I wasn’t prepared at all, and I would like to speak to people like me.
We booked the entire trip thanks to an online agency, with a package that was economically convenient and above all I didn’t have the right mind and time to inform myself and organize properly. I only had stereotypes to accompany me: sun, people with “caliente” bodies, music and dancing, drinks, boats and Caribbean sea, colonial and colorful houses surrounded by 1950s Cadillacs.
It’s all there, but this is 1%, unfortunately only the most beautiful part.
Soundtrack
Put on Chan Chan by Buena Vista Social Club, and by Celia Cruz these ones: Guantanamera, Oye Còmo va, Quimbara and La Vida es un Carnaval (you know them all, I am sure). If you want something more modern, and it is your cup of tea, Camila Cabello with Havana.
Here the Playlist if you want to start it while you read. Let’s go!
Cuban Life
It is mandatory to make a portrait of Cuban life in broad terms. If you are a great connoisseur of its culture or very informed thanks to documentaries and co. everything will seem quite obvious to you.
The Cuban people live a very hard life and are very poor. There is only one party, the communist one (there are elections, however), which tries to implement community policies, born of great ideals to satisfy the primary needs of every citizen. In reality, the embargo and the country’s poor economic power cause a life of great deprivation, where every good is scarce and everything is too expensive for the means of the individual.
The nationalization
Most of the activities are state-run, and employees receive an average salary of €30 per month: from tour guides, to even doctors, lawyers, teachers, airport staff, and so on… very few people can start a private business.
In recent years, covid has further exacerbated the economic situation, with the fundamental contribution of tourism being lost, and inflation has been very severe, causing increases of up to ten times.
.
You would think that low wages = low cost of living, but in reality almost everything is beyond their means: there is a shortage of livestock, and to put an animal down you have to get the government’s approval – even imprisonment; there is a shortage of horses; there is a shortage of cultivated products because even though the land is very fertile, citizens refuse to grow crops; there is a shortage of every type of supermarket product because very little is imported; there is a shortage of cars, so a very used 80s car costs them € 20.000 (I remember the average salary is €30 a month); there is a shortage of fuel and many public transport services have to skip trips; there is a shortage of medicines and a paracetamol costs almost as much as it does here, € 3; there is even a shortage of cash in the bank and the ATMs could run out of cash (as happened to us); there is a shortage of household appliances; there is a shortage of products of every type in the few supermarkets present; services such as tourist ones cost as much as European ones, and a hotel room for Cubans (I don’t understand why) costs even more than for a foreigner. And so on.
Even buying a house costs way beyond their means – even if proportionally less expensive than a car: a two-room apartment in Havana that is falling to pieces costs €50,000.
Speaking of which, the local architecture, although very very fascinating, is unfortunately so dilapidated that it breaks your heart. There is no money to maintain or improve them, they are really degraded and sometimes some buildings collapse. In some places it seems like you are in a slum or a favelas.
Even the heavy air does not help in the positive perception of the cities: the heat will contribute, there is always a mix of bad smells that goes from sewers to the stench of gasoline.
Private activities
In the urban decay, bars, hotels and restaurants emerge that are a little more cared for. In fact, they are among the few that can start a private business and sometimes even the streets where they are located are positively affected (see the hyper-tourist Varadero). Recently, hotels co-financed by foreign companies such as the Spanish Iberostar are also being built.
Another type of private activity allowed is the import and resale of products – for those who have the economic means to take at least one trip a year outside the island – for which you must already be at least a little well off. In fact, every year a Cuban has the right to legally import up to 120 kg of products of any kind. This parallel market makes up for the forces of the State which very often cannot even fill the shelves of the very few supermarkets/pharmacies/stores present. In parallel, the black market always runs.
In the historical/tourist centers, many Cubans live off tourism and, in addition to their state wages, thanks to tips they can afford a better lifestyle. Our tour guide, who used to be an airport controller (30 €/month), changed jobs precisely because thanks to tips he can earn up to 10 times as much. It is illegal to improvise as a tour guide, you have to work for state companies, but it is allowed to accept tips for yourself.
