The Cuban National Peso
The Cuban National Peso (CUP) or Moneda Nacional or in English Nacional Money.
The Cuban Peso is used mainly by the Cubans to buy fruits and vegetables in the markets, a pizza on the street, for city bus fares, and to pay the gas, telephone and electricity bills. Most wages are paid in Cuban Peso’s.
There are banknotes of 1, 3, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 pesos, coins come in 1 centavo, 2 centavos, 5 centavos, 20 centavos, 1 peso and 3 pesos.
1 Convertible Peso = approximately 22 Cuban pesos
You can acquire ‘Pesos Convertibles’ at the airport, banks, various hotel lobbies and at the money exchange offices, called “CADECA” (you can find these offices everywhere in the country). You can also get Cuban National Pesos (CUP) in the CADECA or at any local bank.
All Cuban money is only valid inside Cuba, importation and exportation is not allowed.
In tourist facilities and other service units, prices are set in Cuban Convertible Pesos (CUC). In Varadero, Cayo Largo del Sur, Jardines del Rey (Coco and Guillermo Keys), Santa Lucía and Covarrubias Beaches as well as in the province Holguín (tourist resorts on the northern coastline), Euros will mostly be accepted.
Most likely you will find yourself in a situation where you are asked to pay in CUC for products priced in Moneda Nacional so be careful what you pay with!
Cuba Currency
Cuba has two different currencies: The Cuban Convertible Peso or CUC. The visitor will mostly pay in Convertible Cuban Peso. The CUC can be exchanged for a number of foreign currencies – only notes, coins are not accepted – like the EURO, Swiss Franc and English Pound, US Dollar (vice versa). The exchange of the US Dollar in cash will be charged with a gravamen of 10% on top of the established bank commissions (not applied on transactions with credit or debit cards). Most items relevant to tourism like hotels, car hire, most restaurants, supermarket goods, Cristal (local) beer and Copellia ice cream etc. are all paid in CUC.
There are banknotes of 1, 3, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 pesos, coins come in 5, 10, 25 and 50 Cents and 1 peso.
Visit Old Havana
With an architectural heritage straddling more than five centuries, La Habana Vieja or in English Old Havana is a practical time machine of styles and cosmopolitan splendor. While the area’s sights are big hits with toursists, such as Plaza de Armas the oldest square in Old Havana and the site of the city’s birthplace, El Templete is by far the oldest neo-classical building in Havana, Casa de la Obra Pia, with its baroque portico, carved in Cadiz in 1686 which today it houses a museum of 18th century furniture and household goods and the Covento de Santa Clara, for all intents and purposes a nunnery with rammed-terracotta walls and beautiful design. We must not forget the electrifying daily street life in Old Havana which can captivate visitors time and again.
Florida Hotel Havana 5 ***** Calle L e/ 23 y 25 Vedado, Havana, Cuba Sol Melia
Hotel Mercure Sevilla Havane 4**** Calle Trocadero 55, Old Havana, Havana, Cuba Mercure
Iberostar Parque Central 5 ***** Neptuno Prado y Zulueta, Old Havana, Havana, Cuba Iberostar
Hotel Park View 3 *** Calle Colon esq a Morro, Old Havana, Havana, Cuba Habaguanex
Saratoga Hotel Havana 5 ***** Prado 603, esq. a Dragones, Old Havana, Havana, Cuba Habaguanex
Hotel Telegrafo 4 **** Prado 408 Esq. Neptuno Habana Vieja, Old Havana
Hotel Saint John’s 3 *** Calle O e/ 23 y 25, Vedado, Havana, Cuba Gran Caribe
Los Frailes Boutique Hotel Havana 3 *** Calle Teniente Rey No. 8, Old Havana, Havana, Cuba Habaguanex
Florida Hotel Havana 4 **** Calle Obispo esq. a Cuba, Old Havana, Havana, Cuba
Valencia Hostal Havana 2 ** Calle Oficios 53 Esq. a Obrapia, Old Havana, Havana, Cuba
Armadores de Santander 4 **** Calle Luz 4, Esq. San Pedro, Old Havana, Havana, Cuba Habaguanex
Hotel Lincoln 3 *** Virtudes 157 Esq A Galiano, Old Havana, Havana, Cuba Islazul
Hostal Conde de Villanueva 4 **** Mercaderes 202, Old Havana, Havana, Cuba
Hotel Raquel 4 **** Calle Amargura 103 esquina a San Ignacio, Old Havana, Havana, Cuba
Hotel Plaza Havana 4 **** Calle Ignacio Agramante 267, Old Havana, Havana, Cuba Gran Caribe
Hotel Inglaterra 4 **** Prado Esquina San Rafael 416, Old Havana, Havana, Cuba Gran Caribe
Hostal San Miguel 4 **** Calle Cuba No 2, Esquina Pena Pobre, Old Havana, Havana, Cuba
El Meson de la Flota 2 ** Calle Mercaderes Entre Amargur 257, Old Havana, Havana, Cuba
Hostal Beltran de Santa Cruz 3 *** San Ignacio 411 entre Muralla y Sol, Old Havana, Havana, Cuba
Hotel Ambos Mundos 4 **** Calle Obispo No. 153 esq. a Mercaderes, Old Havana, Havana, Cuba
Hotel Santa Isabel Havana 5 ***** Baratillo 9 Entre Obispo Y Narciso Lopez, Old Havana, Havana, Cuba
Hotel Marques de Prado Ameno 4 **** Calle O’Reilly esq. a Cuba, Old Havana, Havana, Cuba
Hostal Del Tejadillo 3 *** Calle Tejadillo 12, Old Havana, Havana, Cuba
Hotel Deauville 3 *** Calle Galiano 1, Old Havana, Havana, Cuba
Caribbean Hotel Havana 2 ** Paseo Del Prado No 164 Y Refugio, Old Havana, Havana, Cuba
Palacio del Marques de San Felipe y Santiago de Bejucal 2 ** Calle de los Oficios No.152 Esquina a Mercaderes, Old Havana, Havana, Cuba
Hostal El Comendador 3 *** Calle Obrapia 55, Esq a Baratillo, Old Havana, Havana, Cuba
