Regions in Brief

Cuba is probably the most intensely diverse island destination in the Caribbean, with everything from standard fun-in-the-sun beach resort getaways to colonial city circuits, myriad land and sea adventure opportunities, tobacco and classic-car theme tours, and a wide array of cultural and artistic offerings. There's a lot to see and do in Cuba, and most travelers will have to carefully pick and choose. This section will provide you with descriptions of the country's regions, along with itineraries that will help you get the most from your visit.

Cuba is the westernmost and largest of the entire chain of Caribbean islands, located at the convergence of the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic Ocean just 145km (90 miles) south of Florida. They say that Cuba -- if you use your imagination -- looks something like a crocodile: The head is in the east, a line of small islands form the ridges along its back, the Sierra Maestra national park forms the front legs, the Zapata Peninsula forms the rear legs, and Pinar del Río province is the tail. Cuba is in fact a closely linked string of archipelagos, made up of more than 4,000 separate little islands and cays.

Cuba's two major cities, Havana and Santiago de Cuba, are port cities with large protected harbors. Most of the island's other principal cities lie along its centerline, either right on or just off the Autopista Nacional (National Hwy.), the country's principal trade and transportation route.

Havana & Playas del Este 

Havana is Cuba's capital and the country's most important cultural, political, and economic hub. With a wealth of museums, antique buildings, old forts, the Malecón seaside promenade, and modern restaurants, clubs, and cabarets, Havana is one of the liveliest and most engaging cities in Latin America. Just east of the city center are some 15km (9 miles) of very respectable white-sand beach, the Playas del Este. While nowhere near as stunning as some of Cuba's more celebrated beach destinations, the Playas del Este are certainly a suitable alternative, either as a base for exploring Havana or as an easily accessible place for sun, sand, and sea.

Viñales & Western Cuba

Comprising the new province of Artemisa and the most western province of Pinar del Río, western Cuba is a wonderfully rustic region of farms and forests, flanked by some beautiful and relatively underpopulated beaches. The only real city in the province, Pinar del Río, is of limited interest on its own, but it serves as a gateway to Viñales and the Vuelta Abajo, Cuba's premiere tobacco-growing and cigar-manufacturing region. Just north of Pinar del Río, Viñales is a pretty little hamlet in an even prettier valley, surrounded by stunning karst hill formations. Viñales is Cuba's prime ecotourist destination, with great opportunities for hiking, bird-watching, mountain biking, and cave exploration. On the far western tip of the island sits the tiny resort of María la Gorda, home to some of the best scuba diving in Cuba. Lying off the southern coast of this region in the Caribbean Sea are the island destinations of Isla de la Juventud, one of Cuba's top premiere scuba-diving destinations, and Cayo Largo del Sur, another long stretch of dazzling and isolated white sand.

Varadero & Matanzas Province

Matanzas is Cuba's second-largest province and home to its most important beach destination, Varadero. Boasting some 21km (13 miles) of nearly uninterrupted white-sand beach, Varadero is Cuba's quintessential sun-and-fun destination, with a host of luxurious all-inclusive resorts strung along the length of this narrow peninsula. In addition to Varadero, Matanzas province is home to the colonial-era cities of Matanzas and Cárdenas.

In the southern section of the province is the Ciénaga de Zapata, a vast wetlands area of mangrove and swamp, renowned for its wildlife-viewing, bird-watching, and fishing opportunities. This is also where you'll find the Bahía de Cochinos (Bay of Pigs), where the nascent Cuban revolutionary state defeated an invasion force trained, supplied, and abetted by the United States. The beaches of Playa Girón and Playa Larga serve as a base for access to some of Cuba's best scuba diving. Playa Girón also possesses, arguably, the most stunning colorful waters in Cuba.

Trinidad & Central Cuba

Beginning with the provinces of Villa Clara and Cienfuegos, and including the neighboring province of Sancti Spíritus, central Cuba is the start of the country's rural heartland. Vast regions of sugar cane, tobacco, and cattle ranges spread out on either side of the Autopista Nacional, which more or less bisects this region as it heads east.

Trinidad is perhaps Cuba's quintessential colonial-era city, with beautifully maintained and restored buildings set on winding cobblestone streets. The cities of Santa Clara, Cienfuegos, and Sancti Spíritus are considered lesser lights on the tourism circuit, but all have ample charms of their own. Santa Clara is a lively university town, and is considered the "City of Che Guevara," with its massive memorial to the fallen revolutionary leader. To the north of Santa Clara lie the tiny and utterly charming colonial city of Remedios and the beautiful beach resorts of la Cayería del Norte. Cienfuegos is a charming port town with the country's second-longest seaside promenade. Sancti Spíritus is one of the original seven villas of Cuba, with some wonderful old historic churches and buildings, and a more natural feel than you'll find in other more touristy towns.

