Driving in Cuba, Havana Rent Car in Cuba: Hyundai Athos, 3780km exploration in the Caribbean Island of Cuba

You see the powerful machine we rented??!! The big, the Magestic, Amazing: Hyunday Athos

After spending almost a week in Havana my friends and I decided to skip the capital and start some serious island exploration. The best way to get to know places is definitely by driving. We can basically stop wherever we wish.

After an intensive search in Havana and after taxi around the city to check out all the prices, we found out that they do not change a lot as the existing companies do all belong to the state; they are state owned enterprises as every other in Cuba. No private companies exist in Cuba.

So after an hour on a taxi looking for the best deal ( and actually after a couple phone calls ) we end up staying with CUBA CAR – CAR RENTAL. This is a tiny office located aside a Servicentro ( Gas Station ) and exactly facing the Malecón Avenue. The guy that talked to us was nice and understood that we wanted the cheapest.

Hum…looks a bit smaller on this picture

Car Rental, CUBACAR
Carlos León
Pnto Servicentro 23 y Malecón, Havana, Cuba
870.2257

Prices car rental Havana

1 to 6 days = $55CUC per day
7 to 13 days = $50CUC per day
+ 14 days = $45CUC per day

After a short conversation with the car rental employee, I quickly got to know some quick fact about car driving in Cuba. Basically and apart from common sense, we have to watch out for some tricks on Cuban roads.

Farola Highway, from Baracoa to Guantanmo, East Cuba

Driving in Cuba: Do’s & Don’ts

• Don’t pass the speed limit due to the large amount of people walking on the roads also during the night, tons of animals passing the road, people on horses, cows, dogs and all other farm animals you can think of. Also the police will probably stop you;
• If so, do not be rude to police. They will be a mirror of your first behaviour. Smile, say hello “Hola! Como está? And you’ll just be fine. If they stick to the ticket just cry and they will let you go;
• Some roads are in really bad conditions so watch out. If you go light and you like speed, you have to take in count that you can find a huge hole that you’ll have no time to break or reduce speed;
• Never be out of a spare tyre. Always fix the problems you have with tires;
• Maybe you’ll want to give a lift to some one, there are thousands of people hitch hiking or waiting for transportation. Cuba has no criminal activity like other western countries, so hitch hiking will be pretty safe;
• Be safe and always have the fuel tank half full, better off like this than getting no fuel in certain towns of little villages;
• I mean, of course you can go a bit faster than the speed limit ;
• Stop and by fruit and drink fresh fruit juice whenever you see someone doing it or selling it on the side of the road, this will be one of your trip highlights
• Cuba and it’s tropical weather can be tricky so just in a sudden a storm can come and your visibility will be really bad not to talk about the amount of water that will quickly flood the roads
• Yes! Get a car and discover Cuba by your own!

Road conditions in Cuba are OK if you stick to the big main roads, I mean, OK concerning that even a secondary road in Morocco is much better than the highway from Santa Clara to Havana. Road signs do not exist so you better start practicing your Spanish accent, open that window and start asking direction to where ever you wish to go.

Road in the country side of the Island

Now, if you decide to go and drive trough the small yellow road ( yellow on the map corresponding to smaller roads, rural itineraries ), well, there were times we wished the trip would end, and, times where basically the road disappeared like from Moa to Baracoa. To go to Baracoa people usually take the southern road from Guantanamo and Santiago de Cuba, but as we were driving clock-wise on the island, we had to pass the northern access to town of Baracoa, the first place where Cristobel Colon once arrived.

In almost 4000km driven, we had 3 flat tires, had to buy a new tire that got destroyed and had to switch another one in Pinar del Rio in the rental company.

We were sleeping along the way, while choosing a place to be the next destination, we were using Lonely Planet book for directions but as soon as we got to any town center, we would just follow our instinct and look for a place to stay. We only stayed in one “private house” that was publicized in LP. Al the other ones we just searched and talk to people directly, discussed prices and whenever we got good deals, we stayed.

More or less or trajectory was going around the island on a clock wise circle which I now point out the places where we slept for 2 weeks during the time we rented the car: Remédios ( 2nights ), Playa Santa Lucia ( 1night ), Baracoa ( 4nights ), Santiago de Cuba ( 2nights ), Camaguey ( 2nights ), Trinidad ( 2nights ), Viñales ( 3nights ).

