Cuba

⚠️ Entry rules and local regulations change without notice. Before booking, check entry requirements and local rules — visas, access, nature reserves, visitor quotas — with the official authorities.

Cuba, the largest island in the Caribbean, is a fascinating destination blending colonial history, dazzling musical culture and lush nature. Havana with its 1950s American cars, UNESCO-listed Trinidad, the beaches of Varadero and the Sierra Maestra make up a truly one-of-a-kind country.

A country, not a beach

Varadero and its twenty kilometres of sand say nothing about Cuba. The country is discovered on a circuit: Havana and its UNESCO-listed old town, Viñales and its valley of mogotes — those limestone towers standing in the tobacco fields — Trinidad, a colonial town frozen in the nineteenth century, Cienfuegos with its French-inspired planning, and Santiago, more Caribbean and more musical than the capital. Four of these sites are World Heritage.

The best of the trip often comes down to where you sleep: the casas particulares, rooms in private homes, legal since the 1990s. You eat better than in a state hotel, you pay less, and the money goes straight to the families.

November to April

The dry season runs from November to April, with temperatures of 25 to 28 °C: that is the window to aim for. Summer is hot, heavy and wet, and the cyclone season peaks in September and October. The Santiago carnival in July remains, all the same, a good reason to come in the full heat.

What you must sort out before you go

Cuba is the country where arriving unprepared costs you. Three concrete points. First the tourist card (tarjeta del turista), compulsory, obtained before departure from the consulate, an agency or the airline. Then money: bring cash in euros, enough for the whole stay. Cards issued by US banks do not work, others work badly, and ATMs are often empty. Finally connectivity: internet is slow and paid for, using ETECSA cards or a local SIM.

It is also worth knowing that the country is going through a period of shortages — fuel, medicines, frequent power cuts. That does not make the trip impossible, far from it, but it calls for flexibility: bring your own medication, a torch, and accept that timetables are indicative. To get around, Viazul coaches link the main cities; car hire, in state hands, is scarce and expensive — book several months ahead.

Essentials & your questions