Cuba

To learn about our adventures in Cuba you can read our blog post Salsa lessons, pottery classes, percussion lessons — experiencing the Authentic Cuba.

Resources:

Experience the Real Cuba  

            ~Rena, the owner of Experience the Real Cuba, was wonderful to work with! She arranged Spanish, percussion, and pottery lessons for us, as well as transportation between cities. We spent some time with her while staying in Trinidad. She is professional, knowledgeable, and such a nice person. I would highly recommend using her services when booking your trip to Cuba.  You can read my review on her website home page. 

https://www.experiencetherealcuba.com

http://www.facebook.com/experiencetherealcuba

https://www.pinterest.com/exptherealcuba/

https://experiencetherealcuba.blogspot.com

Email: experiencetherealcuba@gmail.com

To book a Salsa Lesson contact Yoanka.
www.facebook.com/SalsAmigaAllStar/

For more information on car tours visit:
www.oldcartours.com

For more information on ballet performances visit:
www.balletcuba.cult.cu

BARS/CAFES – with jazz music
Havana

  • La Pergola (Calle Obispo No. 509 A, Old Havana) – Cuban cuisine, live music.
  • La Dominica (Calle O’Reilly, esquina Mercaderes Old Havana) – Italian cuisine. Enjoy dinner at one of the outdoor tables in the square, while live band plays.

Trinidad – There are several restaurants/bars offering live music. Here’s a couple we came across:

  • La Canchánchara – (90 Calle Real del Jigüe )– Cuban cuisine. Comfortable, outdoor patio setting. Famous for their cocktails.
  • Terraza Colonial – (90A Rubén Martínez Villena) – Caribbean, Cuban, International cuisine. Rooftop restaurant with live band.

Other Cafes

  • Area 53 (Havana) – across from Melia Cohiba – Caribbean, Latin cuisine.
    Obbatalá – (Located near to the Plaza Mayor Trinidad) – Caribbean, Cuban cuisine. Great roof top restaurant.

Helpful Tips

  • Taxis from Havana Airport to the city are readily available. We paid about 30 CUC to Vedado.
  • Seems to be a toilet paper shortage. Carry tissues with you.
  • If traveling to Cuba from the United States, you do not need an adaptor. The outlets are the same.
  • A debit card associated with a U.S. bank can not be used at the ATM. Bring cash to exchange.
  • We took Euros to exchange instead of dollars since there is a 10% surcharge when exchanging with dollars.
  • Exchange money at a CADECA money exchange booth in the city.
  • Cuba has two currencies. The Cuban convertible peso (CUC) and the Cuban peso (CUP). The CUC is worth 25 times more than the CUP. You’ll exchange your currency for CUC.
  • We mainly used CUC for entrances to museums, clubs, and other tourist attractions.
  • It’s helpful to exchange CUC for CUP for food stalls, small grocery items, and shared taxi rides.
  • We never had a problem, but some tourists have been scammed by receiving CUP back instead of CUC. Learn to recognize the difference between the two currencies.
  • Calle Obispo, in Old Havana, is a car-free street full of cafes, souvenir shops and music bars.
  • For information on upcoming events and what’s happening in Havana check out www.lahabana.com