Cuba

Cuba's climate is tropical, seasonally humid, with maritime influence and semi-continental features; however, other climatic times located in the mountain systems and on the coasts coexist.
It is defined in two periods: little rainy and rainy.

Not very rainy (November to April):

Known as winter, the variations of weather and climate become more noticeable, with abrupt changes in daily time, associated with the passage of frontal systems. It is more noticeable in the western half than in the eastern half.

Rainy (May to October):

Known as summer, there are few variations in time, with the most important changes being the passage of eastern waves and tropical cyclones.

For calling to Cuba from the outside:

• To a land line: Country exit prefix (International exit code) + 53 (Cuba Code) + Local code + Desired telephone number.
• To a mobile phone: - Country exit code (International exit code) + 53 (Cuba Code) + desired mobile number.

For calling on the inside to Cuba to local numbers: National dialing code + Locality code + Desired telephone number.

The traditional Cuban parties by excellency are the carnivals, las charangas, las parrandas, peasant feasts and the patron saints. Among the most popular ones that can be mentioned are Bandos de Majagua, which takes part at the province of Ciego de Ávila; Carnivals of La Habana and in Santiago de Cuba; las Charangas of Bejucal, performed in the province of Mayabeque; las Romerías of May, celebrated in the city of Holguín; and las Parranda in the central region of Cuba Declared Cultural Patrimony of the Nation, are the ones of Remedios in Villa Clara, ones of the most famous. 
 

Cuban Clothing

The Typical Cuban clothing are: the guayabera, for both daily use and gala use; the Cuban robe, a traditional female clothing is from the XIX century; and the yarey hat, the essential accessory for the rural Cuban and historically used by the mambises oh the Independence wars.
 

Cuban Gastronomy 

The Cuban gastronomy is the result of the mix of Spanish, Africans, aboriginal, Yucateca and even Asian traditions. The most significant are the Ajiaco, Casabe, Buñuelos, Tamales, Tostones, roasted pork and the Congrí.  The typical Cuban beverages are characterized by showing common elements with the creoles meals; because it counts with the hispanic, African, Arab, Yucateca, China mix. Their definitive features are associated to the tropical weather conditions and generally to the production of sugar cane. 
Among the most representative, that have won international fame, are the coffee, the Champola, Guarapo, the oriental Pru, Cuba Libre, Daiquiri, Mojito and the Pina Colada. 
 

Heritage of Humanity in Cuba

Cuba is one of the countries in the Caribbean that has more Intangible Cultural Heritages recognized by the UNESCO. More than 20 expressions and manifestations built the Cultural Heritage of the Nation, some peculiar as the Lecturas de Tabaquería and the Saberes de los Maestros Roneros.

Regarding music and dance, the following have been declared Cultural Heritage of the Cuban Nation: the repentismo, because of its indissolubly cultural value and because of the historic role that the poets played since the Independence war until today. The son, the most appreciated music genre, singed and danced through the history. The rumba as the more genuine music-dance community expression of the Cuban national culture, and that has become part of the popular conscience, a lifestyle, a social behavior, a way of speaking, communicating. The danzón is an expression of the traditional Cuban music and an immaterial highlighted element of the nation. 

In Cuba you can find 10 places and cultural expressions, declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites:

·Camagüey Urban Historic Center

·Cienfuegos Urban Historic Center

·French Tombs  

·Alejandro of Humboldt National Park

·Archaeological Landscape of the Firsts Coffee Plantations in the Southeast of Cuba.

·National Park of Landing of Granma

·Valle de Viñales

Castle San Pedro of the Roca of Santiago de Cuba
Historic Center of Trinidad and its Valle de los Ingenios
Historic Center of La Habana Vieja and its system of Colonial Fortifications

The National Monuments of Cuba are more than 260 and are included in the classification of sites, constructions and historical objects. Likewise, you can find 317 museums of different themes, located on all the National Territory.

If during your holidays in Varadero the sun, the beaches and the fine sand kept you entertained and you did not have time to go shopping, at the Varadero Airport you will find gifts and souvenirs at the departure terminals in various duty-free shops, with cigars, handicrafts, coffee, the traditional Cuban rum, as other ideal items to take as a souvenir of your stay.

