Travel to Cuba

Exploring and Living in Cuba

Travel to Cuba

Despite the travel limitations imposed by the U.S. government, there has been a 54 percent increase in the number of visitors from the United States during the first six months of this year. A lot of people have skirted the travel restrictions by first going to countries like Mexico, Costa Rica, the Bahamas or Jamaica, and then on to Cuba. According to the Ministry of Cuban Tourism 88,996 Americans visited Cuba between January 1, 2015 and July 26, 2015. This is without counting the 164,368 Cuban Americans who traveled to the island during the same period of time. In 2014 only 57,768 visitors came from the U.S. It is predicted that by the end of 2015 almost four million tourists will have visited Cuba with around 150, 000 coming from the U.S. Indeed the country is becoming more and more popular due the improved relations with the U.S. and the fact that it is safe for Americans to travel there. Furthermore, it is widely believed that many of the tourists who traditionally visit Cancún, the Mayan Riviera, the Dominical Republic or the Bahamas will now visit Cuba instead. Tourism is one of the mainstays of the Cuban economy and it…
Tuesday, 28 July 2015 12:54

The Daiquiri has a new king

The famous Havana Bar El Floridita, one of the favorite watering holes of Ernest Hemingway, chose the new "King of the Daiquiri" (El Rey del Daiquiri) in a new international competition that began this year. Bartenders from the US, Argentina, Canada and Puerto Rico participated in this event for the first time. The 12 contestants were given five minutes to make their version of the classic daiquiri that consists of lemon juice, frappé ice and rum. Pedro Iván Rodríguez, who is Cuban and works in Havana's El Ajibe restaurant, won first place in the competition. Cubanbartenders also finished in second and third place. The winner, señor Rodriguez, was previously named the best bartender in the city of Havana in the year 2013 and said that it was an honor to compete at one of of the ten most famous bars in the world, El Floridita. The contest marked the first time in 60 years that a bartender from the United States was allowed to prepare a daiquiri due to the improved relationship between Cuba and the United States. In conjunction with the daiquiri contest another interesting event happened in Havana. The grave of the barman who served drinks for writer…
Saturday, 06 June 2015 18:15

Is it safe to travel to Cuba?

This is one of the first questions people from the U.S. will ask when they think about traveling to Cuba. When Cuba comes to mind many have an image of a sinister communist state where you can be detained for just looking at someone the wrong way. Well, that is not the case. The country and its people beckon tourists form the U.S. and will do to everything to make them feel at home. When the embargo is dropped visitors have more access to the country and be even more welcome. Many Americans have a general fear of Latin America due to the way the region has been depicted in movies and by the media. They think Latin America is a place of constant turmoil, full of bandidos and revolution after revolution. Granted there are certain pockets of Mexico, Northern Central America (El Salvador and Honduras), Venezuela and Colombia which are dangerous, but Cuba is probably the safest country in Latin America for tourists. For example, if a tourist is robbed or assaulted in Cuba the person committing the crime is subject to a double jail sentence. So if robbery carries a five year term, a person caught perpetrating a…
Planning a trip to Cuba? These days, Americans who want to visit the island can book a room onAirbnb.com, the home-stay website, and browse flights on CheapAir.com. In the fall, they may even be able to set sail by ferry from Miami at dusk and chug into the Bay of Havana in time for breakfast. These are options unimaginable six months ago, and they reflect the growing range of travel choices borne of the détente between the two countries. Since President Obama announced on Dec. 17 that his government would restore diplomatic relations with Cuba and further ease restrictions on travel there, Americans have been traveling to Cuba in perhaps their biggest numbers since Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution. “Everybody wants to go,” said Vivian Mannerud, chief executive of Airline Brokers Company, a travel agency that specializes in Cuba. She said Airline Brokers’ business had increased by about a third since December. “People see that this is all going to open up and they want to see Cuba before it becomes Cancún.”
By Jonathan J. Levin March 26 (Bloomberg) -- Cuba’s hotels could manage a sudden influx of 1 million American tourists if the U.S. Congress lifts its 47-year ban on travel to the Communist island, Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero said. Additionally, the Caribbean nation is set to expand its capacity of about 50,000 rooms, with groundbreaking scheduled for at least nine hotels in 2010, Marrero said. About 200,000 rooms may be added in the “medium to long-term,” he said. Cuba is also seeking investment partners for 10 golf courses and luxury hotels aimed at Americans, according to a ministry official.“I’m convinced that today, with the available capacity, we could be receiving the American tourists without any problem,” Marrero said in an interview yesterday in Cancun, Mexico where he was attending a conference of 40 American and Cuban tourist industry representatives. The tourism industry meeting comes as the U.S. Congress considers a law that would lift the ban on travel to Cuba.
By Fabiola Moura Sept. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Legislation to end a ban on Americans traveling to Cuba has enough support in the U.S. House of Representatives to win approval by year-end, said Representative Sam Farr, a California Democrat. The bill to let U.S. citizens resume travel to the Caribbean island except in times of war or cases in which they face imminent danger has 181 votes in the House and needs 218 to pass, said Farr, a co-sponsor of the legislation. The plan is backed by travel groups such as the United States Tour Operators Association and the National Tour Association and human rights groups such as the Washington Office on Latin America and has been helped by President Barack Obama’s election, he said. “It is believed we can get to this before the end of the year,” Farr, 68, said in an interview in New York. “We haven’t had a policy about Cuba. We’ve had policies about getting votes in Florida and Obama changed that by getting those votes.”
Iberostar Hotels & Resorts expands its presence in this nation with the opening of a new five-star hotel, the Iberostar Laguna Azul, located in the famous beach of Varadero. With this addition, the Spanish hotel chain already has six establishments in the island.Iberostar Laguna Azul 814 total rooms, among which 24 suites, 82 pairs of connecting rooms and 8 specially designed for handicapped people. It also has many sports facilities to practice any sport (tennis, archery, beach volleyball, paddle, kayaks, windsurfing, water polo, snorkelling ...).According to the company said in a statement, the hotel also has six pools, and offers a comprehensive range of leisure activities specially designed by the animation team, the Starfriends. Younger also enjoy fun games at the Mini Club (4 to 12 years) and fantastic live shows in the theater of animation.
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