Cuba: An Educational Travel Guide

The dry season in Cuba offers pleasant temperatures in the mid-60s and 70s, with little rain. Since Cuba is close to the Tropic of Cancer, the trade winds keep the heat down and offer a nice reprieve from the humidity that usually sits at around 80 percent.

The rainy season is usually mild, so it’s still a great time to visit. And the occasional Cuban thunderstorm is a rare spectacle.

The only thing to watch out for is Cuba’s hurricane season, which encompasses August through October. Besides that, Cuba’s climate is tropical, sunny and downright gorgeous!

Our best Cuba travel tip is to visit Cuba during the dry season, when temperatures are most comfortable. If you’re planning a trip to Cuba for anytime between November and April, make sure to book accommodations early, as it’s a popular time of year to visit.

Cuba’s official language is Spanish and it is spoken by the majority of the island’s population. However, it can differ from general Latin American Spanish in terms of intonation, due to its African influences. English is also commonly spoken in larger cities and areas frequented by tourists. Other minor Cuban languages include Haitian Creole, Lucumi (a Yoruba dialect), Galician and Corsican (both of European origin).

The basic Cuban diet makes use of both Spanish and African foods and spices. Cuban food frequently uses beans and rice as the base, but they mix in fried plantains, cucumbers, pork, chicken and potatoes to spice things up. Where Cuba really stands out is with its sweets. Cubans famously have a sweet tooth, and they savor special occasions when they get to eat cake. They fervently believe their national ice cream manufacturer “Copelia” makes the finest ice cream in the world.

Additionally, tap water is not safe to drink, but thankfully, you’ll have plenty of other tasty options! Cubans are very fond of their rum, and it’s used in the island’s most popular drinks like the Cuba Libre and Mojito. Cuban coffee is also world famous. Café Cubano has far more caffeine and sugar than its American counterpart, so even though it may be a shock, our top food travel tip is to try this tasty drink. Besides that, Cuban soft drinks are widespread, the most popular being Jupino, a sweet pineapple soda.

Cuba’s music is rooted in many different cultures and each region dances to the beat of its own drum. Instruments, performances and dance are most heavily influenced by West Africa and Spain but over time the island has picked up on diverse genres from many other countries. Cuba has greatly contributed to the worldwide popularity of jazz, salsa and rumba. The son cubano, a late 19th century genre blending Spanish guitar with Afro-Cuban percussion and rhythm, still provides the foundation for many forms of modern Cuban music today.

Cuba’s sports scene has been greatly influenced by its proximity to the United States. Baseball is Cuba’s official sport and the most popular. Cuba has also historically achieved success in amateur boxing, often winning medals at major competitions.

Students are taught to participate in track and field, basketball, baseball, gymnastics and volleyball in secondary school. Kids who excel compete in the Cuban Junior Olympics each year. Because of this focus on sports and physical education, Cuban athletes have gone on to win a total of 226 medals at the Olympic Games.

Cuban art is a visual feast for the eyes, containing colorful warm tones that reflect the tropical surroundings and diverse cultural makeup of the island. Artwork is a distinct blend of African, South American, European and North American influences.

Cuban literature began with poetry and has transformed since the early 19th century to include novels, essays and short stories. Themes of social activism and independence run throughout and many works by Cuban authors have been banned from the country’s bookshelves. Influential writers include José Martí, Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda, José María Heredia, Nicolás Guillén and many others. Earnest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea” was famously inspired by his fishing trips off Cuba’s coast.

Cuban architecture is known for being colorful, eclectic and diverse. Walk down the streets of Havana and you’ll recognize architectural styles like Neoclassical and Baroque, often fused together in interesting ways. Spanish influences are strong and cities like Havana and Trinidad contain colonial buildings in bright pastel hues, from bubblegum pink to mint green.

Cuba’s geography is relatively flat, with some rolling hills sprinkled throughout. Small mountain ranges like the Sierra Maestra and the Sierra Cristal rise up in the southeast, while white sand and mangrove marshes are spread along the coast. Cuba has many areas of unspoiled beauty, the most popular of which are its pristine, postcard-perfect beaches.

Over its tumultuous half millennia, Indians, Spaniards and other Europeans, Chinese and Americans have all contributed to Havana’s colorful character. These groups have imprinted their ideas, traditions and passions onto the city, all of which are apparent as you walk the streets and piece Havana together like you would an intricate jigsaw puzzle.

Free enterprise is slowly returning to Havana and private companies are experiencing solid growth. Restaurants and cafes show the unique creativity of the individuals who are renovating run down old buildings and instilling a spontaneous sense of excitement in their place. More important than the upgrades to attract more visitors from around the world is the impact the projects are having for every-day citizens. The National and City governments are working with citizens to instill better waste management and practices to improve city cleanliness. Thousands of buildings including pharmacies, family clinics, restaurants, bakeries and bodegas have been renovated and hundreds of educational centers have been improved for the next generation. A multi-faceted approach is being taken to help improve the day-to-day life of those who call Havana home. It is amazing how much Cuba is changing, how much is being preserved and restored, and how much isn’t changing at all.

