InsightCuba caught up with Berit Engstrom, an insightCuba tour leader hailing from Minnesota that has been traveling to Cuba, on and off, since 2007. Berit discusses how her love for Cuba started while on a semester abroad in Havana, her experience in being in a cross-cultural relationship with a Cuban, as well as her thoughts on the current changes in Cuba.

Berit Engstrom, insightCuba Tour Leader 

InsightCuba: Who is Berit?

Berit Engstrom: I grew up in the Twin Cities, Minnesota and despite of my love for Cuba and the tropical fruits you can get year round, I also love winter! I am currently working on a Masters degree in Sociology, focused on international migration for which I hope to work with immigrants and refugees, on issues related to social services and education.

Why Cuba?

I came to Cuba for the first time in 2007, for a study abroad semester through Lewis & Clark College. I knew that I wanted to go to a Spanish speaking country and my options were Spain, Chile or Cuba. Of those three countries, Cuba was the place I knew the least about. I had never been to the Caribbean; therefore it was an easy choice. After that first semester living in Havana, I was hooked.To this day, whenever I am in Cuba, I am pushed to see life in new ways – from the rhythm of the day-to-day, to larger questions about social structures and society.

What do you like most about Cuba?

I love big cities for their diversity of food, people, the arts, and all that a big city provides, but even more than cities, I love camping and being near big bodies of water and wilderness --- something Cuba provides in a way few other countries in the world have been able to maintain.

What propelled you to become a tour leader for insightCuba?

I found the job posting for insightCuba on Idealist.org in 2012. Ever since studying abroad in Cuba in 2007, I had been interested in going back. InsightCuba provided a perfect opportunity because it meant combining education, travel, and sharing my love for Cuba with new people.

Jazz in Havana Tour [photo credit: Robin Thom] 

Favorite insightCuba tours that you lead?

My favorite insightCuba tour is Jazz in Havana. The tour combines incredible music, with a nice mixture of cultural and historical sites on a five-day tour in Havana. The trip also includes a day in Matanzas, a town about 1.5 hours from the capital, so you have the chance to see a smaller city and the beautiful coastline, East of Havana.

You’ve received countless positive comments from the insightCuba travelers. What has been your greatest reward?

My greatest reward working with insightCuba guests is having the chance to share a country and culture I love, with people who are experiencing it for the first time. I believe that it is through personal experiences between Americans and Cubans that we will be able to overcome the embargo. It is through the questions and observations that guests make during their trips here in Cuba that I am always compelled to see the island in a new way.

Best and worst day as a tour leader in Cuba?

My best day as a tour leader was getting to see one of the participants, a professional musician, jam with the performers we were watching. There is something truly amazing in watching musicians play together --- even though they were not able to communicate using words (since neither one knew the other’s language), they spoke to one another through music. There is nothing like music to cross borders between people and to bring understanding and joy!

What has your experience been to be in a cross-cultural relationship with a Cuban?

Being in a cross-cultural relationship with my boyfriend Ariel, who is Cuban, has taught me a great deal. I have had the chance to get to know Cuba and Cuban culture on a more intimate level through his family, and I have come to understand more deeply Cuban day-to-day life and struggles - from getting food on the table, to accessing healthcare for elderly people. My eyes have been opened to challenges I have never faced as an American, like being denied tourist visas to travel abroad (Ariel’s visa was denied to Europe twice, even though he fulfilled all the official requirements), and realizing that most Cubans haven’t had the chance to travel very much even in their own country. There are many stereotypes that both Cubans and Americans have about cross-cultural relationships, as many people assume that Cubans are only with Americans to get a visa or money. Confronting those stereotypes has been something Ariel and I have worked through and in the end has made our relationship even stronger.  Our language skills – my Spanish and his English have improved a lot to – a nice bonus!

What are your thoughts on the current changes in Cuba?

My impression, from having spent a lot of time in Cuba on and off since 2007, is that across the board, Cubans of different ages and different political perspectives are supportive of the negotiations. There is a sense of hope and excitement in the air. Even my boyfriend's father who very much supported and continues to support the Revolution, and even fought in Angola on Cuba's behalf, is supportive of the talks between the U.S. and Cuba. Still, I have talked with many Cubans who are doubtful that change will actually come, pointing out that neither Obama nor Raul will be willing to make the concessions necessary to move forward. Despite these views, the excitement comes through in everything from discussions amongst family to people on the street discussing the changes. 

Advice for prospective travelers to Cuba?

Come with an open mind! Cuba will surely be in part what you imagined it to be, from the photos and stories you have heard, but it will also be a place where you are pushed to experience new perspectives if you let yourself do that. 

Interview prepared by Monica Suma. You can follow her on Twitter @MonicaSuma. 

Ernest Hemingway at the Finca Vigia, Cuba 1946

Literary giant Ernest Hemingway loved Cuba: its fishing, its climate, the daiquiris he discovered at a local bar and would popularize. Cubans, in turn, adored “Papa” Hemingway, who described himself as “Cubano sato,” an average Cuban. He first saw Cuba as a layover on his way to Spain, and ended up living on the island for most of his last two decades (1940-60). 

Hemingway wrote three of his best-known works, A Moveable Feast, For Whom the Bell Tolls, and The Old Man and the Sea, at his unpretentious island home, nicknamed Finca Vigia, or Lookout Farm. Writing The Old Man and the Sea, the author drew inspiration from fishing excursions off the Cojimar coast. That book’s main character, a feisty mariner with an indomitable spirit, is said to have been modeled, at least partly, on Gregorio Fuentes, captain of Hemingway’s fishing boat, the Pilar. “Old man,” indeed! Fuentes lived to age 104. The novella won Hemingway the 1954 Nobel Prize for literature. He donated his gold medal to the Cuban people.

During World War II, the author hunted German U-boats from The Pilar. The vessel had been named for his wife, Pauline, though the boat and the couple’s marriage predated his move to Cuba. Hemingway resided on the island with two subsequent wives: Martha Gellhorn and Mary Welsh. 

Hemingway met Fidel Castro (accompanied by revolutionary “Che” Guevara) briefly in 1960 at a fishing contest named for the writer. Shortly after Castro’s rise to power, however, the Hemingways left Havana for their home in Idaho. The author would die there a few months later. 

Image from the interior of the Floridita bar, in Havana, Cuba. Statue of Ernest Hemingway by Cuban artist José Villa Soberón. 
Photo credit: Frederic Schmalzbauer 

Hemingway’s Legacy

Finca Vigia is now a museum. Hemingway’s favorite bars (La Floridita, where he was introduced to the Daiquiri, and which boasts a life-sized statue of the literary lion, and Bodeguita del Medio, famous for its Mojitos) still receive scores of visitors each year. The Hotel Ambos Mundos, where the author stayed before establishing a permanent home in Cuba, preserved his room as a tourist destination. West of Havana, amid low white buildings with colorful rooftops, stands Marina Hemingway, where the annual Hemingway International Billfish Tournament has run for more than 60 years. As Cuba left its impression on “Papa” Hemingway, so, too, did Hemingway leave his mark on Cuba.

