Cuba remains a generally safe destination, whose peace of mind also depends on the extent of the scarcity.
If you want to visit Cuba, here are the most important tips that you as a tourist should follow to make your stay on the largest island in the Caribbean and with the Cubans unforgettable.
Is Cuba dangerous for tourists in 2023? ?
Cuba remains a very safe country for tourists, although in 2023 the effects of shortages sometimes make life there difficult and encourage tour operators to exercise caution. The rise in insecurity reported by several international media outlets in recent months applies to Cubans, but not to foreigners. Physical attacks against the latter are the exception. This is, so to speak, the “good side” of this dictatorship, in which physical aggression is harshly suppressed.
Police, in uniform or plainclothes, and cameras in major cities monitor travelers as the foreign exchange contribution associated with tourism is vital to the country. But use common sense. Thefts on beaches are common after 7pm, when the police leave. It is better to stay in illuminated tourist areas in the evening.
Read alsoVisit Havana: What to see in 2 days in the mixed capital of Cuba
Can I chat freely with Cubans? ?
Cuba is a police state where freedom of expression is limited to the most basic… expression. There is no free press and only official media is distributed. Questions of a political nature will have no impact on you, but may have an impact on those you speak to. Never forget. If you talk to Cubans about politics or freedoms and they avoid the questions, don’t insist. The regime only survives thanks to a system of denunciations that are not always visible at first glance, but Cuban prisons are teeming with opponents of all kinds.
Cubans who openly criticize the regime are therefore rarely dissidents, but rather chivatons (pipers). Talk about daily life with Cubans. They will tell you about the difficulties they are facing, thus discussing the political situation in a roundabout way. Tour guides speak more freely and know what they can say.
Also read: Why Cuba’s tourist rating is crumbling
How do I pay in Cuba?
The money issue is a headache for Cuba. The Cuban Peso (CUP) is the official currency. We recently added freely convertible currency (MLC), a virtual currency that only exists on Cuban debit cards. These cards, which are available in exchange offices (Cadeca), are used to pay for everyday goods. Most stores require payment by international credit card (other than a U.S. bank-issued card) or MLC card. CUP is a weak currency. The euro and the US dollar are so popular that a black market has emerged.
At the official rate in September 2023, one euro costs 120 CUP. On the black market, resellers offer 255 CUP for one euro. A very fluctuating price. To pay in bars, restaurants and taxis, the CUP is the reference. Therefore, it is better to have a large amount of euros in cash and a credit card with you only for payments in international hotels. To avoid fraud (even at a bank), use a reloadable credit card (nickel type, etc.) with which you make most purchases that require card payment.
Also read: “Can I travel to the USA after traveling to Cuba?”
What are the top tourist traps to avoid?
First trap: the Jineteros, a term difficult to translate. Always smiling, seemingly friendly, they are both show-offs and petty criminals, which abound in tourist spots. The Jinetero approaches tourists in sometimes very subtle ways and recommends them a restaurant, a casa particular, where he receives a commission. Cubans are the kings of trampas (scams), big and small. Never lose sight of your credit card.
In a restaurant, prefer a menu written in Spanish to one written in English, as the prices are not the same… Be careful with the notes, even in well-established stores. In the very fashionable Vedado district, employees of a household goods store in the Focsa building recently did not hesitate to manipulate the cash register, increasing customers’ bills by 10%… One example among others.
Eating in Cuba: What to expect?
Selling food in Trinidad. Sabino Parente, Sabino Parente / sabino.parente – stock.adobe.com
Cuba has a real gastronomy, but the difficulties of daily supplies make the work of restaurateurs difficult. The menus are apparently varied, but not all dishes are available. Always ask what is available on the menu. A five-star hotel offers lobster on such a day. It will then disappear for several days for logistical reasons or shortages. We come to Cuba not to eat, but to have a different experience. And to create the latter, the paladares, the private restaurants, live. They are far better than the government restaurants.
Last advice, very important and valid for everything: always buy more and not less. For example, three bottles of water instead of just one. In Cuba, everything is and has always been in short supply and sometimes nothing is in the same place the next day.