Questions about Havana

[Peter]

#13404

Bravo Mario. A most useful Guide book.

I have the following questions:

1. WATER. Is the tap water really safe to drink? Nobody else recommends
foreigners drink it.

2. MONEY EXCHANGE. Is it better to convert US dollars to CAD before leaving
NYC to avoid the 13% now taken on USD to CUC exchange rate? Is it
OK/legal.easy to change CAD to CUC in Cuba on a US passport?
Airport/Bank/CADESA? How much MN vs. CUC should I exchange (not in a bank)?

3. TRANSPORTION IN CUBA. Taxis vs.particolares vs. drivers. Are there taxis
particolares on the Malecon from Presidentes to Prado? From Presidentes to
IS del Arte? Should one book a driver in advance for a day trip to Pinar del
Rio to work with singers there?

I have booked an apartment for the duration around the corner from
Hotel Presidente. What do you recommend in that particular neighborhood —
for eating breakfast, lunch & dinner — and for food and supplies shopping?

Many thanks,

[Mario]

#13412

Here are some answers to your questions.

1) Water – Nobody recommends foreigners drink it for 2 reasons. 1) most casas stock the fridge with bottled water and charge the guests to drink it. They make a bit of extra money this way, and every little bit counts. 2) Nobody wants to be responsible if the foreigner gets sick. So they cover themselves by always saying the water is iffy, and the street food should be avoided and not to go out after dark, or not to travel with communal taxis. In reality, there is nothing unsafe about any of these things. The water, I have always drank it, right from the tap, or I put it in bottles and put the bottles in the fridge to get cold. And whatever people write on the internet, every single Cuban local drink the tap water. It’s safe. It has a bit of a chlorine taste if you don’t leave it in the fridge for a few hours to de-gas. But the chlorine taste proves that it is safe. Many foreigners do get sick in Cuba, but it is usually because they walk around in the hot sun all day, guzzling beers and rum, and then gorging on a veritable cocktail of fried food. Then they blame the water…

In some areas outside the city of Havana, you might not want to drink the water. Near the beach, the water will be saltier tasting. It’s not very good. It’s safe to drink, but not tasty.

In Pinar del Rio and Vinales, I always drink the water. The locals recommended I buy water, but I tasted the tap water and it looked and tasted fine, so I always drank it. And all the locals drank and cooked with it too. It was fine.

In any case, you can always buy bottled water. It’s about 70 cents for 2 liters. But the problem is that not all stores sell it and of course, it’s heavy to buy in quantity and then bring back to your apartment.

2) Money Exchange – The deciding factor is what exchange rate you can get for USD to CAD in NYC. If the bank in NYC has bad exchange rates for converting your USD to CAD, then it defeats the purpose of doing the exchange. Most major banks have very bad rates. You can usually find better rates in small (usually Asian owned) exchange offices. I think they probably are money laundering places… but anyway, they often have better exchange rates. In either case, you might only save 3 or 4 % by doing this, so if you are only exchanging 1k or 2k, it might not even be worth it. You might have a net savings of 60$… If it’s a lot of work to run around to exchange offices in NYC, then it might not be worth it.

CAD and USD is very easily exchanged in Cuba. The passport makes no difference. I recommend exchanging a bit at the airport CADECA, and then more when you get to Havana. I never change all the money in one shot. I always just exchange a few hundred at a time, as I need it. Because if you are stuck with a lot of Cuban pesos at the end of the trip, then there are large exchange fees to change it back to USD or CAD. Better just to exchange what you need. Banks and CADECAS have similar exchange rates on most currencies. I think for USD it is the same at either. But for other currencies, CADECAS are usually marginally better. There are also many more CADECAS than bank branches, so it is more convenient.

The moneda nacional can only be exchanged in CADECAS. After you do the exchange to CUC, you hand the clerk back a bit of the CUC and ask for MN. I would suggest exchanging 20cuc to MN. This will give you 480MN pesos. It’s good for street food and shopping at the market. I almost exclusively use MN, but I’m a bit strange. Most foreigners mostly use CUC. It really depends what you buy and where you shop. The further you get from tourist areas, the more you depend on MN.

Also, there is currently a bank run in Cuba. You won’t hear about it in the media, but it is major. There is a rumor that the CUC will be devalued with respect to MN, so the CADECAS are packed with Cubans exchanging their money to anything they can. The run should be over in about a week, and we will know if the rumor was true or false. Either way, there might be some changes to the CUC and MN by the time you arrive in Havana. I’ll give you an update in a week.

Transportation – I don’t think there are taxis particulares (communal taxis) along the Malecon from Presidents to Prado. You can grab a yellow taxi, and the price for the trip should be about 5cuc, but this always depends on your negotiating skills and the mood of the driver. He might ask for more… in which case I would refuse the trip.

Your best bet is to walk about a block up from your hotel, to the corner of Linea and Presidentes. But stay more on Linea, about 40 feet from the corner, and stay on the east bound side. There you will find many communal taxis and even some yellow buses. These guys are usually heading to Old Havana and will stop in front of the capitol building, which is beside the Opera/ballet house. If this is where you are going, then it is perfect.