Hemingway Marina in Cuba. Photo credit: Robin Thom

 Text by Chelsea Lowe

On Havana´s Malecon sea wall, overlooking the blue horizon of the straits of Florida is an ethnic paladar that is paying homage to Cuba´s recent history.  It is called Nazdarovie.

Nazdarovie is a restaurant that celebrates the social and cultural bond between Cuba and the ex-Soviet Union by serving up Slavic dishes surrounded by Cold War era pop and political art. 

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of Venezuela, China, and now potentially the United States as major trading partners with Cuba history seems to have relegated the old hegemonic influence as insignificant. 

However, the memories of thousands of Cubans who studied in Soviet countries and the immigrants from eastern Europe that decided Communism in the Caribbean was better than Communism in Siberia are trying to keep their brand of old world culture alive.

When private restaurants became legal in Cuba a few of these nostalgic individuals got together and decided they wanted to reintroduce the flavors of Moscow, Kiev and Minsk back to the Mojito soaked Caribbean. 

The restaurant is the result of an attempt to capture and revive the flavors and memories that are fondly recalled by many Cubans and immigrants alike. 

Even with Cuba´s chronic potato shortage the menu is loyal to the mission of offering savory starters such as Ensalada Olive, a cold salad with cubes of the hard to find tubers, green peas, homemade pickled cucumber, boiled eggs all held together with a light mayonnaise. 

While the Caribbean heat might make you balk at a warm appetizer if you are arriving after a walk on the Malecon the Pielmeni Siberiano should make you think twice.  This plump Russian style ravioli is full of ground beef and bathing in a shallow bath of fresh dill cream sauce.  And if stuffed foods are really your thing make it a double and ask for the Golubets con aji relleno, which are cabbage rolls stuffed with meat and rice cooked in fresh tomato and homemade sour cream sauce. 

The best part about such a niche ethic food restaurant in Havana is that finally you can find something like beef stroganoff.  OK, so it does depend if there is beef available in the kitchen, and since its Cuba the substitute is pork.  But at least its still new.  The stroganoff sauce is composed of sour cream and Porcini mushrooms.

Of course Nazdarovi could not call itself Soviet cousin without offering caviar and vodka.  In fact, you can have both together.  The drink is called the “Nazdarovi Shot” and is a shot of Stolichnaya vodka with a lime topped with a dab of black caviar on top of the glass. 

The drink menu also includes a Green Russian which is a blended cream of mint somewhat inspired by the White Russian. 

On some weekend nights you might get lucky and see entertainment from the motherland.  While we were there an eastern European gypsy woman (who has called Cuba her home for the last 20 years) was singing folk songs and regailing us with tales from her time on Broadway and in the Ukraine.  All of this while looking over the balcony into sea.  Soviet food, gypsy tales, and a warm Caribbean breeze; only in Cuba.   

Nazdarovie is located just west of where Prado meets the Malecon at 25 Malecon on the 3^rd floor.  Just look for the red Soviet flag flying out the window.  Reservations are made at 7860-2947 or www.nazdarovie-havana.com.  Open nightly for dinner. 

Photos and Text by Graham Sowa.

Cuba’s cuisine has been influenced by a blend of civilizations over time. Spain colonized the island after Christopher Columbus discovered it in 1492, and the Spaniards brought the flavors of home and the introduction of African slaves. These two cultures greatly influenced the flavors of Cuba, blending their native techniques and spices with the island’s edible offerings.

The tropical climate of the Caribbean also contributes to the country’s fare with crops that include plantain, guava, coconut, avocado, papaya, pineapple, mango, citrus and root vegetables. Because Cuba is an island, seafood is another influence to its cuisine. Beef, chicken, pork, eggs, rice, beans and garlic are other common ingredients.

Cuban recipes use fresh ingredients in simple preparations. Most food is sautéed, and meats are often cooked slowly until ridiculously tender. Rice and beans—a dish served in virtually every home and restaurant—are spiced with onions, garlic, bell pepper, oregano and bay leaf, but the food is not typically spicy in a light-your-tongue-afire way. The resulting fare is similar to the cuisine of the neighboring Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

During a traditional Cuban meal, all the dishes are usually served at once, not by courses. And like any good feast, Cuban food is best enjoyed with friends in a jovial atmosphere.

¡Buen provecho!

Examples of Traditional Cuban Dishes

arroz con pollo: rice with chicken

boliche: stuffed beef roast

boniato con mojo: sweet potatoes with a garlic citrus sauce

cubano: a hot pressed sandwich, usually made with ham, roasted pork, cheese, pickles and mustard

empanadas and pastelitos: pastries filled with fruits or meats

flan: sweet custard

maduros: fried plantains

moros y cristianos: black beans and rice

rabo encendido: oxtail stew

ropa vieja: shredded flank, brisket or skirt steak in a tomato-base sauce

Camaron al Ajillo (Shrimp in Garlic Sauce)
serves 6

Ingredients

½ cup Spanish olive oil

10 to 12 garlic cloves, chopped

2 bay leaves

3 pounds extra large shrimp or prawns, peeled and deveined

½ cup dry white wine

2 limes, juiced

½ teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped finely

Directions

Place a large frying pan or skillet over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the olive oil and garlic. Sauté for one minute. Then add the shrimps and wine, stirring occasionally until the shrimp just begin to turn pink (approximately 5 minutes). Add the lime juice, oregano and salt. Cook for one more minute until the shrimp is done.

Remove from heat and stir in the parsley. Serve immediately over white rice or with crusty bread to dip in the garlic oil.

Huevos Haberneros
serves 4

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped finely
1 large tomato, chopped
3 tablespoons dry white wine
½ teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper to taste
8 eggs
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F.

Sauté the onion, red and green bell peppers in the olive oil over low heat until the onions are translucent (approximately five minutes). Add the garlic and cook a few minutes more, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes, wine, and cumin and cook over low heat for approximately five minutes, stirring frequently, until the liquid thickens. (This mixture is called “sofrito.”)

Lightly oil the insides of four porcelain ramekins, custard cups or small oven-proof bowls and place them on a baking sheet. Divide the sofrito between the ramekins, filling each halfway. Then break two eggs into each dish, being careful not to break the yolks. Place ½ tablespoon of butter on top of each set of eggs.

Place the baking sheet with the ramekins in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the egg whites become opaque. (The yolks should still be a little runny.) Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

On people-to-people trips, your guide will help to explain menu items and food preparations to make your experience a memorable one. Until your first (or next trip) to Cuba with insightCuba, we hope we provided you with great insight as to the origins of Cuban cuisine some of the traditional dishes.