In addition to restaurateurs, drivers, waiters, porters, bartenders, cooks, souvenir sellers, maids, etc., there are those who live by exchanging dollars/euros in pesos under the table (legally or not), those who work as promoters and “bouncers” of clubs, those who improvise as taxi drivers…
Finally, the vast majority camps out and begs in many different ways, aiming to strike up a conversation with the tourist. Sometimes they get straight to the point: they ask for soap, clothes, food or something you have on you. Many speak Italian and if you are without a guide you are stopped every three steps, especially in tourist areas. Many also seek physical contact or are insistent so it can be complicated for those with a different mentality.
We were not in danger, nor did we have any discomfort, but it is always better to be careful.
As you may have understood, tipping is not only a matter of education and local etiquette, but also a great source of sustenance for the population. You will have to take it into account in your budget, even if it is impossible to please everyone. The guide I had – the dear National Geographic – suggests however to give it only after a good service and not indiscriminately.
On the subject of almsgiving, even giving personal items to everyone who asks for them is difficult, also because some insist on always having more. I will now give you two totally different pieces of advice that I received:
- some recommend to visit Cuba being prepared with some clothes, toys, colored pencils to give as gifts; to do good directly and safely to those who actually need it. Geo shows also recommends school supplies for children in particular
- Laura, a Ligurian who I met on the trip, advised us something completely different: for some doctors of MSF it is better not to encourage begging, because it is harmful to the population. It is better to give tips to those who do useful activities such as playing music or buying souvenirs, encouraging them towards a positive and constructive approach.
That said, as anticipated initially, these conditions of poverty are not relegated to parts of the city, but are a general condition. It is very rare to see shops like we are used to, just as we should not take any type of service for granted. It is really very rare to meet wealthy locals, just as it is difficult for them to make “luck”. The guide told us that one of the ways is to have a relative abroad who sends money.
In the countryside/small towns the degradation is less “hard”, there may also be some modest but well-kept villas, and you get the feeling of a simpler life. However, you can see animals grazing, very thin, skeletal; the roads are bumpy and almost deserted (there are very few vehicles around); the highway rarely has lights or organized systems for rescue, and it can take hours to get help. Petrol stations: we have seen three in the whole trip. On the highway you can find bicycles, carriages, motorcycles, mopeds, lots of people waiting for buses, or asking for a hitchhike … everything and more.
The beauty of Cuba
Let’s start talking about the positive notes to recover a bit.
The state aims to be able to help everyone, in fact even the health system is public even if it can do little – despite having really good doctors in demand all over the world; it guarantees education for everyone, school courses with extended hours and canteen for all children who have both working parents; it guarantees a very controlled price for a given amount of food per month; it pays for the uniforms for schoolchildren and for different categories of workers (for example, bricklayers are all in coordinated, blue overalls); in better times it paid for the honeymoon of couples employed in state companies or for parties such as eighteenth birthdays, now unfortunately there is less budget. However, everyone tends to help each other so as not to leave anyone behind, and as per stereotype despite the difficulties, they are a cheerful, sociable and kind people, and will always be willing to help even the tourist.
Among those who work on their own, there are also musicians and there are many of them. You can find music everywhere, especially in restaurants and bars, but you will also find something on the street; it brings a lot of joy and joy of life. Dancing (as a profession) is rarely seen, Cubans dance quite a lot! In addition to traditional music, raggaeton is gaining popularity.
The weather is really nice all year round. The landscape is beautiful… But we’ll get there, these last things are the most beautiful part and deserve a separate discussion!
Plan the trip
Cuba is really big, and if you are staying a week/10 days it is better to do a specific region and not a complete tour. Ground transportation consists of taxis/buses/coaches and the distances are big, indeed..
A guide will be your best investment anyway. In addition to its consolidated merits – knowing places, information etc. – it is a source of personal security always; as you have understood the context is really poorly served and with very limited services. Honestly I would not recommend doing it yourself. Last but not least it is a very precious investment if you want to do good for this culture.
For the reasons above, and for hospitals that are not properly equipped, I recommend a good insurance.
As for the accommodation: the Cuban five-star is not our five-star, but a three-star “for which we should be thankful if the lights don’t go off” (words of our tour operator). He was dramatic, but if you are demanding, don’t skimp, especially us – Italians – who I admit are a little difficult. Maybe superficially they appear spectacular, but even if they are 5 stars they can have several broken or poorly repaired objects, non-working services, missing hair dryers, faulty sockets, missing tablecloths or soaps, not deep cleaning of the rooms and sheets with stains (luckily not dirty), canteens not at the top. That’s how it is, it’s not the end of the world, but it’s good to know – you will enjoy it the same!
