Exploring Havana, Cuba

Havana is the capital city of Cuba, a country with a great reputation of history, culture and Cuban hospitality. Cuba always fascinated us and we wanted to experience what other people had said was such a unique country.

Transportation

• Traveling to Cuba: Since we live in Vancouver, Washington we knew our adventure to Cuba was going to be a long one! Southwest Airlines was our go to airline to make the journey all the way to Cuba. We started in Portland, Oregon and flew to Chicago-Midway which is a 3 hour and 50 minute flight. We then made our way to our next leg of our trip and took the 3 hour flight to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The next morning we made sure to arrive 3 hours early to the airport so we could have enough time to get our visa and get cleared for our trip. The check-in process for International departures in Fort Lauderdale was very smooth. Southwest Airlines has it’s own international ticket counter by the baggage claim area. Near the counter was a kiosk to purchase our Cuban Visa. We filled out a form and purchased the visa which was $75 per person. We then waited in line to get checked in. The Southwest agent verified we had a visa and then gave us our boarding passes. After an hour, we were able to get on board for our quick 45 minute flight to our 20th country!

Travel Tip: Make sure to pay attention to all of the announcements in the boarding area. For our Southwest Airlines flight they made a announcement prior to boarding asking for volunteers to sit in the exit row. The only requirements were that we had to be able to assist in an emergency evacuation, be over the age of 15, and be able to understand English.

• Taxi: Once we landed in Havana we had a game plan to change our Euros and Canadian Dollars to Cuban CUC’s (the currency at the time of our visit). Once we exited the terminal we were greeted by a lot of taxi drivers. After doing research and having our Google Maps downloaded on our phone we were ready to negotiate. Lucky for us we were able to find a driver to take us to our AirBnB. We were able to negotiate a fare of $25.

Travel Tip: If you plan to travel to Cuba be sure to change your American Dollars to either Euros or Canadian Dollars before arriving in Havana. It can be difficult to change American Dollars to the local currency, plus you will be charged a 10% tax while changing your money while in Havana. By taking Euros or Canadian Dollars you will not be taxed and you will have more money in your pocket for Cuba! To find the best exchange rate we use the app XE Currency.

• Traveling back to the U.S.: Flying back into the US, we flew JetBlue, which has a nonstop from Havana to Orlando. This flight was about 1 hour, 10 minutes and flew by.

Accommodations

• CasaNova (Old Havana/Habana Vieja): Since we were traveling to Cuba on a “support of the Cuban people” visa, it was required that we stay at a local’s place rather than a hotel. We found this cute apartment on AirBnb and would highly recommend it!

The entire apartment was very clean and comfortable and was very spacious! It had a living/dining room and most importantly, air conditioning! Cuba was unseasonably warm when we went in November so it was nice to get to cool down once we went back to the apartment.

Another really nice thing about this apartment is that it had an awesome balcony with great views! For all 3 nights it was only $120 so definitely some very reasonable pricing. Our host was also really friendly and gave us a free WiFi card and some tips on things around the apartment!

To-Do

• Revolution Museum: The first thing we did in Havana is check out the Revolution Museum. Admission was $16 for both of us. We are very interested in the history of Cuba, so this museum was perfect. We were able to see old cars, aircraft, and even a yacht called the Granma that Fidel Castro and Che Guevara rode in.

We spent about 2 hours looking around the museum. Descriptions were in both Spanish and English.

We were able to look at propaganda from the Cuban Revolution and Cold War.

Some of the vehicles even had bullet holes from the fighting.

We also saw the Granma, a ship which carried Fidel Castro and his men from Mexico to Cuba to start the Revolution to free Cuba.

• Havana Vintage Car Tour: This car tour was everything we wanted and more. It was $240 for the full day tour which included a driver and guide. We spent around 4 hours catching the sights of Havana and surrounding areas. We were able to cruise down the streets and visit some really incredible sights. We had an amazing guide named Judith from Strawberry Tours who showed us around and an amazing driver that let us ride in his fantastic car.

• Castillo De Los Tres Reyes Del Morro: This sea fortress near Old Havana was our first stop on the car tour. It was built in the late 16th century and was used to defend the nearby city of San Cristobal de la Habana.

We had the opportunity to have a photo shoot with our old car.

We also enjoyed some pina coladas on this hot day that we purchased from a nearby drink stand.

• Christ of Havana: This was our next stop and was just a little bit down the road.

This massive 66 foot high marble statue rises above Havana and overlooks the old city and the Port of Havana. This was another great opportunity to take pictures of the city.

