CUBA REPORT TRAVEL.

  

Punctual leaves from Donald Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay (Jamaica) at 10.00 my plane no. KX621 of the Cayman Airways Company to Grand Cayman International Airport (Cayman Islands), (one-way ticket price from Montego Bay to Havana, with a stopover in Grand Cayman (Cayman Islands): USD 277.00).

 

Punctual arrival at 10.55 am at Grand Cayman International Airport (Cayman Islands). There are 6 hours of time zone, compared to Italy.

 

To enter the Cayman Islands (British Overseas Territory) for tourism reasons, a visa is not required for a stay of up to 90 days. The customs declaration form must be completed. There is no screen at this airport to see if your flight is on time.

 

To reach the center of George Town from the airport, the capital of the Cayman Islands, located 4 km west, or you can take a taxi at a cost of 15 USD, or you have to go outside the airport area and take minibus n. 4b or by walking for about 1 km towards the center, minibus n. 2b. The cost is 2.5 USD. You pay before you get off. The remainder is given in KYD. Anyway all minibuses head to the Terminal located in Edward Street, near Heroes Square.

 

With a 5-hour delay my plane no. 1 leaves from Grand Cayman International Airport (Cayman Islands) at 6.30 pm. KX832 of the Cayman Airways Company in the direction of the José Marti International Airport of Havana (Cuba), (price of one-way ticket from Montego Bay to Havana, with a stopover in Grand Cayman (Cayman Islands): USD 277.00).

 

Arrival 5 hours late, at 19.30, of the José Marti International Airport of Havana (Cuba), located 25 km southwest of the center of Havana. There are 6 hours of time zone, compared to Italy.

 

To enter Cuba, for tourism reasons, up to 30 days, it is necessary to be in possession, before arriving in Cuba, of the tourist tarjeta and to obtain it you must personally present yourself at the Consulate, located in Milan in Via Pirelli, 30, not far from the Central Railway Station, open from Monday to Thursday, from 9.00 to 12.00, with passport, return flight booking, hotel or casa particular booking for the first night. The cost of the visa is 22 €. The tarjeta turística is released the same day.

The staff of the Milan Consulate is extremely slow and it is always crowded and therefore you have to take into account that you will lose an entire morning.

 

A much faster method, albeit a little more expensive (25 Euros instead of 22 Euros), is to contact a visa agency. In Milan it is located just below the Consulate (www.cubapoint.it). Among other things, the same agency is also open in the afternoon and on Saturdays and also issues the visa instantly. The assistant has you fill in the Tourist Tarjeta in both parts and hands it over to you, after paying 25 Euros and without asking you for your air ticket or hotel reservation. By doing this you save a lot of time by paying only 3 Euros more than what the Consulate requires.

 

As of May 1, 2010, all travelers, foreigners and Cubans residing abroad, upon entering the country, must necessarily have an insurance policy that also covers any medical expenses to be incurred on the island. The policy must be issued by insurance entities recognized in Cuba (see list of companies published on the website www.asistur.cu) and can in any case also be purchased at the border at the price of 1 CUC per day, through Cuban insurance companies. In this regard, it should be noted that the Cuban institution responsible for assisting tourism, with particular regard to the medical-health aspect, is ASISTUR which normally operates in a timely and efficient manner. However, it should be noted that the speed and quality of the service provided by ASISTUR depend on the relationship that this same entity has with the chosen insurance company, on the type of policy underwritten and on the promptness with which the latter guarantees the reimbursement of expenses to the entity. to support.

The Travel Policy Sicuri.com is also accepted as the staff in charge of the stipulation reiterated by email that the Cuban Consulate in Italy has communicated that all insurance companies are valid for the Cuban Government, except those American. The Safe Travel policy is underwritten by Europäische Reiseversicherung AG, a German company with its head office in Munich. Therefore Safe Travel policies are valid and accepted for your trip to Cuba.

 

At the border of the José Marti International Airport in Havana, I handed over the tourist tarjeta, which was stamped and divided into 2. A half was returned to me which must be returned before leaving the country. Instead, I was not asked for the insurance policy, which is mandatory by law.

 

Then I handed the Customs declaration to the clerk, who let me pass without checking my hand luggage, the only one in my possession.