If you want a more immersive experience I recommend the Casas Particulares: we only saw one in Trinidad and it was as shiny as a jewel; I don’t know what services it offered but it was very beautiful architecturally and very clean, furnished with period furniture. These are the homes of Cuban citizens, who are allowed by the state to turn them into a B&B/accommodation for tourists. It costs less than hotels, it will probably have fewer services (I can’t tell you about hot water and electricity) so I recommend you understand all the information well before leaving.
Period: their summer is very very humid and rainy, but July-August is the best period for a hot sun, therefore for a postcard beach. Winters are the dry season, from 25 to 30 degrees during the day, so much so that they are used by Europeans, Russians and Canadians to “winter”. However, it can happen quite often a drop in temperatures to 10 degrees after three days of rain or a few days of cloud and rough sea.
In your suitcase bring everything: personal hygiene products, hair dryer, medicines (painkillers, something for stomach/diarrhea, thermometer, antihistamines), battery chargers etc. as if you were going to a desert island. We have never come across a supermarket or store as we know it in Havana or Trinidad, only in vegetable, fruit and vegetable markets, souvenirs and resales of some used objects by private individuals. By the way: the sim must also be ordered in advance, online. We have never seen a wifi service for customers or citizens; hotels have it but the coverage is not always optimal.
The currency
We tried to withdraw the Cuban pesos, CUP, at the Madrid airport. But the money exchange there told us that no one will change Cuban currency for you except in Cuba. When we arrived at the Havana airport, maybe it was late or we were dazed, but after customs we didn’t come across any ATM or exchange office. “We’ll withdraw in the city”, we thought. We only had € 70, but we thought it was more than enough for I don’t know how many days, knowing that the euro is very strong compared to the CUP. Too bad that several non-essential services, as mentioned before, have higher costs than in many other European countries. So they were enough for a round trip by taxi and that’s it!
Having discovered our real purchasing power, we were anxious to find where to withdraw money right away and we couldn’t find a working ATM, the banks were closed and even when some ATMs worked they suddenly stopped and stopped dispensing money. After a few hours and an hour-long queue we managed but it’s an anxiety that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. With a guide it wouldn’t have happened!
If you were wondering: no, they don’t have POS, almost no service does.
If you were wondering2: yes, they accept euros more willingly than pesos; Cuban citizens can only buy in certain stores with a rechargeable card that accepts dollars or euros, and not pesos (shocking). In some places they don’t even accept pesos… Crazy to think about. I forgot: the remaining Cuban pesos no one will buy/exchange for your currency.
Curiosity about the exchange: the euro is worth 260 pesos, but in banks / authorized centers for each euro they give you 120 pesos – there are very high commissions, yes. Only the black market applies the exchange rate of 250 but the risk of receiving counterfeit notes is very high. Among the merchants you will see an exchange rate of 120 or 250 applied a bit very arbitrarily.
So, to sum up: bring plenty of cash in pieces of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 €, imagining a cost of living similar to that of Europe – at most the cheapest restaurants – and taking into account a good amount of tips and you’re all set.
The second currency, the CUC, thank goodness has been withdrawn. I would say that it is already complicated enough as it is.
Our tour
We visited Havana, the Guamà national park with the crocodile farm, Trinidad, a swim in Playa Ancon (where the hotel was), Cienfuegos, Varadero.
Havana
Locals recommend walking around Habana Vieja, the historic center that is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As it is a tourist area, be prepared to be stopped often by locals.
Without long stops in museums, in a full day you can see it and stop in the most important squares or pubs. We also returned several times to some points and stopped in bars/restaurants.
There are many different architectural styles, lots of eclecticism and creativity, and several historic buildings dating back to 1700, which is not so obvious for the American continent. As anticipated in the introduction, everything is very dilapidated and only a few buildings are restored and in good condition. However, several views will remain impressed in your mind because they are truly characteristic and “a leap in time”. Bodeguita del Medio and Floridita are historic pubs, later re-proposed in other cities.
