Travel guide Cuba
The best time to go à Cuba
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Practical information for travel à Cuba
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What to see what to do à Cuba?
Where to go à Cuba?
The most beautiful tourist sites
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Petit Futé's best addresses à Cuba
Discover the most beautiful addresses selected by the authors of Petit Futé.
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Featured articles de Cuba
Which Caribbean island to choose for a holiday in the sun? Our advice
Published on 30/09/2025 Ideas for holidays & weekend
From the endless beaches of Cuba to the bustling resorts of the Dominican Republic, from the verdant mountains of Jamaica to the Creole flavours of Martinique, every Caribbean island has its own charm....
La Havane et Varadero, culture et fiesta à Cuba
Updated on 22/09/2025 Ideas for holidays & weekend
Une chose est sûre, malgré tous les soubresauts de son histoire, Cuba n'a rien perdu de son charme, elle est même plus fascinante que jamais. Prenez votre billet, il est temps de découvrir ce pays,...
What to do and see in Cuba The 17 must-sees in 2025
Published on 23/05/2025 Activities and experiences
Cuba is a jewel in the heart of the Caribbean. Whether for its history, its unique culture or the Caribbean beauty of its landscapes, Cuba resonates as a destination to be discovered. From bustling...
How to travel à Cuba
How to go alone
It is easy and safe to travel alone in Cuba, which is one of the safest destinations in Latin America, including for women traveling alone. However, it is advisable to be cautious in large cities such as Havana or Santiago, where robberies can occur, but this is rare. It is possible to travel throughout the country without problems and to organize your travel once in Cuba, no area is inadvisable.
How to go on a tour
Many tour operators and receptive agencies offer trips to Cuba. They are mainly by bus and in groups. Self-tours allow you to cover the whole country in two weeks for a good quality-price ratio. It is possible to make thematic stays mixing seaside resorts and colonial cities with more cultural visits, and not only idleness.
How to get around
The best way to get around Cuba is with the buses of the national company Viazul. Comfortable, they serve the main cities of the country. However, due to the state of some roads and the different stops, the trips can be very long, up to 16 hours between Havana and Santiago de Cuba! To go to more remote areas, it is recommended to hire the services of a private driver in town. Trains, which are very slow, should be avoided and domestic flights are not very safe.
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Travel à Cuba
Ideas for holidays and week-end breaks à Cuba
Les possibilités d'itinéraires sont très nombreuses à Cuba. En définitive, votre route dépendra du rapport entre deux éléments dont vous disposez : le temps et l'argent, le second pouvant vous faire gagner du premier ! Le temps est en effet une denrée précieuse à Cuba, au sens où le transport peut s'avérer problématique, les services publics étant peu efficaces à ce niveau là. Si les bus de la compagnie Viazul sont fiables et plutôt ponctuels, ils ne sont pas rapides et pas aussi fréquents qu'ils ont pu l'être par le passé. Dès lors, le meilleur moyen de voyager est encore la voiture. Véhicule de location, taxi officiel, vieille voiture (américaine ou russe) avec chauffeur privatisée, colectivo (voiture partagée avec d'autres voyageurs)... A vous de choisir ! Sachez tout de même que si vous disposez d'un temps limité, un véhicule privatisé (avec ou sans chauffeur) est la meilleure option. Voici à présent quelques idées de séjours !
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Discover Cuba
This section has been designed to give you a comprehensive overview of the destination. You'll learn more about the unique history of this Caribbean island, as well as its geography, landforms, flora and fauna. We'll also do our utmost to present the Cuban people from a variety of angles: cultural, artistic, gastronomic, societal, religious and more. We've also included a special report on shopping in Cuba to save you time, and a special report on the production of Cuban cigars - which are quite simply some of the best on the planet - which will inspire you to take a trip to Viñales to visit the tobacco plantations, or to visit a cigar factory to learn more about the Cuban cigar industry. Enjoy your visit!
