Havana, Cuba Blog — Drink Around the World

I had been dreaming about traveling to Havana for as long as I can remember, once Americans were able to take direct flights to Cuba I knew I needed to chase my dreams and book my flight. I always heard that being in Havana was like taking a step back in time, other than the classic cars and historic buildings, I didn’t really know what to expect. Walking through the streets of Old Havana I was taken aback with every step I took… many of the buildings were crumbling to pieces, but full of character and vibrant colors. The streets were full of life! I am no car guru, I barely know the difference between a Toyota and a Honda (I wish I was joking), but I was completely blown away by the classic cars that were driving through Havana. Every corner I turned there was a new classic car from bubble gum pink to forest green to Barney purple. Shout out to my roommate for knowing cars and pointing out each type. I can honestly say, I one hundred percent left a part of my heart in Havana oh na na na.

*All activities on my trip were filled with cultural exchange, meeting Cubans and visiting famous locations, forts, monuments, museums, cultural centers, art galleries, churches, and taking in local cultural activities.*

Visa: * for Americans* you will receive your visa at the last port of destination, I received mine in Miami. It only took about ten minutes for my friend and I to both receive our visas and pay. We had a connecting flight and were slightly freaking out, if you have time, get there early just to be safe. The visa was $100 through American Airlines, although my brother flew with JetBlue and his visa was $50. The visa I used was the support for the Cuban people, take a look at the American embassy website to see your options.

When entering Cuba my visa was not questioned by anyone at the border (phew), Cubans are extremely happy to welcome tourists into their country (from what I experienced). When entering the states I also did not encounter any problems (another phew). I was asked a few simple questions, “Who did you go with?” “How many days were you there for?” I was expecting a full interrogation but I am also a wee bit paranoid…I created an itinerary for my trip to have proof of the activities I had planned in order to support the reasons for my visa (I have a very basic example at the bottom, for a more detailed itinerary please email me at (drinkaroundtheworld91@gmail.com)

Accommodation: I highly recommend staying in an Airbnb (as always) or a Casa Particular . By staying in a Cuban’s home, your money will be going straight to them instead of the government. This also gives you the opportunity to really connect with Cubans. We loved chatting with our host everyday and learning about his day to day life. Our host was incredible, you could tell he genuinely cared and wanted us to have the best time in Havana. He set up a car to drop/ pick us up from the airport, offered us a full breakfast every morning with fruit, eggs, cheese, ham, smoothies and coffee for a whopping $5. As well as our room was cleaned everyday, the room was air conditioned (a must, unless you want to melt away) and he was always excited to give us tips and suggestions. Our Airbnb cost my friend and I $110 for three nights, about $18 each night and we were right in the center of Havana, talk about a deal!

Drinks

El Floridita– it’s been said that Ernest Hemingway frequented here, it helps that their daiquiris were magnifico! Stay for a couple daiquiris and enjoy some live music.

Cafe la Flauta Magica– rooftop bar with a pool and lots of rum selections, just be warned it was difficult to find. There wasn’t much around the area except the US Embassy. Once you get to the address you’ll go up the elevator to the top floor and it will look like a door to an apartment, but don’t be thrown off, this is where you need to be! Shout out to the locals that helped us find it, they are the real MVPs.

Hotel Inglaterra Havana Rooftop Bar– salsa dancing, live music, affordable drinks and a great view of the plaza.

Gran Hotel Manzana Kempinski La Habana Gran Hotel– rooftop bar with a pool and stunning views of Old Havana.

Fabrica de Arte de Cubano– one of the best(!!!) things about Havana was this museum/ club. While in there you can enjoy drinks, get lost in amazing artwork, have a snack, learn salsa and dance the night away. Get there around 8 pm because the line grows quickly, also double check the days they are open (Thur-Sun). Many Cubans frequent here as well, learn to salsa and get to know the locals.

Hotel De Nacional -beautiful view of the Malecon and yummy drinks. I didn’t think it had the best sunset view, but was recommended to come here by many people. Try to get there at a decent time before sunset because the tables were all filled up by the time we got there. There are also bunkers from the Cuban missile crisis.

