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    Berlitz Pocket Guide Cuba (Travel Guide eBook)
    Berlitz Pocket Guide Cuba (Travel Guide eBook)
    Berlitz Pocket Guide Cuba (Travel Guide eBook)
    Ebook370 pages2 hours

    Berlitz Pocket Guide Cuba (Travel Guide eBook)

    By Berlitz

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    About this ebook

    Berlitz Pocket Guides: iconic style, a bestselling brand, this is the quintessential pocket-sized travel guide to Cuba, and now comes with a bi-lingual dictionary


    Plan your trip, plan perfect days and discover how to get around - this pocket-sized guide with new bi-lingual dictionary is a convenient, quick-reference companion to discovering what to do and see in Cuba, from top attractions like Havana and Varadero to hidden gems. This will save you time, and enhance your exploration of this fascinating country.


    Compact, concise, and packed with essential information, this is an iconic on-the-move companion when you're exploring Cuba
    Covers Top Ten Attractions, including Baracoa, Trinidad and the Vi ales Valley and Perfect Day itinerary suggestions
    Nifty new bi-lingual dictionary section makes this the perfect portable package for short trip travellers
    Includes an insightful overview of landscape, history and culture
    Handy colour maps on the inside cover flaps will help you find your way around
    Essential practical information on everything from Eating Out to Getting Around
    Inspirational colour photography throughout
    Sharp design and colour-coded sections make for an engaging reading experience

    About Berlitz: Berlitz draws on years of travel and language expertise to bring you a wide range of travel and language products, including travel guides, maps, phrase books, language-learning courses, dictionaries and kids' language products.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherInsight Guides
    Release dateDec 1, 2018
    ISBN9781785731686
    Berlitz Pocket Guide Cuba (Travel Guide eBook)
    Author

    Berlitz

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      Book preview

      Berlitz Pocket Guide Cuba (Travel Guide eBook) - Berlitz

      How To Use This E-Book

      Getting Around the e-Book

      This Pocket Guide e-book is designed to give you inspiration and planning advice for your visit to Cuba, and is also the perfect on-the-ground companion for your trip.

      The guide begins with our selection of Top 10 Attractions, plus a Perfect Itinerary feature to help you plan unmissable experiences. The Introduction and History chapters paint a vivid cultural portrait of Cuba, and the Where to Go chapter gives a complete guide to all the sights worth visiting. You will find ideas for activities in the What to Do section, while the Eating Out chapter describes the local cuisine and gives listings of the best restaurants. The Travel Tips offer practical information to help you plan your trip. Finally, there are carefully selected hotel listings.

      In the Table of Contents and throughout this e-book you will see hyperlinked references. Just tap a hyperlink once to skip to the section you would like to read. Practical information and listings are also hyperlinked, so as long as you have an external connection to the internet, you can tap a link to go directly to the website for more information.

      Maps

      All key attractions and sights in Cuba are numbered and cross-referenced to high-quality maps. Wherever you see the reference [map], tap once to go straight to the related map. You can also double-tap any map for a zoom view.

      Images

      You’ll find lots of beautiful high-resolution images that capture the essence of Cuba. Simply double-tap an image to see it in full-screen.

      About Berlitz Pocket Guides

      The Berlitz story began in 1877 when Maximilian Berlitz devised his revolutionary method of language learning. More than 130 years later, Berlitz is a household name, famed not only for language schools but also as a provider of best-selling language and travel guides.

      Our wide-ranging travel products – printed travel guides and phrase books, as well as apps and ebooks – offer all the information you need for a perfect trip, and are regularly updated by our team of expert local authors. Their practical emphasis means they are perfect for use on the ground. Wherever you’re going – whether it’s on a short break, the trip of a lifetime, a cruise or a business trip – we offer the ideal guide for your needs.

      Our Berlitz Pocket Guides are the perfect choice if you need reliable, concise information in a handy format. We provide amazing value for money – these guides may be small, but they are packed with information. No wonder they have sold more than 45 million copies worldwide.

      © 2018 Apa Digital (CH) AG and Apa Publications (UK) Ltd

      Table of Contents

      Cuba’s Top 10 Attractions

      Top Attraction #1

      Top Attraction #2

      Top Attraction #3

      Top Attraction #4

      Top Attraction #5

      Top Attraction #6

      Top Attraction #7

      Top Attraction #8

      Top Attraction #9

      Top Attraction #10

      A Perfect Day In Havana

      Introduction

      Legacy of the Revolution

      Cuban Reality

      Paradise Island

      A Brief History

      Piracy and trade

      The road to independence

      False independence

      The road to revolution

      Fidel’s Cuba

      The Special Period

      A new era

      Historical landmarks

      Where To Go

      Havana (La Habana)

      Old Havana (La Habana Vieja)