Palacio O’Farrill 4 **** Calle Esquina A Chacon 102-108, Old Havana, Havana, Cuba
Hotel Lido 2 ** Consulado 210e Animas y Trocadero, Old Havana, Havana, Cuba Islazul
Book your hotel in Havana now to avoid disappointment
See All Old Havana Hotels from Cuba Travel Services or Car Rental in Old Havana
Gangsters Paradise Hotel Nacional
Havana’s most famous or maybe infamous hotel, and the only one in Cuba that’s now a national monument, the Hotel National Havana first opened its doors in 1930 and has been frequented by the rich, famous and downright mischievous ever since, there’s and air of history as you walk through the lobby in the knowledge that you’re following in the footsteps of so many famous people, including Winston Churchill or Al Capone. Head to the Hotel Nacional hotel bar Called La Terraza, which out on a beautiful garden with magnificent views of the Malecón and seafront. Book Hotel Nacional de Cuba now at the lowest possible rate with Cuba Travel Services!
Havana Chocolate Museum
The Museo del Chocolate (Havana Chocolate Museum) is located on Calle Mercaderes, esquina Amarguraa. Here you can find some nice artifacts relating to the history of chocolate in Cuba. It’s a lovely place to stop for a break and get a quick drink, whether you opt for a warming cup of thick (we mean very) hot chocolate or a soothing glass of cold chocolate milkshake. You can also watch chocolates being fabricated at the rear of the premises. Make sure you buy some truffles to take back to your hotel. Book this tour with Cuba Travel Services using our chat system.
See a Baseball Game
Taking a visit to a Cuban ballpark during the Serie Nacional de Béisbol which is played late October to April will certainly give you an introductory glance at Cuba’s main national sporting obsession. The baseball play-offs are also popular and are usually played around April and May time and are a relaxing break into baseball’s past. Havana’s two major league teams in the Serie Nacional are the Metropolitanos and Industriales, the latter the most victorious team in the league’s history. The home stadium for both teams is the Estadio Latinoamericano, which is changed into a veritable heat during the local games. To get an idea how seriously Cubans take their baseball, and how crazy they can be about it, head for Parque Central on the edge of La Habana Vieja to experience the daily gathering of baseball aficionados arguing passionately over the game, plays and which players are best (or not)…
Tropicana Cabaret
Tropicana Cabaret is Havana’s answer to Vegas where song and dance shows are performed by G-stringed dancers to the intoxicating Cuban rhythms. Tropicana Cabaret has a huge popularity with foreign tourists. Dress appropriately for Tropicana Cabaret and the second cabaret in Havana called Copa Room at Hotel Riviera, Malecón, esquina Pasea, Verdado where you can see some of Havana’s best musical groups perform at the weekends but the real hotspot has to be the Cabaret Tropicana Calle 72 #4504, Linea del Ferrocarril which is tucked away in the western neighborhood of Marianao, it’s the grandest of Havana’s cabarets with an outdoor theatre seating up to 900 with various seating positions available.
American Car Tour Havana
What’s the first thing that enters your mind when you think of Cuba? Rum, Cigars? Or cruising around town in a 1950’s classic American car ? For some visitors it’s the only way to take in the sights. Ask your driver to cruise along the Havana Malecón, the boardwalk or ocean road lined with lovers, fisherman and people just looking out to sea (not sure at what…) set against a backdrop of beautiful colonial and art deco buildings.
Bookable through us whenever you wish
Listen to Music In Havana
It’s best to take a peek at Havana’s historic music halls and clubs in order to best understand the evolution of Cuban music. El Gato Tuerto on Calle O, entre 17 y 19 is a club with a robust tradition. During the untamed nights of the 1950s it was one of the main haunts of the writers and singers. These days it’s a prominent venue for bolero music, and the repertoire usually features first-rate artists who play three sets with interludes until 4am. For a bit of real old-time spirit head to the Salón 1930 ‘Compay Segundo’ at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, Calle P, esquina 21. A luxurious hall at the Hotel Nacional which was the place to see the original Buena Vista Social Club in Havana a few years back, and even though the big names of the Buena Vista Project have deceased, the remaining musicians of the group are masters in their instruments and play with real enthusiasm.
Cigar Factory Visit
Cuba produces the best tobacco in the world; and Cuban cigars bring millions of tourists to Havana each year. Of the major cultivating areas, Vuelta Abajo in the Pinar del Río Province and Vuelta Arriba in the Villa Clara Province are considered to have the best tobacco plants in Cuba. Havana, on the other hand, is cigar city, home to the HABANO. This is where the torcido or rolling takes place, transforming the tobacco leaves, now already dried and aged, into the famous habano cigars. We offer guided tours, the best is at the Partagas factory on Calle Industria #520, entre Dragones y Barcelona, Centro Habana.