Unfortunately the Cathedral was closed, but the tour in the square is worth it, its facade is truly wonderful..
We spent a lot of time in the Plaza de Armas (still in Habana Vieja) and in the Parque Central – on the edge of the historic center. The latter is a really special square because it is very large, almost American-like, bordering the Capitolio and surrounded by good quality historic hotels, in good condition, with bars that also have live music. The Capitolio is a government building inspired by the Capitol in Washington, see below. You will find lots of taxi drivers in 80s cars or even better in Cadillacs. On the way back we chose one of these as a taxi to go back to the hotel, a very special experience to do!
We then moved away slightly from the historic center, along the Paseo de Josè Martì avenue that leads to the seafront – the Malecon; one of the prettiest walks, because the Paseo is a tree-lined street full of kids playing and artists displaying their works for sale. The view of the seafront is really beautiful – even with its crumbling facades.
We then returned through internal streets towards the Capitolio area, to try to get to know a little of Habana Center. The landscape is similar to Havana Vieja without the presence of historical-monumental buildings, without tourist bars-restaurants. Since it was Sunday, the businesses were closed, so it did not help to enhance its charm; decay reigns here too, and even if you will not see tourists, in this neighborhood no one bothered us, not even just to ask us something.
We didn’t get to see the Plaza de la Revolution and Vedado area, but with better organization (without the worry of withdrawing money) or with an additional day we could have managed. By the way, they recommended a tour with the tourist bus, much more convenient than a taxi and allows you to see part of these two areas. Our hotel was even further west of Vedado, quite far away, in Miramar. We understood that these latter areas were very residential and among the most affluent in Havana. There are several embassies and the famous “Avenida de los Presidentes” has several institutional headquarters.
Pub and show topic: unfortunately we were left without any information on this, and we are very sorry. Due to cash withdrawal problems and not being able to manage taxis well, we only saw the Buena Vista Social Club in the afternoon and not the related concert in the evening, too bad. Organize yourself well because it will be worth it: the show starts at 9.30 pm and they also serve you dinner and 3 drinks for €60. They also recommend the Tropicana, with dance shows too – but you need to book well in advance. Be careful with the organization, the streets are not well lit in the evening.
Boca de Guama
On the way to Trinidad we stopped at one of the most characteristic places in the Ciènaga de Zapata National Park: a natural park with a crocodile farm and the reconstruction of an aboriginal village. We couldn’t see the latter because the ferry to get there had fuel problems; what a pity! since it is definitely more my thing than the crocodiles. Even though we saw half of the attractions, the natural landscape is worth it.
Trinidad
My favorite visit. The city is much smaller than Havana, and although the population begs here too and some are even more aggressive, in general, one witnesses a reality that is a little more rural, less crowded and with a little more decorum. According to many Cubans themselves, Trinidad is the real Cuba.
Also a UNESCO heritage site, the streets are cobbled, the architecture is typically colonial, very colorful, stuck in 1800 and it seems like being on the set of a pirate movie. Lots of pleasant views.
In addition, there is a lot of craftsmanship and there are pieces that are worth buying, such as ceramics, paintings, clothes, cigars, wooden or leather objects. Among the things we also bought a domino with tiles numbered up to 9 – the famous “Cuban variant“, in fact they are crazy about this game. They are also crazy about baseball, so you will find handmade bats and balls!
There is also a pub specializing in the preparation of Canchanchara (see food section) and many places with live music. Surely the fact that there was a guide at this point was fundamental, we would never have noticed several places like the cafe with the banknotes of all the world on the wall (see among the photos above).
Cienfuegos
Cienfuegos is the westernized version of a Cuban town. Founded in 1819, the buildings were actually built much more recently than Havana and Trinidad, and in fact it is in better condition than the two even if less “enchanting”. The guide told us that many Italians come to grow old right here, maybe even marrying a Cuban.
There are streets for walking that are inspired by the concept of boulevard and rambla: pedestrian with plants and benches in the center, and on both sides commercial activities. Activities always very limited in their possibilities, as I was saying, with very few products and expensive for their standard of living.
I highly recommend the seafront, the historic Teather Tomas Terry that is located in the main square – different from ours, unique and beautiful – and the Palatino café that is right in front (very beautiful and we had some very good cocktails).