Now, invite over some house guests and enjoy the Cuban recipes above in your own home. Tell them what you have learned.

Text by Lise Waring

Havana Cuba Monument

Visiting Cuba is like peering into the past. Little has changed on the island for decades or longer—so visitors can see its classic autos, timeless buildings, and historic sights up close.

Music and history form the cornerstones of your Vintage Cuba experience. You’ll likely hear live music from a piquete band in Santa Clara, site of the last and most decisive battle of the Cuban Revolution. (Piquetes, by the way, play traditional Cuban music.) Cuba’s ingenious mechanics share their secrets for keeping the nation’s iconic autos looking and running beautifully.

Along the way, you’ll travel by train and bicycle taxi, take off for the turquoise waters of Cayo Santa Maria, visit “Villa Blanca,” or “White Village,” the sugar-sand beaches of Caibarien (where you can expect more live music, this time from a community band), beautiful Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Regla, Old Havana’s cobblestone streets, and Ernest Hemingway’s favorite stomping grounds. You’ll meet the artists, educators, printers, musicians, and organizers who help preserve Cuba’s unique character. As on all Cuba trips, you’ll encounter the warm and welcoming people who make this island such a special place.

The U.S. government’s renewed relationship with our near neighbor means that changes are afoot. InsightCuba’s Vintage Cuba tour puts history, beauty, and charm within your grasp now—and the best time to see Cuba is always “now.”

Text by Chelsea Lowe 
Photo by Robin Thom

Although wifi is limited in Cuba, and mobile phone and data access is not available to Americans, a few free apps are still worth downloading to prepare for your travels.

Before you even start packing, check out CubanFlow, a must-have to get inducted into the world of Cuban music, which has been influenced heavily by West Africa and Spain. The app offers the tunes of select artists and groups, new music sorted by the month and music categorized by four different genres: Clasicos, Cuban Flow Top, Radio and Fiesta Fin De Año. If you’re familiar with Cuban music, you’ll recognize such artists as Chacal & yakarta, Deguales, Osmani Garcia, Haila, Gente de Zona, Buena Fe and many others. The interface is easy to navigate and provides hours of listening. CubanFlow will get your hips moving and infuse a Cuban beat into your step before you even leave home.

Another app that offers a good glimpse into Cuban culture is called Cuban Dominoes. As the name suggests, it’s the classic game with the black-and-white tiles, or “fichas.” Dominoes is the national game of Cuba, so if you’re headed to the island, you’ll soon find that it’s not just a game. It’s also a social event, combining camaraderie with competition. Surprisingly, the app is also fairly social because it’s played with other online players (by joining a game or starting a game) with turn-based play and an in-game chat. Traditionally, dominoes is noisy and boisterous, but while you won’t hear anyone yelling “Domino!” in a digital victory, you may still get a feel for this Cuban pastime through the app. And when you encounter people playing dominoes on the streets of Cuba, you’ll better understand the nuances of the game.

Neither CubanFlow nor Cuban Dominoes work offline, so you best download those two to enjoy to set the mood before the trip. There are, however, two fee apps that can be downloaded before traveling and used offline while in Cuba. 

Cuba Travel Guide features Havana, Santiago de Cuba and a few other cities and popular destinations. It provides short descriptions and photos of sightseeing spots, restaurants, nightlife, shopping, etc. This app is by no way a comprehensive overview, and you’ll probably learn more by reading websites and print travel guides, but it does categorize items neatly and would be especially useful to find a restaurant or club quickly on the fly.

Cuba Map, an offline map, covers the entire island with slow, but decent detail in larger cities, showing grocery stores, gas stations, churches, parking, airports, banks, street names, etc. It’s a good app to have in your pocket should you lose your bearings. Another map, called Cuba Offline Map + City Guides Navigation, works better with higher quality vector maps that you can zoom in and out of quickly. It provides directions, performs searches, bookmarks favorite spots and more. The caveat with this app, however, is that only the first hour is free. 

We hope you find these smartphone apps useful and fun! If you have any additional recommendations, please feel free to share them with us on Facebook, Twitter or in the comments below.

Text by Lise Waring

The original unrestored wall is visible over the table

Over the last few decades Havana Vieja (Old Havana) has been getting a facelift courtesy of the City Historians office.  Now the torch is being passed to private business owners such as Yamil Alvarez of Paladar Los Mercaderes, appropriately named for its location on Mercaderes street a couple blocks from Plaza Vieja. 

After watching the transformative restoration of their neighborhood that now draws more than a million tourists a year Yamil and his family decided to be part of the change and attempt to renovate Havana´s gastronomic scene. 

Just over 10 years ago they moved to Havana Vieja by trading their former home for a fixer upper in Havana´s budding historic district.  After three years of renovation work they had a complete house.  Just over two years ago they fulfilled their dream and opened Los Mercaderes. 

“We wanted to do something better,” Yamil explained to me a balmy spring afternoon before the dinner rush started.  “We wanted a restaurant where we would want to go and we wanted to do it as a family project.”

“Family project” turned out to mean that his living room and master bedroom are now where more than 50 clients a night are served dinner.  Meanwhile his daughter´s room is now part of the kitchen and bar. 

The first thing that makes Los Mercaderes stand out, especially from its state run neighbors, is the quality of service.  “All of our employees have profit sharing plans,” Yamil explains.  “I get people with zero experience in the service industry and then we train them and they reap the rewards”. 

Yamil´s cousin works in the kitchen as head chef, and unlike the waiters he has years of experience in some of Havana´s most well known paladares.

Paladares Los Mercaderes Dining Area

New takes on traditional Cuban dishes combined with the classic comida criolla makes up the menu at Los Mercaderes. 

Ropa vieja (literally translated: old clothes) is usually shredded beef and sometimes pork.  Here it is being served up as shredded lamb.  They even go so far as combine it with grilled vegetables and shrimp stuffing it all into a hollowed out fried plantain.  Perfect for soaking up some of those rum cocktails.

Eggplant lasagna and rice pilaf with vegetables and dried fruit are two great options for the vegetarian friendly part of the menu and are standouts as the most non-traditional dishes on the menu.

And if you order fish it might have been brought in by the owner himself.

Yamil is an avid spearfisherman and his catch goes to the restaurant kitchen.  It is all part of having a connection with the food.

“We have contracts with organic farms in Guanabacoa (a neighborhood on the outskirts of Havana)”.  Yamil went on to explain that they are even bringing in seeds to grow cherry tomatoes and iceberg lettuce. 

As his business prospered Yamil moved the family out of Havana Vieja a few miles away to the malecòn sea wall.  Considering his success with Los Mercaderes it is probably safe to assume that his next paladar will have an ocean view. 

