Cuba ... may be a paradox, but certainly it is composed of millions of smaller paradoxes. It is a weird effervescent mixture of blood and Coca-Cola, of violence and indolence, apathy and passion.
Nicholas Wollaston, Red Rumba
Cuba holiday experts at WEXAS will tailor-make all aspects of your itinerary to create a Cuba holiday, personal to you.
Cuba has all the good aspects you’d find on other Caribbean islands – such as white sand, palm-fringed beaches and a verdant interior – and yet bears huge contrasts to them all thanks to its fascinating and often grisly history.
A visit to the island must include time spent in Havana, or rather the colonial heart of the capital, Havana Vieja. Here, preserved architectural wonders still stand proud, some with history dating back more than 400 years, while old time Ladas and Cadillacs pass by on the streets below. While concrete, characterless, buildings are sprouting up in neighbouring suburbs the core of the city has had little development since the 1950s, meaning that excepting the goods in stores and mobiles in hands, the city remains as it always was.
Outside Havana, most of the main tourist attractions are found nearby. Of particular note are Pinar del Rio, the centre for nature tourism, and Las Terrazas and Soroa, two walking centres concentrated on subtropical mountain ranges. Further afield, there’s unmatched privacy as well as great diving opportunities at Maria la Gorda, while the most complete of the beach resorts is Varadero, two hours from the capital.
Cuba facts
Capital: La Habana
Language: Spanish.
People: Mainly of Spanish descent (70%), African descent, and European-African.
Religion: Non-religious (49%), Roman Catholic (40%).
Size (sq km): 110,860.
Population: 11,394,043
Population density/sq km: 110.8.
Etiquette
Cubans generally address each other as compañero, but visitors should use señor or señora. Some Cubans have two surnames after their Christian name and the first surname is the correct one to use.
Shopping
Cigars, coffee, rum, revolution memorabilia, plus local handicrafts.
Food & drink
Restaurants generally inexpensive although choice can be restricted by shortages. Strong emphasis on seafood, other Cuban favourites include roast suckling pig, thick soups made from chicken and black beans, baked or fried plantains. Food in tourist hotels adequate, not exciting, but does feature a wide variety of exotic tropical fruit. Cuban coffee is strong, beer tasty but weak, rum is plentiful and used in cocktails like daiquiris and mojitos.
International Airports
La Havana-José Marté (HAV) 18 km from the city, Santiago -Antonio Maceo (SCU) 15km from the city, Camagüey-Ignacio Agramonte (CMW) 10 km from the city.
Internal travel
Advance booking essential for internal flights. Adequate rail system. Car hire relatively easy to arrange but roads not always in good condition and poorly signposted. Buses are overcrowded, coaches less so.
Red tape
Visas
(UK/US) Required.
Vaccinations
Hep. A, Hep. B, Rabies, Typhoid
Driving requirements
Valid national driving licence required. Drivers must be over 21.
Reps in UK/US
UK: 167 High Holborn, London WC1V 6PA, tel (020) 7240 2488, fax (020) 7836 2602, email consulcuba@cubaldn.com. US: (Cuba Interests Section) 2630 and 2639 16th Street, NW, Washington DC 20009, tel (202) 797 8518, fax (202) 986 7283, email cubaseccion@igc.apc.org.
UK/US reps in Cuba
UK: PO Box 1069, Calle 34 No 702/4, Entre 7 ma Avenida y 17, Miramar, 11300 Havana, tel (7) 204 1771, fax (7) 204 8104, email embrit@ceniai.inf.cu. US: (US Interests Section) Calzada between L and M Streets, Vedado, Havanna, tel (7) 833 3551-9, fax (7) 833 1084.
Currency
Cuban peso (CUP) = 100 centavos, Convertible Peso (CUC) = 100 centavos, this is like a 'tourist dollar', which was used to replace the US dollar.
Finance
American Express not accepted,Mastercard and Visa increasingly accepted. Traveller's cheques accepted, but US dollar cheques issued by American banks are not acceptable. ATMs still rare.
Business hours
0830-1230, 1330-1630 Monday-Friday.
Safety & life expectancy
Safety information
Safe, apart from bag-snatchers.
Life expectancy
Life expectancy: M 74.85, F 79.43.
Useful websites for travel
www.cubaldn.com, www.cubanet.org, www.granma.cu/ingles/index.html, www.cubatravel.cu. http://havana.usinterestsection.gov/
Local media
Both the weekly Granma International (website above), and the fortnightly Prisma are published in English.
Tourist boards
UK: 154 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H 8JT, tel (020) 7240 6655, fax (020) 7836 9265, email tourism@cubasi.info. US: n/a.
Discover the rhythms of Cuba’s lively culture, natural beauty, revolutionary history and colonial heritage on this cross-island tour. Choose to travel in the company of a private guide and driver or, for the more adventurous, hire a car and enjoy the fle... Please call 0845 643 6548 for price details.
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This six-night tour is designed to showcase the very best of Central & Western Cuba, from its colonial roots to its unspoilt landscapes.... Please call 0845 643 6548 for price details.
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Hot, sub-tropical climate all year. Most rain falls May-October. Hurricanes can occur from August-November. Cooler months are January to April, when the least rain falls.
GMT -4 (Eastern Time).
Cuban peso (CUP) = 100 centavos, Convertible Peso (CUC) = 100 centavos, this is like a 'tourist dollar', which was used to replace the US dollar.
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