Havana

Havana (La Habana) is the capital city of Cuba, and one of the fourteen provinces of the Republic of Cuba. Old Havana still has much of interest however and strolling the area is like walking through a time capsule from the early part of last century. The city hosts some fantastic pieces of architecture and other interesting sights and friends of find a large choice to visit. Havana has a swinging nightlife, with cinemas, historic theatres, cabarets, nightclubs and music venues that will exhaust even the most hardened campaigner. There's less traffic and less commercialisation than choke your average Latin American city. But from the rough brilliance of Old Havana to residential areas ranging from shabby to demanding demolition, the exuberant friendliness of Havana's inhabitants is something that will never be forgotten by the visitor.

As a tourist, the most convenient way of getting around Havana is by taxi. Some of the taxis are old American Chevys from the 1950's, others are (somewhat) newer Russian Ladas, whilst most tourist taxis are modern Peugeots, Skodas and even Mercedes.

It is illegal for tourists to ride in anything other than the official government taxis. However, its is often easier to wave down one of the old Chevys or Ladas. When riding in an illegal taxi, negotiate the fare ahead of time. The fare in illegal taxis will be no cheaper than the official taxi fare. Around the city, taking illegal taxis should be no problem. However, taking an illegal taxi to or from the airport may attract the attention of the police.

Taxi collectivos are the old, beaten-up yank-tanks with a taxi sign on the roof or in the front window. Tourists are not supposed to take them, but you will rarely run into problems and they are a fun and cheap alternative to the state-run taxis. They have set fares and run set routes, so you may need some assistance when taking them the first few times. Fares vary from 10 CUP for a short (5 km) run during the day to 20 CUP for a longer run or at night. The drivers are generally honest regarding the fares, but it is best not to appear oblivious by asking how much at the end of the trip. Always watch what the other passengers give and if in doubt give 10 CUP, and if he asks for another 10 then hand it over. There can be a long wait trying to get a taxi collectivo as they are very popular with Cubans and often full, but the experience and savings make it worthwhile. Coco Taxis and yellow three wheel motorbikes, are a cheap way of getting around central Havana.