Cuba - Lonely Planet [370]
Cubamar also rents mobile homes (campervans) called autocaravanas, which sleep four adults and two children. Prices are around CUC$165 per day (but vary according to type, season and number of days required) including insurance (plus CUC$400 refundable deposit). You can park these campers wherever it’s legal to park a regular car. There are 21 campismos or hotels that have Campertour facilities giving you access to electricity and water. These are a great alternative for families.
Renegade cyclists aside, few tourists tent camp in Cuba. Yet, the abundance of beaches, plus the helpfulness and generosity of Cubans make camping surprisingly easy and rewarding. Beach camping means insanely aggressive jejenes (sand fleas) and mosquitoes. The repellent sold locally just acts as a marinade for your flesh, so bring something strong – DEET-based if you’re down with chemicals. Camping supplies per se don’t exist; bring your own or improvise.
Casas Particulares
Private rooms are the best option for independent travelers in Cuba and a great way of meeting the locals on their home turf. Furthermore, staying in these venerable, family-orientated establishments will give you a far more open and less censored view of the country with its guard down, and your understanding (and appreciation) of Cuba will grow far richer as a result. Casa owners also often make excellent tour guides.
You’ll know houses renting rooms by the blue insignia on the door marked ‘Arrendador Divisa.’ There are thousands of casas particulares all over Cuba; 3000 in Havana alone and nearly 400 in Trinidad. From penthouses to historical homes, all manner of rooms are available from CUC$15 to CUC$35. Although some houses will treat you like a business paycheck, the vast majority of casa owners are warm, open and impeccable hosts.
Government regulation of casas is intense and it’s illegal to rent out private rooms in resort areas. Owners pay CUC$100 to CUC$250 per room per month depending on location; plus extra for off-street parking, to post a sign advertising their rooms and to serve meals. These taxes must be paid whether the rooms are rented or not. Owners must keep a register of all guests and report each new arrival within 24 hours. For these reasons, you will find it hard to bargain for rooms. You will also be requested to produce your passport (not a photocopy). Penalties are high for infractions, and updated regulations in 2004 restricted casas to two people (excluding minors under 17) per room and only two rooms per house. Regular government inspections ensure that conditions inside casas remain clean, safe and secure. Most proprietors offer breakfast and dinner for an extra rate. Hot showers are a prerequisite. In general, rooms these days provide at least two beds (one is usually a double), a fridge, air-con, a fan and private bath. Bonuses could include a terrace or patio, private entrance, TV, security box, kitchenette and parking space.
Due to the plethora of casas particulares in Cuba, it has been impossible to include even a fraction of the total in this book. The ones chosen are a combination of reader recommendations and local research. If one casa is full, they’ll almost always be able to recommend you to someone else down the road.
Hotels
All tourist hotels and resorts are at least 51% owned by the Cuban government and are administered by one of five main organizations. Islazul is the cheapest and most popular with Cubans (who pay in Cuban pesos). Although the facilities can be variable at these establishments and the architecture a tad Sovietesque, Islazul hotels