Cuba: main airports
Cuba has five airports with active connections. The main one is Havana Airport, the capital; Varadero is the main beach tourism airport, followed by Cayo Coco, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba, at the far east of the island.
Cuba: recommended activities
Cuba: visa and entry requirements
Since 1 January 2026, the e-Visa (evisacuba.cu) has been mandatory for almost all visitors, having replaced the traditional paper tourist card: it costs around 50 USD, takes up to 72 working hours to process and allows stays of up to 90 days. US citizens must also fall into one of the 12 categories authorised by OFAC (the US Treasury Department), the most common being 'Support for the Cuban People': in practice, staying in private homes (casas particulares) and eating in private restaurants (paladares) rather than state-run establishments, with an obligation to keep documentation of one's itinerary for 5 years.
Cuba: safety
Cuba is generally safe for tourists, with violent crime against visitors rare. Minor tourist scams are common (tampered taxi meters, unfavourable currency exchange on the street): use only official taxis and authorised money changers. Infrastructure, including electricity, can be subject to unscheduled outages even in tourist areas: bring a torch and don't rely solely on connectivity.
Cuba: health situation
No vaccination is mandatory for those arriving from Europe. Cuban health facilities are professionally competent but suffer from chronic shortages of medicines and basic supplies: bring a personal stock of common medications (painkillers, disinfectant, plasters) and travel insurance with medical coverage, as Cuba is among the few countries that explicitly require it on entry.
Cuba: currency, payments and connectivity
The currency is the Cuban peso (CUP), the sole legal tender since 2021 following the elimination of the CUC (convertible peso). International credit cards issued by US banks do not work in Cuba due to the embargo; even non-US cards have limited acceptance: bring enough cash for the entire stay, preferably euros, Canadian dollars or pounds sterling (cash US dollars incur a 10% conversion fee at the official exchange rate). There are no Western ride-hailing apps: official taxis (often the famous vintage cars) and local shared taxis are the main means of transport. Internet connectivity is limited and expensive: prepaid ETECSA Wi-Fi cards are bought at hotels or official offices. For driving, an International Driving Permit (IDP) is generally also required alongside the national one.
