Havana (city)

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Havana City (Spanish Ciudad de la Habana) is the capital city of Cuba.

	havana (city) Travel Guide : 1 Understand 2 Get in 2.1 By plane 2.2 By train 2.3 By car 2.4 By bus 2.5 By boat 3 Get around 4 See 5 Do 6 Learn 7 Work 8 Buy 9 Eat 9.1 Budget 9.2 Mid-range 9.3 Splurge 10 Drink 11 Sleep 11.1 Budget 11.2 Mid-range 11.3 Splurge 12 Contact 13 Stay safe 14 Cope 15 Get out

Understand

Get in

By plane

The main international airport for Cuba is:

• Havana.

By train

By car

By bus

• Viazul bus from other destinations such as Matanzas or Varadero.

By boat

Due to political circumstances, it is difficult to enter Cuba by sea. Visiting mariners need to make arrangements in advance of making port to avoid difficulties. Also, most ports are closed to unauthorised visitors.

Get around

See

• visit the Museum of the Revolution and the Capital building
• visit a cigar factory - there is one just behind the Capital Building (cost CUC 10 for a half hour guided tour, no photography allowed, no free walking in the factory).
• visit the Havana Club rum factory - Although I didn't visit the Havan Club factory I was taken, as part of a guided tour) to another factorey where you will be given the opportunity to buy "cheap" rum. I found I could purchase the same rum 50% cheaper elsewhere (even in a resort hotel!).
• enjoy the faded glory of Havana Vieja

Do

• walks along the Malecón, the sea wall that runs along the Havana coastline

Learn

Work

Buy

Havana is a surprisingly expensive city to stay in; if you stay in hotels and eat in restaurants it can work out every bit as expensive as London or Paris. The problem is that Cuba has a dual economy; if you could live on pesos it would be incredibly cheap. Sadly, as a tourist this is virtually impossible. Most peso hotels wont take foreigners or, if they do you have to pay in dollars. If you are on any kind of a budget it is advised to stay in casas particulares; it is much cheaper often more comfortable and the food (a recurring theme in Cuba) is almost invariably better.

Eat

Whilst Convertible Peso restaurants can be quite expensive at the top end for rather mediocre food some such as the Café de Oriente have splendid ambiance. The average government run restaurants are about $20 for two and hence cannot be compared in any way to London or Paris. Western quality food in private restaurants is expensive, but is this why you'd visit Havana?

Budget

Mid-range

Keeping your eyes open you can find complete menus (starter or salad, soup, main dish, dessert and a national beverage) for 6-10 Cuban Dollars. In the Vieja there are such restaurants in the smaller, not very crowded streets.

Splurge

Drink

You can have a great time just outside of the Hotel Inglaterra near the Capitólio Building, drinking good daiquiri's and mojito's at an affordable price (2 CUC in September 2005).

Sleep

It is recommend that accommodation in Havana be sought in Vedado rather than Central Havana or Havana Viejo (Old Havana) which are significantly more run down and less pleasant places to stay.

Budget

Casa de Jesus y Saida Valdez, Calle 24 #262, apt #5, between 17 y 19, Vedado, La Habana 53-7-830-7279

Casa Cary, Virtudes #511 Top Floor, Between Lealtad y Preseverancia, Centro Habana, 53-7-863-1802 olga.amador@infomed.sld.cu

Mid-range

• Casa Ines, 1 (http://www.casaines.com). A Casa Particular.

Splurge

Contact

Stay safe

Popular tourist places (Habana Vieja, El Malecón etc.) are watched by policemen, so you don't have to be afraid of being attacked.

Take care of locals offering a guided tour, cigars, inviting you for a dinner or a cocktail. If you don't care, you can get touched for tens of your dollars.

Cope

Get out

All tourists pay a $25USD (equivalent) exit tax

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• Photographe aix en provence Daniel Weiss
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