Cuba
Our Top Picks For Cuba
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1 Las Terrazas
Model village and eco-lodge nestled in reforested UNESCO biosphere
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2 Viñales
Spectacular limestone cliffs, lush green tobacco fields, and an expansive network of caves
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3 Punta Francés
Wrecks, drop-offs, caves and coral reefs, make this one of the Caribbean’s best diving spots
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4 Habana
Old forts, fascinating museums and a kicking Caribbean nightlife
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5 Varadero
Gorgeous beaches, swanky resorts and first-class tourist facilities
Fast Facts about Cuba
- Visa
All visitors require a tourist card (CUC$15), which is usually issued with your plane ticket or can be bought at airports.
- Money
Cuban convertible peso (CUC$) and Cuban peso (CUP; also known as moneda nacional, MN); CUC$1 = US$1.08 = €0.82 = UK £0.76
- Official name
Republic of Cuba
- Departure tax
CUC$25 (cash only)
- Area
110, 860 sq km
- Population
11.3 million
- Famous for
Cigars, rum, Fidel Castro, salsa, classic cars
- Country code
53
- Language
Spanish
- Capital
- Phrase
Qué bolá asere? (What’s up, brother?); chao/chaocito (goodbye/bye)
- Number of cell phones
198,000
Our favourite Cuba Blogs (beta)
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Key West - the end of the world (or America at least)
Blog: 501 Places - 29 June 2009
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Introducing Cuba
Defying all logic, the world’s 105th-largest country is also one of its most instantly recognizable. Think psychedelic Che Guevara murals and antediluvian American Buicks, dudes with bongos and old men slapping down dominoes, queues outside ration shops and communist cadres smoking chunky Montecristos. Cuba has a way of going against the grain. It’s all part of its historical make-up, part of its dynamism, part of its intrinsic beauty.
Travel here not only requires a passport, money and a good sturdy rucksack; it also requires flexibility, creativity, good humor, patience and a healthy sense of adventure. Speaking Spanish, though not a prerequisite, is undoubtedly a huge advantage, and will allow you to travel further and dig deeper than the average tourist.
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Tips & articles
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Havana - destination essentials
10 June 2009
Havana is a one-off. Vintage cadillacs, Santería rituals, all-night parties, strolls along the waterfront…it’s...
Latest headlines for Cuba
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Blogging all over the world
22 June 2009 1:50PM
A special edition of Digital Planet looking at blogging in China, Vietnam and Cuba.
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Blogging in Cuba and Vietnam
22 June 2009 1:48PM
World Service editors give their views on the rise of blogging and net use in nations where such activities are heavily restricted.
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Cuban spies lose new US trial bid
16 June 2009 9:18AM
The US Supreme Court refuses to review the case of men known as the "Cuban Five" jailed for spying in the US.