Los Mercaderes is opened for lunch and dinner every day of the week with a 3 course “you-pick” lunch special.  Directions are easy as it is within walking distance from anywhere in Havana Vieja at 207 Mercaderes between Lamparilla and Amargura.  If you want one of the two balcony tables make your reservations well in advance at yamil.alvarez1@gmail.com or call at 7861 2437.

Photos and Text by Graham Sowa.

Odd though it may sound, Cemetario Cristobal Colon (informally known as "Colon Cemetery") stands among Havana's best-loved attractions. At Colon, named for explorer Christopher Columbus, visitors find more than 500 chapels, vaults and mausoleums, the graves of notable citizens—and countless stories.

Many resting places are marked in distinctive ways. The grave of chess master Jose Raul Capablanca lies beneath a marble playing piece; a 75-foot monument pays tribute to firefighters killed in an 1890 conflagration, and a photo and inscriptions mark the tomb of Buena Vista Social Club member Ibrahim Ferrer.

"Amelia and Her Baby," the resting place of a woman who died of childbirth complications along with her infant, has taken on a mythic quality. According to legend, "La Milagrosa," ("miraculous one") was buried with the child at her feet. Years later, the bodies were exhumed, and the baby was discovered in her arms. A life-size marble statue stands at the site. Visitors pray or offer thanks, following a ritual begun, it is said, by Amelia Goyri's grief-stricken husband in 1903.

Over 140 acres, many art styles compete for attention. One can see Art Deco, Egyptian, Renaissance, Byzantine, and others. Cemetery Colon's elaborate sculptures and huge headstones belie its humble history:

In 1868, plans were begun to convert an old burial ground into a modern cemetery. The principal architect, Calixto Arellano de Loira y Cardoso, graduate of Madrid's Royal Academy of Arts of San Fernando, died before the project was completed—becoming Colon’s first customer.

You may be surprised to learn that Colon follows a centuries-old practice of renting, rather than selling, graves. After a few years, bones are turned out to make room for new occupants. More than one million bodies have been buried in the cemetery’s 800,000 or so plots.

Colon is one of the world’s best-known, most-frequently visited cemeteries. An inscription at the main entrance near the striking yellow chapel reads, roughly translated, "Pale death enters the palaces of kings and the cabins of the poor the same." And so it does. Visitors will find Colon’s history, architecture, and legends as rewarding as they are sobering. 

Have you every visited Cemetery Colon? If so, we would love to hear about your experience. Leave a comment below or post to the insightCuba Facebook page.

Text by Chelsea Lowe 
Photo by Robin Thom

How many times have you rushed to get to the airport to make your flight only to be stymied by the line at airport security? You peer over passenger shoulders looking at the front of the security line as if your stares will make it move faster. Do you find yourself hurling yourself towards the immigration hall like an Olympic walker, after an interminable flight hoping to be the first person in line, only to be foiled by three other flights that landed before you? The good news is that your airport experience is about to get a lot better.

While my recent experience with Global Entry didn’t magically upgrade my status to first or business class, I felt like a VIP. I travel quite a bit for both business and pleasure, so I’m always looking for ways to make the slog through the airport easier and simpler. So recently, I applied for Global Entry. Here’s how it works. 

The first consideration is whether to apply for Global Entry, TSA Pre check, or both? To be clear, Global Entry helps you breeze through immigration in the U.S. when returning from an international flight. TSA Pre check helps you move quicker through those annoying airport security lines, and allows you to keep your belt and shoes on, and your laptop in your bag.  Fortunately, if you apply for Global Entry and are approved, TSA Pre check is part of the deal.

After reading a few paragraphs from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website, I filled out an online form, which took about 10 minutes and paid my $100 non-refundable application fee. Then I had to wait for my conditional approval which came via email in about five days. Sounds too easy? Here’s where the hurdle comes in. Next, you have to schedule an in person interview with a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer… at the airport! Feeling somewhat defeated, I envisioned having to make a useless and dreaded round trip excursion to the airport? This prospect was so unappealing that I almost withdrew my application. (Check out the list of Global Entry enrollment centers as there might be one more convenient than the airport) After talking myself off the proverbial ledge, I decided to schedule my 30 minute interview at the airport prior to my upcoming trip to Madrid? I’m so glad I did.

I showed up a few weeks later at Newark Liberty International Airport, 30 minutes earlier than I normally would for my flight. The Global Entry office was clearly marked on the first floor, and I waited in a makeshift roped area outside the entrance. Curiously, there was no receptionist, or check in process, just a sign indicating that it was a high security area and to wait. Sure enough at 6:10pm, my scheduled time, an officer came out and asked if I was Tom Popper, and brought me to a counter inside to speak with another agent. The agent was friendly, and asked me a few questions, including what I did for a living, where I lived, and why I was applying for Global Entry. After I told her that I was the president of insightCuba, I wondered if it would be an impediment to my approval since I’ve made more than 30 trips to Cuba, albeit, all of them legally. Instead, she gleefully asked me if we did those people-to-people trips to Cuba? We both remarked how interesting it was. Within minutes she told me everything looked good and that I was approved. Just like that.  I figured it would be weeks or months before my Global Entry status would take effect. Instead, the agent explained that I should receive an email in a few hours with my approval but I could use TSA Pre check now and Global Entry kiosks on my return from Madrid. The whole process took 20 minutes and I was on my way to Madrid with enough time left over to get myself a sandwich and coconut water for the flight.

So is it worth it? Upon my return at Newark airport after a seven hour flight delay in Madrid plus the eight hours in the air, I hurried towards immigration like I always do. As I neared the hall, there was one line for passengers and another marked Global Entry. I skeptically chose the Global Entry line. I was quickly diverted into a room with kiosks. I was the only person in the room. Not even an immigration officer in sight. I put my passport into the machine, laid my fingerprints on the scanner and within seconds a receipt was printed. I continued through the Global Entry area, and then appeared on the other side of the glass immigration booths. I wondered for second if I just did something illegal. As I looked out beyond the booths, I noticed the immigration hall was packed with people waiting in queue. There must have been five flights that all came in at the same time. Not wanting to push my luck, I continued on to baggage claim, and since I didn’t check my luggage, went straight for the exit.  A customs agent took my receipt, took a quick a look and waved me through. I was curbside jumping into the backseat of my ride within 10 minutes after exiting the plane. Yes, check that, 10 minutes. Come to think of it, I never even saw an immigration officer.

I just booked my next international trip and can’t wait to go through the airport again.

Things to know:

• While you will receive an official Global Entry card in the mail a week or two after being approved, your passport is automatically programmed as Global Entry.  No additional identification is required.
• When you book your flight, you simply need to provide your Trusted Traveler number which can be stored online if you have an account with either the airline or your favorite booking site. Your bordering pass will automatically say, TSA Pre check.

