Currency in Cuba for tourists. What is the currency in Cuba
Going on a trip, I read a lot of reviews on the Internet, which really helped organize my stay in Cuba. As a token of gratitude, I decided to make my own contribution to the preparation of a "savage" holiday on the island of freedom. So the information below is not an ironic amateur description of your adventures, but a series of practical information that may be useful for lovers of independent recreation. Those who prefer organized all-inclusive tourism to Varadero with multi-colored bracelets on their hands are unlikely to find this reading entertaining.
1. Season, off season
In Cuba, the most favorable season for recreation is considered to be the end of November - the beginning of April. It is mild and warm (in our opinion so hot) weather with quite tolerable humidity. May-October is the season of rains and summer stuffiness. In October - November there are also hurricanes. However, having visited Cuba in October and having previously made sure on gismeteo.ru that water will ooze from the sky for two weeks, I responsibly report: tropical rain almost always starts unexpectedly, ends in 10 minutes and after another 5 minutes the sun is already actively shining. For all two weeks of stay, the umbrella had to be taken out once, and the raincoats bought in advance remained untouched at the bottom of the suitcase. So do not be afraid of the rains, but it does not hurt to prepare for them. But in the season (especially December-January), you may have to wade through the multilingual crowds of tourists who flee south from domestic cold weather, as well as overpay for food, housing and entertainment (the price tag grows significantly). All prices below are valid for October 2007.
2. Entering Cuba
For citizens of Russia and Belarus (unlike, for example, from Ukraine), a visa-free regime has been established for a stay in Cuba of up to 30 days. To enter the Island of Freedom, you officially need a valid passport, a return air ticket and a hotel booking confirmation (or a travel voucher). In reality, the lovely woman in the green uniform at José San Martí Airport did not ask for a ticket or confirmation of an online booking that had been carefully printed out in triplicate. Judging by the reviews of other "savages", this is not an oversight of an individual official, but a normal practice. In addition to the passport, for entry, you must fill out an immigration card, which is usually distributed on the plane or can be asked from women in the form before passport control. It indicates the hotel in which the tourist booked a room. No one bothers to write in this card any hotel you know in Havana, for example, Nacional, Parque Central, Inglatera, Sevillia or any other. This will be enough. The entry stamp is not placed in the passport (so that later there are no problems with obtaining an American visa), but on this very immigration card, half of which must be kept for exit.
From the airport to the capital can only be reached by taxi. The upper bar, which is declared immediately upon exiting the terminal, is 25 convertible pesos. Quite quickly they drop it to 20. But we firmly stood at 15. As a result, the taxi driver's mafia gave up, and after a three-minute wait, the tourists, who were suffering from a date with Havana, were put in a taxi to some economical Swede, who, apparently, refused to pay more than a gold piece. By the way, in order to immediately close the topic of the cost of a taxi from / to the airport, Pantaxi (a local economical taxi on domestic Zhiguli) usually asks 15 convertible pesos from the city, but according to the meter from the center of Havana it will be exactly 10 (of course more from the Vedado area). It is checked up on own experience. So if you can use hypnosis or strong suggestion to get a poor Cuban to go that far on the meter, then you can save five.
3. Money
There are two monetary units in circulation in Cuba: the regular peso (often called the Cuban peso by the locals), which is used by mere mortals, and the convertible peso (CUC, "convertible" or sometimes "fuerte peso"), invented specifically for foreign tourists. Something like the Soviet foreign currency ruble. On the price tags, both regular and convertible pesos are denoted by a dollar sign $.
One convertible peso can be exchanged in Cadeca banks for 24 regular pesos. These Cuban pesos are used to pay wages to workers of the socialist industry (12-16 dollars a month) and they use them to buy cereals, sugar, soap and other essentials at ridiculously subsidized prices using cards in special state shops. These stores with empty shelves painfully resemble a general store from the period of the collapse of the union. Judging by the guidebooks (Lonely Planet), there are allegedly good restaurants in Cuba where you can pay with these pesos. I confess, I have not seen such, except for the terrible type of eateries and cafeterias, where they offered sandwiches with cheese and ham (5 Cuban pesos) and no less frightening pizza (10 - 15 pesos). Cubans are happy to consume this fast food, and if suddenly you had to stay on the island of freedom completely without money or are drawn to the exotic (if you have a plentiful supply of imodium, chloramphenicol, or at least smecta), then you can try. In addition, on the streets remote from the tourist trails, these outcast pesos can be used to purchase freshly squeezed juices (1-2 pesos per glass), ice cream (1-3 pesos) or coffee (30 centavos! for a small cup). The real value of local pesos can also be obtained at agricultural markets, where the party and government have allowed rural workers to sell their surplus products. Here is where to roam! Pineapples, papaya (called “fruit bomba” in Cuba), guava, bananas, etc. are sold almost for free. Prices from 3 to 5 pesos per pound. One really huge papaya will cost about 15 Cuban pesos (i.e. just over half of one convertible peso). Take a folding penknife with you in your luggage to peel and cut fruit.
Convertible pesos (notes with the inscription pesos convertibles) are changed (October 2007) at the airport and in banks at the rate of 1.25 - 1.26 pesos for 1 euro. Those. for 100 euros you will be given between 125 and 126 convertibles. It is better not to take dollars with you to Cuba, as they are exchanged with a 10% commission and for 100 bucks you can only get 89 cookies. The owner of the cherished foreign currency rubles in Cuba has access to taxis, good restaurants, hotels and normal shops with a limited, true, but still incomparable choice of goods with distribution shops.
