Cuba Photo Diary: Havana & Varadero

CUBA. Such an infamous country to us Americans. Socialists. Fidel Castro. Those classic cars! Cuba is SO close to America, yet it exists in it’s own space and time. It’s been on my bucket list for awhile, and I’m so happy that I finally got the chance to experience it.

This was definitely an interesting trip.

The logistics are a bit different than other countries, as tourism to Cuba is technically illegal for Americans. You can still physically go there, but you need to state why from a list of approved reasons by the U.S. Department of The Treasury. I’ll be going in depth on how I was able to go in a follow up post, but for now we’ll just recap what I did. This post will be very photo heavy, and then on my next one, I’ll explain all the nitty gritty travel details for those interested in going. Cool? Let’s get started!

Arrival & First Impressions

The first thing we noticed (and expected!) was that Cuba is very rundown, with a lot of outdated infrastructure. We found it absolutely fascinating. It looked truly untouched in years! Somehow they’ve kept these buildings up, despite not having the modern amenities we have in the United States. In other foreign countries, you still see a Mcdonalds here and there, but not in Cuba. Partly because of the U.S. embargo against Cuba, it is truly frozen in time and its a rare experience that you probably won’t get anywhere else. I was obsessed.

Our favorite thing to do was walk around, explore the neighborhood, and engage in conversation with the locals.

Above: The balcony in our Airbnb. We really lucked out with this neighborhood! It was a few feet from the capitol and we felt like locals. The neighbors were kind and our host had a landline phone where we could reach him for anything if we needed help with arrangements! This was so invaluable, as a U.S. phone will NOT work in Cuba!

See the Airbnb listing here. I HIGHLY recommend this place for 2 people, max.

Cuban Coffee

You HAVE to get the coffee when you’re in Cuba. The one I ordered was the Café Bombon. It’s basically half espresso, and half condensed milk. It’s delicious, but a little too sweet, which I’m not used to anymore now that I eat less sugar. I didn’t drink it all, but it definitely gave me the energy I needed for the day. I’d highly recommend if you have a sweet tooth, but I prefer the less frothier version served in a mini mug, called the Cortadito.

Playa Santa Maria

Playa Santa Maria is a small beach near Havana. It’s about a 30 minute taxi ride. When we arrived, we just asked our driver to come back for us in 2 hours, and he did! Since again, our phones didn’t work, you kinda have to play it old school out in Cuba. It’s crazy how everyone just agrees to set times, and sticks to it!

We went to dinner at Mango Habana. Quick side story: a few years ago, I was on a plane from Miami to Chicago. I was seated next to an elderly woman who didn’t speak English and was having trouble communicating with the flight attendants. I translated for her the entire flight, and as a thank you, she handed me a business card to this restaurant. She said it was owned by her family and run by her son. She told me if I ever found myself in Cuba, I should stop by! Mission accomplished.

Above: I saw Tostones Rellenos on the menu (Stuffed fried plantains – with cheese!) and kept ordering different versions of them at every restaurant we went to after that. They were SO delicious.

Trip to Varadero

We took a trip to Varadero, a beach town about a 3 hour taxi ride from Havana. Our Airbnb home was literally by the water. This neighborhood was a lot quieter than Havana. We had the BEST food at a restaurant near our home.

This neighborhood had a slower pace than the city life in Havana. It was all about the beach here. The food there was the best we had in all of Cuba. It’s heavily focused on seafood though, which I happen to love. One thing I noticed? The sun was STRONGER out there. I forgot to put on sunscreen and my skin was charred within an hour. There were also WAY more mosquitoes than Havana, so definitely bring the off spray! We shamelessly asked our server at a restaurant for off spray as we were swatting away bugs so much we could barely enjoy our meal.

Scenic Trip back to Havana

After eating a good breakfast the next morning cooked by our Airbnb host, our taxi arrived to take us back to Havana. The road trip had no shortage of #views.

Back in Havana

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We got back to Havana and took in more sights. Again, this is honestly the best part about Havana! The party is on the streets! Everyone is just hanging out and having the best time socializing, dancing to live music, and people watching. We stuffed ourselves with more delicious food too of course.

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Left: MORE Tostones Rellenos & Black Beans

Right: Pork and Platanos (Always my go-to!)

Above: Homemade breakfast prepared by our third Airbnb host on our last morning!

Tour of Havana in a Classic Car

For our last day, we checked off an item on my Cuba bucket list! I wanted to tour Havana in a classic car. I originally tried to book this advance, but I’m glad I didn’t! There’s plenty of classic cars sitting in the central area by The Capitol. Many will shout and advertise themselves and you just negotiate a price and timeframe. The guy we went with charged us about $40 for a one hour tour. (You can make the tour last longer – two or three hours for more money but we had to get to the airport soon and were short on time!)

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He showed us a map of different sights and let us customize the places to hit in that hour. We chose: Plaza de la Revolución, (A square where you’ll see monuments of Che Guevara and Fidel) Hotel Nacional (Havana’s oldest and most famous hotel), and La Bodeguita del Medio (One of Ernest Hemingway’s favorite bars during his time in Cuba)

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This was a great way to see Havana. It was way cooler than a bus tour and it was tailored to what we wanted to see. Our driver was also nice enough to let us pose in front of the car all we wanted!

The Reason Behind The Old Cars

While we’re on the topic, do you know why Cuba has so many classic American cars? It’s because of the U.S. embargo against Cuba, which has been in place since 1960. We’ve stopped shipping them stuff SINCE THEN, which explains why everything is so outdated. Somehow, they’re able to keep up with the engine and brake replacements by scavenging parts from other Soviet vehicles. Crazy, right? As a result, these cars break down frequently, as they have so many inefficiencies.

While in the car, our driver opened up to us about the lifestyle in Cuba and the struggles they face. He said the average monthly income is $30 or less. The best way to make money is to go into business for yourself, or go into the tourism industry. He makes about $1000 or more per month as a taxi driver, which is considered a good salary there. He told us so many doctors and scientists have left their jobs to run Airbnbs or sell souvenirs, because it makes so much more money!

OVERALL THOUGHTS

At 4 days, this was a very quick trip. If you’re just going to Havana, this is enough time, but I wanted to see much more. We squeezed in Varadero, so I’m grateful for that, but it definitely felt like we left some unfinished business in Cuba.

I’d like to return soon and visit other areas, at the top of my list is Viñales. Its a beautiful valley, and it’s home to their tobacco fields – where all their famous cigars are made!

I really enjoyed the country. It was quite the eye opening experience. With no internet, you really had to be present, talk to each other, and take in the moment. That, combined with the fact that everything is so old and untouched made it feel like a true getaway. I loved learning about the people – they’re humble and lively! The people are fascinating, and they’re excited for change to come soon. I’m pumped for them – they deserve it!

All the places I stayed at:

Airbnb #1: (Havana)

Airbnb #2 (Varadero)

Airbnb #3 (Havana)

FYI: None of these places were anything super luxurious, its more about the location! Remember, everything they have is outdated.

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO CUBA? WHAT COUNTRY IS ON YOUR BUCKET LIST TO VISIT?

Did you like this post? You may also love this post I did on Puerto Rico.