Camagüey & Northeastern Cuba

This section of mainland Cuba is little more than a string of rural towns and small cities, anchored by two colonial-era cities. This is Cuba at its quietest, stuck in time and in no rush to break free. However, off the northern coast here lie a series of modern beach resorts built on long stretches of soft and silvery white sand, connected to the mainland by a long narrow causeway that seems to barely skirt the surface of the sea. The sister resort islands of Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo are two of the finest and most popular resort destinations in Cuba. Several less-developed beach resorts stretch east along the coast on the string of islands making up the Archipiélago de Camagüey, better known as the Jardines del Rey (King's Gardens). The cities of Ciego de Avila and Camagüey are seldom explored colonial-era cities. The latter, in particular, has loads of charms and attractions, and is being restored to highlight much of its former glory. North of Camagüey is the tiny but growing beach resort of Santa Lucía. It's best known for its excellent scuba diving, offering a chance to dive with bull sharks.

El Oriente

For most of the country's history, the whole eastern end of Cuba was known as El Oriente. Today, it is comprised of four separate provinces: Holguín, Granma, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantánamo. This is a large region with a host of gorgeous natural attractions, highlighted by the mountains of the Sierra Maestra -- a mecca for naturalists and adventure travelers as well as those looking to follow in the revolutionary footsteps of Fidel and Che -- and the very beautiful beaches of Guardalavaca, yet another of Cuba's premier beach resort destinations, with unimaginably fine white sand and calm turquoise waters. Of the cities here, only Santiago de Cuba is a tourist draw in its own right, although visitors toHolguín, Bayamo, or Baracoa will experience Cuba at its most authentic.

Santiago de Cuba

This is Cuba's second largest city. Set between the Sierra Maestra mountains and the sea, Santiago is a vibrant city with a rich artistic and cultural heritage. Santiago is considered the heart of Cuba's Afro-Cuban and Afro-Caribbean heritage, which is expressed in the music, dance, and religion you'll find here. Santiago's Carnival celebrations are by far the best in Cuba, and some of the best in the entire Caribbean.

The city itself has a charming colonial-era center and a host of interesting museums and attractions, including José Martí's tomb and mausoleum, the original Bacardí rum factory, and the impressive Castillo del Morro protecting the city's harbor. Nearby sites worth visiting include the El Cobre shrine to the island's patron saint, La Virgin de Caridad, and the Gran Piedra, a massive rock outcropping allowing for great hiking and views.

 

Tips on Accommodations

Cuba's accommodations for tourists range from top-class historic hotels to budget, basic uniform blocks in the cities. These are complemented by casas particulares, a system of excellent value Cuban guesthouses where Cubans can rent out a few of their rooms to guests. At beach resorts, hotels range from top-class luxury to above-basic facilities at slightly inflated prices, with a few very good exceptions at the more reasonable/lower end of the market. In most areas, casas particulares are not permitted right on the beach, due to government restrictions. In rural areas, there is a mix of high-end to moderately priced attractive accommodations as well as some unattractive government hotels.

Hotels are either owned or run by the Cuban state or are run as joint ventures with foreign companies. There are no 100% foreign-owned hotels in Cuba.

Most hotel options in Cuba have been divvied up among a few large state-run chains: Islazul (www.islazul.cu), Gaviota (www.gaviota-grupo.com), Cubanacán (www.hotelescubanacan.com), Gran Caribe (www.gran-caribe.com), and Habaguanex (www.habaguanexhotels.com). These chains generally stake out distinct territories. Habaguanex has near monopoly control over the hotel scene in La Habana Vieja in Havana. Their properties tend to be midrange to upper end, and most are in beautifully restored colonial buildings. Gaviota, Cubanacán, and Gran Caribe divvy up the remainder of the midrange to upper-end hotels around the country. Islazul runs the most economical hotels, although it has begun refurbishing some real gems in the colonial heart of some of Cuba's more interesting cities. Cubanacán is also upgrading properties with its Hoteles Encanto brand.

These large state-run companies have signed management contracts with international hotel chains, usually resulting in improved service and hospitality. While the international Barceló (www.barcelo.com), NH Hoteles (www.nh-hotels.com), Iberostar (www.iberostar.com), Accor (www.accor.com), andOccidental (www.occidental-hoteles.com) chains run a few hotels each, predominantly in Havana and Varadero, the major player is the Spanish Sol Meliá chain (www.solmeliacuba.com), which manages 24 midrange to high-end properties in Cuba.