Money can also be withdrawn from a card (but not issued by American banks), but apparently for a fairly substantial commission. So the cash is the head of everything, and save the card in case of an unforeseen financial disaster.
4. Prices
Taxi
Pantaxi (Yellow or white checkered Zhiguli - the most economical option) from Havana to José San Marti airport - 15 cu, from the Vedado area to Old Havana - up to 5 cu, from Old Havana through the tunnel under the harbor to the fortress with a lighthouse - 2-3 cu, from the center of Havana to Santa Maria Del Mar beach (15 km from the city) - no more than 15 cu Cove, from the center of Havana (Capitol) to Viazul bus station - 5 cookies. Pantaxi has meters and you can offer to ride on it, which is usually cheaper. Tourist taxi OK on good new cars with air conditioning costs significantly more, both metered and unmetered. Cycle rickshaws are not formally allowed to carry foreign tourists, but they will very strongly offer their services for 1-3 cookies, depending on the duration of the trip. This does not threaten a tourist, but rickshaws with law enforcement officers may have problems. There are also scooters in Cuba with yellow cabins for two people - Coco taxi, which can sometimes be bargained at an affordable price, but rather for a fan. I am silent about the pleasure carriages. It all depends on the season and your perseverance.
Food in restaurants and cafes
Beer Cristal (light) in an aluminum can 0.35 ml - 1 cookie, in a glass can - 1.5, Bukanero (stronger) - 1.5 cookies. Draft beer (by the way, very good) was found in one place - in a tavern on Plaza Vieja in Old Havana - 2 cookies per glass. Austrian brewing equipment - Salm Brau. Anyone who has been to Vienna will understand what I mean.
Cocktails almost everywhere cost 2.5 Cuc, but there are places where the price starts from 1.5 Cuc for a glass of "cube libre" (rum with cola), 2 Cuc for a "mojito" (rum with lemon, soda, mint and sugar) and up to 2.25 for a "piña colada" (rum with pineapple juice and coconut milk).
Coffee - 1 - 1.5 cookies per cup.
The price for a hot dish in normal restaurants starts from 4-5 CUC (chicken or pork), 5-7 CUC (fish, beef), 6-8 CUC (shrimp or lobster tail). Side dish (rice, rice with beans or fried potatoes) - about 1 cookie. Soups 1.5 - 3 cookies. Although there are establishments (for example, I ended up in such a very decent place in Varadero), where at lunch the price tag for hot starts at 2.5 cookies, and in some advanced restaurant in Old Havana in the evening it can start with a gold piece and reach more than twenty for a lobster. Ask for bread, because it is usually not brought without an order and is “appreciated” at 1 cookie. On average, for a normal dinner, you need to lay out 8-12 cookies. Portions in Cuba are huge, so don't overdo it. For those who will be in Havana, I highly recommend the decent restaurant El Coquito at Malecon 107 (the second floor of the Asturian Sociedad, on the first floor there is some kind of bar and billiard tables). Delicious cuisine at affordable prices, service high level and a balcony overlooking the ocean and the Havana promenade. Unfortunately there is no sign, but the number on the house has not yet fallen off.
When visiting Cuban restaurants, pay attention to the fact that, firstly, they like to cheat tourists, and secondly, in a number of places a commission for service from 10 to 20% is added to the bill (this will definitely be written on the menu). Tips are very welcome. At a minimum, you can round the bill up and leave a "trifle" or, if you really liked it, give one or two cookies on top. Tea is always collected by musicians who play music in cafes and restaurants. It will be enough to leave them 0.5 -1 cookies. You can immediately buy a disc of the group you like for 10 cookies (a little expensive, in a tourist shop good discs start with 6 cookies).
Sandwiches and pizzas for convertible pesos - from 1 to 3 cookies. For example, in a fairly common fast food chain El Rapido.
Rum? Rum... Rum! Havana Club Añejo Blanco (the cheapest one, it is added to cocktails) in the store - 3.50 cu for a 0.7 liter bottle. and 5.2 cookies per litre. A three-year aged rum is a little more expensive, although you probably won’t feel much difference in taste. Excellent aged rum Havana Club Reserve or Santiago cost around 7.5-8 cookies per 0.7 liter. They are drunk separately, without mixing with cola and without ice. The taste and softness - like a good cognac. The top bar is Havana Club seven years old. Options for a cheap and “tasty” drink: buy a mixture of pineapple juice and coconut milk in a bag (called a piña colada and costs 4.20 cu), rum and make cocktails yourself (believe me, cocktails are made from the same bag in restaurants). The same with cola. Carbonated drinks in aluminum cans in cafes and restaurants, discos - 1 cookie per can. Cola (local of course) in one and a half liters in the store - 1.5 cookies. Packaged juices - 2.1 cookies per liter.
Entrance to museums from 3 cookies (Capitol, climb to the upper observation deck of the Jose San Marti memorial tower on Revolution Square, the house of the Spanish Governor General in Old Havana - highly recommend), 5 cookies (Museum of the Revolution - scary boring stuff, the Granma yacht, exhibited in a glass pavilion, can be seen from the street), up to 10 convertible pesos (tour of the Partagas tobacco factory - do not spare money , it's worth it).
