Cuba - Lonely Planet [87]
Culturally, there are loads of things specifically for kids, including La Colmenita children’s theater Click here and Cinecito with all-kids’ movies all the time.
The ice-cream parlors are a delight for children; you could also visit the scale-model Maqueta in Calle Mercaderes. Even the transport here is kid-friendly: hop in an old Chevy, grab a coco-taxi, commission a horse and cart around Habana Vieja or hire a bici-taxi and discover Havana.
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TOURS
Most general agencies offer the same tours, with some exceptions noted below. The regular tour diet includes a four-hour city tour (CUC$15), a specialized Hemingway tour (from CUC$20), a cañonazo ceremony (shooting of the cannons at the Fortaleza de San Carlos de la Cabaña; without/with dinner CUC$15/25), a Varadero day trip (from CUC$35) and, of course, excursions to Tropicana Nightclub (starting at CUC$65). Other options include tours to Boca de Guamá crocodile farm (CUC$48), Playas del Este (CUC$20 including lunch), Viñales (CUC$44), Cayo Largo del Sur (CUC$137) and a Trinidad-Cienfuegos overnight (CUC$129). Children usually pay a fraction of the price for adults and solo travelers get socked with a CUC$15 supplement. Note that if the minimum number of people don’t sign up, the trip will be cancelled. Any of the following agencies can arrange these tours and more:
Cubatur (Map; 835-4155; cnr Calles 23 & M, Vedado; 8am-8pm) Below the Hotel Habana Libre.
Havanatur (Map; 835-3720; cnr Calles 23 & M, Vedado)
Infotur Airport (off Map; 642-6101; Terminal 3 Aeropuerto Internacional José Martí; 24hr); Habana Vieja (Map; 863-6884; cnr Obispo & San Ignacio; 10am-1pm & 2-7pm); Habana Vieja (Map; 866-3333; Obispo btwn Bernaza & Villegas)
Paradiso (Map; 832-9538; Calle 19 No 560, Vedado) Tours with art emphasis in several languages and departing from many cities. Check out Martí’s Havana or special concert tours.
San Cristóbal Agencia de Viajes (Map; www.viajessancristobal.cu; 861-9171/2; Oficios No 110 btwn Lamparilla & Amargura, Habana Vieja; 8:30am-5:30pm Mon-Fri, 8:30am-2pm Sat, 9am-noon Sun) Offers the best tours in the city including a Havana archaeological tour (CUC$20 for two people) and a tour of the city’s valuable social projects.
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SLEEPING
With over 3000 private houses letting out rooms, you’ll never struggle to find accommodation in Havana. Casas particulares go for anywhere between CUC$20 and CUC$40 per room, with Centro Habana offering the best bargains. Rock-bottom budget hotels can match casas for price, but not comfort. There’s a dearth of decent hotels in the ‘mid’ price range, while Havana’s top-end hotels are plentiful and offer oodles of atmosphere, even if the overall standards can’t always match facilities elsewhere in the Caribbean.
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HAVANA’S FESTIVALS
Through hell and high water, Havana has always clung proudly to its annual calendar of festivals and events, many of which are internationally renowned cultural extravaganzas that draw in movers and shakers from around the globe.
February
Feria Internacional del Libro de La Habana Hosted at the Fortaleza de San Carlos de la Cabaña, ExpoCuba and various bookstores around the capital, the Havana Book Festival includes book presentations, special readings and the prestigious Premio Casa de las Américas, an award for outstanding writers of Latin American origin.
April
Festival Internacional de Coros Headquartered in the Teatro Amadeo Roldán and held in even-numbered years, the International Choir Festival brings together different choirs