Why does a large number of tourists from Russia choose Cuba - despite the hefty cost of rest on the Island of Freedom? There are several reasons at once: absence of visa formalities, beautiful nature, luxurious beaches and one hundred percent Caribbean exotica in a revolutionary entourage. The contingent of local holidaymakers is very diverse: young people and couples are selected on the island, as well as many men who book a "single". Most travelers are people with "above average" income.

Perhaps some still remember how the name of this country was deciphered about 15 years ago: "Communism off the coast of America" ​​. Jokes by jokes, but Cuba really remains one of the few strongholds of the light socialist ideology with such familiar attributes: the legendary commandant Che and his lively, all-living follower, the external ideological enemy in the person of the States and the unprecedented patriotism of local residents . There are, however, radical differences from the USSR - a steady influx all year round, hotels with a high level of service and rich entertainment opportunities: diving, snorkeling, yachting and then on the list . Plus, of course, we will not forget about the famous rum and cigars . The last, by the way, secretly smoked (and smokes) the same ideologically hostile leadership, despite the Liberty Islands embargo .

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The capital city is Havana. Large cities - Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo, Trinidad, Cienfuegos, Camagüey

Main resorts - Varadero, Holguin, Santa Maria del Mar.

Cuba Islands: Cayo Coco, Cayo Largo, Cayo -Gillermo, Cayo Santa Maria.

For a complete list of cities, resorts and islands of the country, search on the city page and the resorts of Cuba

How to get to Cuba

The easiest and quickest way to get to Cuba is direct non-stop regular flights of Aeroflot Moscow-Havana (about 12 hours) and Transaero Moscow-Varadero (about 12 hours). Other options: flight in transit through Paris by Air France flight to Havana and flight through Frankfurt with Condor to Havana and Varadero. The journey takes from 16 to 20 hours. Finally, you can get to Havana and Varadero via Amsterdam with KLM

The flight from the CIS countries is carried out either through Moscow or with docking in European cities

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Visa to Cuba

For a tourist trip for up to 30 days, Russian and Belarusian citizens do not need a visa to Cuba.

Customs

Duty-free import of 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or 250 g of tobacco, 3 bottles of alcoholic beverages, perfumery, medicines and household goods - within personal needs . Duty-free import of 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or 250 g of tobacco, plus 5 cassettes per each, . It is prohibited to import drugs, pornography and firearms (except for hunting rifles belonging to tourists who come to the country for this purpose and have the appropriate permission issued in Cuba on arrival) . The export of animals, cul valuables, sea shells, antiques, precious metals . When buying jewelry or goods from crocodile leather, you must ask the seller for a export license, otherwise the goods will be confiscated when passing customs control . These licenses are issued, as a rule, only in shops, so in the markets (where the crocodile leather products cost 3-5 times cheaper but do not give export licenses), such goods should not be bought. .

telephone numbers Embassy of Cuba in Moscow. Str. B. Ordynka, 66; tel .: (495) 933-79-50; website

Embassy of Russia in Havana: 5-a Avenida, N 6402, entre 62-66, Miramar, La Habana; tel .: (7) 204-10-85, 204-26-86, 204-26-28, 204-10-80; website

Consulate General in Havana: 5-a Avenida esq. a 66, No. 318, Miramar, La Habana,; tel .: (7) 204-10-74, 204-10-85

Police: 116 and (7) 820-116, first aid: (7) 242-811, fire brigade: (7) 811-115 , airport information: (7) 45-31-33

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Transport of Cuba

Public transport in the country is not sufficiently developed. Cubans themselves often use hitchhiking for inside cities or in the country.

Buses are considered to be the main urban transport, but they can be recommended only to extreme fans: they have neither comfort nor a clear schedule, nor permanent routes for them . "Tourist" taxi - it is always modern and serviceable vehicles . They can be ordered from any hotel or simply by phone, travel is paid only in dollars . Regular taxis in which pesos are taken are old cars, and a little bit . Finally, there are in Cuba and "bombers" -partners . Prices are slightly lower than those of state taxi drivers, but there are no guarantees of quality either .

Rent a car

Rent a car in Cuba is easy: you need to do this pay the cost of rent and a lien. Offices of rental offices are in all major cities and tourist centers. To rent a car you need to provide an international driving license and a passport. When paying a security deposit in cash, a credit card is not required, the amount of the deposit depends on the brand of the car and on average ranges from 150 to 300 CUC.