Driving with storm in Cuba

We put fuel for 9 times in the following locations: Havana, Santa Clara, Cayo Coco, Manatí, Moa, Santiago de Cuba, Sancti Spiritus, Piñar del Río and Bahia Honda ( where we just put $5 CUC to get us to Havana to deliver the car ). We spent exactly $187 CUC which is around 150EUROS. We drove 486km on our first day of driving, from Havana passing 3 hours on the beach in Varadero and heading to Remédios where we stayed for 2 nights.

Road to Cayo Santa Maria north of Remédios

We delivered the car on time, and, by surprise hit the NUMBER 1 TOURIST to get back without 1 police ticket!! We were the first to get back on this office without 1 car fine, and even more surprising to them was that we rented the car for 2 weeks! Who says Portuguese drivers are bad? In Cuba at least…

Driving along the Caribeean Sea, Southern Cuba

Driving in Cuba, Havana Rent Car in Cuba: Hyundai Athos, 3780km exploration in the Caribbean Island of Cuba

Eat in Havana, Where to eat in Havana Cuba

Doña Blanquita Restaurant, Havana Cuba

This is the best place I ate in Cuba. Apart from some really nice “casas particulares” that offer you great meals for around $5 CUC ( vegetarians ) or $7 CUC for normal meals, there’s this restaurant I really enjoyed in Centre Havana. We end up going there more than 10 times, where we ate lunch and dinner. We did try others but not like this one as we arrived there without any guide / jinetero.

It’s very easy to eat and find a decent Paladar or Restaurant in Havana, you’ll easily see them on the streets or you’ll have some “jineteros” trying to instruct you to one of them to get some commission out of you.

View of Prado Avenue from Doña Blanquita Restaurant

This is one family restaurant right in Prado Avenue and you can enjoy the nice view of its balcony. The people there are very nice and was funny to found out a small little Portuguese flag on the wall. It seems they have some Portuguese friends that go there every year.

Apart from tasty and home made style food, they have fresh fruit juices that are so tasty and delicious. My friends and I would ask for 2, 3 or 4 juices each during the meals.

Vegetarian Food Havana, Eat Vegetarian Cuba

This was vegan’s heaven, paradise for non-meat eaters. As we arrived quite late on our first evening in the city, and the next day we went to look for someone, we did manage to sit and enjoy a great meal in this restaurant we decided to order one of each vegetarian dish. We were 3 hungry guys that eat a lot. It was funny because the lady said that was too much food… hehe not for us though.

My friend Palmeirão looking good lunching in Doña Blanquita in Havana

All around Cuba you can manage to get some “moros y cristianos” which is just rice and beans, but better watch out and ask first if they mix meat with it, some times they do and others don’t. I’ll write a few more posts about eating vegetarian in Cuba.

So we ask all we could ask vegan: beans African style, beans and rice Creole recipe, different vegetable roots like yucca and malanga, different styles of banana recipes and lot’s of natural fruit juices. I got one menu from them so I’ll write down all their menu below.

Balcony view during the night. View of Prado Avenue

Menu Doña Blanquita

Starters
Cheese appetizer $2 CUC
Fish cocktail $2 CUC
Chicken salad $1.5 CUC

Soups
Chicken soup $2.5 CUC
Vegetable soup $2 CUC
Consommé $1.5 CUC
Cheese creamy soup $1.5 CUC
Aurora cream $1.5 CUC

Stewed Beans
Sleeping Beans $2.0 CUC
Beans African Style $2.0 CUC

Eggs
Natural Omelette $5 CUC
Vegetable Omelette $6 CUC
Mix Omelette $7 CUC
Cheese Omelette $6 CUC
Omelette $1.5 CUC
Fried Eggs $5 CUC

Sheep
Cuban seasoned sheep Cuban Style $8.50 CUC

Home Special
“Doña Blanquita” Chop $9 CUC

Pork
Fried pork steak $7 CUC
Breaded pork steak $8 CUC
Grilled pork steak $7 CUC
Tender steak with egg $8 CUC
Pork steak with garlic garnish $7 CUC
Steak Uruguay style 8.50 CUC
Cuban seasoned pork $8.50 CUC
Cuban style steak $8 CUC
Fried pork chunk $8 CUC
Grilled pork chops $7.50 CUC
Marinated pork chops $8 CUC
Pork chops stew $8 CUC

Chicken
Chicken San Carlos style $8.5 CUC
Fried chicken marinated in garlic $8 CUC
Chicken stew $8 CUC
Cuban style chicken $8 CUC
Creole chicken $7 CUC
Cuban seasoned chicken $8 CUC
Roasted chicken $7 CUC
Golden blue chicken $8.5 CUC
Barbecue chicken $8.5 CUC