Entrance to the disco - 3-5 cookies, usually one drink is included. Going to local discos is a must. How Cubans dance salsa... Even 70-year-old old men light up on the dance floor, to say nothing about young people.
Shrezlong or umbrella on the beach 1-2 cookies (unless you live in a hotel that is adjacent to the beach and charges this fee), entry to the beach is almost everywhere free.
Gasoline - 0.75-0.85 cookies per liter.
Water in the store for a one and a half liter bottle is 0.7 -1 kuk, in a cafe it usually costs 2 kuk, and for a half liter - kuk.
Airport tax when leaving Cuba - 25 cookies.
5. Housing
Hotels can be booked via the Internet (unless, of course, you buy a package with flights and accommodation from a travel agency). Quite interesting rates are sometimes offered by www.venere.com The cost starts from 30-35 euros per night with breakfast in a grubby three-star hotel out of season. The upper ceiling is lost in the clouds. From cheap options in Havana, I recommend Hotel Deuville on the Malecon (intersection with Avenue Italia). Don't expect a palace and scraping staff for pennies. The house is rather shabby both outside and inside. But on the plus side: location (5 minutes walk to the Prado, 10-15 minutes to the Capitol, half an hour to Old Havana), a hearty breakfast, clean linen and towels, a tolerable pool on the 6th floor overlooking central Havana and the ocean, a bar 24 hours a day, as well as a daily disco (except Tuesday), where hotel residents are allowed free of charge. The guests are mostly middle-class, unpretentious foreigners from the most different countries world (from Australia to Poland). In Varadero, a good option that lives up to its three stars is the Hotel Aquasul. Quite tidy both outside and inside, it is located 200-300 meters from the municipal beach.
"Casa Particular", i.e. private rooms, which the good Fidel allowed the Cubans to rent to foreigners in their homes, so as not to die of hunger. This is a real opportunity to communicate with Cubans (even if you do not speak Spanish), look at their life from the inside, get a lot of useful information and assistance in planning trips around the country. Casas can vary greatly in location, level of decor and friendliness of the hosts, but they do not differ much in price. 25-35 CUC per night per room (two people can share it) in Havana and 20-25 CUC in the provinces. In the capital, rooms in the Old Havana area or the Center of Havana (closer to the waterfront - Malecon) are preferable if you want to be in the thick of things and not far from attractions and nightlife. However, central Havana at first glance does not make a very rosy impression - beautiful but crumbling houses, sometimes dark and dirty streets, dubious subjects around. This option is good for night adventurers who are ready for hardships, although there are also very decent cash desks. The Vedado area is a quieter green area with villas where it is good to stay with a family. It's a bit far from Old Havana, though, so stock up on at least 10 cookies a day for taxis, unless you're a marathon runner or sport walker. I can recommend the house at Prado 20 (Avenue José San Marti), which has already been glowing more than once on the net. Rooms for rent on almost every floor, great view and location, terraces are brilliant (sorry for Ellochka Cannibal's dictionary), but the place is popular, so there may not be places. By the way, a person with a suitcase on the street is immediately grabbed by the hand with a proposal to show “casa particular” or “abitasien” (room). If there are no other options, then you can go for Susanin. You may have to go through several apartments until you like one and the kasa becomes at least 5 cookies more expensive for you, since the owners will pay a commission to the conductor. Another possibility, if it was not possible to stock up on addresses from forums or specialized sites in advance (enter casa particular Habana in Google), is to focus on A5 size white labels pasted at the doors of houses with a blue or green triangle and the inscription arendator divisia. This means that the room(s) are for rent. In an apartment building, the magic word “casa” or “abitacien” will be gladly answered by an elevator operator who will show you what is available and where.
The hosts often prepare kas for guests. A breakfast of sandwiches, scrambled eggs, fruit, coffee and freshly squeezed juice will cost 3 CUC (up to 5 in Havana). Dinner per person - from 7-8 for chicken or meat to 8-10 for seafood. Very good option - tasty and very satisfying. The main course is usually accompanied by a salad (cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, avocados, etc.) and fruit. They can also indulge in Cuban wine (in the store it costs 2.5 cookies for a bottle of red or white "rusk").
Digression on the topic of sex.
Living in a box office, in addition to the advantages listed above, in some (but not all) cases makes it possible to bring guests, including overnight guests. In such, I repeat few, casas, the owners either do not live in the apartment and leave for the night, or give the guests the key to the entrance locks, while they themselves sleep behind the locked bedroom door. Officially, of course, bringing any guests of Cubans by tourists to the box office is strictly prohibited, and envious neighbors, watchmen and guards at night parking shamelessly knock on the police. So, if the owners do not give the entrance key (they will open the door by knocking themselves at any hour of the night) or frantically wave their hands, saying “NO MUCHACHA”, then you won’t have to arrange a brothel. However, there are those rooms that the owners provide (unofficially, of course, and at great risk to themselves, but not to the tourist) for short meetings of those who are thirsty for affection. foreign citizens and citizens with local Juanites or Pedro (do not be surprised, for Spanish women in Cuba, as for faithful and reliable Russian women in Turkey). Such a room usually costs 20 cookies, regardless of the duration of the meeting. The address of the nearest brothel will probably know the Cuban or Cuban you like. Take care of your pockets - they are VERY likely to be carefully cleaned. By the way, to close the topic of sex tourism, I’ll add that in a few middle-class hotels, guards sometimes work as pimps (the same top twenty for services), priestesses of love (30 cookies) are very persistent in their desire to get a client and concentrate in Havana near the Malecon embankment. Acquaintance even with an ordinary girl still implies either free drinks at a bar, or a gift (Gobseks, don’t think that savages live on the island of freedom who have never seen a ballpoint pen or a mirror), or money “for a taxi”. Free love in Cuba is a rarity and this is due to the general poor of the population. Protective and personal hygiene products must be taken with you and in large quantities. It is difficult to find them in Cuba, if you do not use them, give them to the locals as a contribution to the health of the Cuban nation.