Rent is allowed from 21 years. The quality of cars is very diverse, and agencies can not always provide even a pre-reserved car. The cost of gasoline in Cuba is very high - about 1 CUC per liter.

The road rules are standard, right-hand traffic, there are few cars on the roads (but there are plenty of bicyclists), while the quality of the central roads is quite good, secondary roads often leave much to be desired , and marking and pointers are practically absent. So with independent travel around the country, tourists need to be reserved for attention and patience: sometimes the right direction will have to be looked for a long time.

A little bit about the rules of behavior and mentality

On the Island of Freedom tourists should adhere to standard precautions - valuable items, documents and money stored in a safe. It is not recommended to drink tap water, and also eat in other restaurants, except for public ones. In Cuba, military equipment, military personnel and industrial enterprises can not be photographed

According to unconfirmed reports from credible sources, Fidel Castro is the only leader of one of the countries of the socialist camp who managed to escape the famous triple Brezhnev's suicide . Not approving such manifestations of male friendship, he found a very simple and elegant way out of the situation: during the entire official welcoming ceremony he smoked a cigar . Thus, the heterosexual nature of the Cuban leader remained untouched Leonid Ilyich's pride, too, was not affected at all . Only the transfer of "Good night, kids! ", Which was removed from the air the release in which Filya explained why he had a human name . Apparently, the censors were afraid that Fidel could see in this offensive analogies .

Fabulous beaches of Cuba

Walking in a retro car

Views of Havana

Cuban climate

The climate of Cuba is tropical trade-wind, the temperature regime is mitigated by the influence of the ocean . The average annual temperature is +25 ° C, the temperature of the coldest month (January) is +22 ° C (the temperature can fluctuate: today it is + 30 ° C, tomorrow - +20 ° C), and the warmest (August) +28 ° C . During the whole year, a high humidity is felt, which in combination with high temperatures requires certain acclimatization, but on the coast the heat is softened by constant winds from the ocean . Conditionally possible to distinguish two periods - dry (from October to May) humid "rainy season" (from June to September) .

See also weather forecast for the main resorts and in the cities of Cuba

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Beaches of Cuba

All beaches are municipal, free. However, behind the hotels are fixed some parts of the beach, which are diligently guarded. There are practically no local people in these areas. Sun beds and umbrellas - free of charge

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Cuba hotels

In Cuba, there are many hotels of world famous "chains", mostly Spanish. Most of the hotels located at beach resorts, operate on an all-inclusive basis with local drinks. Almost all the coastal hotels are on the first line of the beach

The mains voltage is 110 V, an adapter is needed, since the plugs and sockets in Cuba have a flat shape. True, in modern Cuban hotels, the voltage is 220 V and the "European" sockets

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Money

There are two monetary units at the "island of Liberty": one for local residents (Cuban pesos) , another - for tourists (convertible Cuban peso) . Convertible pesos have circulation only in the tourist zone, and "ordinary" local money tourists can not even see . US dollars for five years as prohibited for circulation, they must necessarily be exchanged for "convertible pesos", with most banks and exchange offices at the same time charges a commission that up to 20% . But when there is no commission for the EUR conversion, it is much more profitable to take the European currency to the country .

Money can be exchanged in bank branches, the airport and in almost all hotels, but the rate there will be less profitable . Banks are open from Monday to Friday from 8:30 to 12:00 and from 13:30 to 15:00, on Saturdays from 8:30 to 10:30. In Cuban resorts in the course of credit cards Visa, Eurocard, Mastercard and others, but at the same time - attention! - issued not by an American bank. Checks in US dollars and pounds sterling are also accepted everywhere, but, again - if they are not issued by one of the US banks.

Tipping in most cases is approximately 10% of the cost of the service. The porter and the maid at the hotel usually leave up to 1 CUC or EUR.

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Cuban shopping and shopping

From Cuba you can bring black coral and articles from it, tortoise shells (bracelets and hair clips), tumbadora or bongo (percussion musical instruments used in African melodies), guaiabra (shirt worn in the tropics, officials) and Brazilian shoes. You should definitely buy Cuban rum, real Cuban cigars and Cuban coffee. And, of course, everything related to the Cuban revolution: albums of black and white photographs, T-shirts and berets with portraits Che.