Electric current in Cuba is 110 Volts, 60 Hertz. Generally, there are two flat parallel pins, so you may need an adapter for certain electrical devices.

Cuba is an island that invites you to discover it. It is possible to visit our Island  by air or by land in conditions of absolute safety. There are numerous points that offer bus and taxi services,  and where you can rent cars and motorcycles. The main transporters are Transtur,  Taxis - Cuba and Viazul. For tourist destination tour  there are tourist bus services, as well as buses for domestic trips, and companies that perform domestic charter flights and aerotaxi flights within the national territory.  
Transtur is currently the largest tourism transporter in Cuba and has a large fleet of vehicles for the  rental car services of Cubacar, Havanautos and REX. Transtur also has a tourist bus system with a Hop on-Hop off modality, with its services in six tourist destinations of the archipelago. As a complementary offer: 24 hours technical assistance  on the road. 

Cuba has a road infrastructure and transportation system that links all parts of the country, the bus service is the most used.
The country uses international traffic sign system and the traffic drives on the right. There is a good (with reasonably prices) taxi service in all major cities and tourist regions, and you can rent cars and minibuses at most hotels and agencies in all cities and tourist areas. To rent a car you need a valid driving license and passport. In addition, there is large number of private taxis with old and modern cars, available in all cities.

The capital also has a specialized system of primary care, clinics and international pharmacies in the tourist centers and medical service in its main hotels, with personnel trained to provide professional and personalized attention. All this combined with our excellent natural conditions conducive to relaxation and rest make Havana, and our country, the ideal place to achieve a satisfactory physical and mental recovery.

The Spanish spoken by Cubans is a variation of Castilian Spanish, brought over by immigrants from the Canary Islands in the 19th and 20th centuries. Today, Cuban Spanish and Haitian Creole are the two most widely spoken languages of this vibrant island nation

The peso CUP, sometimes called the "national currency" or in Spanish moneda nacional) is one of two official currencies in use in Cuba, the other being the convertible peso CUC, often called "dollar" in the spoken language). There are currently 25 CUP per CUC.

Most Cuban state workers receive their wages in national pesos, but some receive a portion of their salary in convertible pesos. Until 2014, some shops sold only in CUP and others only in CUC. The word "peso" may refer to either currency. From 2014, state-owned shops sold in both currencies.

Cuban convertible pesos are 25 times more valuable per face value. The convertible (CUC) pesos are distinguishable from the national (CUP) ones, as CUC coins have an octagonal shape within the outer round rim. The only exception to this is the most common CUP coin, the 1 peso,  which also has this octagonal shape; while CUC currency shows monuments, and CUP bills have portraits.

All the citizens of any country can travel to Cuba with any immigration restriction, including Americans. It excludes persons persecuted by international justice linked to activities of drug trafficking, terrorism or other crimes.

For traveling to Cuba for pleasure of recreation, the visitor must adjust his trip to some tourist program through a tourist international agency that has agreements with the Cuban Minister of Tourism (MINTUR) and must show his Visa application for conduct of the tourist agency hired for the trip. Also can count with the Cuban consul offices in the embassy of their country of residence, or the Cuban representations where there are no embassies.

It’s necessary the flight ticket (in and out); valid passport for at least 6 months since the entrance date and tourist card or Visa.

Cuba is a safe tourist destination. The hospitality and kindness of its inhabitants, the tranquility of its streets and the freedom to walk the streets of the city at night reaffirm this. The ratings of our visitors, the Excellence Award as the safest country for tourism, presented at the XXXVIII International Fair of the branch -Fitur 2018-, in Madrid, Spain and its position in the list of the 25 most popular destinations in the world, corresponding to the TripAdvisor Traveller's Choice awards, confirm this.

Health and Security in Cuba

In line with the recommendations of the World Tourism Organization (WTO) to guarantee health protection and emergency assistance  to travelers in each of the nations they visit, since it began to boost its tourism development Cuba has been concerned about this issue, which involves insurance, along with assistance services and medical services in Cuban health facilities, among other benefits.

Since 2010, the Cuban authorities have even established regulations to ensure that every person who arrives in the country complies with the requirement to have insurance with medical coverage valid in the national territory.

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