Everything You Need to Know Before You Visit Cuba

To most of the world, Cuba is a mystery. It is one of the last remaining communist states in the world and this alone ignites the curiosity of foreigners. Getting to Cuba is easy. You book a flight, sort out your visa and head off. But, once you are there, things aren’t quite so simple. Cuba has come a long way over the past decade or so, but there are still lots of elements to the country that remain in the past.

If you are planning a vacation Cuba then make sure you know what to expect when you get there. Here is everything you need to know before you travel to Cuba.

There are Two Currencies

There are two different currencies in Cuba: the local peso and the convertible peso. Generally, the local peso is used by Cubans and the convertible peso is used by foreigners. However, using the local peso makes everything a lot cheaper. Food and drinks can usually be paid for with local pesos, and this will make them cheaper than if you paid with convertible pesos. You will still need to use convertible pesos to pay for bigger expenses, such as accommodation and transport. You can exchange your convertible pesos for local pesos in a cadeca, which are found in most towns and cities.

Most Places Do Not Have WiFi

If you are expecting to Google things to do in Cuba while you’re there or catch up with friends on Skype, think again. WiFi is hard to find and very few accommodations and restaurants have it. Where you can find WiFi, however, is in the park. This might seem odd, but it’s the truth. You can purchase WiFi cards for around 2-3 convertible pesos. This gives you one hour of WiFi time. You will then need to go to a park with WiFi to log on. It is easy to spot a park with WiFi as it will be full of people staring at their phones.

There Are No Hostels

The accommodation situation in Cuba is a little different to what you might be used to in other parts of the world. Backpacker hostels are virtually non-existent. What you have instead are homestays – where you will stay in the spare room of someone’s house. It’s not particularly glamorous, but it is more comfortable than you might imagine. You will be able to tell which houses are homestays by the little symbol of an anchor on the front door.

There Are Special Tourists Buses

There are buses that operate specifically for tourists. The company is called Viazul and it services all of the main tourist destinations in the country. Tickets are not expensive, but they are also not as cheap as you might expect, especially if you have ever taken a bus in nearby Mexico. But, they are comfortable and air conditioned, so you get your money’s worth.

Don’t Have High Hopes for the Food

Even the least picky of eaters will find Cuban food challenging. Fresh vegetables are hard to come by and your diet will likely consist of oven pizzas, ham and cheese sandwiches and chunks of pork with rice and beans. That’s about it. The food is far from inspiring but the $1 mojitos and piña coladas made with Cuban rum make up for it.