The communal taxis will cost 10mn for the trip. The yellow buses will cost 5mn for the trip. In both cases you pay once you arrive. I would strongly suggest you try this.

For going to Pinar, you should book a taxi in advance. A regular taxi will cost about 90$ for this trip. You could also use the Viazul bus. I think this would cost like 12cuc. Or you can get a communal taxi to take you, for about 35$ or less. I have the contact info for a few people who could probably do it. Tell me if you need my help (it’s free). You could arrange it yourself if you go to the taxi depot at the corner of Boyeros and 20 de Mayo, in Vedado. If you speak spanish well, then this is a good place to get cheap rides outside the city.

If you are staying near the Presidente hotel, then there are many places to shop around there. The whole neighborhood east of the hotel has cheap places to eat. It’s near the US embassy too, so there are lots of people. Also, west of the hotel is great because there is a shopping center at the corner of Paseo and Malecon. You can get all your food and drinks there. There is also a state restaurant on the top floor which has some ok food for a reasonable price.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 11 months ago by Mario.

[David O]

#14965

Hi Mario very much enjoyed your book and writing style.

We are coming from the UK in November and staying 3 nights in Habana before travelling to Playa Largo,  Cienfuegos and finally Vinales. A few questions: We like reggaeton – are there any particular venues in Habana we should search out? We also love fish and seafood – any particular restuarants you would recommend?

Many thanks for your help.

David

[Mario]

#14970

Hi David,

I think you will have  great trip to Cuba. Just a bit of a heads up. You know that Playa Larga and Cienfuegos are a considerable distance from Vinales, right? They are on the opposite side of Havana.. so you will have a lot of traveling back and forth. Instead of Vinales, you might want to consider Trinidad, which is very close to Cienfuegos. It would cut back on your driving time. But anyway…

Reggaeton is everywhere in Havana. To be honest with you, it’s mostly a young person scene and most tourists are not that into it, so it’s not really in most tourist zones. But most of the discos will play a lot of Reggaeton. The discos have theme nights. So one night it’s salsa, and it attracts locals and tourists. One night it’s hip hop and it attracts tourists mostly. And one night it’s Reggaeton and it attracts mostly locals.

A good Reggaeton place would be La Gruta in Vedado, on 23rd street between O and P. You can pass in front and check the marquee for who is playing on a specific night. There could be a dj or a live Reggaeton show. It’s not a tourist place, it will be mostly locals.

A more upscale place would be disco Turquino, which is at the top of the Habana Libre Hotel. But the entrance fee is higher and you won’t find many regular locals there… just working girls.

Club 1830 which is very popular and located on the Malecon is a great place for Reggaeton but as always, it depends on which night you go. It’s more upscale and you will find tourists there. But it’s popular with locals too.

 

As for fish and seafood, in Havana you will have to pay up if you want that food. There are a couple of cheap and prominently advertised seafood restaurants on 23rd, but you will find out that despite being seafood restaurants, they do not really offer seafood at all. It’s tough to get good seafood in Havana. I will refer you to the following list of restaurants which offer some seafood. https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Restaurants-g147271-c33-Havana_Ciudad_de_la_Habana_Province_Cuba.html

From the list….

I have been to La Fontana and eaten excellent calamari and octopus which was freshly caught. You pay, but the food is good.

I have been to El Balcon but despite the good reputation and high price, I was disappointed.

El Idilio is good, but expensive.

El Litoral is good but expensive.

Personally, my favorite restaurant was Al Carbon (https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Restaurant_Review-g147271-d8607677-Reviews-Al_Carbon-Havana_Ciudad_de_la_Habana_Province_Cuba.html). For Havana, it’s very expensive, but I thought the food was perfect. They are not a seafood restaurant and the menu changes daily, but they often have fish and seafood.

In Playa Larga you will find seafood. It will be cheaper (but still expensive by Cuban standards). Your casa host will likely offer to make you a lobster dinner. This usually involves the host going for a quick dive in the ocean in the morning to catch a couple of lobsters and then cooking them at night. It’s usually really fresh. Playa Larga is a tiny place with very few restaurants.

The main restaurant in town is called Chuchi (named after the owner). He has 2 places.. one marketed to tourists as a seafood place located on the ground floor beside the bay, and another one located on a top floor which is marketed to locals (but tourists can eat there too.) He used to have rock bottom prices but with the influx of tourists he has raised prices for everything by about double or triple. You won’t get anything fancy at these places, but a reasonable fried fish meal should cost about 10 to 12cuc and it will be fresh.