6. Transport around the country
Unfortunately, I can’t say anything about car rental, except that it’s not only possible, but also wonderful. Of the minuses - signs on the roads are rare, you will have to pay a lot for a car.
Intercity buses are of two types Astro and Viasul. Both are new, air-conditioned cars with sedate drivers and conductors dressed in uniform (Viazul is still more comfortable, but do not forget about something warm from clothes: air conditioners work at full capacity). The difference is that Astros are designed for ordinary Cubans and carry them around the country for ridiculous money. Therefore, the buses are full, without knowing Spanish, buying tickets for them can be a little difficult (but quite possible). On each flight, a certain number of seats are reserved and sold for convertible pesos to tourists. Viazul are specially designed buses for foreigners, tickets are sold only for convertible pesos and cost an average of 5 cookies more than the "tourist" places in Astro. They run strictly on schedule. Reliable and generally inexpensive. Havana - Cienfuegos - 20 cookies, Havana-Trinidad - 25 cookies, Havana-Santiago de Cuba - 55 cookies. Places must be booked in advance (arrive at the station and sign up for a journal), especially during the tourist season from December to March. Probably, there is a reservation by phone (oh, I wish I knew Spanish - maybe the owners of the ticket office will help) and supposedly on the Internet (I definitely DO NOT BELIEVE this). In the off-season, buses run half-empty and tickets are sold without problems half an hour before departure. Stations near Astro and Viazul are most often shared (waiting rooms and ticket purchases are different), only in Havana Viazul has its own small station, located quite far from the center. Tell the taxi driver "omnibus Viazul" and he will take you there. Pantaxi will cost no more than 5-6 cookies from almost any area of the city. Be careful with luggage. It is accepted for transportation (just like on an airplane), they are given tags, carefully placed in the belly of the bus, but ... they are still gutted from time to time. A closed combination lock will be enough to save property and mood. When issuing and loading luggage, sometimes they ask for a tip of 25-50 centavos (of course, convertible).
7. Security
Cuba is probably one of the safest countries in Latin America. That's where the notorious "order", which is so lacking for the fans of Joseph Vissarionovich. The police are at every turn, both in uniform and in civilian clothes. A tourist is a “sacred cow”, so you can only have a conversation with law enforcement officers if they begin to advise you not to carry a camera or women's handbag carelessly, joyfully waving it in the air while walking. But the locals have a hard time. Contacts of Cubans and especially Cubans with foreigners are not very welcome, so, having seen a local foreign tourist in society, the police can check his documents and, in their absence, take a Cuban citizen to the station. At the same time, they will not say a word to you and will not explain anything. And despite this, in Cuba there is a big problem with molesters on the streets. You have to be mentally prepared for this and endure it stoically. Every 5 minutes in Havana (especially Old Havana) and a little less often, but still often in the provinces, a person will approach you and joyfully shout in broken Russian: “hello, comrade” or “Russo!” or just "how are you, where are you from, do you remember me?" They immediately begin to get to know each other persistently, report some important news (“Don’t miss it, today is the first day of the salsa festival, let’s go and show it,” they told us every day for two weeks of our stay), call your hotel (sometimes even the name found out at the reception), etc. In 99 cases out of 100, the goals of the acquaintance are transparent:
Guide (with varying degrees of professionalism will lead you through various nooks and crannies of the city, and then demand money for life and work);
- sell fake cigars (at the same time, he will present a pass card to the cigar factory and tell a tearful story about how they have to be stolen in order to feed his family. See below about cigars);
- just ask for money for life (uncles, give me ten kopecks) or for milk for children (in Cuba, children have enough milk, the Cubans themselves talked about this);
- to propose a girl (“chika caliente”, “faki faki”, “muchach”);
- sell cocaine (strongly do not recommend);
- to breed a foreigner for money (after such a nice conversation, a Spaniard I know did not have watches, glasses, phone and money left, although no one hit him in the head, did not threaten with a knife, he does not understand how this happened);
- exchange currency at a favorable rate (the result is a "doll" with fewer bills, or ordinary Cuban pesos, instead of convertible ones).
So the best answer to the pesterers is: “but comprendo” (I don’t understand) the calm continuation of the walk, without stopping and not turning around to hail or persistent “excus mi”, etc. It is worth giving up slack, stopping and starting a conversation and getting rid of it will be much more difficult.
