General informations about Cuba

Geography:

The Republic of Cuba is an archipelago formed by the main island of Cuba (the biggest island of the Caribbean), Isla de la Juventud (Isle of Youth, former name: Isle of Pines) and nearly 4200 keys and islets. The Cuban archipelago lies on the westernmost point of the Greater Antilles at the confluence of the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.

Population:

Cuba is the second most populated islands of the Caribbean (Hispanola being the first with more than 18 millions inhabitants). Cuba was a Spanish colony from 1492 until 1898. The natives (Tainos) were replaced by African slaves, for this reason the population and culture are mostly a mix of between Spanish and African cultures.

Capital:

Habana (Havana), approximately 3 millions.

Area:

110,861 km2. It’s the biggest island of the Caribbean with more 5746 km of coastline and nearly 4,200 small islets and keys called « Cayos »).

Language:

Spanish, but English are generally understood and spoken by the hotel’s staff, guides and tour operators. Some also understand and speak German, Italian or French.

Time zone:

Cuba is in the Eastern Standard Time zone (GMT -5). Here is the local time in Cayo Largo:

Currency:

There are two official currencies in Cuba: The Cuban Peso (the currency Cuban citizens are paid in and use for non-luxury items) and the Convertible Peso (CUC).

The Tourists can use only the Convertible Peso. One convertible peso worth 1.08 USD dollar (fixed rate). A 10% surcharge is imposed when converting U.S. dollars into convertible pesos. This 10% tax is not applied to other currencies, nor does it apply to bank transfers or credit card payments.

If you pay by credit card, the amount in CUC will be multiplied by 8% (exchange rate between CUC and USD), and they add a 3% administration fee. For example : An excursion costs 100 CUC, on your credit card statement, you will see 111.24 USD (100 X 1.08 X 1.03) because the CUC is not an international currency, so all credit card transactions are charged in USD.

When you exchange money in a hotel or airport, they charge a service fee this is why the exchange rate may differ between hotels. We sometimes noticed a significant difference between two hotels. When you change money always ask if the exchange rate is up-to-date.

Click HERE to see the official exchange rates (be patient this website is very slow!)

Electricity:

Gran Caribe Club:
(Isla del Sur, Villa Coral, Villa Soledad, Villa Lindamar)
110 Volts

Sol Cayo Largo, Sol Pelicano and Hotel Playa Blanca:
In the rooms: 220 Volts, in the bathrooms: 110 and 220 Volts (bathroom outlet is for low-wattage appliances only such as an electric shaver)

Required documents:

A valid passport and a tourist card (tourist visa) are required. The tourist card will be given to you aboard the aircraft going to Cuba, or by your travel agent, or at the airline counter or tour operator's desk at the airport. It's mandatory for everyone to fill out this card and present it to the Cuban custom officer when arriving & leaving Cuba.

A Tourist Card is valid for a stay up to 90 days and one can request an extension of another 3 months at any tourism office in Cuba, for a maximum stay of 6 months. When you enter Cuba, they keep the first half of your tourist card, and you have to give the second half when you leave the country.

Take your time to fill-out the tourist card correctly because the Custom officer may refuse a card with errors or deletions. If it’s the case you will have to buy a new one for 15 CUC.

A Canadian passport has to be valid for the duration of your trip + one week after the return date. If your country does not have an embassy in Cuba, your passport has to be valid for 60 days after your return date, please check with the Cuban Consulate in your country. If you plan to work, do business or study in Cuba you need a special visa.

A good tip for those who purchased a seat selection aboard the plane: Note your seat numbers on your electronic ticket as a reminder and always verify with the airline agent during the check-in process to make sure they give you the seats you paid for. If they say they cannot (for any reason), then keep your boarding pass stub (don’t discard it!) to ask for a refund when you come back.

Departure tax:

25 CUC (Cuban Convertible Pesos) payable at the airport on departure in cash only, no credit cards will be accepted or any other currency. You have to pay the departure tax after checking in with the airline, they put a stamp on your boarding pass as a proof of payment, and then you can go through Customs to show your boarding pass and to give the second half of your tourist card. In 2009, there is a new stamp (see photo).