Fish
Cuban seasoned fillet $10 CUC
Cuban style fillet $12 CUC
Grilled fish $10 CUC
Fillet with cheese $11 CUC

Vegetables
Fried cassava $1.5 CUC
Garlic cassava $1.5 CUC
Fried sweet potato $1 CUC
Sweet potato in syrup $1.5 CUC
Banana in caramel and dry wine sauce $1 CUC
Fried shredded green banana $1 CUC
Green banana fried Blanquita style $2.5 CUC
Malanga root with garlic sauce Creole style $1.5 CUC
Fried banana with salt $1.5 CUC
Fried malanga root $1.5 CUC
White rice $1 CUC
Pilaf rice $1.5 CUC
Black beans and rice Creole style $1 CUC
Vegetables rice $1.5 CUC
Mix salad $1 CUC

Wines
White wine $12 CUC
Red wine $12 CUC
Pink wine $12 CUC

Desserts
Flan pudim $1.5 CUC
Fruit cocktail $1.5 CUC
Ice cream $1.5 CUC
Fruit mix $1.5 CUC

Beverages
Beer $1 CUC
Soft drink $1 CUC
Water $1 CUC
Fizzy water $1 CUC
Malt $1 CUC
Fresh home made juices $1 CUC
Lemonade $1 CUC

Music Classes in Havana Cuba, Dancing Classes in Havana Cuba

Music Classes in Havana Cuba, Dancing Classes in Havana Cuba

For some serious dancing or music classes you might want to try this very nice guy called Picho. My friends and I met this guy on the street near our hotel and he’s in fact the coolest Cuban we met while in Havana. He works doing everything he possible can to survive as all other Cuban, but what he does best is music and dancing classes. Now, I’m not talking about those guys on the streets playing for tourist on purpose, no, we met him in a different ambient and we started our conversation in a whole different way. This is a guy you can trust also to guide you around the city.

WORKSHOPS HAVANA CUBA

Cuban Folklore, Rumba, Folklor Cubano & Baile Salsa

1hour $10 CUC

PERCURSSION & CUBAN DRUMMING WORKSHOPS HAVANA CUBA

1hour $15 CUC

HANDICRAFT & WOOD CARVING WORKSHOPS HAVANA CUBA

1hour $20 CUC

Contacts

José Alfredo Ibañez Abreu ( PICHO )
Prado 160 % Colón y Refúgio Apmt Nº2 Havana Vieja C/P10200, Cuba
860.13.15
860.14.4

Note: $13CUC = 10EUROS

Prices in Cuba, Cuban Dollar CUC Convertible Prices

Prices in Cuba, Cuban Dollar CUC Convertible Prices

In Cuba there are 2 currencies, both actually called Pesos Cubanos because they are both Cuban of course, but one, the lowest one is called Peso Cubano and the highest one is called Peso Convertible aka CUC. Things in CUC are more expensive but you can’t escape this currency as some things can only be bought in with this money.

On an average look at prices in Cuba, things are expensive for Europeans, Australians and Americans. But, things are really really really expensive if you’re Cuban.

You have to be careful as sometimes things are mark in Pesos Cubanos and you end up paying with Convertibles. Don’t be cheated in “Casa do Chocolate” ( Chocolate House ) in Baracoa! Prices there are in Pesos Cubanos where you can eat all you want with 3 more friends and not spend more than $0.50 CUC, but they will probably ask you for CUC money. Say no and pay in either Pesos Cubanos if you have, or in small CUC coins. No CUC bank notes accepted but coins are ok.

This is a small list of CUC things I bought during my trip around Cuba, all in CUC dollar:

Havana
Ballet Ticket $20 CUC
Centro de Arte Cubano $5 CUC
Cubalse Oro Negro Gasolina: Especial 1Litre $0.95 CUC
Tienda Panamericana: Shorts $17.10 CUC
Doña Blanquita Restaurant: Beans African Style $2.0 CUC
Doña Blanquita Restaurant: Fresh Fruit Juice $1 CUC
Chocolate bar $0.85 CUC
Water 0.5litre $0.45 CUC
ETECSA 1Hour Internet$ 6$CUC
Cash Withdrawal Commission for $100 CUC: $3.24USD
Museo de la Revolución $5 CUC
The church tower at La Havana Cathedral $1 CUC

