01_945598 ffirs.qxp 11/17/06 10:52 AM Page i Cuba 3rd Edition by Eliot Greenspan with Neil E. Schlecht Here’s what the critics say about Frommer’s: “Amazingly easy to use. Very portable, very complete.” —Booklist “Detailed, accurate, and easy-to-read information for all price ranges.” —Glamour Magazine “Hotel information is close to encyclopedic.” —Des Moines Sunday Register “Frommer’s Guides have a way of giving you a real feel for a place.” —Knight Ridder Newspapers 01_945598 ffirs.qxp 11/17/06 10:52 AM Page i Cuba 3rd Edition by Eliot Greenspan with Neil E. Schlecht Here’s what the critics say about Frommer’s: “Amazingly easy to use. Very portable, very complete.” —Booklist “Detailed, accurate, and easy-to-read information for all price ranges.” —Glamour Magazine “Hotel information is close to encyclopedic.” —Des Moines Sunday Register “Frommer’s Guides have a way of giving you a real feel for a place.” —Knight Ridder Newspapers 01_945598 ffirs.qxp 11/17/06 10:52 AM Page ii Published by: Wiley Publishing, Inc. 111 River St. Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774 Copyright © 2007 Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authoriza- tion through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978/750-8400, fax 978/646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, 317/572-3447, fax 317/572-4355, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions. Wiley and the Wiley Publishing logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates. Frommer’s is a trademark or registered trademark of Arthur Frommer. Used under license. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. ISBN: 978-0-471-94559-8 Editor: Billy Fox Production Editor: Eric T. Schroeder Cartographer: Guy Ruggiero Photo Editor: Richard Fox Anniversary Logo Design: Richard Pacifico Production by Wiley Indianapolis Composition Services Front cover photo: A bass player in Trinidad Back cover photo: A family holiday at Varadero For information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 800/762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317/572-3993 or fax 317/572-4002. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic formats. Manufactured in the United States of America 54321 02_945598 ftoc.qxp 11/17/06 10:53 AM Page iii Contents List of Maps vi What’s New in Cuba 1 1 The Best of Cuba 4 by Eliot Greenspan & Neil E. Schlecht 1 The Best Cuban Travel Experiences . .4 7 The Best Hotels . .10 2 The Best Historical Sights . .5 8 The Best Casas Particulares . .11 3 The Best of Natural Cuba . .7 9 The Best Restaurants & Paladares . .12 4 The Best Outdoor Adventures . .7 10 The Best of Cuban Nightlife . .13 5 The Best Beaches . .8 11 The Best of Cuba Online . .14 6 The Best Resort Hotels . .9 2 Planning Your Trip to Cuba 15 by Eliot Greenspan 1 The Regions in Brief . .15 Frommers.com: The Complete 2 Visitor Information . .18 Travel Resource . .37 Destination Cuba: Red Alert 10 The 21st-Century Traveler . .38 Checklist . .19 Online Traveler’s Toolbox . .40 3 Entry Requirements & Customs . .20 11 Getting There . .40 Gifts & Other Assistance . .22 12 Package Deals, Escorted Tours 4 Money . .24 & Special-Interest Vacations . .44 5 When to Go . .26 13 The Active Vacation Planner . .47 Calendar of Events . .27 14 Getting Around . .49 6 Travel Insurance . .29 15 Tips on Accommodations . .51 7 Health & Safety . .31 16 Tips on Dining . .52 8 Specialized Travel Resources . .33 17 Recommended Books, Film & Music . .54 Race Relations in Cuba . .34 Fast Facts: Cuba . .56 9 Planning Your Trip Online . .35 3 Suggested Cuba Itineraries 63 1 Cuba in 1 Week . .63 4 Colonial Treasures Highlights Tour . .68 2 Cuba in 2 Weeks . .65 5 Havana in 3 Days . .71 3 Cuba for Families . .67 02_945598 ftoc.qxp 11/17/06 10:53 AM Page iv iv CONTENTS 4 Havana 73 by Eliot Greenspan 1 Orientation . .74 Luis Posada Carriles . .110 Neighborhoods in Brief . .78 Frommer’s Favorite Havana 2 Getting Around . .80 Experiences . .112 Fast Facts: Havana . .83 6 Outdoor Pursuits . .115 3 Where to Stay . .85 7 Shopping . .117 4 Where to Dine . .98 8 Havana After Dark . .121 5 What to See & Do . .106 9 Side Trips from Havana . .125 A Quick Key to Havana’s Parks & Plazas . .108 5 Viñales & Western Cuba 126 by Eliot Greenspan 