Airport:

The airport in Cayo Largo (CYO) is called Vilo Acuña and is located less than 10 minutes from the hotel zone. It’s the second longest landing strip in Cuba after the airport Jose Marti in Havana. Large aircraft such as Boeing 747 or Airbus 330 may land in Cayo Largo. After Customs (on departure), you can find a bar (drinks & snacks), a souvenirs shop (coffee, rum, etc.), bathrooms, etc.

The airport is air-conditioned. The airport and the Tour Operator representatives offer a VIP service for 20 CUC per person, it includes a private transfer, priority check-in, private air-conditioned lounge with more comfortable couches and armchairs , open bar, snacks). This VIP service can be booked and paid only at destination anytime before your return flight.

Cuisine:

Fish, chicken, pork and seafood are the specialties, but you will find a large variety of another international and local cuisine in most hotels, including pasta, pizza, stew, and other typical dished such as: lechón (roast pork), fried green plantains (tostones), black beans, congrí (rice with beans), picadillo a la habanera (ground beef in tomato sauce), roast chicken, tamales, ropa vieja (shredded flank steak in a tomato sauce base). For a whole lobster or giant shrimps, you will usually pay a supplement (20 and 15 CUC respectively).

Shopping:

Rum (Havana Club is the largest and most well-known brand), hand-made cigars, CDs of Cuban music, coffee (Cubita is the most popular brand), handicrafts, etc. Cayo Largo is NOT a shopper’s paradise but there are a few small boutiques on the island. They open from 9h to 21h.

Gifts for Cubans:

If you can, try not to give all the gifts you brought only to the hotel staff. Workers on the island who don’t have the chance to work directly with tourists will be so happy to receive gifts. If you don’t plan on leaving the hotel during your stay, have a thought also for gardeners, cooks, maintenance staff, office workers, etc.

National holidays:

Jan. 1st — New year's day and Liberation Day.
Jan. 28th — Jose Marti day.
Feb. 24th — Celebration of the Revolution of 1895.
Mar. 8th - International woman's day
Mar. 13th — Attack of the presidential palace.
Apr. 19th — Victory at Pigs Bay.
May 1st — International Workers' Day
Jul. 25th, 26th et 27th — Day of National Rebelliousness
July 30th - Day of the martyrs of the revolution
Oct. 8th — Anniversary of the death of Che Guevara
Oct. 10th — Beginning of the Wars for Independence
Oct. 28th - Anniversary of the death of Camillo Cienfuegos
Nov. 27th - Anniversary of execution of students in 1871
Dec. 7th - Anniversary of the death of Antonio Maceo
Dec. 25th - Christmas

National flag:

It was designed in 1848 for the liberation movement which sought to detach Cuba from Spain. The flag was briefly hoisted in 1850 at Cardenas but was not officially adopted until 1902, when independence was granted by the US.

The blue stripes refer to the three old divisions of the island; The two white stripes evoke the purity of the intentions for independence of the people. The red triangle symbolizes equality, fraternity and freedom, as well as the blood shed in the island's struggle for independence. Finally, the white star symbolizes the absolute freedom among the Cuban people.

National bird:

The Tocororo or Cuban trogon (Priotelus temnurus). Autochthonous bird related to the quetzal. The Tocororo's feathers exhibit the colors of the Cuban flag: red, blue and white.

National tree:

The Royal Palm. Although it’s not indigenous of Cuba, it’s a very familiar element of the Cuban landscape and it symbolizes the undeniable character of the Cuban people as it endures the most furious gales without falling.

In most cases, its height varies between 40 and 50 feet and it is crowned with a beautiful crest. This is one of the many trees that grow in Cuba; its majestic structure and height, as well as its strength and its many uses have earned it to be called all over the country as the “queen of our fields”.

National flower:

The White Mariposa or Butterfly Jasmine (Hedychium Coronarium Koenig). An endemic white jasmine used by the Cuban women in the wars of independence to pass messages to the battlefields. It symbolizes purity, rebelliousness and independence.

It grows in humid places as banks of rivers and lagoons, but it is also cultivated in yards and gardens of many Cuban houses.

National cocktail:

The Mojito, a delicious and well-known cocktail in Cuba. It was the favorite cocktail of Ernest Hemingway. Click HERE for the recipe.

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