Casas Particulares

Aside from official hotels and resorts, the other principal lodging option in Cuba is a casa particular, or private house. To meet demand and inject just a bit of economic relief (and nascent capitalism) into the system, the government has authorized certain households to rent out a maximum of two rooms. Note: In September 2010, the government announced plans that would allow casa owners to rent out their entire home as an independent rental property, and open a paladar in addition to running a casa. By November 2010, new punitive tax codes for these changes had been published but new licenses had not been issued. An official casa particular should display a small plaque or sticker declaring it to be a government sanctioned casa. The symbol is a blue capital "H" set on its side, with slightly bent horizontal lines, and the top horizontal line longer than the bottom one. (It also looks like an anchor.) It should also say Arrendador Divisa. This means the owner of the house is allowed to rent rooms for divisa (hard currency). Houses with red symbols can only rent to Cubans for moneda nacional.

Casas charge from CUC$15 to CUC$25 in the low season and CUC$20 to CUC$35 in the high season. The most expensive rooms are in houses in Vedado and Miramar in Havana. In addition to the season, price variations depend on the number of guests, the length of stay, your status (students often receive discounts), the location of the house in the country (for example, the more remote or less touristy the area, the cheaper it could be), and the amount of tax that owners pay on the room (this is dictated by the number of rooms they rent, the square meterage of their house that tourists use, and the location of their house). Those with impressive colonial homes often charge more.

During low season, do negotiate for a lower nightly rate and always try to negotiate a lower rate for a long stay. Note that it is very difficult to get a discount for single travelers. Pairs/couples and families with children under 18 who share the same room enjoy the most value.

On arrival, casa owners must ask for your passport and enter the information into a registration book that must be taken to the immigration office within 24 hours of your arrival. You will be asked to sign next to your information in this book. If you are not asked to sign or are not asked for your passport, your casa may not be legal. Casas particulares can have no more than two rooms for rent. Each room can only hold up to three adults and children under 18. The owners must pay a tax of between CUC$100 and CUC$250 per room per month, plus the now obligatory monthly gastronomic tax. At the end of the year, a further tax of between 10% and 30% is paid on the total annual earnings.

Most houses are quite modest -- you are basically living with a Cuban family. Rooms for rent will either have their own private bathroom or a bathroom shared with other tourists, not with the family. Your room will most likely have air-conditioning. If there is no air-conditioning, you should pay less. The minimum facilities you will receive are clean sheets, towels, and toilet paper, probably a bedside lamp, a wardrobe closet, and a sideboard. Some casas now have security boxes, TVs, and stocked fridges. Most houses will provide locked rooms with a key. You may or may not be given the keys to the house depending on the rules of the owners. Some casas have independent entrances, which appeal to some travelers. Most colonial houses that often make the most attractive casas do not have en suite bathrooms due to the configuration of the houses.

Most casas particulares serve huge, varied, and tasty meals (breakfasts and dinners) at very reasonable prices, especially since the optional gastronomic tax of CUC$30 a month has become obligatory. The biggest advantage of staying in a casa is that it is a great way to meet and interact with Cubans, something you cannot really do at "official" hotels and resorts. Most owners will also bend over backwards to assist you with your plans -- whether that means answering your questions, arranging transport, or making phone calls for you.

If you have a reservation for your casa, your hosts should honor it. Similarly, if you make a reservation, you must turn up; losing CUC$25 on a no- show is a small fortune to a Cuban. Please respect this system because those who don't are forcing some Cubans not to respect reservations. If you just turn up without a reservation and the house is full, the owner will farm you out to a friend or relative at a nearby house. You are not under any obligation to take these places, but they could save you a lot of hassle -- just be prepared to pay a commission. Make sure they are legal houses, though. Even with a reservation, it is wise to make a follow-up confirmation by e-mail or by phone. Casa owners are happy to phone ahead to your next casa to tell the future host you are on your way.

Be aware that if you show up at a casa particular on the recommendation of a taxi driver or jinetero, either of them will expect a commission of between CUC$1 and CUC$5, which invariably is added onto the bill at your casa particular.

Warning:  Be wary of jineteros (hustlers), who may try to dupe you into staying in a casa that they recommend so that they earn a commission. Sometimes jineteros will just tell you that the casa you have a reservation in is full; others will take you to the door, put the key in and pretend it's locked, saying that the owner is away; others will tell you the owner of the casa you have a reservation in has moved, died, or gone abroad and they can take you to a similar house nearby (from which they'll receive a commission). In this desperate economic climate, jineteros will stop at nothing until they collect a commission. Be on guard, and do not be deterred by these scams. If you have a reservation, be confident and insistent that you stay at the casa particular where you have a room reserved.

Frommer's has received reports of the occasional theft from casas particulares. This is an extremely rare occurrence, since renting rooms to tourists is the main source of hard currency for Cubans. Putting this at risk is, quite frankly, idiotic in Cuba's economic climate.