Las Tunas
Cubalse Oro Negro Las Tunas: Car tyre $47.55 CUC

Remédios
Museo de la Música, Casa Alejandro García Caturla $1 CUC

Guantanamo
Postcard $0.70 CUC
Erotic Cuisine Recipes Book $4 CUC

Santiago de Cuba
El Morro Car Parking $1 CUC

Trinidad
ETECSA 1Hour Internet $6 CUC

Camaguey
CD Thelmary $7.10 CUC
Shirt $12.25 CUC
Little coin purse written Cuba $1.60 CUC
Postcard $0.50 CUC
ETECSA 1Hour Internet $6 CUC

Baracoa
Tienda Panamericana: slippers $6.35 CUC
ETECSA 1Hour Internet $6 CUC

Manati
Cubalse Oro Negro: Gasolina Regular 1Litre $0.80 CUC

Sancti Spiritus
Servi Cupet Cimex Colon: Gasolina Especial 1Litre $0.95 CUC
Servi Cupet Cimex Colon: Bottle of water 1Litre $0.70 CUC

Ciego de Avila
Servi Cupet Cimex Jardines del Rey: Gasolina Especial 1Litre $0.95 CUC

Toll Tickets Cuba Prices, Estación de Peaje Cuba
FICAV Toll ticket Matanzas-Varadero $2 CUC
Toll ticket Cayo Santa María $2 CUC
Toll ticket Cayo Coco $2 CUC
Cayo Jutía entrance $5 CUC per person

Cuba, first day, first experiences: Havana, Capitolio District, September 2007

Cuba, first day, first experiences

I went to Cuba for a month with two of my friends. We got there during the low season, the supposedly “hurricane season”. We didn’t experience any hard core raining situation although we got a few furious storms on the way around the island. We rented a small car and drove almost 4000km traversing all the existing regions. We gave a pretty good glance on the country landscapes, monuments and people.

I decided to go to Cuba answering the request of my friend Eric to go there and try to find his father whom he never met and that he just found out about his location recently. Our mission to Cuba was something different from the regular Cuba travelers. Our first contact with the country was already in the airport where actually all the police force was nice to us, somehow welcoming us to the government of Fidel Castro.

In a late night arrival we did manage to get our way to the center city and just by looking to our lonely planet guide, we decide to head to Havana district near the Capitolio, knowing nothing about it.

We got this big modern Hyundai taxi van to take us for 25$CUC from the airport to the city center. We know now you can actually discuss it for around 20$CUC. The taxi driver got some nice old Cuban music on the CD Player, so we enjoyed the way to the city. Our plan was to go to the center, walk for a while and get a cheap private house somewhere.

We were dropped of right in front of the Havana Capitol’s building, looking great. We could now watch and hear those old 50’s American cars in front of us.

What happen was that after a while of walking we end up loosing our strength and wiling to say no to “jineteros” and went following one of them that took us to a sort of cheap accommodation in the street Refugio with Prado.

Getting to know the owner of this place, Reynaldo, we got to know that he has a serious drinking problem and that he was a very simple and nice person trying to warn us about all the possible dangerous things around the city and around Cuba itself. Basically what he didn’t want was that we would get robbed and by that calling the police, they would pass him a fine by having tourist illegally in his house which was only supposed to receive Cuban tourist. Fines are high and some times they can get without they renting permit. So we were warned about a few things to take in consideration while in town.

Reynaldo rushed us to pay, and after discussing we agreed on the price of 20$CUC per room, 40$CUC for 2 days ( 30EUROS or 42$USD ) we decided to stay there for 2 nights. 3 people on the room, 2 on the beds and 1 slept on the floor.

Warnings Havana Cuba

• not to trade money on the streets, as sometimes you would be given Cuban pesos and not the other new currency which is worth 40times more
• not to drink and come back home as you may fall into a hole on the street or hit by a car
• if you take any girl/girls to your room, make sure not to let her/them alone, even by going to the toilet for a few minutes as they will probably rip you off and take all your money away ( I’m talking about prostitutes ok?! )
• watch out for possible robberies
• not to walk alone on the streets after dark and watch out for group of guys
• not to buy cigars on the streets as they will be full of bad stuff inside and not the real tobacco

We were interrupted when Reynaldo had to rent his room for a local man that arrived with a young prostitute. this guy actually came and talked to us, drunk some rum and went back to the room to do whatever he intended to. After he was done, the lady went away and he came back to drink and talk some more, but, he came without any clothes on but a small black thong. From this “interesting” man, we got to know all the information and updates about girls in town. Price range and methods to get them…

The stove in the kitchen was burning potatoes for hours. Warm night. While on the balcony, old cars and girls were passing by. Waving. Lots of girls. Clothless, Regaetton style. The smell of rum was on the air. We were in Cuba, we arrived.