• Finca La Vigia-Hemingway House: Built in 1886, this house was occupied by the famous writer Ernest Hemingway from from mid-1939 to 1960.  It is located about 15 minutes from the old city of Havana.

This house was very unique as it sat on a large property on the hill overlooking Havana. Ernest Hemingway loved the city so he made sure to have an amazing view.

He had several houses on the property and a swimming pool. Inside his house looked more like a  museum as Ernest enjoyed having fancy art and trophies hang from his walls. Our guide shared with us interesting stories from Ernest Hemingway’s life and his time in Havana.

• Plaza de la Revolución: The next stop on the car tour was this square.

This square was instrumental during the Cuban Revolution and held political rallies in which Fidel Castro addressed the Cuban people. The square is comprised of a few government buildings with the faces of Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos as well as the José Martí Memorial, a memorial for the national hero of Cuba.

Inside the square we also saw a lot of different old cars, many of which were bringing fellow tourists to visit one of the most iconic images of the country.

• The Malecón: To end off our old car tour we drove down this famous sea boulevard. Construction began in 1901 as a means to protect the city of Havana from the sea.

After about 4 1/2 hours we said goodbye to our driver and hung out with our guide Judith for the rest of the day to do our walking tour (Included in the price of the old car tour).

• Colonial Squares of Havana: 
  • Plaza de Armas: This is the oldest square in Havana and considered the birthplace of the city. We stopped at a cigar shop to get some authentic Cuban cigars to take home!

While in this square, we also came across a sugar cane juice stand. It was only $1 for a delicious, fresh cup of juice.

• • Plaza de la Catedral: This square is known as the spiritual heart of the city and it had a couple of places we stopped by for drinks. 

There was a nearby street vendor that sold pina coladas inside a pineapple. It was so delicious to have on a hot evening and cheap as it was only $6!

We also saw La Bodeguita Del Medio, which was supposedly Earnest Hemingway’s favorite spot for getting a mojito. Of course, we had to stop in and grab one to try. It was good, but honestly not one of the best mojitos we had while in Havana.

• • Plaza de San Francisco de Asís: This was our next stop where we  saw the sculpture of Caballero de Paris which means gentleman from Paris. This sculpture was based off a homeless man that roamed the streets of Havana. It was tradition to rub the sculpture’s beard for good luck!

• • Plaza Vieja: This was a very colorful square! Luckily for us we enjoyed this square during the Cuban sunset which made it even more beautiful.

• Museo del Ron Havana Club: When we planning for our Cuba trip we totally wanted to explore a rum factory, and what better rum then Havana Club?

We scheduled a guided English tour which showed us the history of Cuban rum and how they made it.

At the very end of the tour we tried out some amazing rum and were able to buy some small bottles for souvenirs. The price for the tour was $14 total.

• Castillo de la Real Fuerza: This fortress which was built by the Spanish in the mid 1500’s.

This fort is now a museum and houses artifacts from the Spanish rule. The price to get into the fort was $8 total.

Another plus with this fortress was the beautiful views we got from the top!

• National Capitol Building: This iconic capital building otherwise known as El Capitolio was built in 1929 and is definitely a sight you cannot miss. Around the area we found great photo opportunities to take of the architecture. We were lucky and saw a dance performance from local kids right in front of the Capitol.

Food

• Museo Del Chocolate: We wouldn’t really classify this as a museum, but we did enjoy a cold chocolate drink along with some churros, that we purchased from a nearby stand. It was very refreshing on the hot day.

The churros were $1 and cold chocolate was $7, making it a cheap snack. They made a nice combination and were delicious.

• Paladar La Guarida: There is some really cool history behind this restaurant and this was on our list to eat at. The first and only Cuban film that was nominated for an Oscar, “Fresa y Chocolate”, was filmed here. It was a movie that inspired a lot of people to travel to Cuba and experience the culture. In 1996, the house was turned into a restaurant and has served many famous people since then.
  

For our drinks, we had some pina coladas and Cuba libre mixed drinks.

For our starters, we had the cheese ravioli with pesto sauce and pine nuts.

Sierra had the fish of the day caimanero style and Jonah had the surf and turf which consisted of lobster and steak and was not listed on the menu.

We also had sautéed vegetables and fried plantains (which were on the house).

For dessert, we got a puff pastry filled with apples and vanilla ice cream on top.

Altogether it was a pricy meal, at $110, but everything we ate and drank were incredible and we felt it was worth the price.

