Why you should visit Cuba now

Cuba is in transition. After 55 years of Communism and the accompanying U.S. embargo, change is in the air. The U.S. and Cuba have recently renewed diplomatic relations, U.S. airlines are now flying to many Cuban cities, new hotel rooms are being built throughout the country and Google just signed an agreement with the Cuban government granting users quicker access to its content. If you want to see Cuba before it changes this may be the time to go.

What you need to know before you go.

Avoid the large hotels and stick to homestays or guesthouses also known as “casas particulares” (private homes). These are private rooms Cubans rent out to tourists in their own homes. Prices per night average about $30 depending on the city. Besides the price, the advantage of staying in a “casa” is that you interact with a Cuban family and gain insight into the culture; insight you would never get in a hotel. You can find casas to rent on the internet.

Eat at “Paladares”, private enterprise restaurants. Good food, even better prices.

Don’t bring dollars. Dollars are subject to a 10% exchange penalty. That’s in addition to the conversion fee of about 3%. Bring any other currency. U.S. credit cards don’t work in Cuba so keep that in mind when bringing cash if this is a concern to you.

Like any other unfamiliar country you visit, you need to exercise caution when traveling. Don’t accept offers of Cuban cigars from street touts. The cigars are fake.

Transportation within Cuba is pretty straightforward. Taxis within cities are readily available and reasonably priced. Coco taxis, little carts with a yellow, coconut shaped top, and bicitaxis, basically a rickshaw, are also prevalent but you must negotiate and agree the fee before you get in. For longer or out-of-town distances, the government run bus service, Viazul, is pretty reliable, covers most of the island and has good prices. The buses have freezing air-conditioning so bring a sweater. You should buy your ticket in person at least a day in advance to ensure a seat. Another option is to engage a private taxi but now we’re talking higher costs unless you find fellow travelers to share with. A private taxi to Viñales from Havana, for example, should run about US$60. Not high by western standards but a fortune in Cuba.

What are the “must sees” while you are in Cuba? Actually, the entire island is a “must see,” from its beaches, architecture, music, natural parks with unparalleled biodiversity, pulsating nightlife, but time is limited so focus on:

Havana.

The air is balmy and smells slightly of salt. The Spanish colonial buildings display their architectural brilliance. Tropical greenery explodes in the many city parks. Music wafts from cafes and pedestrian streets. Classic American cars from the 1950s cruise by. You’re in Havana, Cuba’s lively, friendly capital.

Check out the old city (Habana Vieja). See the colonial and art deco architecture, museums, art galleries, nightlife and paladares. Take the Hop-on-hop-off bus for the equivalent of about US$10 in front of the Hotel Inglaterra or, for an “only-in-Havana” treat, tour the city in a classic American car for about US$30/hour.

Viñales.

For sheer spectacular natural beauty, this is the place. About 3-1/2 hours east of Havana, Viñales is the source of the world’s best tobacco. Take a tour of a tobacco plantation, have lunch at an organic farm, take an underground river tour in one of the massive caves, hike or bike the valleys and lush green countryside.

Trinidad.

Founded in 1514 and a UNESCO Heritage Site since 1988, Trinidad is a wonderfully preserved colonial town in the center of Cuba, about 5 hours west of Havana. Here is a town with a dual personality.

By day it is a bucolic village with cobblestone streets, colorful flowers dripping from the wrought iron balconies of colonial homes and Cuban cowboys trotting through town on their steeds. Once night falls, however, Trinidad turns into party central. There are dozens of clubs featuring all types of exceptionally good music. Dancing is almost mandatory. Can’t dance? Take a class at one of the salsa schools. There is enough in a Trinidad evening to keep you busy till the wee hours of the morning. If you need the next day to recuperate, do so on one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen, Playa Ancon, a 20 minute bus ride from town. Have lunch there and enjoy a chilled Cuban rum drink served in its own coconut.

Whatever changes come to Cuba in the near future they are not likely to be sweeping or immediate. Still, you may want to experience and capture the spirit of Cuba at this particular and unique period in its history.