Varadero
Last stop of the package: a beach break in Varadero. The alternative was Cayo Santa Maria, less inflated but much further away; Varadero is already 3 hours from Havana.
We had already taken a first dip to the south, at Playa Ancon in the Caribbean Sea: but surprise, despite the Caribbean Sea having the reputation of being the most beautiful, in reality the most crystalline and with the whitest beaches is found to the north, in the Atlantic – where Varadero is located
Unfortunately it is touristy, but very much so: the main avenue of the town/city is dotted with pavilions with a pro-American aesthetic – with pubs, restaurants etc.; not very local. The spaces dedicated to craftsmanship – even if more modest – have souvenirs that are always the same, made in series and less beautiful. Apart from a successful copy of the Bodeguita del Medio where we enjoyed a good Mojito, the feeling is of being in a place without a soul, made ad hoc for tourists. The only positive note compared to this aspect, is that the streets are among the most cared for we have ever encountered, all well lit (a rare thing), a sign that for them this location is a good source of income, important for the town.
From the town you continue towards a strip of land where there are many 4 or 5 star hotels that use the “all inclusive” formula. As you can imagine, almost every activity inside the resort is included in the package you paid for, such as all meals. Since you are far from everything, right by the sea, the holiday that is outlined at that point is pure rest and stay always inside the hotel, period. There are many Canadians who spend all their holidays here, even 10-14 days in a row.
Our establishment – still five stars – was nice, even more refined than the previous ones, but the food was not at its best. I think the hotel paid little attention to this aspect, eating out was much better.
Luckily the beach is beautiful, as is the sea (even if not very clear because of the wind) so we were very happy to have been there despite everything. Even if it was high season (not exactly at the peak but almost) we did not feel the discomfort and the crowd that characterizes our beaches in the peak period.
Food
One of my favorite parts of traveling is precisely this, and in this case it was also a special experience. Cuban cuisine as you can imagine from the lack of resources, is not very “rich” or complex. Yet in its simplicity, I appreciated it because it is very healthy and digestible, while traveling and in the heat it is always great. When possible I avoided raw elements, and I never felt sick.
Even though the guide mentioned many typical dishes that we almost never encountered, we were almost always served:
- a raw salad appetizer with cucumbers, lettuce, carrots
- a small soup with pieces of vegetables or meat
- bread with butter
- a single dish with white rice, protein (fried or grilled: chicken, fish, pork) and side salad
- a pudding of rice with cinnamon sprinkled on top
- water or fruit juice (mango or a typical fruit that looks like yellow melon)
We also tried plantain (their banana, which has many varieties and many flavors, sometimes similar to potato), yucca (a very sweet root and very similar to potato), and pumpkin (like ours, present in large quantities). The only special dish we tried was the “ropa vieja”, made of strips of meat, a sauce, rice and side dish.
A very important mention to the cocktails: I am not a big drinker at all and in fact I had never realized that all the ones I will name were invented in Cuba. The undisputed protagonist is Rum, whose quality they tell me is very high.
- Cuba Libre
- Cubata – similar to the previous
- Mojito – si dice che sia stato inventato nella famosa Bodeguita del Medio dell’Havana
- Daiquiri
- Ron Collins (similar to Daiquiri)
- Piña Colada
- Canchanchara – this last is little known to us, but very sweet and good; drunk in a typical terracotta jar with the addition of honey. To try!
They are part of the experience too!
Conclusions and greetings!
The tour of Havana on the first day, as you may have understood, was a hard blow: it was the first approach to this reality and we were not prepared for it. Even thinking about it in hindsight, I can tell you that from my point of view the urban degradation appears more serious/sad than rural life or small towns, however poor it may be. Perhaps because in any case in a small town the individual still manages to give a dignified sense to his home, even with little, while for a large city like Havana the individual with the resources he has can do very little. To have a dignified landscape in large cities, a political commitment, an urban plan will be needed.
It is a trip that I recommend and for which I absolutely tell you to go. The only advice I would give, since I have been there, is to go a little prepared and not to think that it is only fun & lightheartedness. The landscapes and the people of the place will make you think a lot, there will be a lot to learn and in addition to the sweet there will always be a bitter sensation to accompany you.
ps. all shots were taken by me, no further credits needed!