Tom Popper is president of insightCuba, a leading provider of legal people-to-people travel to Cuba for Americans.

Here’s where to apply for Global Entry. http://www.cbp.gov/global-entry/how-to-apply

Visiting Cuba often feels like entering a portal for a trip back in time, and this sensation is especially strong when stepping into Havana’s Hotel Nacional de Cuba. Situated in the center of Havana and a stone’s throw from the sea and the Malecón, the hotel is an important symbol of history, culture and Cuban identity.

Hotel Nacional stands atop a hill known as Loma de Taganana, named after a cave that lies beneath the hotel's foundations. Opened in 1930, Art Deco mixes with a variety of styles that capture the essence of old-world elegance in pre-revolutionary Cuba. The hotel was built by Purdy & Henderson Company and designed by McKim, Mead & White—a distinguished American architectural firm at the turn of the twentieth century with a prolific legacy (a resume that includes a renovation of the West and East Wings of the White House in 1902, for example). The two companies completed the planning and construction of the eight-floor building with 8,000 workers in only 14 months. It’s said that although the Cuban government was officially responsible for the $7 million project, much of the funding came via the mob’s Prohibition-era cash.

Marketed as a tropical paradise, the casino attracted people from around the world. Some of its illustrious guests include Errol Flynn, Jack Dempsey, Winston Churchill, Betty Grable, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Ernest Hemingway, Fred Astaire, Rita Hayworth, Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner, Alexander Flemming, Marlon Brando, Mickey Mantle, Jean Paul Sartre, Gabriel García Márquez and President Jimmy Carter. This list is nowhere near complete. The hotel was wildly popular with celebrities and, over the years, has hosted many interesting meetings, concerts, summits and conferences, including the Havana Conference, a large Mafia gathering in 1946 that was attended by delegations of crime families from the United States (an event Francis Ford Coppola paid homage to in “The Godfather II”). An exhibition of photographs in The Nacional’s Vista al Golfo bar provides a panorama of the storied guests who have stayed at or visited the hotel from 1930 to the present day.

Havana was the largest port in the region during the 16^th century, and by the 18 ^th century the city had developed the most complete dockyard in the New World, both of which required protection from privateers and pirates. An extensive network of defense was developed, and Hotel Nacional is built on the site of the Santa Clara Battery, which dates back to 1797. Two coastal guns remain (the Krupp and the Ordóñez, the latter was the world's largest in its day) and are displayed in the hotel's garden. In 1982, UNESCO placed Old Havana and its fortifications on its list of World Heritage Sites.

The parties at Hotel Nacional came to an abrupt end in 1959 with the triumph of Castro's revolution. The hotel was nationalized, its walls hung with pro-communist banners and its rooms used as a dress-making school for peasant women. Later, during the Missile Crisis, antiaircraft positions were built on the hill, and walled trenches were excavated below the gardens. International tourism didn’t begin again until 1974.

In 1990, the hotel closed for restoration, opening two years later to as a flagship of the Cuban hotel industry of the Gran Caribe hotel group in 1994. In 1998, the National Monuments Commission declared Hotel Nacional a national monument based on its architectural and historic value, celebrity guest list and years of hosting international events.

The Hotel Nacional’s long history is palpable, and its many attractive verandas offer beautiful spaces to linger and absorb many decades of rich Cuban history.

Text by Lise Waring
Photo by Robin Thom
 

Nine days of music, art, culture, history, and natural beauty—with stops at four important points along the island—reward travelers on insightCuba’s Classic Cuba tour

Dance to music in the streets. Explore the sixteenth- and seventeenth-century buildings and cobblestone squares of Old Havana. Travel to Trinidad’s arts community by way of Cienfuegos, “the pearl of the South,” taking in the island’s magnificent sights along the way. Enjoy authentic Cuban meals in restaurants and paladares (privately owned, and usually cozy, dining options), including two of your choosing.  

Your insightCuba experience begins in Old Havana, where you’ll learn about the city’s architectural heritage and UNESCO designation. Meet with dancers, artists and actors, and get a taste of the Cuba Hemingway loved, with a stop at his favorite Daiquiri spot.

Terrazzo sidewalk and car in Havana Centro, Cuba

Your trip will likely include a visit to an authentic farmers market, where you’ll learn about local currency firsthand. Take in the breadth and beauty of Cemetery Colon, one of Cuba’s most-visited places. The children of internationally renowned touring group La Colmenita may perform for you, and you may learn about how Cuba became one of the world’s most literate nations.    

Playa Larga, Trinidad, and Cienfuegos hold further charms. Learn about art, architecture, and music from the people who know them best. You’ll visit with arts students, painters, musicians and performers of all types. Explore Trinidad’s streets full of colorful buildings. Witness the old-world majesty of Cienfuegos, and paradisiacal Playa Larga.  

Small group sizes mean cozy conversations and flourishing friendships. InsightCuba guests often tell us that we helped create their favorite travel memories. That’s because Cuba is our only destination, and we know it inside and out.

Our Classic Cuba tour is unhurried, yet filled with meaningful activity over just the right number of days. The experience will stay with you always.

See what the fuss is about. We invite you to download a brochure, or speak with one of our travel specialists now.

Text by Chelsea Lowe 
Photos by Robin Thom

Walking into 304 O’Reilly from the humid, congested streets of Old Havana is more of an escape than an entrance.  Good air-conditioning, early Golden Project played softly over a Bose sound system, and a cocktail menu that goes way beyond daiquiris and mojitos are all reminders that Cuba is quickly developing a diversified social scene. 

The street’s Anglo name itself is a stand out in the once-Spanish colonial city of Old Havana.  The anomaly is thanks to Alejandro O’Reilly, an Irish mercenary who led the Spanish in reoccupying the city after it was held by the British for a short while in 1763.  Leave it to the Irish to never miss an opportunity to stick it to the Brits. 

Billed as a Gin Bar and Restaurant, 304 O’Reilly has been trying to stretch the imagination of Havana’s avant-garde food scene for the past year (their first major accomplishment was offering a menu that does not include rice and beans). 

Normally a hot cream of pumpkin soup isn’t a craving inspired by the violent Caribbean sun and humidity.  However, when served with fresh cilantro and Cuban blue cheese in a well climatized room you might find your taste buds are more welcoming to the idea. 

The “malangas empingadas” (literally: badass malangas) is an atypical preparation of a common Cuban tuber.  First boiled then sautéed and spiced up with paprika, they are finished off with a mixture of soy sauce/oyster sauce and topped with raw sliced onion and fresh chopped herbs.  Show most traditional Cuban cooks what these chefs have done with their malangas and they will come away baffled to the point of taking offense.

As if trying to channel a kinship with the fellow island nation of Japan, 304 O’Reilly has recently started incorporating some takes on dishes from the land of the rising sun.  Their Ta Taki Atun (grill seared tuna left raw in the interior) violates the long held (and usually overdone) Cuban custom of cooking meat thru and thru.