Pickpocketing (especially by passionate Cuban women) and the banal gop-stop are still possible and happen, especially with drunks in dark alleys far from the tourist trails. So don't carry all your money, documents or tickets with you. It is better to rent a safe at the hotel and store them there or, if you are staying at the ticket office, hide them in the bottom of a suitcase that closes with a combination or padlock. If there is no lock, then there is a high probability (especially in a hotel) that someone's caring hand will run through the suitcase. It would be good to have some kind of inner pocket on the clothes, with a small slit and fastened with a safety pin and a button. Unattended things are stolen on the beaches, so be on the lookout.
By the way, there is also such a category of barkers who offer to go to their restaurant (bar, cafe) and enjoy music and food. If he is standing right at the entrance to the institution, then you should not be scared and it is quite possible to look in and check what is on the menu and what is the price tag. You can find a good place to your liking and affordable. But if you need to go somewhere, “it’s literally 100 meters around the corner”, etc., then decide for yourself (see above).
Medications (aspirin, iodine or streptocide, immodium and levomecin, activated charcoal, etc.) must be taken with you. Passing repeatedly past the local "pharmaceuticals" I did not understand what they were selling. Some rare jars and boxes on half-empty shelves. Be sure to take a sunscreen with a good degree of protection. You will not find it in Cuba, and burn the skin to blisters. Allegedly, the first visit to the doctor is free. I do not know, thank God, did not check.
8. Cigars
How is it with Mayakovsky: We say Cuba, we mean cigars, we say cigars, we mean Cuba. It is surprising that even non-smokers want to buy real Havana cigars in Cuba on the cheap. There are many types of Cuban cigars from the most elite Cohiba, Montecristo, Romeo and Juliet at a price of 3 to 10 or more cookies per piece, to twisted by machine Guantaramer 1-1.5 cu. Each type has different sizes (most often 4 main ones) and different thicknesses. The price depends on it. Cigars are sold both individually and in cardboard boxes (3.5 pieces) and in boxes (10.25 pieces). Official stores are everywhere, you can walk around and ask the price. If you are planning to buy cigars as a gift for someone who is at least a little versed in them, but are far from the world of tobacco, then it is better not to take risks and buy a smaller box, but in an official store. And there will be no problems with customs. As for the cigars offered on the streets, they can sell a frank awl, which is right there on Malaya Arnautskaya Street and is twisted from no one knows what material.
If you nevertheless decided to take such a step and understand cigars so much that you can determine by eye or after smoking, what is being slipped to you, I’ll tell you. A nimble merchant dragged us into some apartment in Trinidad under the pretext that he would show a cigar store (he caught foreign tourists loitering near a closed outlet). We pass into the back rooms, behind the back the front door is locked with a padlock. Well, everyone got stuck. Nothing like that, it's police smugglers fear. Boxes are dumped on the table: everything can be opened, looked at, smelled and even smoked (if you like it, pay for the whole box, including the smoked cigar, if not, then theoretically you can pay nothing, but it’s unlikely that they will let you leave so easily - you will have to give at least a couple of cookies for a cigar or argue for a long time, threatening the police). The price tag for cigars that are really stolen from the factory is from 25 to 40% of the store price. There are holographic stickers on the boxes, a numbered green tag with the coat of arms and the inscription made in Cuba, etc. Still, for testing, they bought one box of 10 cigars for 17 cookies (they asked for 20, its real price is about 50). Smoked at home big company, which included "experts". The conclusion is this: the cigars were unanimously recognized as real, they didn’t let us down in taste, smell and “smokyness”, only they were very dry (apparently they were dragged in a bag for a long time until the client was found). According to various sources, the customs in Cuba allows from 23 to 50 cigars to be exported (even in the official store we were confirmed that the new rules increased the number to 50). So lottery lovers can try to save or lose a couple of dozen convertibles.
9. Beaches
It is not true that the best beaches in Cuba are in Varadero. Cuba has many great beaches. Very good place - Playa Del Este 15 km. east of Havana. White sand, palm trees, ocean. There are no beaches in Havana itself (there is some similarity in the west of the city, but obviously not the Bounty). Playa del Este is quite a long line of beaches, the most famous and beautiful of them is Santa Maria Del Mar. You can get there by taxi for 15 convertibles. Some city bus goes there, but we did not dare to look for it, especially since one of the reviews found on the net told about a three-hour wait (!) for boarding this ill-fated bus. It is easier to find fellow travelers and divide the taxi into four people. There are hotels in Santa Maria Del Mar, sun loungers, umbrellas, police, beer and coconut milk sold right on the beach and all the other small joys of a lover to bask on the sand. Riding on a banana. I saw a jet ski in the distance. Very beautiful beaches on the Caribbean Sea in the Trinidad area (by taxi from the city 5-6 cookies). Spreading large trees grow right in the sand, in the shade of which you can comfortably sit without fear of sunburn. The locals do it. You can ride a catamaran for an hour to the diving site with a mask and fins for 10 cookies per bow. There are still excellent beaches on the islands, and everywhere on the island. In developed resorts, deep-sea fishing and boating / catamaran trips, etc. are organized. entertainment. So a great seaside vacation in Cuba is guaranteed.
HAVE A GOOD HOLIDAY, CUBA O MUERTE!
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levometsitin not levometsitsin!
