According to 3rjewelry, Cuba is a country in the Caribbean Area (North America) that consists of 2 large islands (Cuba and Isla de la Juventud) and a large number of smaller islands. Cuba has been independent from Spain since 1902. The capital of Cuba is Havana. A number of major cities in Cuba are: Trinidad, Pinar del Rio, Varadero, Santiago de Cuba, Santa Clara and Bayamo.
Cuba is known for the Caribbean atmosphere, the lively character, old nostalgic cars, salsa music, colorful houses, mountains, Fidel Castro (former president) and Che Guevara (Cuban guerrilla leader). The country has also gained great fame for its Cuban cigars. You can see tobacco fields all over the country. In addition to this, Cuba also has one of the most beautiful beaches in the world with up to 60 different palm species. These beaches are ideal for sunbathing and the sea is ideal for diving. In the sea you will find 900 different species of fish and several shipwrecks. In the town of Rio Maximo you will find a nature reserve with approximately 140,000 flamingos. See cachedhealth for Cuba as a tourism country.
Where is Cuba located?
Travel information of Cuba
Official name: Republic of Cuba
Continent: North America
Area: 110,861 km²
Capital: Havana
Country code: CU, CUB
Population: 11,059,062 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: Socialist Republic
Highest point: 1,974 m (Pico Turquino)
Distance (Amsterdam – Havana): 7,805 km
Flight time: approximately 10 hours and 30 minutes
Travel advice
Current status: Attention, safety risks.
Current color code: Yellow.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), there may be (temporary) measures in place in Cuba that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of Cuba, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to Cuba. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, walking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Cuba?
Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, guided tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay in Cuba at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.
Weather and climate
Cuba has a tropical climate. The average temperature in Cuba is about 25 degrees in the winter months and 30 degrees in the summer months. Hurricanes occur in Cuba from June to mid-November.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Cuba can be found on our extensive weather page.
Extensive information about the climate of Cuba can be found at Climate info.
Best time
January, February, March, April, November and December are the best months to travel to Cuba. You avoid the rainy and hurricane season.
Language
Spanish is the official language in Cuba.
Would you like to translate from or into Spanish for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months upon arrival in Cuba.
A visa is required. You can request this in person at the Consulate of Cuba in Rotterdam.
If you travel with a tour operator, you will receive a tourist card (Tarjeta del Turista) from the tour operator, which is sufficient instead of a visa.
Upon arrival in Cuba, you must be able to prove that you have taken out travel insurance with medical cover.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Cuba: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Cuban Embassy and Consulate in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
It is advisable to get one or more vaccinations before visiting Cuba.
For extensive vaccination advice and to make a vaccination appointment at home, please visit Thuisvaccinatie.nl. You can also see here whether your health insurance reimburses the vaccination(s).
Money and Currency
In Cuba, people pay with the Cuban peso (CUC).
The current position of this currency (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
An overview of all ATMs in Cuba can be found on our ATMs page. However, these do not accept bank and/or giro cards. However, you can withdraw money from a large part of these machines with a credit card (Visacard or Euro/Mastercard).
Price level
Prices in Cuba are much lower than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is -20% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (66% cheaper), food (34% cheaper), imported beer in catering (45% cheaper), cigarettes (63% cheaper) and public transport (93% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
In Cuba it is customary to give a tip. With good service, people tip approximately 5-15%.
Time difference
In Cuba it is 6 hours earlier than in the Netherlands.
Summer time in Cuba differs from that in the Netherlands.
The local time, date, time zone and exceptions for Cuba can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
In Cuba you have to drive on the right.
You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle in Cuba.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Cuba.
Electricity In Cuba you may need an adapter and/or converter
in some cases. More information about common plugs and sockets in Cuba can be found on our electricity page.
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 116
– Fire: 116
– Ambulance: 116
Tap water
The water from the tap is slightly chlorinated and can therefore cause stomach or intestinal complaints.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to Cuba can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Cuba can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from Cuba end in.cu.
Cuba’s official website: nunaarcuba.nl.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone in Cuba is 0053 or +53.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Cuba? Then use the Dutch country code 11931.
(If you use a country code, you must omit the first 0 of the number to be called.)
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos of Cuba.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Cuba.
Holidays
An overview of all public holidays in Cuba can be found on Beleven.org.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotel), restaurants and destinations in Cuba, supplemented with photos, videos and points of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about Cuba?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have visited Cuba before. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in Cuba can be found on Protected Planet.
An overview of the world heritage sites in Cuba can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Cuba? On the IATA website you will find an overview of the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, medicines and money, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. In addition, on this website you will find the laws and regulations regarding the importation of pets and a list of everything that may not be imported and/or exported to Cuba.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you are planning to do business in or with Cuba, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about Cuba, including: opportunities, import and export regulations, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, business partners and subsidies.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Cuba.
– Alcohol: Buy from the age of 18, drink at all ages.
– Alcohol and traffic: Maximum allowed blood alcohol content is 0.
– Tobacco: Buying from the age of 16, smoking at all ages.
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Allowed
Did you know that…
…Americans are not allowed to travel to Cuba?
…Studying in Cuba is free?
…Christmas has only been an official holiday in Cuba since 1997?
…Cuba is known worldwide for its cigars?
…Internet in Cuba is not freely accessible to everyone?
…The game domino is extremely popular in Cuba?