Almost all the stores are open Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 18:00, but some are open and before 20:00. On Saturdays - from 9:00 to 15:00. In resort areas, shops and supermarkets, as a rule, are open longer. In addition, do not forget that in the middle of the day almost all shops are closed for siesta

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Cuisine and restaurants

Creole cuisine is widespread on the island, the main ingredients of which are pork and chicken, cooked in various ways. One of the most popular national dishes is "Creole ahiako", pork with vegetables and a lot of spices. Another is to try lobster with lemon, dishes from crocodile or tortoise meat, turtle eggs. In Cuba, many dishes are prepared from fruit and serve almost every dish. The coffee here is very strong and sweet.

The national drinks are Cuban rum and numerous cocktails based on it: mojito, cuba libre, daiquiri and many others.

Restaurants and cafes are usually found only in the resorts and in the big cities of Havana and Santiago de Cuba. In the rest of the settlements, catering establishments are mainly represented by eateries where visitors have a difficult choice between sandwiches and hot dogs

Cuba's entertainment, excursions and attractions

Pinar del Rio is located in the west of the island and is famous for, firstly, beautiful nature, and, secondly, by tobacco plantations . Attractions of the region: the city of Pinar del Rio, the national park "Vinales Valley" and Soroa . The provincial capital of the same name is interesting to its Provincial Museum are natural Sciences, the Palace of Guas, the theater "Milanes" and the cigar factory "Francisco Donatien" . The valley of Viñales, located in the mountains of the Sierra de los Organos, is notable for its "mogote", steep hills with flat peaks, "Indian Cave" the cave of Santo Tomas, the healing springs of San Vicente and the prehistoric fresco on the wall of one of the "mogote" . The main attractions of Soroa: one of the world's largest Orquideario Orchid nurseries, the Manantiales waterfall and the natural lookout of Castillo da Las -Nubes on top of Loma-del mountain -Fuerte .

Province of Havana will be particularly interesting for fans of ecological and adventure tourism, there are plenty of quiet secluded beaches. In the area of ​​Escaleras de Haruko, there are many caves and steep cliffs: it is good for fans of speleology. In San Antonio de los Baños you can visit the Museum of Humor, and the coastal village of Santa Cruz del Norte is known for producing the famous rum Havana Club.

The island of Juventud is the second largest in the Cuban archipelago. The most interesting places of the island are the Los Indios San Felipe Nature Reserve with its unique flora and fauna, the Presidio Modello prison, the copy of the American Joliet prison in Illinois (Fidel Castro was imprisoned there), the national maritime park of Punta- Frances, the international dive center "El Colony", the islands of Cayo Largo del Sur, Cayo Rosario, Cayo Cantiles and Cayo Iguana (excellent diving and fishing).

In the province of Matanzas is worth visiting the provincial capital of the same name : Vyhija Square (the city's founding base), Freedom Square, hours Montserrat (built in the image of a temple in Catalonia), the castle of San Severino (because of its size is considered one of the main Spanish fortresses in America) . In the vicinity of the city are interesting caves "Belyamar" (with rock paintings, fossils and traces of habitat people who lived here 1600 years ago) and the ruins of the "Triumvirato" - there in the 19th century there was the biggest uprising in the history of Cuba of African slaves . The main attractions of the Zapata peninsula: the village of the Taino Indians in Guam, crocodile cattery in La Bocca, "FROM Anto-Thomas and La Salina, as well as the Historical Museum at Playa Chiron .

The main city of the province of Villa Clara, Santa Clara, is called the "city of Ernesto Che Guevara" . It is there that the Memorial the famous revolutionary and his remains are stored . "Leoncio-Vidal" square - the central square of Santa Clara, around him are the Museum of Decorative Arts, the former Government Palace . In addition, the town of Remedios is interesting in the province . Its main attractions: Museum of carnivals of the city, the Museum of Music "Alejandro Garcia Caturla" and gl. the parish church of St. John the Baptist, which is considered one of the most interesting in Cuba .

Still definitely worth a trip to the amazingly beautiful national parks of Cuba

There are many discos on the coast, the most popular among tourists are at the Bellamar hotel (Varadero), in the hotel Tuxran (entrance - 10 USD, beginning at 22:30) and in about Riu Las Morlas (admission free), disco Mambo Club (admission ticket 15 CUC)

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Diving in Cuba

The main advantages of the "Diving Cuba" - the excellent preservation of the ecosystem, favorable climatic conditions, the high level of development of the diving industry, the presence of dive sites of all levels of complexity. More information on dive sites, the season, sea life and the like are on the diving page in Cuba

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Cuban photos (230)