      Plaza de la Catedral

      Plaza de Armas

      Calle Obispo

      Plaza Vieja

      Capitolio

      The Prado

      Havana’s forts

      New Havana

      Centro

      Vedado

      Plaza de la Revolución

      Miramar

      Havana’s outskirts

      Pinar del Río Province

      Pinar del Río

      Viñales

      Islands north & south

      Matanzas Province

      Varadero

      Matanzas and Cárdenas

      Zapata Peninsula

      Central Cuba

      Cienfuegos

      Trinidad

      Around Trinidad

      Sierra del Escambray

      Sancti Spíritus

      Santa Clara

      Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo

      Camagüey

      Playa Santa Lucía

      Oriente: The East

      Holguín Province

      Santiago de Cuba

      Old Santiago

      Around Santiago

      Guantánamo Province

      Baracoa

      What To Do

      Entertainment

      Live music performances

      Cabaret

      Dance

      Discos

      Bars and cafés

      Classical repertoire

      Shopping

      Souvenirs to buy

      Sports

      Watersports

      Spectator sports

      Cuba for children

      Calendar of events

      Eating Out

      Where to eat

      What to eat

      What to drink

      Reading the Menu

      To help you order…

      …And read the menu

      Restaurants

      Old Havana

      Centro, Vedado and Miramar

      Viñales

      Varadero

      Cienfuegos

      Trinidad

      Camagüey

      Guardalavaca

      Santiago de Cuba

      Baracoa

      A–Z Travel Tips

      A

      Accommodation

      Airports (see Getting there)

      B

      Bicycle hire

      Budgeting for your trip

      C

      Camping

      Car hire

      Climate

      Clothing

      Crime and safety (see also Emergencies and Police)

      D

      Driving

      E

      Electricity

      Embassies

      Emergencies (see also Health and medical care and Police)

      G

      Getting there (see also Airports)

      Guides and tours

      H

      Health and medical care (see also Emergencies)

      Hitch-hiking

      L

      Language

      LGBTQ travellers

      M

      Maps

      Media

      Money

      O

      Opening hours

      P

      Police

      Post offices

      Public holidays

      R

      Religion

      T

      Telephones

      Time zones

      Tipping

      Toilets

      Tourist information

      Transport

      V

      Visas and entry requirements

      W

      Websites

      Recommended Hotels

      Havana

      Old Havana

      Vedado

      Pinar del Río Province

      Isla de la Juventud

      Cayo Largo

      Matanzas Province

      Varadero

      Zapata Peninsula

      Central Cuba

      Cienfuegos

      Trinidad

      Cayo Coco

      Cayo Guillermo

      Camagüey

      Playa Santa Lucía

      Oriente: The East

      Guardalavaca

      Santiago de Cuba

      Baracoa

      Casas Particulares (Private Lodgings)

      Havana

      Trinidad

      Santiago de Cuba

      Viñales

      Santa Clara

      Baracoa

      Dictionary

      English–Spanish

      Spanish–English

      Cuba’s Top 10 Attractions

      Top Attraction #1

      Shutterstock

      Music

      In various traditional styles, live music can be heard all over the island. For more information, click here.

      Top Attraction #2

      iStock

      Baracoa

      A picturesque coastal town in the far east of Cuba. For more information, click here.

      Top Attraction #3

      iStock

      Plaza de la Catedral

      An impressive stage set at the heart of the Old City of Havana. For more information, click here.

      Top Attraction #4

      Dreamstime

      Beaches

      Beautiful white-sand beaches abound, from Varadero to Playa Esmeralda, Playa Ancón to Cayo Largo.

      Top Attraction #5

      Shutterstock

      Casa Museo de Ernest Hemingway

      Where things remain just as the author left them. For more information, click here.

      Top Attraction #6

      Dreamstime

      El Morro

      Santiago’s well-preserved fort. For more information, click here.

      Top Attraction #7

      Sylvaine Poitau/Apa Publications

      Camagüey

      The streets and squares of Cuba’s third city have been restored to their former glory. For more information, click here.

      Top Attraction #8

      Getty Images

      The Prado

      Grand old buildings flank the loveliest avenue in Old Havana. For more information, click here.

      Top Attraction #9

      Sylvaine Poitau/Apa Publications

      Trinidad

      Frozen in time, this city is an enchanting colonial gem and a World Heritage Site. For more information, click here.

      Top Attraction #10

      Sylvaine Poitau/Apa Publications

      Viñales Valley

      Visit tobacco fields and mogotes. For more information, click here.

      A Perfect Day In Havana

      8.00am

      Breakfast

      Fortify yourself for the day ahead with a good breakfast at your hotel or casa particular. Tuck into tropical fruits, such as mango, papaya or guava, sliced or juiced, followed by eggs, bread and local honey or jam.

      9.00am

      Parque Central and Capitolio

      Start your day at the centre around the Parque. Admire the magnificent Gran Teatro, the Hotel Inglaterra and the imposing Capitolio. Pop into the Museo Nacional Palacio de Bellas Artes to see Latin America’s largest collection of antiquities, as well as works by Goya, Rubens and Turner.

