Cuba Travel Tips

Overview

Officially called Republic of Cuba, this country consist of Cuba the largest of the Greated Antilles, the Isle of Youth and adjacent small islands. Cuba is situated in the northern Caribbean at the confluence of the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean. South of eastern United States and Bahamas is Cuba, Turks and Caicos Islands and Haiti in West and east of Mexico. This is the most populous country in Caribbean. Its culture and customs draw from several sources including the aboriginal Taíno and Ciboney peoples, the period of Spanish colonialism, the introduction of African slaves, and its proximity to the United States. The island has a tropical climate that is moderated by the surrounding waters; the warm currents of the Caribbean Sea and its location between water bodies also make Cuba prone to frequent hurricanes. Havana is the capital of Cuba.

Passport

Valid passport for the duration of the stay in Cuba plus one day after return date and a tourist card are required for vacationers. Passport holders from other countries with no embassies in Havana, should travel with a passport that has to be valid up to two months after the return date.

Population

Cuba has more than 11,200,000 people, with 75 per cent of them living in urban areas. The average density is 100.3 residents per square kilometre, with the most heavily populated spots being the cities of Havana (2,198,000), Santiago de Cuba (1,023,000) and Holguín (1,021,000). The country’s official language is Spanish, although most Cubans working in the tourism industry can communicate in English.

Language

Spanish (French and English are widely spoken)

Climate

Cuba’s climate is moderately subtropical and predominantly warm. The island’s average temperature is 25.5ºC and average relative humidity is 78 per cent. It also sees an average of 330 days of sunshine a year. Cuba’s two clearly defined seasons are the rainy season (May to October) and the dry season (November to April).

Humid, Topical
Warmest Month: July - 86 F/30 C
Coolest Month: January - 70 F/21 C

Rainy Seasons: May - October
Dry Seasons: November - April

Visa Requirements Tourists A valid passport and a tourist card. Tourist cards for Canadians are valid up to three months. For tourists from other countries, the cards are valid for 30 days. Tourist cards are available from travel agencies, airlines and the Cuban consulate. Business travellers A valid passport and visa. Visas are issued by the Cuban consulate.

All foreigners intent on visiting Cuba must have a visa issued by the Cuban consulate in their respective country. The traveler can extend the issued visa in the main hotels, to stay on the Island beyond the period covered.

Culture

Cuba has produced major international figures in literature and fine arts, film, ballet, modern dance and theatre. The country is also renowned for its original rhythms such as the danzón, son, bolero, mambo, cha-cha-cha and more. Cuba’s prestigious cultural events attract international celebrities in dance, music, theatre and other arts. Among these events are the Casa de las Américas literary contest, the Havana International Ballet Festival, the Festival of New Latin American Cinema and the International Jazz Festival

Religion

The country’s Constitution guarantees total freedom of religion. The most commonly practised religion is Catholicism.

Currency

The official currency in Cuba is Cuban Peso (CUP), divided into 100 centavos (cents).Notes can be of 1, 3, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 pesos. Coins can be of 1, 5 and 20 centavos, and there are others of 1 and 3 pesos.

The Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC) was introduced by the Cuban financial authorities to take out all foreing currencies from circulation, and offer an alternative that is in almost all senses equal to US dollars. It replaces the dollar as currency where previously dollars were quoted in places such as hotels, restaurants and so called 'dollar shops', and is the new 'tourist' currency. US Dollars were widely accepted throughout the island, but since 8 November 2004 US Dollars are no longer accepted, and a 10% commission is charged to exchange them. The national banks have since introduced the Peso Convertible (CUC) in substitution of foreign currencies, which is almost equal in value to the US Dollar. Travelesr are advise to exchage Money should only be changed at official exchange bureaux or banks to avoid scams confusing the two currencies.

Time Zone

Eastern Standard (GMT-5)

Telephone Calls

If your in Cuba you can make international phone calls from your hotel room through any TELECORREOS office or an international telephone center. Upon your arrival, you can rent a cellular phone from the CUBACEL service (80-2222) or use your own by changing the setting to the 711 service.

Direct dialing from abroad - you must first dial Cuba's country code (53), followed by the code of the city or town and then the appropriate number. For example for Havana you dial 7 and then the correct number.