Advice about levometsitin, which is an antibiotic and is prescribed for admission not by oneself, but only by a doctor, I think is bad. Only Russians will be able to take advantage of your advice, in civilized countries all antibiotics are strictly according to prescriptions. Do you swallow it from all misfortunes? Beware of allergies in this case.
levomecetin
to bon a savoir: Sorry, in a hurry I got confused, and there are many other similar errors in the text: hotels DeAuville, AquaZul, Nacional de Cuba, InglaterRa, etc. According to levomecithin: this is a strong antibiotic, which is known for its side effects, in no case should it be taken at every opportunity. Of course, ideally - only on prescription. But every time I take it with me as an NZ - if he already grabs the hellish, but there is no doctor, then I have to self-medicate at my own peril and risk, everything is better than bending over in the tropics
15,5$ (14.3€ / 984.7₽)– the minimum budget per day in Havana per person. This is enough for a room at the box office particular (double occupancy), meals and two trips to public transport.
Flights and insurance are not included in this amount. Tickets from Moscow in both directions will cost from 40 thousand rubles, and sometimes you can catch a charter sale with prices from $100 one way.
Screenshot from @samokatus telegram channel Sometimes you can grab a tour for a week for 30-35 or even less than a thousand rubles, subscribe to the @samokatus telegram channel so as not to miss it all.
Insurance in Cuba will cost you about 160 rubles a day. Insurance can be picked up at the service. Turtle - Aviasales in the world of insurance, chooses from dozens of options the cheapest or the most suitable in terms of parameters. Turtle is our partner and we recommend him as the best insurance aggregator.
Cuba is still a socialist state with very unusual conditions for any traveler other than a package traveler. The biggest problem in Cuba is segregation: Officially, foreigners can only live in strictly designated hotels, eat at special restaurants, and travel on a separate bus line called Viazul.
Even the currencies in Cuba are two - for foreigners and for their own. The difference in living standards is enormous, the average salary of a Cuban is about 20 dollars, so in tourist areas, locals perceive foreigners solely as a source of profit. The list of the most popular layouts of an unprepared tourist can be read .
In 2012, the government of Raul Castro legalized private enterprise, and it became easier for an independent visitor in Cuba: rooms and apartments for rent, simpler cafes and some private transport appeared. But all this still needs to be found, so Cuba still needs instructions for use.
Visa. Citizens of Russia do not need a visa to visit up to 90 days in half a year. Thisagreement between Russia and Cuba dated May 22, 2018 (it is not yet clear whether such long stamps are already being placed at the border). Previously, Russians could enter for 30 days and extend their stay two more times - for 30 days each. This was done inoffices of the migration service , they are in every major city and several districts of Havana. To extend it, you had to secure insurance and a residential address.
Money. There are two currencies in Cuba - CUC (or peso convertible) and CUP (moneda national). The first currency is intended for foreigners - they will have to pay in restaurants, hotels and in special buses.
The third option is to settle illegally with Cubans, whose contacts you can find with friends or on couchsurfing (no one settles for free, be prepared for this). The hosts take risks by taking you in - it's forbidden by law if there is no license and the host does not pay tax - but, on the other hand, this is an opportunity to earn some money.
How much does a connection cost?
Communication in Cuba is not very good. The state company ETECSA is responsible for communication, the contract can be concluded at the head office. Communication costs 0.3 cookies (19.1 ₽) per minute, the Internet is represented only by the GPRS package and it costs 1 cookie (63.5 ₽) per megabyte.
In the offices and kiosks of the same company, they sell cards with Internet access that can be used in networks with public Wi-Fi. There are long queues at the head office, there are often no cards at the kiosks, but it is quite inexpensive - 1 cookie per hour (63.5 ₽) . More cards are sold by resellers on the streets. Theysame cards work in hotels.
How much does food cost in restaurants?
In Cuba, everything is complicated with food, so wherever you eat, the set of fresh products will be more or less the same. In tourist restaurants in Cuba, food is very expensive and, due to shortages, it is far from always good. Seafood and fish are definitely worth attention, but in restaurants the price for them starts from 13-15 kuk (825.9–953.0 ₽) for a not too big dish.
If you go to the beaches in the direction of Santa Maria, then there and in Guanabo the prices are lower - you can have a normal lunch from 5 cookies (317.7 ₽) per person, lobster from 12 cookies (762.4 ₽).
In a cafe for Cubans, everything is much more democratic. Congri rice - mixed with black beans - and chicken can cost 50-60 pesos national (123.4–148.0 ₽), local pizza (take with pineapples, they are excellent in Cuba, unlike cheese and sausage) - 20 pesos (49.3 ₽), spaghetti is better not to take, they are usually not very good.
There are enough bars in Cuba, but popular places like “ Hemingway's favorite restaurants ” (there are enough of them in the city: La Bodeguita del Medio, Restaurante Floridita, Los Dos Hermanos) are greatly overpriced - literally and figuratively, cocktails there cost 6-8 kuk (381.2 -508.2 ₽).
How much do groceries cost in the supermarket?
There are practically no supermarkets in Cuba - only currency shops, where there is a slightly larger variety of goods. Prices in such places are unreasonably high - a kilo of sugar can cost 1.5-2 cookies (127.1 ₽). By the way, if a local takes you to a store and asks you to buy him some food, keep in mind that most likely the store will be a foreign exchange store, and the seller will gladly cheat you for a couple of cookies. The only things that cost real money in such places are alcohol (the price of a good rum, Havana Club, starts from 3 cookies (190.6 ₽)) and tobacco products.