 

Two currencies circulate in Cuba, the Cuban peso (CUP), also known as the national currency, and the Cuban convertible peso (CUC), which is equivalent to the US dollar. The ratio between the CUC and the CUP, for natural persons, is 1 to 24. Most goods and services can however be purchased exclusively in convertible pesos.

Circulation of US dollars (USD) in cash is not permitted. If exchanged in the bank, they suffer a further increase of 10% in addition to bank charges for exchange transactions.

However, the CUC is the so-called tourist currency as with this currency services are purchased at prices similar to those in Europe and you cannot pay for buses, cheap restaurants, ect.

It is therefore advisable to have both coins and understand with a little intuition which coin to use. It's not that trivial.

 

In the Departures Hall it is possible to exchange money, not US dollars and it is possible to have only Cuban Convertible Pesos (CUC). The exchange rate is very disadvantageous: 1 Euro = 1.04 CUC.

 

I took a taxi to reach the uncomfortable Viazul Bus Station, located on the corner of Calle 26 and Zoologico, 3 km southwest of Revolution Square. I shared it with 2 other Swiss tourists. In the end he asked us for 40 CUC, but I, in agreement with my traveling companions, paid 10 CUC. The journey took about 40 minutes.

 

Getting around Cuba is not as easy as in other countries. Transport is not as efficient and frequent and there are many limitations for tourists and so I opted to travel with the most reliable and expensive bus company in Cuba, Viazul, which even allows you to book the ticket via the Internet, but only up to one week before the trip. However, once you have printed the ticket you still have to go, one hour before departure, to the Viazul Desk of the Bus Station, to check in online, which allows you to print the actual ticket which you will then deliver to the driver first to get on the bus. Viazul Buses usually have a bathroom in tow, but they don't offer you food or water. Sometimes they break and arrive late at their destination.

 

To reach Santiago de Cuba from Havana (about 800 km journey), there are 3 Viazul buses a day that depart at 6.30, 15.00 and 00.30 and arrive after about 15 hours and 30 '. The bus stops at various intermediate destinations, almost all of which are touristic. The cost of the ticket is 51 CUC.

 

The Viazul Bus Station is located together with the railway station 2 km north of the historic center, which can be reached by paying 4 CUC for a taxi or 20 CUP for a motor taxi. To reach the Castle of La Roca del Moro, declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco and located on top of a promontory 60 meters high, at the entrance to the port of Santiago de Cuba, 10 km southwest of the city, I hired a taxi that for 12 CUC, took me to the aforementioned castle, waited for me for an hour to allow me to visit it and finally brought me back to the historic center of Santiago de Cuba.

 

The entrance to the Castle of La Roca del Moro, declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco, costs 4 CUC. The castle is open every day from 8.00 to 19.30.

 

The historic center of Santiago de Cuba appears safe even in the evening and can be easily explored on foot.

 

To reach Camagüey from Santiago de Cuba, there are 3 Viazul buses a day that depart at 6.30, 16.00 and 00.30 in the direction of Havana and which also stop in Camagüey after about 6 hours. The cost of the ticket is 18 CUC.

 

The Viazul Bus Station, the Alvaro Barba Bus Station, of Camagüey, is located 3 km south-east of the historic center, which can be reached by paying 3 or 4 CUC for a taxi or 0.20 CUP for the bus you take. on the main road and drops you off at the Casino Campestre on the eastern edge of the historic center. Remember that on local buses, CUCs are not accepted, only CUPs and that it is not possible to have change. You put the coin in the special box as you go up.

 

The historic center of Camagüey, declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco, appears safe only during the day and can be easily explored on foot. After sunset, pay close attention.

 

To reach Santa Clara from Camagüey, there are 3 Viazul buses a day that depart at 6.30, 14.25 and 23.45 in the direction of Havana and which also stop in Santa Clara after about 5 hours and 30 '. The cost of the ticket is 15 CUC.

 

The Terminal de Omnibus Nacionales of Santa Clara, where the Viazul buses also depart and arrive, is located 500 meters away. north of the monument to Che, on the Carretera Centrale, 2.5 km west of Parque Vidal, which can be reached by paying 2 or 3 CUC for a taxi or 0.20 CUP for the bus that takes you on the main road and leaves you right at Parque Vidal. Remember that on local buses, CUCs are not accepted, only CUPs and that it is not possible to have change. You put the coin in the special box as you go up.