The “Sopa Fukuchima” is a perhaps less than politically correct name inspired by the ill-fated Fukushima Daiichi Japanese nuclear power plant disaster in 2011.  Using miso soup and fresh seaweed as the stock the chef at 304 O’Reilly has added peeled shrimp, chunks of red snapper, and crab claw with a soft-boiled egg floating in the middle of it all.  No sign of disaster here, just a light tasty soup.

The Japanese theme has extended into the cocktail selection.  For example, the Samurai Bloody Mary is served with plenty greenery and veggies around the rim plus a couple slices raw tuna in between the ice cubes.  For folks who like a less meaty drink the Kentucky Mojito pays homage to the newfound relations between Cuba and the United States by daring to make a mojito with Jack Daniels Whiskey from the American heartland. 

Being a gin bar there are a number of traditional and house cocktails that incorporate this underused spirit in otherwise rum soaked Cuba.  If any British are still sore about losing this prime piece of real estate to the Spanish and their Irish soldier of fortune at least they can mull it over with a properly made gin and tonic. 

While 304 O'Reilly might not feel like the tourist book Cuba, the trained eye will notice the portrait of the late Juan Formell of Los Van Van fame, an original film can from director Tomás Gutiérrez Alea's feature Memories of Underdevelopment; even rural Cuba gets a shout out with a wooden ox yolk (painted hot-pink) hanging above the door.  Even with demands to cater to a more international and globalized clientel Cuba will never give up on reminding you where you are.

304 O’Reilly is at the same address (between Habana and Aguiar streets in Old Havana).  Open from 12pm to 12am daily there is only seating for about 30 people so reservations are a must.  Call 5264 4725 or 5305 6150 to get a table.  Most weekend nights the party spills out into the street (you can order drinks from the sidewalk) if you want to show up on a whim. 

Buena Vista Social Club onstage with Barbarito playing behind back © Ebet Roberts

It was 1997 when songs like Chan Chan, Dos Gardenias and Candela put Buena Vista Social Club on the map of music fame.

Named after a Havana member’s club that closed in the 1940s, the group was born as a result of the collaboration of American guitarist Ry Cooder and Cuban performer Juan de Marcos González, recording an album with feted Cuban musicians, already established on the island nation, but largely unknown outside of Cuba. The studio album quickly gave rise to international success, to live performances in Amsterdam and New York, and soon following, to an Oscar-nominated documentary directed by Wim Wenders. The accolades continued pouring in: further soundtracks, world tours and solo albums. Recorded in just six days, Buena Vista Social Club – the group - had become Cuba’s music ambassador.

Compay Segundo onstage (1998) © Geraint Lewis

With elson as main genre (some bolero, guajira and danzón), Buena Vista Social Club lives on decades to follow thanks to its timeless classics, even after six of the original members – Ibrahim Ferrer, Compay Segundo, Rubén González, Orlando “Cachaíto” Lopez, Pío Leyva, Manuel “Puntillita” Licea – have passed away. The surviving members – the stately singer Omara Portuondo and guitarist and vocalist Eliades Ochoa – along with new ones, have continued touring as the Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club, as part of a 13 member band. The lineup changes, but the repertoire has remained much of the same. Until now. Lost and Found, an album of previously unreleased tracks, has launched this spring, thus dusting off a dormant glory of days past.

Opinions are divided. Many say the music sang by the legendary ensemble is not representative of Cuban music as a whole. And in the broad spectrum of things, they are right. It’s at odds with the more modern music Cubans are actually listening to in present day: timba and salsa cubana, and unique mixtures of son, jazz and reggaetton, with international sounding, rhythmic dance music. However, despite the questionable copycat bands, singing the same songs at every corner and in every restaurant, it’s the Buena Vista Social Club – and the staple sounds of the Cuban son, reminiscent of the golden age of the 40s – that drew tourists’ attention to the country’s musical assets, and implicitly its people. It’s what contributed in the late 1990s to Cuba’s growing tourist industry, undeniably changing the world’s perception of the island country following the collapse of the Soviet Union. That passion and faith catered to el son by its praised members came across again and again, and endured more profound than any other genre of its kind.

With the new release, the show must go on! In a final attempt to thrill audiences around the world, the group is currently on a farewell tour.  Rest assured, the same fire and passion of the song remains. For Omara Portuondo especially, now 84, she continues performing as imposing and sensual as ever, despite battling ardent memories and colleagues’ ghosts. While the stage is the same, times have changed. Along with it, Cuba has changed.

Buena Vista Social Club Band outside Carnegie Hall © Ebet Roberts

I don’t know about you, but I will never tire of Chan Chan. Written by acclaimed musician and group member Compay Segundo, in 1987, the four-chord son became “the Buena Vista’s calling card,” as Cooder described it. I would much rather hit play on Ibrahim Ferrer and his Buena Vista Social Club performances, than I would on a song of modern reggaeton. That’s what transports me to Cuba, and in my opinion, that’s reason enough for me to say: continue on with el son!

For future concerts held by the Grammy-winning group for best-selling album, check Buena Vista Social Club’s complete tour listings for 2015.

Monica Suma is a freelance travel writer. Follow her on Twitter @monicasuma.

For those eager to explore the countryside of Cuba, the province of Pinar del Río is a great place to start. It lies at the western end of the island and hosts a capital city by the same name. Known for spectacular mountains that ring tropical forests, the surrounding valleys are home to tobacco plantations and are popular for hiking, horse riding and rock climbing. Other attractions include secluded beaches on Pinar del Río’s keys and coral reefs and caves that attract divers. The province produces 70 percent of Cuba's tobacco crops, and these leaves are used to make many of the country’s world-famous cigars. The region has also preserved many of its traditions in architecture, farming, music and crafts.

The Viñales Valley, which lies beneath the Sierra de los Organos mountains, is especially magnificent. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999 because of its beauty and cultural and historical importance. Its karst landscape is dotted with striking limestone magotes, rounded outcroppings that rise to nearly 1,000 feet. The soil of the valley is fertile and the climate hospitable to growing fruit and tobacco. Farmers in the region use century-old traditional agricultural practices, particularly with tobacco crops because more modern techniques lower the quality of the harvest. The lush area is mostly rural with simple homes and farm buildings, and the small village of Viñales hosts brightly painted colonial architecture.

In addition to the World Heritage Site of Valle de Viñales, the region has two biosphere reserves: the Sierra del Rosario and Península de Guanahacabibes. All told, Pinar del Río has more UNESCO-protected land than any other province in Cuba. Inside the Sierra Del Rosario reserve is the village of Soroa, famous for an orchidarium that features 20,000 orchid plants (hundreds of varieties) and El Salto waterfall, which cascades from 65 feet into a pool below.

