Havana (city)
From World travel guide
Havana City (Spanish Ciudad de la Habana) is the capital city of Cuba.
Contents |
Understand
Get in
By plane
The main international airport for Cuba is:
- Havana.
By train
By car
By bus
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 dollar 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]. 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
de:Havanna fr:La Havane ja:ハバナ WikiPedia:Havana Dmoz:Caribbean/Cuba/Localities/Havana
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