Things To Do For And During Your Trip To Cuba LICENSE TRAVEL BOOKS ACCOMMODATIONS AIRPORTS General and Specific Licenses You need to get a travel book on Havana and Cuba. (You re going to Havana for a short time and you will need to know what to do and where to go.) HAVANA (published by TIME-OUT) Red Roof Inn 3401 Northwest Le Jeune Road, Miami, Florida 33142 (305)871-4221 (Stay at any hotel near the Miami Airport that has good shutle service) MIAMI Checking in can be kind of hectic so get to the airport early, I recommend you arrive to Miami one day before and to the airport three hours before the departure. HAVANA Jose s Marti Airport Can take any where s between forty minutes to an hour or more to go through customs and immigration. Make sure you have your baggage claim stubs to show officials upon exiting the airport. Don t lose your visa! TAXIS Take a taxi to your hotel ($25 - $35)? HOTEL CULTURAL GUIDE MONEY CADECA S FOOD Get a safe deposit box for your valuables. (Safe deposit boxes are usually in your hotel room) CARTELERA (Weekend Cultural Guide) It is a good idea to carry most of your money in cash (small denominations). Also, you can take the other part of your money in American Express Travelers checks. Change some money at Havana Airport. Places to change money in Havana There are plenty of restaurants in Havana. Breakfast is included in your hotel package. I do not recommend eating neither dinner nor supper in most hotels unless you check the menu and prices. Paladares You should try to eat at a paladar (restaurants in family homes). They are interesting and often cheaper than eating in a hotel, though prices are changing rapidly. 1
BUYING ART SHOPPING HAVANA YOUR PAPERS DRESS GIFTS RESEARCH LETTERS Art around the city (artists studios, tourist markets) There are a number of places to buy art, books, magazines, videos, music, postcards, souvenirs and clothing etc. Be sure to read info Marazul Tours provides about spending money in Cuba. Havana Vieja Tourist Area (Main Tourist Area) Centro Havana Midtown Vedado Upper Midtown Miramar Residential, embassies, and enterprises Make copies of all your papers (passport, visa, airline tickets, everything that Marazul Travel Agency gave you). Cubans dress casually you might want to take one dress-up outfit; travel light. Educational or Cultural gifts encouraged. People traveling under SPECIFIC LICENSE 2
SUGGESTIONS OF PLACES TO VISIT Centro Wilfredo Lam is the sponsor of the 8 th Habana Bienal. They will have information on Exhibitions featured in the Bienal. They are located at Emperdrado at the corner of San Ignacio, (near the Plaza Cathedral), Habana Vieja (Old Habana) Tel. # 862-3305 email wlam@cubarte.cult.cu MUSEUMS NATIONAL MUSEUMS OF FINE ARTS Museo de Bellas Artes (Cuban Art) Calle Tracadero e/animas y zulueta Arte Universal (World Art) San Rafael No. 1, E/Montserrate y Zulueta, Habana Vieja, Tel. 862-0140 (By Parque Central) Arte Cubano (Cuban Art) Trocadero E/Montserrate y Zulueta Tel. 862-0140 Museo Historico de las Ciencias(History & Science) Cuba # 460, E/Amargura y Brasil, Habana Vieja Museo de Arte Colonial, Plaza de la CATEDRAL, Habana Vieja, Tel. 862-6440 Museo de Guanabocoa, Marti # 108, at the corner of Lamas, Guanabocoa Tel. 97-9510. (Features Art Displays on Afro-Cuban Religions & Rituals) Museum of the Revolution, (History of Cuba & The Cuban Revolution) Plaza of the Revolution CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS Fundacion Ludwig de Cuba Calle 13# 509, Fifth floor e/d & E, Vedado Centro Wilfredo Lam Sponsor of the Habana Bienal focuses on art of artists from third world countries (Empedrado at the corner of San Ignacio, Habana Vieja, near plaza de Catedral) Tel. # 862-3305 Casa De Las Americas (Exhibits art of artists from Latin America, the Caribbean & North America, Calle 3ra, at corner of G, Vedado. Tel. 55-2706 Fototeca de Cuba, (National & International Photography Exhibitions) Mercaderes # 307, Plaza Vieja, Habana Vieja Pablo De La Torriente Brau, (international digital art exhibitions) Muralla # 63 between Oficios y Inquisidor, Habana Vieja Centro de Desarollo de las Artes Visuales (Contemporary Cuban Art) San Ignacio # 352 corner of Brazil (Teniente Rey) Havana, Vieja Casa de Africa (Center for African and African Cuban Culture) Calle Obrapia, La Havana, Vieja Yoruba Cultural (Center for Yoruba and Santeria Culture) Calle Paseo, (near Saratoga Hotel) Centro Havana 3