1 Pinar del Río . .126 4 Cayo Levisa . .140 Smoke ’Em If You Got ’Em . .129 5 María la Gorda . .141 2 Viñales . .130 6 Isla de la Juventud . .143 3 Sierra del Rosario Biosphere 7 Cayo Largo del Sur . .147 Reserve & San Diego de los Baños . .136 6 Varadero & Matanzas Province 150 by Eliot Greenspan 1 Matanzas . .150 3 The Zapata Peninsula & 2 Varadero . .153 Playa Girón . .166 The Bay of Pigs . .168 7 Trinidad & Central Cuba 171 by Eliot Greenspan & Neil E. Schlecht 1 Santa Clara . .171 Beny Moré . .183 Che Guevara . .174 3 Trinidad . .186 2 Cienfuegos . .179 4 Sancti Spíritus . .198 02_945598 ftoc.qxp 11/17/06 10:53 AM Page v CONTENTS v 8 Camagüey & the Northeastern Coast 205 by Eliot Greenspan & Neil E. Schlecht 1 Cayo Coco & Cayo Guillermo . .205 A Stopover in Morón . .211 A Bridge So Far . .206 2 Camagüey . .214 Papa & the Cayos . .209 9 El Oriente 226 by Eliot Greenspan & Neil E. Schlecht 1 Guardalavaca . .226 Goin’ (or Not) to Gitmo . .247 2 Bayamo & the Sierra Maestra . .238 3 Baracoa . .248 Dear Granma . .243 10 Santiago de Cuba 256 by Eliot Greenspan & Neil E. Schlecht 1 Orientation . .256 5 Where to Dine . .270 Santiago, City of Struggle 6 Shopping . .273 & Rebellion . .260 7 Santiago de Cuba After Dark . .274 2 Getting Around . .261 Carnival & Other Santiago Fast Facts: Santiago de Cuba . .262 Festivals . .275 3 What to See & Do . .263 8 Side Trips from Santiago 4 Where to Stay . .267 de Cuba . .277 Appendix A: Cuba in Depth 281 by Eliot Greenspan & Neil E. Schlecht 1 History 101 . .281 Afro-Cuban Percussion 2 Cuba Today . .286 Instruments . .294 3 Cuban Culture . .290 The Major Orishás . .297 Appendix B: Useful Spanish Terms & Phrases 298 1 Basic Words & Phrases . .298 3 Some Typically Cuban Words 2 More Useful Phrases . .300 & Phrases . .301 Index 302 02_945598 ftoc.qxp 11/17/06 10:53 AM Page vi List of Maps The Regions in Brief 16 Cienfuegos 181 Cuba in 1 Week/Cuba in 2 Weeks 64 Trinidad 187 Colonial Treasures 70 Sancti Spíritus 199 Havana at a Glance 75 Cayo Coco & Cayo Guillermo 207 La Habana Vieja & Centro Habana 77 Camagüey 215 Vedado 79 El Oriente 227 Playa 81 Bayamo 241 The Viñales Valley 131 Baracoa 249 Varadero 154 Santiago de Cuba 258 Santa Clara 173 03_945598 flast.qxp 11/17/06 10:53 AM Page vii Acknowledgements Big thanks to Billy Fox, who not only has a deft editorial hand, but is also a composer of and expert on Cuban music. Much of his experience and expertise made its way into this edition. 03_945598 flast.qxp 11/17/06 10:53 AM Page viii An Invitation to the Reader In researching this book, we discovered many wonderful places—hotels, restaurants, shops, and more. We’re sure you’ll find others. Please tell us about them, so we can share the information with your fellow travelers in upcoming editions. If you were disappointed with a recommenda- tion, we’d love to know that, too. Please write to: Frommer’s Cuba, 3rd Edition Wiley Publishing, Inc. • 111 River St. • Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774 An Additional Note Please be advised that travel information is subject to change at any time—and this is especially true of prices. We therefore suggest that you write or call ahead for confirmation when making your travel plans. The authors, editors, and publisher cannot be held responsible for the experi- ences of readers while traveling. Your safety is important to us, however, so we encourage you to stay alert and be aware of your surroundings. Keep a close eye on cameras, purses, and wallets, all favorite targets of thieves and pickpockets. About the Authors Eliot Greenspan is a poet, journalist, and travel writer who took his backpack and typewriter the length of Mesoamerica before settling in Costa Rica in 1992. Since then, he has worked steadily for the Tico Times and other local media. He is also the author of Frommer’s Belize, Frommer’s Costa Rica, and Frommer’s Guatemala, as well as Costa Rica For Dummies, and the chapter on Venezuela in Frommer’s South America. Neil E. Schlecht is the author and co-author of a dozen travel guides (including Spain For Dum- mies, Frommer’s South America, and Frommer’s Peru), as well as articles on art and culture and art catalogue essays, and is also a photographer. He now resides in northwestern Connecticut.