• El Gelato: We wanted a treat while out on our car tour of the city so our guide recommended we stop by this gelato shop.

The shop was busy as we entered (probably since it was so hot) and we were eager to try it. There were many different varieties to chose from.

We both got a scoop of chocolate and then Sierra got a scoop of mint and Jonah got a scoop of crema inglesa (vanilla with chocolate and liqueur panetela). They were both refreshing and delicious. This affordable gelato only cost us a total of $3.

• Café Fortuna Joe: We stopped by on our car tour to this unique café to grab some coffee and relax. This is definitely the fanciest coffee in Havana as they had different styles of coffee and hot chocolate.

We had the option to dine in a carriage, at a sewing table, in an old car, etc.

We opted for a super comfortable couch so we could chat with our guide. Sierra got a caramel Frappuccino and Jonah got a mint iced coffee. We paid $7 for both.

• Mekede: We worked up an appetite after our car tour and our guide Judith took us to one of the best spots to enjoy lunch in Havana. Once we walked in we noticed the paintings on the wall with famous and notable people enjoying a mojito.

Jonah got a regular Mojito and Sierra got the guava one. They were both very good.

For our appetizer, we got fried malanga, which is a type of root vegetable that is grated and combined with other ingredients and then fried. It was very tasty (what fried thing isn’t?).

Jonah got the Cuban BBQ Ribs for his entree and Sierra got the Fish fillet with fish that was served in a pineapple! Both dishes were filling and flavorful.

We were also brought some complimentary rice to go along with our entrees. It was so much food that we were stuffed by the end! For all of this,  we only paid around $45.

To end our meal, we were brought a complimentary espresso with sugar cane along with some  Cuban Rum shots. Both sugar cane and rum are very important to the Cuban people due to their history of helping grow the country.

• Bonsai Tapas Y Restaurante: This tapas restaurant was one of our favorite spots in Havana. We decided to get drinks here and ended up coming back the following day for more drinks and an appetizer. We got the Cuba Libre and the mojito with an appetizer of Assorted Croquettes (Fried Potato).

The mojito had a piece of sugar cane in the drink which we nibbled on while sipping the delicious drink (These were our favorite mojitos in Havana!). The Assorted Croquettes were amazing and melted in our mouths! This cost us about $14.

• La Casa del Gringo: While hanging out with our guide, we wanted to find out if there was such a thing as a Cuban sandwich and if it was something that locals actually ate since everyone told us to get one when going to Cuba. Thankfully, she confirmed this was a thing and we headed to this little restaurant to get one.

Of course we each got a mojito to enjoy with this delicious and juicy sandwich! In total, with some water, this meal only cost us $16.

• Bar-Restaurante Sarrá: This was another quick stop to grab an appetizer and some drinks!

This restaurant’s specialty is seafood so we had a Mixed Kebab of shrimp, lobster, and veggies.

We also switched up our drinks and had a Pina Colada and a Daiquiri De Fruta with a watermelon flavor. These were two very refreshing drinks! This meal cost us about $19.

• El Dandy Bar: This small bar was our next stopping point in our food tour!

We enjoyed some more delicious mojitos and a guacamole quesadilla. This was a nice stop to grab a drink and then explore more of Havana!

• D’Next Bar Cafeteria: This place is one of the most popular among the Cuban locals. The line to get in was down the street. Luckily our guide Judith had connections with the owner and got us a table with just a little wait.

• Fonda Al Pirata: Our AirBnB Host suggested this place as the owner is her husband. We enjoyed breakfast here which was very refreshing.

From fresh fruits, eggs, meats and of course mojitos! We also had an awesome pineapple and coconut juice. This massive breakfast cost us $21.

• Hole in the Wall Pizza: This pizza place did not have a name that we saw and is a “Hole in the Wall” pizza joint. This place is located right across the street from a Museum called “September 28”. You will only find locals at this place and everything was in Spanish. It cost us $3 for a homemade pizza.

• Los Dos Hermanos: One of Havana’s oldest restaurants and most famous this place will leave you very full. They are located very close to the Havana Bay and are known for their seafood.

We shared some Grilled Seafood which included fish, beef, and shrimp.

We had a Cuba Libre and a few Pina Coladas with our meal.

They served bread and rice with the meal which was very filling. This meal cost us $41.

Havana is vibrant with its’ people, food, buildings, and overall culture. We greatly enjoyed our trip and encourage anyone who likes adventure to travel there.

*Note: This trip was taken pre-COVID.