Havana Fast Facts

• Population: 2.1 million
• Size: 120 square miles
• Known For: Historic museums and squares, live music, vintage cars, architectural fusion, artsy neighborhoods and Hemingway’s favorite haunts

In general, public transportation in Cuba is scarce outside of major city limits. It’s possible to rent a car yourself at the Havana airport, but it can be tricky. Buses are a cheaper transportation option for visitors and traverse routes between popular destinations. These air conditioned coaches tend to fill up quickly however, and it can be difficult to book in advance.

Cuban taxis are available in most major cities and range from modern cars to old classics straight from the 1950s, known as almendrones. These classic cars operate more like miniature buses – following set routes and picking up people along the way. If you prefer, you can rent your own classic car and driver for a day.

Cuba travel tip alert! If you’re visiting Cuba with Road Scholar, you won’t have to worry about how you’re going to be traveling in Cuba. We’ll take care of all the arrangements for you, leaving you with more time to explore and learn!

An important tip for traveling to Cuba is to bring U.S dollars in cash to exchange. ATMs are rare and most places don’t accept American credit cards. If you have easy access to foreign currency, like the British Pound or Canadian Dollar, you may want to bring it to avoid paying the penalty fee on American Dollars.

Learn some Spanish! All our groups are accompanied by a bilingual Cuban group leader and saying, “Hola” or, “Buenos Dias” is always appreciated. In addition to brushing up before traveling, there are a number of handy apps that are free to download on your phone that can help translate back and forth between English and dozens of other languages, including Google Translate for both Apple and Android devices.

Useful Spanish Phrases

• Buenos días. — Good morning.
• Buenas tardes. — Good afternoon.
• Buenas noches. — Good evening (greeting).
• Adios — Goodbye
• Si/No — Yes/No
• ¿Habla usted Inglés? — Do you speak English?
• Yo no hablo español. —  I don’t speak Spanish.
• Si/No —  Yes/No
• ¿Dónde está...?  —  Where is...?
• ¿Donde están los baños? — Where are the bathrooms?
• ¿Cuanto cuesta? — How much does it cost?
• No entiendo — I do not understand
• ¿Me puedes ayudar? — Can you help me?
• Muchas gracias. — Thank you very much
• De nada. — You’re welcome.

What to pack for Cuba:

• Bring cash in denominations ranging from $1, $5, $10, $20, and $50 bills. US cash is readily accepted for most transactions, and there is no reason to change to local currency. At Hotel Grand Aston you may be able to use your US credit card to purchase an MLC Cuban Cash card at a not very favorable rate. Our best advice is to stick to US cash whenever possible.
• Cuban visa
• Passport
• Credit card (even though ATMs are rare, it’s good to have)
• Comfortable walking shoes and sandals/flip flops
• Face cloth (many hotels do not have face cloths)
• Full med-kit (over-the-counter items like Advil, sunscreen, deodorant and tampons are expensive and hard to find in Cuba).

Persons authorized to travel to Cuba are only allowed to bring back art, handicrafts and any other articles produced by private businesses. Be aware that scammers are common – especially those who sell counterfeit cigars – and you should avoid buying items from street vendors. If you’re traveling with Road Scholar, your Group Leader will be able to point out the best places for you to purchase approved souvenirs. 

Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Old Havana (La Habana Vieja) was founded in 1519 and is the capital’s original city center. The five main plazas in Old Havana contain many of the city’s most notable attractions, from museums and memorials to Baroque cathedrals and colorful 17th-century colonial architecture. Listen to Cuban musicians perform lively music in historic Plaza Vieja or take a stroll along El Malecón, a seaside promenade with expansive views of the Gulf of Mexico.

Trinidad is the second-oldest colonial city in Cuba and one of the best-preserved sugar-trade cities in the Caribbean. Its maze of dirt and cobbled streets are lined with brightly colored houses in hues of cornflower and sunflower, cantaloupe and key lime. Find your way to the cobbled Plaza Mayor, the center of the city, to admire this open-air museum of Spanish Colonial architecture, including the gold and sea foam tower of Convento de San Francisco.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city of Cienfuegos was founded by the French, who came to Cuba after the Haitian revolution. Examine the outstanding architecture and step inside the beautiful Tomas Terry Theatre to learn its history. Stroll down the main boulevard of Cienfuegos and stop in at the ration, Cuban pesos, and CUC stores, an opportunity to mingle with Cubans as they go about their daily life.

UNESCO declared Valle de Viñales a World Heritage Site in recognition of its unique landscape, unspoiled natural areas and traditional forms of agriculture still practiced by local farmers. Limestone mogotes draped in vegetation serve as backdrops to otherwise flat farmlands. For birders, target species at this site include Gundlach’s Hawk, White-crowned Pigeon, Snail Kite, Cuban Grassquit, Cuban Tody, Cuban Trogon, Cuban Green Wookpecker, and Yellow-headed Warbler.

Situated on Cuba’s southeastern coast, Santiago de Cuba is the country’s second-largest city known for its radical role in Cuban history. In the days of the Cuban Revolution, Castro famously declared victory from the balcony of city hall, but Santiago de Cuba has also made important contributions to Cuban culture. Salsa your way down the streets where poet José María Heredia lived, visit the site where Bacardí opened their first-ever rum factory and wander through the bayside fortress of Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca, a perfect example of Spanish-American military architecture.