Cuba - Lonely Planet [376]
See also Getting Started, for a list of useful internet resources on Cuba.
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LEGAL MATTERS
Cuban police are everywhere and they’re usually very friendly – more likely to ask you for a date than a bribe. Corruption is a serious offense in Cuba and typically no one wants to get messed up in it. Getting caught out without identification is never good; carry some around just in case (a driver’s license, a copy of your passport or student ID card should be sufficient).
Drugs are prohibited in Cuba though you may still get offered marijuana and cocaine on the streets of Havana. Penalties for buying, selling, holding or taking drugs are serious, and Cuba is making a concerted effort to treat demand and curtail supply; it is only the foolish traveler who partakes while on a Cuban vacation.
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MAPS
Signage is awful in Cuba so a good map is essential for drivers and cyclists alike. The comprehensive Guía de Carreteras (CUC$6), published in Italy, includes the best maps available in Cuba. It has a complete index, a detailed Havana map and useful information in English, Spanish, Italian and French. Handier is the all-purpose Automapa Nacional, available at hotel shops and car-rental offices.
The best map published outside Cuba is the Freytag & Berndt 1:1.25 million Cuba map. The island map is good, and it has indexed town plans of Havana, Playas del Este, Varadero, Cienfuegos, Camagüey and Santiago de Cuba.
For good basic maps, pick up one of the provincial Guías available in Infotur offices.
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MONEY
This is a tricky part of any Cuban trip and the double economy takes some getting used to. Two currencies circulate in Cuba: Convertible pesos (CUC$) and Cuban pesos (referred to as moneda nacional, abbreviated MN). Most things tourists pay for are in Convertibles (eg accommodation, rental cars, bus tickets, museum admission and internet access). At the time of writing, Cuban pesos were selling at 25 to one Convertible, and while there are many things you can’t buy with moneda nacional, using them on certain occasions means you’ll see a bigger slice of authentic Cuba. The prices in this book are in Convertibles unless otherwise stated.
Making everything a little more confusing, euros are also accepted at the Varadero, Guardalavaca, Cayo Largo del Sur, as well as Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo resorts, but once you leave the resort grounds, you’ll still need Convertibles. For information on costs, Click here, and for exchange rates go to the Quick Reference on the inside front cover of this book.
The best currencies to bring to Cuba are euros, Canadian dollars or pounds sterling (all liable to an 8% to 11.25% commission). The worst is US dollars and – despite the prices you might see posted up in bank windows – the commission you’ll get charged is a whopping 20% (the normal 10% commission plus an extra 10% penalty – often not displayed). At the time of writing, traveler’s checks issued by US banks could be exchanged at branches of Banco Financiero Internacional, but credit cards issued by US banks could not be used at all. Note that Australian dollars are not accepted anywhere in Cuba.
Cadeca branches in every city and town sell Cuban pesos. You won’t need more than CUC$10 worth of pesos a week. In addition to the offices located on the maps in this book, there is almost always a branch at the local agropecuario (vegetable market). If you get caught without Cuban pesos and are drooling for that ice-cream cone, you can always use Convertibles; in street transactions such as these, CUC$1 is equal to 25 pesos and you’ll receive change in pesos. There is no black market in Cuba, only hustlers trying to fleece you with money-changing scams (see boxed text,).
ATMs & Credit Cards
When the banks are open, the machines are working and the phone lines are live, credit cards are an option – as long as the cards are not issued by US banks. You will be charged an 11.25% fee on every credit-card