It was a long time coming but we finally made it to Cuba! Words can't even describe how amazing this trip was. For the longest time my family and I have dreamed of visiting.Fortunately we were able to get our visas in time and my schedule worked out perfectly to allow for a 4 day family vacation. Cuba's Spanish colonial architecture will leave you in awe of the richness of the history of Cuba. A few landmarks that you should visit: Castillo de la Real Fuerza (fort and maritime museum), the National Capitol Building is an ionic 1920s landmark, Plaza Vieja, Morro Castle, La Cabana, Jose Marti Memorial, Christ of Havana to name just a few. In addition, visiting Viñales is an absolute must.
We booked our tickets on Southwest Airlines and got a phenomenal deal for 3 round trip tickets. The connecting flight was in Fort Lauderdale, FL and from there only a 45 min flight to Havana. Cuba has such welcoming people. From the moment we arrived we felt at home, this was due to in large part to our Airbnb hosts and driver Zuleik. I encourage all of you to look at the recommendations I have below before you pack your bags.
1) Get an Airbnb ASAP. This made our trip absolutely fantastic. Why you ask? We were in the best location in terms of easy access to taxi's, grocery stores, lively entertainment and affordable restaurants. Our host Eduardo (eduardohr338@gmail.com,Eduardo y Mabel's Airbnb)and his wife went above and beyond to make our stay enjoyable. From the moment we arrived at the airport until we left they were extremely accommodating. In addition to arranging our airport transportation they also helped us organize a trip to Viñales, which is a short trip from Havana (about 2.5 hours west of the city). You will not regret visiting this area. Natural landscapes with traditional Cuban culture. You will be able to go on horseback through tobacco fields, see how cigars are made and also learn more about local honey production, coffee + rum! :) Fun fact #1: Cuban coffee has various strengths that are dependent on the area of the leaf that the coffee is grown. The higher on the leaf the stronger! Fun fact #2: There are two different types of bees that are in Vinales. One of which makes the most sought after honey and doesn't have a stinger! In addition, the hives are below ground! And let me tell you...the honey is phenomenal!
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| The delicious breakfast made by our hosts Eduardo y Mabel |
2) Money Exchange:
There are two different currency monetary systems in Cuba. One thing to note is that unlike other currencies, you can not buy it in advance. You have to buy it once you arrive in Cuba. The major legal currency for Cuba is the Cuban Convertible Peso, CUC. This is the currency that you will exchange your foreign currency for and also make all purchases with in Cuba. At the time of our trip the exchange rate was 1.00 CUC= 0.92 USD. Keep in mind that if you do exchange at any of the banks they will charge a 10% fee. There is a charge for exchanging USA dollars cash, so, you will receive 87 centavos CUC for one USA dollar when changing the money, allowing for the 10% penalty and 3% currency exchange fee.
The second legal currency in Cuba is the Cuban Peso, CUP, which is rarely used by the majority of tourists but you should at least be aware of this.
3) Visas:
We traveled through Southwest Airlines which had their own company to purchase Visas. I would recommend visiting the Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) as they have information regarding the 12 categories of travel in order to visit.
Below you will find various photos from our trip that highlight some of the main sites we visited. There is one place not pictured that you should also visit called Callejon de Hamal. It is every Sunday afternoon in a neighborhood called Cayo Hueso that is just 10 blocks or so away from the Airbnb. You can't miss it as the art work will guide you to the entrance as well as the rumba beats. It is a must see. Gorgeous artwork by Salvador González which is Santeria inspired and amazing Afro-Cuban culture/bands perform from 12-3 pm. I recommend being cautious of your belongings as many tourists go there and we were informed by locals that often there are cases of theft. However this shouldn't dissuade you from visiting as this is one of the best representations of African culture in the city.