 

To sleep in Santa Clara on a budget it is possible to stay in one of the particular houses, located around Parque Vidal, at a minimum cost of 20 CUC, for a double without breakfast.

 

The historic center of Santa Clara appears safe even in the evening and can be easily explored on foot.

 

To reach Cienfuegos from Santa Clara, I took the 11.25 am Viazul bus in the direction of Trinidad which also stops in Cienfuegos after 1 hour and 30 '. The cost of the ticket is 6 CUC.

 

The Cienfuegos Bus Station, where the Viazul Buses also depart and arrive, is located at the intersection of Calle 49 and Av 56, about 1.5 km east of Parque Josè Marti, which can therefore be reached on foot.

 

To sleep in Cienfuegos on a low budget, it is possible to stay in one of the particular houses, located all over the historic center, at a minimum cost of 20 CUC, for a double without breakfast.

 

The historic center of Cienfuegos appears safe even in the evening and can be easily explored on foot.

 

If, on the other hand, from Cienfuegos you want to reach Punta Gorda, you can take Bus n. 1 that passes in Calle 37, with the frequency of about every hour, or on a kind of Rickshaw at a cost of 2 CUC.

 

To reach Varadero from Cienfuegos, there are 3 Viazul buses a day that depart at 9.15, 10.00 and 17.45 in the direction of Havana and which also stop in Varadero after about 4 hours and 30 '. The cost of the ticket is 16 CUC.

 

The Terminal de Omnibus of Varadero, where the Viazul Buses also depart and arrive, is located in Varadero Est, at the intersection of Calle 36 and Autopista Sur, 1 km abundantly southwest of the Parque Central, which can therefore be reached on foot .

 

Varadero is the most touristic and exclusive area in all of Cuba, where there are fabulous beaches, shopping centers, luxury hotels and resorts and where therefore finding cheap accommodation is not so easy but with a little commitment you can also find it in 30 CUC.

 

Varadero looks safe even in the evening.

 

To reach Matanzas from Varadero, there are 3 Viazul buses a day that depart at 12.00, 16.00 and 19.35 in the direction of Havana and which also stop in Matanzas after about 1 hour. The cost of the ticket is 6 CUC.

 

The Matanzas National Bus Station, where the Viazul Buses also depart and arrive, is located on Calle 131, at the intersection with Calle 272, an abundant 1 km south of Plaza de la Vigia, which can therefore be reached on foot.

 

To sleep in Matanzas, spending little, it is possible to stay in one of the particular houses, located in the historic center, at a minimum cost of 20 CUC, for a double without breakfast.

 

The historic center of Matanzas appears safe at least during the day and can be easily explored on foot.

 

To reach Havana from Matanzas, there are 3 Viazul buses a day that depart at 1.10pm, 5.10pm and 8.45pm from Varadero. The trip takes about 2 hours. The cost of the ticket is 7 CUC.

Keep in mind that this bus ends its journey to Havana at the inconvenient Viazul Bus Station, located on the corner of Calle 26 and Zoologico, 3 km southwest of Revolution Square, but also stops first in Habana Vieja on Calle Cuba , where Rickshaws and Taxis await you offering disproportionate prices to take you to the Hotel. In the end, being 11.00 pm, I agreed to be taken by rickshaw for the price of 4 CUC to Hostal Peregrino in Calle Industria, after a ruthless bargaining. Had it been day I would have gone on foot, since it was less than 1 km away.

 

Hostal Peregrino gave me a double room in a particular house without breakfast for the price of 20 CUC.

 

Habana Vieja, you can easily go around on foot and appear safe both day and night.

 

To reach the José Marti International Airport of Havana (Cuba), located 25 km south-west of the center of Havana, spending only 1 CUP, you need to take Bus no. 12, which leaves every half hour on the road west of the Parque de la Fraternidad, in the direction of Santiago de Las Vegas, along AV Simon Bolivar, Av Salvador Allende, Av de Carlos de Made Cespedes and Av Boyeros. From here it will be necessary to walk over 1 km to reach Terminal 2 and 2 km to reach Terminal 3. For Terminal 1, instead get off at the next stop. Ask the driver when to get off as if you don't know the area it's not all that intuitive.

My complete travel report with map, photographs and videos is available at this link:

http://vivendosalendo.blogspot.com/2017/07/viaggio-ad-haiti-repubblica-dominicana.html