Cuba Tourism: Facts and Information

Cuba is the largest Caribbean island and has a population of approximately eleven million. Cuba is easily accessible from Canada and many of the European nations. The culture of Cuba is influenced by Spanish and Latin culture. The official language of Cuba is Spanish and Havana is the national capital. Cuba was a Spanish colony once hence you can see the touch of Spanish architecture in Havana, Santiago and many other cities. The natives of Cuba are very lively and enjoy various kinds of music and dances including salsa and son (Son de la Má Teodora) dances. Cuba is famous for not only tobacco but also tourism. Tourism is one of the major upcoming industries in Cuba.

Cuba: Useful Information

• Beaches of Cuba

Cuba is famous for its beautiful and excellent beaches. Hence, one of the most popular tourism is the beach tourism. Some of the finest beaches in the Caribbean are found in Cuba. Some of the beaches are isolated and yet to be explored. The coastlines of Cuban beaches have soft and white sand and the seas have beautiful and electrifying blue water. There are also coral reefs and cays in Cuba. The areas around some of the beaches are developed and have hotels and restaurants. The beaches are fringed with palm trees and offer seclusion. Many of the beach resorts offer water sports, scuba diving, snorkeling and many other activities. Some of the popular beaches that a tourist would favor visiting include Varadero, Playa Ancon, and Santa Lucia. Man-made causeways connect the Cays. Some of the cays that are frequented by the tourists are Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo, Cayo Paredon Grande and Cayo Sabinal. These cays lie on the northern coast of Cuba. An undeveloped beach that lies on the eastern tip of Cuba is the Playa Corintha. Though it is isolated it is a great place to swim.

• Casinos

Once Cuba was known as gambler's paradise because it had a large number of casinos. After the Cuban Revolution in 1959, Cuban leader Fidel Castro outlawed them. From then onwards there are no casinos and gambling is prohibited on this Caribbean island.

• Weather Conditions of Cuba

The best time to visit Cuba is from the month of November to April. Cuba enjoys a tropical climate so the weather is quite hot and humid throughout the year. The tourists should avoid visiting Cuba during the rainy season. Maximum amount of rainfall is recorded from the month of May to October. Cuba is occasionally hit by the hurricanes as it lies in the hurricane belt.

Tips for Tourists

Given below are some of the important facts and information that a tourist traveling to Cuba should know.

Peso is the official currency of Cuba. The denominator is centavos. The currency symbol is $.

Though initially dollar was used for transaction, in the year 2004 the government of Cuba announced ban of commercial transactions using dollars. However, the shops and restaurants accept Euro.

There are very few ATMs in Cuba. Even if you find an ATM, there is no guarantee that it will have sufficient funds. Some of the ATMs would not be in working condition. So, carry traveler's checks and exchange them at your hotel. The services at most banks are very slow and most of them close by 3 pm. Remember to take your passport for exchanging traveler's checks or withdrawing cash using credit/debit cards. A few government-owned Cadecas are one of the places where a tourist can withdraw cash using debit or credit cards.

Keep in mind that a credit card issued in America is not accepted in Cuba. This is because of the political embargo between the two nations. It is advisable to avoid criticizing the government or Fidel Castro.

Cubans are friendly and expressive people. They have an ability to strike conversation easily with a stranger. However, as tourist, you should be careful while talking to them. The reason is Cubans always strike a conversation with an economic gain in mind.