 

I hope this help. Have lots of fun man,

 

Mario

 

 

 

[David]

#15018

Great tips, Mario. Thanks a bunch. Yes, we know the drive from Cienfuegos to Vinales will be long. We will probably take a private taxi to make it not so long despite the expense. Thanks again

David

[Mario]

#15020

It’s a good choice. You can look on this website to get an idea for price.

http://www.taxivinalescuba.com/?lang=english&origen=Cienfuegos#city

It is a good gauge for finding the average prices. But if you speak some spanish you can usually get a better price once you are on the ground in cuba. If you don’t speak spanish, your casa landlord can help to negotiate a price. It shouldn’t be too bad really.

 

have fun!

mario

[Zehra Wamiq]

#17118

Hi,

I find your website really useful for a trip I am planning with my friends. We will be in Cuba for five days. Can you help us with itinerary, accommodation and day tours? I am interested in Art scene in Havana and also urban farming.

Thank you so much!

[Mario]

#17124

Hi, I can help you with everything, no problem. What are your dates? Also, are you planning to stay in Havana the whole time?

With only 5 days it might be hard to take a trip to other towns and cities. My advice would be to stay in Havana. If you want, you can do a night in Vinales, but one night is really not enough to see much and it will add expense. It depends on your budget.

I have some ideas for itineraries posted here: https://bestcubaguide.com/forums/topic/14-day-itinerary/

 

Here is a good trip plan for 5 days:

Day 1 – Land in Havana and settle in at your Casa Particular. I list dozens of great casas on my website. You just choose one that you like and I can make the reservation for you. They are spacious, clean and cheap. Walk around the city on this first day and get to know where things are. Maybe go to a restaurant or go directly to a market to get food. It depends on your style. You will also have to exchange money.

Day 2 – Check out little shops and explore Old Havana, check out some museums, eat local foods. There is an art fair on one of the docks in the Havana harbor, just beside old Havana. In the evening you can go to a dance or music show at the Casa de la Musica/ It will also be nice to walk along the Malecon at night.

Day 3 – You can go to the beach. Guanabo beach (which is close to Havana) can be fun, or go to Playa Santa Maria which is even better. It is cheap to get to these beaches (under 2cuc per person by communal taxi). You can have fun on the beach and in the ocean, eat great food, dance and enjoy the nightlife. It’s a place to relax and enjoy yourself. Forget all your worries.

Day 4 – Back to Havana you can explore the Centro neighborhood, especially near the Plaza de la Revolucion. Here you will find some urban gardens. Here are some photos of the gardens (Click here). You won’t be able to do much near the gardens. You cannot walk through them. You can buy some of the local food because there is a market beside the garden.

Day 5 – You can explore the areas around the city of Havana. Maybe take a ferry ride to the town of Regla. I have a video here showing you how it is a bit. There is also the FAC club/art exhibition hall which is in Vedado. You can get more info here : https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attraction_Review-g147271-d6979715-Reviews-Fabrica_de_Arte_Cubano-Havana_Ciudad_de_la_Habana_Province_Cuba.html

I hope this info helps. If you tell me your dates I can help you more or just contact one of the casas and arrange a booking, and we can get started.

take care,

Mario

[Anna]

#18747

My husband and I are planning on coming in June. I just finished reading your book and am very excited to explore a bit of Cuba. We are debating on renting a car or doing everything via taxi. However, I looked up some pretty remote and unique places and worry that a taxi wouldn’t be the most reliable option. I read in another posting here, that you recommend a private driver. Is it possible to find someone reliable for the whole week. Thanks for your help.

[Mario]

#18767

Hi, renting a car and driving it yourself is not for everybody. There are certain risks involved. I personally have never rented a vehicle in Cuba and would never do it. First, the road system is not good. Not only are the roads badly maintained, but street/highway signage is terrible. GPS is not allowed. Then you have the threat of animals and cattle on the roads (very common to hit dogs and cows.. this has happened 2 times when I have been in a taxi). Most importantly, if you have an accident while in Cuba you are usually required to stay in the country until a trial has taken place. Even if you did not cause the accident. If somebody hits your car and gets injured, you will likely be stuck in Cuba for months. Look this up on google (https://www.google.ca/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=8hGCWJCzAqeC8QezmISgCg&gws_rd=ssl#q=stuck+in+cuba+after+accident) There was one australian woman how has been stuck there for already 1 month after having a crash over the holidays (https://www.reddit.com/r/cuba/comments/5l44ot/dear_reddit_im_stuck_in_cuba_indefinitely_please/)

As for hiring a car and driver, 99% of people will use simple taxis for one way trip. Hiring 1 driver for the whole trip can be very expensive… At least 100$ per day and more if you want him to drive a lot. In addition you would pay for his lodging and food. It adds up. The only clients that have used that option were photographers who had a good budget and needed to bring around a lot of equipment, so 1 driver for the whole journey made sense.

There are cars and tourists all over Cuba and no place is as remote as it seems. If the locations are really remote, then it’s probably not worth going to. (If you go to a really far place it might be beautiful, but there might be not accommodations or food in the area… or drinking water or police of medical services…)

I recommend just taking taxis to the destinations. If it is really far, ask the driver to wait for you while you look around. It will cost, but still be cheaper than hiring a full time driver for a week.

I hope this helps.

Mario

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