Pinar del Río, the province’s capital, is the tenth largest Cuban city with a population of roughly 140,000. It was one of the last major cities founded by the Spanish during the colonial era and features many highly decorated neoclassical buildings. There are many interesting places to explore around the city: museums of natural sciences and history, a house of rum, a cigar factory, a distillery that makes a local drink from guava called Guayabita del Pinar and other attractions.

Pinar del Río translates to “pine of the river” and is a reference to the pine trees on the shores of the  Río Guamá, but this name only hints at the natural beauty for which this area is famous.

Visit Pinar del Río on insightCuba's Scenic Cuba tour.

Text by Lise Waring
Photo by Robin Thom

You knew about the classic cars, temperate climate, and rollicking music. But did you know these other interesting things about our near neighbor? As our countries resume their old friendship, why not brush up on your knowledge? If you visit, it might come in handy!

1. Cuba houses six biosphere reserves. “Biosphere reserve” is a UNESCO designation for an area that meets specific criteria for sustainability and other characteristics. (UNESCO stands for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.) 

Villa Soroa in the Sierra del Rosario Biosphere

2. The world's smallest bird (the bee hummingbird) and one of the oldest species of fish (manjuari, also known as the Cuban gar) can be found only in Cuba and nearby Isla de la Juventud. The fish is edible, but its eggs are poisonous. The odd-looking batfish also lives in Cuba, though not exclusively.

Hummingbird in Playa Giron taken by Carl Pugh on insightCuba's Classic Cuba Trip

3. Traditional Cuban meals are not served in courses. All dishes are brought out and served together. 

4. Cuba has one of the lowest birthrates—and highest literacy rates—in the western hemisphere. Those facts aren't necessarily related, but they make us wonder... 

Boys in Havana Cuba

5. Havana's Parque Menocal boasts a statue of…musician John Lennon. The likeness sits on a bench, near lyrics from "Imagine," translated into Spanish. (A volunteer protects the glasses, which have been stolen and replaced many times.) In the 1960s and '70s, Beatles music was banned from Cuban radio and TV. Jorge "Papito" Serguera, then president of the Cuban Institute of Radio and Television, later said he liked the Beatles, but was under government order to ban the group’s music from local airwaves. Dedicating the statue in 2000, Fidel Castro called Lennon, once considered subversive, “a revolutionary.”

John Lennon's Park, Vedado, Havana, Cuba   Photo credit: Cynansy

6. For four years, Cuba was part of the United States! The Spanish American War gave us Cuba (along with the Philippines, Guam and Puerto Rico) around the beginning of 1899, but the island gained its independence soon after.

Want to learn more about Cuba? Call our travel specialists at 1-800-450-2822 or follow insightCuba on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Written by Chelsea Lowe
Photos by Robin Thom unless otherwise credited

This Week TravelTalkRADIO's Sandy Dhuyvetter welcomed Tom Popper, the President of insightCuba. Tom has been a guest on TravelTalkRADIO and BusinessTravelRADIO throughout the years and has already taken thousands of people to Cuba through insightCuba's People-to-People programs. Tom has also completed extensive work to 'be ready' when the doors open easily and wide to Americans. In this radio interview you will receive information and hints on how to best tour this amazing little island.

Read and enjoy the radio transcript of this interview or choose to listen to the radio interview. 

If you interested in hearing more from Sandy Dhuyvetter, Host of TravelTalkRadio and BusinessTravelRadio, read her blog Travel Talk with Sandy.

Ready to book your trip to Cuba today? We have a group of travel specialists ready to assist you. They can be reached by calling 1-800-450-CUBA (2822). We also recommend researching more on our website at www.insightCuba.com and liking insightCuba on Facebook to stay connected with the latest stories, blog posts and travel information.  

Most new paladares in Cuba have opened as finely tuned, highly polished culinary performances. Few have been as adventurous as Somos Cuba (translated “we are Cuba”), which stands out for its grungy Old Havana tenement setting and underground, bottom up, do-it-yourself attitude. 

Only 3 months young, you are not going to find Somos Cuba in any guide books, and the eatery´s web presence is as limited as its 4 table dining room.  In fact, physically getting there, while an easy walk from the Plaza Vieja or La Plaza de Armas, can be a chore due to minimal signage. Owner, operator and chef Vladimir Chacon has forgone the more traditional routes of advertising and instead focused on cultivating relationships with clients and letting word of mouth do the rest. The results have been somewhat spectacular.

“We like to talk with our customers and let them see what we are doing”, Vladimir explains as he pan sears a red snapper while sprinkling some fresh dill on the sautéed veggies simmering nearby. There is nothing separating the kitchen or prep area from the dining area, everything happens in one room. “I could tell you I designed it this way, but truthfully this set up is because this is the most space I could spare in my apartment”, Vladimir confesses. Aside from fish and vegetarian dishes the kitchen also turns out his signature dish: shredded slow roasted mutton.

Vladimir opened Somos Cuba in the same run-down apartment building where he has lived 40+ years of his life. Full of rickety staircases, add-ons, and walls painted various colors, this paladar is more than about eating food, it is about seeing the reality that many Havana residents call home.

Aside from running the restaurant he is also raising his two daughters.  “I got my start at the state culinary school, then kept taking courses while working at El Templete (a state restaurant in Old Havana), and the Brewery in Plaza Vieja, I´ve been cooking for more than 20 years”. Vladimir turns from the conversation to tell his oldest daughter to go get ready for bed, tomorrow is a school day.

The daily menu depends on the season and if the fishermen that Vladimir buys snapper from had any luck the night before. Guaranteeing a fresh supply of produce in Havana can be tricky, so Vladimir hired an ex-produce vendor, Carlos, as his right hand man in the kitchen. Everything is so fresh that when we ordered mango juice Carlos began peeling a mango. “We don´t add sugar to our juice and we don´t sell soda”, Vladimir explains that if he kept it in stock his daughters would drink it all. 

The juice is prepared in an aluminum blender from the Soviet Union, in fact the majority of the kitchen harkens back to the 80´s when Cuba imported their domestic goods from Eastern Europe. Other paladares are keen to hang this stuff on the wall or set it up for display to curious tourists, Somos Cuba puts it to use.

The boldness to start a paladar and not depend on having capital to import a bunch of new kitchen gadgets or renovate an entire building is what makes Somos Cuba just as special as its food. Dozens of restaurants in Cuba offer up a great dining experience in a familiar atmosphere.  But the places like Vladimir´s are the ones that don´t let you forget you are in Cuba.

Somos Cuba is located at 202 San Ignacio between Obrapia and Lamparilla in Havana Vieja (Look for the arrows pointing up the stairs). Open every day from 12pm-12am. Reservations can be made at 7863 6339.  

Photos and Text by Graham Sowa.

