Old cars, colonial towns, music and beaches.
Cuba is the largest Caribbean island, known for its music, colonial cities and beaches. It suits travellers who want culture and nostalgia, and can handle shortages and power cuts. It is known for Old Havana, Trinidad, the tobacco valley of Viñales and the beaches of Varadero. Daily life faces serious shortages, which affect visitors too.
Tap a card or a pin. Add a place to a day of your trip, or look for tours.
Old Havana has restored plazas, colonial buildings and lively streets. Classic cars cruise the Malecón.
Trinidad is a cobbled colonial town with live music nightly. The Valley of the Sugar Mills is nearby.
Viñales is a valley of tobacco fields and limestone hills called mogotes. Horse rides visit farms.
Varadero has a long white-sand beach lined with resorts. It is the island's main beach destination.
The Malecón is Havana's seafront promenade. Locals gather there at sunset.
Cienfuegos is a bayside city with French-influenced architecture. Its centre is UNESCO listed.
This valley held dozens of sugar mills worked by enslaved people. The Manaca Iznaga tower overlooks it.
Santiago is Cuba's second city, known for Afro-Cuban music and carnival. The San Pedro de la Roca castle guards the bay.
This fortress is on a headland at the entrance of Santiago Bay. It is a fine example of Spanish military architecture.
Cayo Santa María is linked to the mainland by a causeway. It has resort beaches.
Camagüey has a maze-like old town and large clay jars. It is less visited than Trinidad.
The Bay of Pigs area has a museum about the 1961 invasion and good snorkelling. Cenotes are nearby.
Baracoa is a remote coastal town with cacao and rainforest. Humboldt National Park is nearby.
Humboldt is a very biodiverse rainforest park. Guided walks are required.
Fusterlandia is a neighbourhood covered in mosaic art by José Fuster. It is in Jaimanitas.
Everything above is open to read. A Hodolog account lets you build the trip around it: pick cities, add places to days, see the weather for your dates.
Each city with a guide opens its own page: map, where to stay, what to eat.
Capital and culture.
history, music · Open the city guideColonial town.
history, music · Guide comingTobacco valley.
nature · Guide comingBayside city.
history · Guide comingBeaches.
beaches · Guide comingMusic city.
music · Guide comingHistoric inland city with a maze of streets.
history, art · Guide comingRemote eastern town in the rainforest.
nature, food · Guide comingHavana and tobacco valleys.
Havana, Viñales
Colonial towns and cays.
Trinidad, Cienfuegos, Cayo Santa María
Mountains and Afro-Cuban culture.
Santiago de Cuba, Baracoa, Humboldt
The capital and the green tobacco landscapes to the west.
Havana, Vinales, Pinar del Rio
Resort islands with long, calm beaches.
Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo, Cayo Santa Maria
Choose how long you have, then add the whole route to a trip as places and nights.
Best: November to April. The dry season is warm and sunny.
Hurricane season is June to November, with the highest risk around August to October.
January. Busy season. Higher prices, bigger crowds.
80°F daily high, 72°F average, 1.2 in
Average of past years from NASA POWER, worked out at each city's position. A place far from these cities can be quite different.
US State Department Level 2 (exercise increased caution) for crime and unreliable power; US law also restricts tourist travel for people under US jurisdiction.
Transport is limited, with Víazul buses and private taxis; fuel shortages affect travel.
Value varies with currency rules and shortages.
Entry rules depend on your passport. Members see the rules for their own passport here.
Passport and visa rules change often and without notice. Always check the official pages before you book and again before you travel.
| Entry | Check current visa and entry rules on Cuba's official eVisa-Cuba portal (evisacuba.cu), and your own government's travel advice, before you book, as rules change. |
| Plugs | Type A, B; 110 V, 60 Hz |
| Tap water | not safe |
| Tipping | Tips are important for service workers. |
| Payments | Bring cash; foreign cards may not work, especially US-issued ones. |
| Emergency | 106 police, 104 ambulance, 105 fire |
| Etiquette | Be patient with shortages and blackouts. Ask before photographing people. |
| Driving | On the right |
| Between cities | Víazul buses and shared taxis link major towns; fuel shortages may affect routes. Domestic flights are limited. |
| Main airports | HAV, VRA, SCU |
Spain colonised Cuba from the early 1500s, and sugar plantations relied on enslaved Africans. Independence wars led to the end of Spanish rule in 1898, followed by heavy US influence. The 1959 revolution brought Fidel Castro to power and a communist state. Economic hardship has deepened in recent years, with blackouts and emigration.
Researched 2026-10-13. Check official sources and recent changes before you go.