Food

O’Reilly 304

La Guarida– famous restaurant in Cuba (bummed I didn’t get to try)

Habana 61

La Bodeguita del Medio- mojitos

Santy de Pescador- waterfront and ceviche

El capitolia

Cafe mamaine– authentic Cuban food

Palador los mercaderes– homemade Cuban food

El Del Frente- loved this place, had a cute little rooftop, incredible drinks and delicious food

El Dandy- hip & inexpensive, a fun young vibe. We opted to do snacks and mojitos- naturally. The staff was so friendly!

Things to do: Museums to check out are Museo Del Ron (rum museum, uh huh honey), Resolution Museo and Museo de Armas. You can’t go to Cuba and not try cigars (unless you’re an idiot like me) to watch them being rolled head over to Fabrica de Tabaco Partagas. Were you really in Havana if you didn’t do a car tour? The answer is no, no you were not. The classic car tour took us to the fort, to revolution square, along the Malecon and then through the different neighborhoods of Havana. For a classic car tour, it was $25 an hour or $35 an hour for a convertible, we treated ourselves and did the $35 tour. It was a fabulous way to see all of Havana and learn about it’s history along the way. Our tour was two hours long, which was the perfect amount of time. Spend some time walking around Plaze de Vieja, sit outside and grab yourself a mojito and people watch. A couple other plazas to check out are Plaza de la Catedral and Plaza de San Francisc. Don’t forget to explore the Fortress of San Carlos de La Cabana. Havana is very walkable, you can also easily grab a taxi (you can haggle with basic Spanish skills). San Jose Market is the perfect place to snag your souvenirs- paintings, hats, shirts, bags, magnets, you will be able to find all your goodies here . Stroll through the street of Obispo, it’s one of the main tourist streets aka amazing people watching.

Beach Day: We took a bus to the beach, the ticket was cheap cheap and it stopped at three different beaches. We chose to go to Santa Maria Del Mar per our host’s suggestion and we were not disappointed. The water was blue-tiful with soft sand…what dreams are made of. We were able to rent a chair and order drinks throughout the day (don’t forget water). The food options were not the greatest, maybe consider eating a big meal before and packing some snacks for the day.

Miscellaneous: If traveling to Cuba from the States be sure to change your money into Euros or Pounds first. You are able to change your dollars into cuban pesos in Cuba, buuuuut will be taxed highly on it- aka you’ll lose more money. Bring enough cash for your whole trip- sightseeing, food, drinks, souvenirs and emergencies, Cuba does not have many ATMs or cash points. It is always better to go over prepared than under prepared. Worst comes to worst you can change your CUC back into Euros or Pounds before leaving the country. I did not change all of my money into CUC right away, I did a chunk at first and that ended up lasting me my whole trip, I was able to come home with Euros (whoop, whoop). Exchange your money at Cadeca- there was one in the airport, rumor has it that they won’t rip you off. All touristy things are in CUC and locals use CUP, if you can use CUP it is much cheaper for food/alcohol. I know as a millennial, our body shuts down when there isn’t WiFi, and to be honest the WiFi in Havana is far from decent. You guys will survive, promise, there are plenty of parks/ hotels that offer WiFi cards. You are able to use WiFi in these places but once you leave, as you can imagine, your WiFi will too. It wasn’t the strongest connection you will ever have, but do not fear, you’ll be able to upload your basic Insta pics in about three minutes. FYI, Hotel Plaza is a great place for WiFi. Download a city map beforehand to be able to navigate the city without data or use those ancient things called maps.

Itinerary Example:

All open times are filled with meaningful cultural exchange, meeting Cubans and visiting famous locations, forts, monuments, museums, cultural centers, music houses, art galleries, churches, or taking in local cultural activities, theaters, performances or concerts.

Host: Hector

Phone number: +5352688805

Email: Havana@host.airbnb.com

Address: Calle Monserrate # 301 4C apartment between Orely and San Juan de Dios. Old Havana

Day 1: Tuesday, April 10th

Arrive to Cuba at 10:45 AM

11:30 am: Meet taxi from HAV airport to Calle Monserrate # 301 4C apartment between Orely and San Juan de Dios. Old Havana

12:00 pm: Settle in and get ready for the day

1:00 pm: Lunch

2:00 pm: Havana Classic Car City Tour. Booked through Old Car Tours–Driving Tour around

Seafront (the Malecon) around Havana harbor and Old Havana View on Prado street

with Historian Jesus Magan on & overview of Cuban and Havana History