Iglesia de Jesus de Miramar

The residential district of Miramar lies roughly 10 miles west of Havana on a coastal strip that begins west of the Almendares River. Before the revolution, this area was home to many of Havana's elite. Spectacular mansions flank tree-lined avenues on a thoroughfare that dates back to the country’s capitalist era when the wealthiest families in the capital moved west. Today, Miramar is the economic capital of Cubawith beautiful villas, exclusive hotels and restaurants, upscale shops, large supermarkets, banks, investment firms and foreign embassies. The district revolves around tree-shaded Quinta Avenida (Fifth Avenue) and has a distinctly Miami-like feel because of its postmodern architecture.

While visiting Miramar, don’t miss the Maqueta de la Habana, a small-scale replica of Havana City. This meticulously made model consists of cedar buildings and paper streets. It mirrors Havana and its suburbs ambitiously, stretching out as far as Cojìmar and the airport. An upper viewing gallery with two telescopes helps viewers appreciate the details that are otherwise difficult to see in the center of the model.

Maqueta de la Ciudad

Another popular attraction in Miramar is the Acuario Nacional de Cuba, the national aquarium, which hosts an outdoor marine park that showcases sea lions, a popular dolphin show and other marine wildlife.

Mostly, Miramar is an ideal place to enjoy a peaceful walk and appreciate the view of the sea for which the neighborhood was named. 

Visit Miramar on all of insightCuba's Cuba Tours.

Text by Lise Waring
Photo by Robin Thom

The process of hailing a cab in Cuba isn’t all that different from anywhere else in the world: Wave an arm at a taxi, hope it stops for you, tell the driver where you want to go and then hop in if he says “vamos” (or anything in the affirmative).

From there, however, things get slightly more complicated because Cuba has different types of taxis. But don’t be intimidated: No matter which taxi, it’s an opportunity to hear upbeat music and have an interesting conversation en route to your destination.

First, a few rules of thumb:
1. Tourists are only allowed to use certain taxis.
2. Almost everything is negotiable. If your taxi doesn’t have a meter, be sure to negotiate the price before it starts rolling.

Official Grancar Taxi: These government-run and licensed cabs are the most comfortable (and expensive) of the options. They have meters, and if you have little experience with cabbing in Cuba, request that your ride be metered. Alternatively, you can negotiate the price, but it’s a good idea to already have a feel for the pricing first.

Cuba Taxi: These yellow cars, usually Russian Ladas, are a good deal and likely the safest inexpensive option at night. You’ll get a better rate if you haggle with the driver.

Old yellow taxi on the Malecon in Havana, Cuba

Taxi Colectivo:  These old cars (called almendrones,big almonds, ormáquinas, machines) from the 1950s have a taxi sign on the window and operate much like a bus, traveling a fixed route on main thoroughfares at a set rate per person in a ride-sharing fashion where people hop in and out at stops. These taxis are cheap and used frequently by Cubans, so they’re a good way to mix with locals. If you don’t know the fixed route, be certain to tell your driver where you’re headed before you jump in. One useful trick with these almendrones is to watch the drivers for hand signals: They’ll stick their fingers out the window to indicate the number of spaces available. And if they point up, they’re going to head straight through the next main intersection; if they point right or left, they’ll turn accordingly at the next main intersection.

Illegal Taxi: Anyone driving a car will probably give you a ride for a price, but you’ll want to negotiate that price first.

Coco Taxi: These tiny three-wheeled motorbikes hold only two passengers and are an inexpensive way to get from one place to another in Havana. The yellow coco taxis are for tourists; the black ones are for locals.

Scooter taxi in Havana, Cuba

Bici Taxi: The least expensive taxi is the pedicab (or bicycle rickshaw) seen in the streets of Havana. Tourists are not officially permitted to ride in these taxis, but the drivers are generally happy to provide a lift. 

Text by Lise Waring
Photo by Robin Thom

View from the roof of the Hotel Parque Central

Much has changed since Ernest Hemingway’s days in Old Havana, the glamour times of 50s Americana. But in essence, the enclave of colonial decay remains the same: stunning, vibrant, mysterious. Deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982, Havana Vieja, as Cubans call it, is indisputably so, the number one reason that brings tourists to Cuba. Once the playground of the rich and famous is at it again, more alluring than ever. Following extensive restoration efforts in the past decade, Old Havana shines ever more brightly. 

Founded in 1515 by Spanish conqueror Diego Velázquez, the old city is bordered by El Malecón, the famed five-mile long boulevard that runs along the waterfront. Built to protect the city from the fury of its crashing waves, a long stroll - or better yet, a cruise along the promenade in a brightly colored Buick or Chevy – is a must before entering the historic center.

El Malecón bordering Old Havana

Easily explored by foot, the island’s star attraction delights with ornate facades, palatial cathedrals, lively plazas and the everyday, Cuban hubbub. Walking through decades of revived colonial splendor, Cuba’s most riveting outdoor museum unravels. With styles ranging from Baroque, Art Nouveau, Moorish and Neo-Classical, the architectural spectacle is eclectic and complete. With every step, cobblestone streets give way to a rainbow of color, and life: street musicians, cigar vendors, inviting paladares. Inside hotel stunners like Hotel Raquel, Florida or Sevilla, all-marble lobbies tell tales of a faded glory. At Bodeguida del Medio, Hemingway is still sipping his made-famous mojito propped at the bar, a blast from the past incarnated in a life-sized bronze statue.

Hotel Sevilla looking down on the National Ballet School Havana Vieja

Whichever way you take it, Old Havana is a pleasure to explore. To start with, head to Plaza Vieja, the most popular gathering spot, for a mirage of yellows and blues, Spanish arches and fine stained glass windows. To follow, marvel at the magnificent façade of Catedral de San Cristobal, namesake for Plaza de la Catedral. A striking example of Cuban Baroque architecture dating from the eighteenth century, step inside to observe the vaulted ceilings and the statue of St Christopher.

Plaza Vieja Havana Vieja

Catedral de San Cristóbal de La Habana Havana Vieja

On your way to Plaza de Armas, perhaps Old Havana’s most expansive square, veer unto Calle Obispo, known cross-country for its vibrant nightlife, effervescent atmosphere, and the famed Hemingway daiquiris at El Floridita. When in doubt, simply pause to soak it all in, a scene sought after by millions worldwide.

But in fact, in true Cuban spirit, Old Havana’s life spills out into the street. It’s the narrow alleyways with laundry strung through, the sounds of salsa and son, children roaring through the gutters. Take a chance to get lost. Peek inside a courtyard, or two. Step inside the real Havana. The treasures you’ll find are yours to keep.

Visit Old Havana on all of insightCuba's Cuba Tours. 

Written by Monica Suma
Photos by Robin Thom

Monica Suma is a freelance travel writer. Follow her on Twitter @monicasuma.