25 Best Tips for Cuban Travel Now – Tip #4: Stay Local

Support the people! Stay at Casas Particulares, not at government owned & controlled hotels. The hotels are expensive anyway and to get a real people-to-people experience, you need to stay with Cubans! Practice and use your Spanish and get to know the neighborhood and locals.

Jakera Cuba organized my Casas for me; I paid a weekly fee prior to leaving the U.S. via PayPal, so it was great. If you want a private room (recommended) make sure you are very clear about that before leaving. Once you’re in Cuba, it may be difficult to organize changes and you may end up with roommates!

Casas will generally provide a nice breakfast (fruit, bread, eggs, coffee) and will often let you eat with the family for other meals for an extra charge. (Eating out is expensive in Cuba!)

Caution: Bear in mind, that if you are running late you should CONFIRM with your casa that you are coming. I saw a trio of visitors turned away (their rooms rented to a more timely trio) and there were NO rooms left in Trinidad that night. Fortunately for them, I had a big room and they crashed with me for a night until they could get another room.