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| In front of the Prehistoria- this mural is one of the largest in the world, it represents the life of the first inhabitants of the Cuban archipelago. During the early days of 1959, Dr. Antonio Nunez Jimenez told Fidel Castro and Celia Sanchez about his visits to these mountains and how head had found fossils of fish, skulls of big saurians and evidence of the aborigine settlements found in local caves. These talks led to the idea of a pictoral mural on the wall of this mogote. The painting began in March 1960 and lasted 4 years. The painting has a surface area of 80 meters in height and 120 meters in length and the lines were drawn by farmers of the locality who hung by strong ropes of henequen fiber attacked to parachute harnesses and directed from the ground by the painter. |
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Cuban missile crisis: The US government intensified its aggressive escalation against Cuba after the imperialism's defeat at the Bay of Pigs. The so-called October Crisis, or Caribbean Crisis, or Missiles Crisis began in October 1962; The essential goal was a direct military intervention on the island with the purpose of destroying the Cuban Revolution.
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Our last night in Havana, we were taken by our friends Zuleik (email: addysmontesino@gmail.com, cell: 53 5 378 7681) and Addys to an amazing restaurant in the heart of Old Havana called La Rosa Criolla (location: STA #305 E/San Leonardo y Kessel, Vibora Park Arroyo Naranjo). The restaurant owner Eleuterio also known as Tello treated us like family. The fresh fish and lobster was unforgetable. Eleuterio has other restaurants, even one in Spain. Definitely stop by Rosa Criolla and be ready for a treat!
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| Some of the food items from La Rosa Criolla |
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It's not about the mojitos in Viñales, its all about the nature. Viñales is located in the Pinar del Rio region. Likely some of the most beautiful landscapes I've ever seen. This is an agricultural town where everyone knows everyone, rustic porches are everywhere, colonial-era wooden houses that it resembles paintings on a canvas. It is a World Heritage Site and a great escape from the constant hustles in Havana streets. Interestingly, we learned that the main industry aside from agriculture is tourism. This was evident in that the majority of the houses are like home stays to accommodate visitors.  |
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| Rum tasting in Viñales |
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| The first coffee plantations in Cuba have even been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Arabica beans are harvested by hand, then dried and pounded, ultimately filtered then served. |
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| Tobacco house in Viñales. It was here that we learned more regarding the process. Farmers are given a quota with 90% of the crops being bought by the government and the final 10% remaining with the farmer for personal use, local sales/exchanges or making and selling cigars to the tourists who visit. The farmer discussed his family recipe which uses mainly water, guava leaves, and honey. The leaves are kept in a palm tree box for a minimum of 1 year to ferment. After the fermentation process then the cigars can be rolled. Cigars have 3 parts: the filler, binder and then the wrapper. Interestingly enough, the main veins of the leaves are removed as they hold ~70% of the nicotine and the top most portion of the leaves are stronger compared to the bottom due to the direct sunlight. |
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| La Cueva del Indio one of 17 recorded caves in Cuba |
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| Horseback riding in Viñales |
Cantante (singer) outside of La Cueva del Indio
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| Final lunch, located 1 block away from our Airbnb. Wonderful meal, service and food! Below is the photo of the outside of the restaurant. |
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| Local woman in Old Town Havana |
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| The Fortaleza de San Carlos de la Cabaña |
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| Inside of the fort there is a cannon ceremony you must see. Set in tradition, locals dress as soldiers in 18th century uniforms and a cannon is fired over Havana Bay at exactly 9 p.m. In the past the cannon fire announced the official end of the day and the time to close the city gates for the night. Word to the wise... get there early! It gets extremely crowded. You will also need to take a taxi, as this is the only way to get there. You will leave Old Havana through the tunnel at the end of the Paseo del Prado. |
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| Christ of Havana is a large sculpture representing Jesus of Nazareth on a hilltop overlooking the bay in Havana. It was created by the sculptor Jilma Madera. |
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| New friends we met while touring the city and candid shots taken throughout Havana below. |
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| Cuban woman finding the keys to her house. |
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| My dad taking a photo in Revolution Square with Castro in the background |
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| Classic 1950s car |
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| Revolution square with Che on the left and Castro on the right, |
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| Memorial dedicated to José Martí, a national hero of Cuba, located on the northern side of the Plaza de la Revolución in the Vedado area of Havana. It consists of a star-shaped tower, a statue of Martí surrounded by six columns, and gardens. |
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| Cuba Coco taxis |
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| My mom and I near the Fortaleza de San Carlos de la Cabaña |
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| Our friends Zuleik and Addys |
