havana. It is a great way to learn the history and to see all of the buildings and homes in various stages of reconstruction.
- Visit the Museum of the Revolution and National Museum of Fine Arts.
- San Jose Crafts and Arts faire --- largest arts and crafts faire. Has everything.
- Murrealando -- a Community Art Project in Havana. Original inspiration: clean up the neighborhoods by turning trash into art.
- Beaches of Varadero -- a popular beach resort town with gorgeous beaches along 20km of Atlantic Ocean coastline.
- Seek out street art and graffiti. Great works are everywhere. Callejon de Hammel was a favorite.
- Take a trip to a Cigar factory and tobacco plantation
inside scoop
- You must bring all the cash you will need. Americans cannot access the bank system. Try to exchange some dollars in the airport to arrive with the Cuban CUC (Cuban Convertible Peso). There are two currencies in Cuba, the CUC and the Cuban Peso. Tourists only use the CUC. However, if you buy something from a street vendor you may receive pesos as change.
- Because salaries are set by the government, the Cubans have very limited resources. (For example, teachers make $20/month.) Tips are hugely important everywhere you go. Tour guide told stories of choosing between food and shoes for her children. Food is rationed.
- Tourists do not drink the water so be prepared to purchase and carry drinking water.
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Crazy for Cuba??? We have 3 more guides for you to check out!
Find Stephanie Plexico’s guide here.
Find Courtney Druen’s guide here.
Find Megan Harvey’s kid-friendly guide here.
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