Conjunto Folklorico National de Cuba (Center for Afro Cuban Dance and Sabado de Rumba) Calle Calzada e/4, Vedado JAZZ La Zorra y El Cuervo, (Reminds you of A New York Jazz Club, Arrive by 10:30 to get a good seat.) 23 rd Street, between N&M, Vedado. Tel. 866-2402 Jazz Café First St., at the corner of paseo. It is in the mall plaza. CABARET El Gato y Tuerto Various Cuban Singers o Street, between 17 y 19, Vedado Tropicana (Like A Big Las Vegas review but much grander), 72st y linea del Ferrocarril, Marinao. Tel. 267-1717 RESTAURANTS There are restaurants all over Habana, (some good some not so good) (Creole food) Cuban. Los Nardos Paseo de Marti (Prado # 565) e/brasil y Dragones, (By The Capitolio) Bodeguita de Medio Empedrado # 206, between Cuba y San Ignacio, Habana Vieja Tel. 867-1374 (Good) make reservations. There s a restaurant in front of the FOCSA building (the tallest apartment building in Habana), Calle 17, between M y N, Vedado good food. La Torre In the FOCSA Building there many restaurants all over the city. Pala dares Make shift restaurants in people s homes. It is very interesting and the food is not bad. They are often cheaper than hotel and regular restaurants. Cuban Food La Casona De 17 Calle 17 #60 El Vedado, Tel. 33-4529 #504 Hanoi Teniente Rey, Corner of Bernaza, La Habana Vieja, Tel. 867-1029 Floridita Monserrate, Corner of Oblispo, Habana Vieja Tel. # 867-1301 Hanoi Calle Brasil (Teniente Rey) # 507, esquina Bernaza, Havana Vieja La Zaragozana Monserrate -352 between Obispo y Obrapia, Habana Vieja International Food La Torre, FOCSA Building, 35the flr., 17 th St., between M&N, El Vedado. Tel. 55-3088 Polinesio Hotel Habana Libre 23 rd Street, between L&M, El Vedado, Tel. 30-4011 4
Restaurant Panoramico Sierra Maestra Same address as polinesio restaurant Roof Garden Hotel Sevilla Trocadero 55, La Habana Vieja. Tel. 860-8560 Sandwiches & Meals Hotel Telegrafo (I love to go there for a sandwiches, The Café is beautiful.) Prado # 408, (Parque Central) Habana Vieja, Tel. 861-1010 Meals also available in hotel telegrafo s restaurant. Italian Don Giovani Tacon Street #4, Habana Vieja Vegetarian Food not very good One is located in the El Vedado are across from the Almadeo Roldan Concert Hall, Calzada and D Streets, El Vedado Section. Ice Cream Copellia Ice Cream Park Corner of 23 rd & L Streets. El Vedado. I think it opens early evenings. Cubans have to stand on lines but there is also a separate area for tourists paying in foreign exchange (Divisa). There are also a number of café s around the city to have a snack or a meal. Dancing There are night clubs and discotheques all over the city. Ask Cuban people where the best places to dance are. La Casa De La Musica, Galliano and Neptuno, Centro Habana La Pena Del AMBIA (UNEAC), Union of Artists and writers, 17 & H, El Vedado, (Sundays 3 to 6 p.m.) RAP & HIP HOP Pavilion De Cuba 23 rd Street, entrance near Hotel Capri, El Vedado. At this soiree you have three hundred or more young people dancing and singing to rap and hip hop music. Centro De Investigacion y Desarrollo de la Cultural Cubana Juan Marinello (social, educational & historical seminars & conferences ave. boyeros no. 63, between Bruzon y Lugareno, Plaza de la Revolucion Tel. 77-5770 Fondo Cubano de Bienes Culturales, (contemporary international art) Muralla at San Ignacio, Habana Vieja La Tropical - Habana 5
Galleries Galleria La Acacia, Calle San Jose (San Martin #114 Centro Habana, (Contempary Art) Galleria Habana, (contemporary art) Linea # 460, between E y F, Vedado, Tel. 32-3537 Galeria Haydee Santamaria (Art of the Americas) Calle G, between 3ra y 5 ta, Vedado. Tel. 32-3537 Galeria Wilfredo (contemporary international art) San Ignacio#2 at corner of Empedrado, Habana Vieja Castillo de la Real Fuerza, (O Reilly at the corner of Tacon), Habana Vieja (national & international) Taller de Serigrafia Portocarrero, (silkscreen art) Cuba # 417 e/muralla y Tte. Rey, Habana Vieja. Tel. 862-3276 Galeria Victor Emanuel Calle San Ignacio # 56, Plaza Catedral, Habana Vieja (As soon as you get to your hotel ask for a copy of Cartelera. It is the weekend Cultural Guide) Theatre & Music Mella, (folkloric & Cuban entertainment) linea # 657 between A y B, Vedado. Tel. 35651 Almadeo Roldan (mostly classical concerts, national and international) Teatro Nacional de Cuba, (Cuban and International concerts) Tel. 78-5590 Plaza of the Revolucion Gran Teatro de la Habana, (Ballet & Symphonic Music) Prado y San Jose, Centro Habana Tel. 861-3077. Karl Marx Cuban and International Concerts, 1 st Ave.# 1010, Playa, Tel. 209-1991 6