Everything else is better to buy in the markets and in simple shops away from Old Havana - yes, there will only be coffee, sugar, eggs, rice, beans, sometimes frozen chicken and a little yucca, but all this will cost quite a bit, for example, 30 pesos nationale (74.0 ₽) for two dozen eggs.
How much do entertainment and museums cost
Havana is an open-air museum, and its main attraction is the quarters of Old Havana. But there are also separate places where tourists should look. From the Capitol for 5 cookies (317.7 ₽) there are tourist buses going back and forth to fortress El Morro, which was built by the Spaniards in the 16th century according to the project of the Italian engineer Gianbatista Antonelli. In the San Francisco de Paula area isHemingway House Museum - you can’t go inside, just look out the windows and walk around, but the place is beautiful. For only 1 cookie (63.5 ₽) you can look athistorical cemetery named after Christopher Columbus.
Be sure to take a look at Art Factory - the most modern place in the city. This is a cultural center where contemporary art exhibitions and other events are held, but the main thing is that everyone here looks and behaves like ordinary residents of the metropolis, and in retro Havana this is amazing to the core.
How much do souvenirs cost?
It all depends on you - the Cubans are great at bargaining, initially setting terribly high prices, so you can pay 10 cookies or 1 for a magnet. But it’s best to bring rum from Cuba (remember, Havana Club from $ 3) and cigars (normal ones from $ 10 per pack, sometimes you can find cheaper).
How much more expensive compared to Moscow?
Due to currency segregation, it is both more expensive and cheaper at the same time - sugar, for example, can cost both 10 pesos (24.7 ₽) and 3 cookies (190.6 ₽). If you plan to go to restaurants, take excursions and stay in a hotel, count on the European price level. If you plan to live like a Cuban, it will be cheap.
When to arrive?
From May to September, the island can be tormentedCaribbean Hurricanes , be careful and watch the news. In addition, at this time it can be too hot on the island, and it often rains. In January it can be cool, up to 17-18 degrees Celsius. It is better to choose the off-season, although both in summer and in winter the weather and water temperature are excellent.. They can be spent on any purchase: air, trains, buses, etc.
Flights Moscow - Havana and package tours to Cuba
You can also travel to Cuba on a tour. Often they sell profitable package tours there: from 33,000 rubles per person for a week from Moscow. These can only be taken for flights.
There are two currencies in circulation in Cuba: the peso cubano (CUP), or national peso, and the peso convertible (CUC), or convertible peso. Tourists mostly use the latter, as it is fully convertible into foreign currencies. Moreover, tourists are required to pay restaurant and hotel (if not paid in advance) bills in convertible pesos, pay for transport and souvenirs. The only time you might need cubanos pesos is when visiting very remote places, where you will pay with them for street food and snacks, pay at rural markets and pay for local bus fares. Local transport costs 20-40 centavos, and for a two-week stay in the country, you will hardly have to change Cubanos for pesos more than CUC $ 5. Before leaving the island, spend all the CUC$, as no one outside of Cuba will accept them from you. The only place in Cuba where you can exchange pesos for other currencies is the Havana airport.
Currency exchange
The convertible peso is pegged hard to the dollar on a one-to-one basis, but all exchange transactions involving dollars are subject to a 10% tax. Come to the country with euros, pounds or Canadian dollars, which are not subject to tax. Take more cash with you, but make sure the banknotes are clean and undamaged. If you have any inscriptions and impulses, they will not be accepted from you. You can exchange the imported currency at banks and casas de cambio (exchange offices under the sign "CADECA"). There is no black market. If you want to buy Cubanos pesos, do it at the rate CUC$1 = CUP26.
Credit cards
An increasing number of establishments accept credit cards, including many tourist shops, luxury hotels and restaurants, airlines, gas stations and car rental companies. But you can't rely entirely on credit cards, because not everyone accepts them, and even if they do, the phone lines sometimes don't work and payments don't go through. The Cuban economy is still largely cash-based (divisa).
Traveler's checks
Traveler's checks in US dollars are accepted (usually where you can pay with credit cards), but they must not be American Express checks or checks drawn on American banks. The easiest way to exchange travelers checks for pesos is at a hotel, bank or CADECA, for which you will need a passport and an official receipt from the organization that issued the check. The commission will be 2-4%. If you arrive in Cuba with American Express traveller's checks, they will be cashed in Asistur for a 10% commission.
ATMs
In major cities of Cuba, the network of ATMs is constantly expanding. The hotel will tell you if they are available in the area at the time of your stay in a particular place. Several banks (one of them - Banco Financiero) and CADECA currency exchange offices issue cash loans upon presentation of a credit or debit card and passports, but charge high fees.
Let's talk about what currency to take to Cuba. The question is not idle, given that there are only two currencies in Cuba. Read more in the article.
On the “island of freedom”, two monetary units are in use at once: national (CUP) and convertible peso (in the common people - kuk, CUC), and even local residents are paid salaries in both currencies. The convertible peso has bright banknotes and a distinctive sign in the form of the inscription "convertible". The ratio of kuk to the national peso is approximately 1:25.
You can find out the peso to ruble exchange rate today using this calculator.
National pesos are accepted almost everywhere: in grocery stores, boutique shopping centers, public transport, markets. In tourist areas, where the so-called "currency shops" are located, in some restaurants, bars and cafes you can only pay with convertible pesos.