The 12 keywords à Cuba
Baseball
Baseball is considered Cuba's national sport. It first appeared on the island in the streets of Havana at the end of the 19th century, and has continued to attract more and more players ever since. Official matches were soon organized in Matanzas, before a championship was created in 1914. In 2024, Cuba ranked 10th in the world!
Cabarets
The most famous of Cuban cabarets is undoubtedly the Tropicana in Havana, with a reputation comparable to that of the Folies Bergères. Most cabarets are located in large hotels, and their shows vary from one establishment to another, but generally reflect the Cuban temperament, oscillating between festivity and sensuality. A must-see!
Cigars
Jean-Paul Sartre once wrote that jazz is like Havana cigars: you have to "consume it on the spot". And when it comes to tobacco, Cuba has no rivals. Cigar producers benefit from ideal climatic conditions. In Cuba, cigars are a national monument. You'll find the best-stocked cigar stores in the world... and the best prices!
Crocodile
Some people see in the shape of the island of Cuba the silhouette of a crocodile... But you will really see them if you walk around the province of Matanzas where one of the largest breeding centers in the world of these green caimans is located. The island even has its own species, the Cuban crocodile, which reaches 3.5 meters in length as an adult.
Descarga
The descarga is the French version of a jam session. This meeting of improvised musicians, where each one gives the best of himself, allows to forget his daily life by devoting himself without restraint to the rhythm and to the party. You will easily find descargas during your trip to Cuba.
Crossbreeding
For many sociologists, Cuba is an example of successful miscegenation, in that racial tensions are particularly low compared to other American countries. In a country where most religions and origins are mixed, the Cuban revolution has succeeded in virtually eliminating racial antagonisms.
Beaches
Bordered by the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, Cuba offers almost 4,000 km of coastline for almost as many kilometers of magical beaches. White, yellow or black sand, coupled with transparent, warm water, will brighten up your stay. Deserted or developed beaches, happiness has a name: Cuba.
Revolution
The word revolution still has meaning in contemporary Cuba. Many towns still bear the scars of clashes between the men led by Fidel Castro and the army of former dictator Fulgencio Batista in the late 1950s. Many Cubans maintain that the revolution is far from over, and that the struggle continues.
Santería
On September 16, 1687, the Church ordered priests in Cuba to adjust African religious beliefs to Catholic practices. The slaves exploited on the island were thus urged to replace the orishas, divinities venerated by the Yoruba religion, with Christian figures. Thus was born the santería, still prevalent in Cuba today.
Són
The fruit of Afro-Hispanic fusion, this Cuban musical style combines the rhythms of the island's two points. Són was first played in Santiago de Cuba by a trio of musicians. Twenty years later, it arrived in Havana, its tempo accelerated and the number of musicians increased to six. It was soon exported, first to Europe, then to the United States...
Time
Time seems to have stopped in Cuba: the American cars of the 1950s, the architecture, the furniture, the fashion... The nonchalance of the Cubans, their quiet walk, reinforces the first impression. Delays are very common and accepted, because if everyone knows when they are leaving, no one can really predict the time of their arrival.
Privacy Policy
Privacy is a very relative concept in Cuba. Most of the time, Cubans are forced to live in large numbers under the same roof, but they are very rarely alone. Some Cubans do not even understand the need to isolate themselves from this turbulent and noisy social life. Cubans like to be surrounded by people all the time, even if they are strangers.
You are from here, if...
No matter howunfavorable the circumstances, you never get angry or stormy. On the contrary, you keep calm and smile. As you well know, patience is a powerful weapon in Cuba!
If you're invited out to dinner or dancing , you take great care to dress appropriately. On the other hand, you never turn down an invitation to drink or dine.
You're suspicious when you're offered all kinds of goods on the street, especially cigars and rum, at excessively low prices.
You don't drink tap water! You never eat fruit or vegetables that haven't been washed beforehand, because your stomach remembers the last time you had gastroenteritis.
You never waste anything. The many periods of deprivation and famine have taught you to respect food and drink.
You don't hesitate to wiggle your pelvis at the first note of salsa!
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