      11.00am

      Cathedral

      Visit the Cathedral where Columbus’ bones once resided and have coffee at El Patio restaurant in the Plaza, a magnificent colonial square with street entertainers.

      11.30am

      Plaza de Armas to Plaza Vieja

      Walk to the Plaza de Armas, stroll round the second-hand book market and visit the Museo de la Ciudad. Head down Calle Oficios, taking in the car museum, to Plaza San Francisco and on to the beautifully restored Plaza Vieja.

      1.00pm

      Lunch

      On the southwestern corner of Plaza Vieja is a restaurant and bar, Cervecería Taberna de la Muralla, which has its own organic microbrewery. A cold beer here is very refreshing and you can sit outside in the square to enjoy the view or relax inside and admire the copper brewing tanks.

      2.00pm

      Bus tour

      Return to the Parque Central to hop on the HabanaBusTour, which runs all day. One route travels from the Avenue del Puerto to Vedado, Plaza de la Revolución and Miramar (T1), while another takes you out past the fortresses to Playas del Este (T3). You can get off at any stop and rejoin another bus later.

      4.00pm

      Casa de la Música Galiano

      From the Parque Central, walk five blocks down Neptuno to Galiano, where you’ll be able to catch a performance (5–10pm) at this live-music venue, with bars, a huge dance floor and a well-stocked music shop.

      8.00pm

      Dinner

      While in Centro Habana, you can get a memorable meal at one of several paladares, such as La Guarida (for more information, click here), advance booking essential. Service is leisurely, enabling you to linger until the nightlife gets going.

      10.00pm

      On the town

      Get a taxi to Vedado for a great evening of jazz. At La Zorra y el Cuervo, Avenida 23, between N and O streets, the entrance is through a red British telephone box. If you want a table, get there before 11pm when things start to hot up. This is a popular place with top-class jazz musicians and the crowd shows its appreciation.

      Introduction

      The largest island in the Caribbean, Cuba is blessed with pristine beaches, fascinating old cities with myriad architectural styles, Latin music all with hip-swivelling rhythms, a surfeit of rum and the world’s finest hand-rolled cigars.

      For much of the 20th century, Cuba occupied a leading role on the world stage wholly disproportionate to its small size and lack of economic clout. From the overthrow of the dictator Fulgencio Batista at the end of 1958 to Fidel Castro’s tenacious hold on power and declarations of socialism, this small Caribbean nation has assumed near-mythical status as a living laboratory of social experimentation, political defiance and a people’s perseverance.

      Legacy of the Revolution

      For nearly half a century a combative Fidel Castro weathered the opposition of the US government and the hostility of Cuban exiles in Miami. His successor, his brother Raúl, continued his legacy with a few modifications (Raúl himself was succeeded as president by Miguel Díaz-Canal in 2018, although his vision and influence endure). The Cuban people have been required to make repeated sacrifices in the face of the American trade embargo and the collapse of the Soviet Union with its support and trade. Despite all this, Cuba is still standing.

      As one of the last Communist hold-outs in the world, this nation is a true curiosity. With much of the rest of the planet racing ahead at a dizzying digital pace, Cuba crawls along in slow-motion. While internet access is improving, very few Cubans have it at home. Behemoth vintage American cars from the 1940s and 1950s, patched and propped up, lumber down the streets of dimly lit cities. In rural areas cars give way to oxen-led carts, horse-drawn buses, Chinese bicycles and pedicabs.

      Cuba is inseparable from the international politics of the latter half of the 20th century. Children are sworn in at the age of six to become Young Communist Pioneers. Throughout the country giant billboards proclaim ‘Socialismo o Muerte’ (‘Socialism or Death’) and ‘Viva la Revolución’ (‘Long Live the Revolution’). Portraits of Che Guevara, the 1960s revolutionary martyr, are plastered on the walls of shops, offices and homes.

      The face of Cuba

      Cuba’s 11.3 million people have a distinctively mixed heritage that reflects the twists and turns of the island’s history. Black slaves, Spanish and French immigrants and Chinese labourers have all made this island their home. During the last 200 years the various ethnic groups have interbred and today most Cubans are mulatos (mixed race).

      Cuban Reality

      Everything has always creaked and spluttered in hard-pressed Communist Cuba. The economy thrives or falters in line with world trends, hampered additionally by the US trade embargo (which remains in place pending further reforms by the Cuban government) and hurricane damage. Many families continue to live in overcrowded conditions in run-down housing, and the average wage for someone who works for the state is the equivalent of US$25 a month.

      In the early 1990s Castro needed to reorganise the economy after the collapse of the Eastern Bloc which had formerly subsidised Cuba. In 1993 it became legal for Cubans to hold US currency. Much of the economy was given over to the almighty dollar, with many products and foodstuffs available only in dollar stores. Those will access to US currency soon

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