If you are going on a trip to Cuba, you should stock up on euros or US dollars. At the same time, it is worth remembering that when exchanging dollars for national currency a commission fee equal to 10-20% of the total amount is charged, the euro exchange does not imply such a commission.
You can exchange currency at bank branches, special exchange offices, the airport, hotels and inns, which, however, do not offer the most favorable rate. It is not worth doing such an operation with street money changers, as there is a risk of “getting acquainted” with a scammer. In Cuba, you can change Russian rubles, but the rate will be much narrower than the euro exchange rate, so it is better to opt for this particular euro. Days off in Cuban banks are Sunday and Monday, on other weekdays they are open from 9:00 to 18:00, and on Saturday they work from 10:00 to 14:00.
Tourists can also use bank credit cards and travelers checks, but with one caveat: they must not be issued by US banks. Credit cards Eurocard, Visa and MasterCard are accepted in many shops and cafes, but reluctantly, plus, an additional commission of 3% of the total amount is charged when paying. Visa Electron, American Express, Citibank, Cirius/Maestro credit cards are not accepted at all.
How to distinguish convertible currency from national
Everything is simple. The convertible shows landmarks (left) and the national one shows Cuban leaders (right).
There are two types of money in use in Cuba: the peso and the CUC. Peso is local money for Cubans: salaries are paid in pesos (the average salary in Cuba is 800-1000 pesos), they sell products in vegetable markets, there are shops for Cubans where they sell some minimum set of products and hygiene products for pesos, there is a cafe for Cubans, in short, all payments for all goods and services for the local population go for pesos. Since 2006, Cuba has introduced a new currency unit CUC.
Dear friends, at present, despite the assurances of the Cuban authorities about the abolition of the 10% tax, in fact this has not happened yet. 10% tax continues to be withheld when converting USD to Cook. Do not bring dollars with you!
There are two types of money in circulation in Cuba: the peso and the CUC.
(KUK in the common people).Peso is local money for Cubans: salaries are paid in pesos (the average salary in Cuba is 600-1000 pesos), they sell products in vegetable markets, there are shops for Cubans where they sell some minimum set of products and hygiene products for pesos, there is a cafe for Cubans, in short, all payments for all goods and services for the local population go for pesos. Since 2006, a new monetary unit CUC has been introduced in Cuba. This was done in order to fight the dollar and to control the state over money circulation.
CUC money for tourists:
tickets for all types of transport (except perhaps city buses), tickets for entry to any historical sites and cultural events, fines for traffic violations, restaurants and cafes, shops with a wider range of assortment - all this for tourists for CUC. The only place where foreigners are allowed for the same money as Cubans I met in children's amusement parks: entrance to the park is 1 peso, the price of carousels is from 1 to 6 pesos, in short, by 10 CUC you can ride to death.1 CUC = 25 pesos
- this rate has not changed since 2006When exchanging, there is also a commission, so for 1 CUC you will be given 24 pesos, and with a reverse exchange for 26 pesos - 1 CUC
The exchange rate for CUC is set by the state and depends on the global situation on the exchange rate market between the dollar and the euro.
The closer you are to the tourist area, the less choice you have to use the peso, but this does not mean that you should refuse it, on the contrary, you should always have a peso in reserve, going to the fruit market or some kind of service from Cubans, but you never know what situation and the peso will be more profitable than CUC. But as soon as you drive away from the tourist areas, you will definitely need pesos: in the outback you can eat cheaply in local cafes for pesos, buy groceries, pay for services, give tips ...
TIP 1: change part of CUC to pesos if you will be traveling in Cuba or living in the private sector. If you expect only accommodation in All Inclusiv hotels, then there is no point in changing CUC to pesos.
The question is where to change money for CUC and for pesos.
In Cuba, all exchangers are state-owned, so it’s useless to run around looking for where the exchange rate is more profitable.
You can exchange euros for CUC at banks, at hotel reception, at Cadeca street exchangers. Banking hours: Tuesday to Friday 9:00 to 18:00, Saturday from 10:00 to 14:00. Sunday and Monday are days off! In banks (especially in Havana) there are always queues, count your time! The bank on duty in Havana, working seven days a week, is located on Obispo Street (open on Sundays until 16-00)
Credit and debit cards. In Cuba, the use of cards in shops and cafes is not common. In tourist areas there are still places where they are taken, but not willingly, and besides, they wind up another% over the bill. You can pay by card for car rental or additional services at the hotel, but if you go to the outback, then it is better to forget about the card. In Havana, in major tourist places, in cities there are bank branches and ATMs where you can withdraw money from the card.
Cuba does not accept American bank cards(e.g. Citibank)
You can only withdraw money from ATMs VISA cards if you have a MasterCard, then you can withdraw money only at a bank branch upon presentation of a passport
TIP 2. Stock up on cash if you are going to the outback of Cuba.
I also want to tell everyone that despite the fact that Cuba is a rather poor country, this does not mean that it is cheap for tourists and you can live in this country like Cubans for 1000 pesos a month))) Be prepared that for you, as a tourist, there will be completely different prices in the markets, in restaurants, in taxis, etc. If the entrance to a museum or reserve for a Cuban costs 5 pesos, then you as a tourist will have to pay 5 CUC - this is the official pricing approved for tourists by the state, and private services will also be inflated compared to prices for Cubans.