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- Havana
Havana
Havana, Cuban capital city, is located in the western side of Cuba and even when is the smallest of all the provinces, its over 2,000,000 inhabitants make it Cuba’s most populated one. Throughout its 15 districts, particularly in Playa, Plaza de la Revolucion, Centro Habana, Habana del Este and Old Havana (a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982), travelers will find numerous places of architectural, cultural and tourist interest.
Visiting Havana is something you can do all year long. A warm weather most of the year, with temperatures that range from 68 to 85°F is the perfect incentive to explore the city. You can even plan your trips to La Havana to attend events such as the famous Havana Carnival, the International Ballet Festival of Havana and the International Festival of New Latin American Cinema (at the Hotel Nacional), in addition to congresses and symposiums of international reach that take place in the many spaces and venues for conventions and events of La Havana.
In the Cuban capital you’ll find the most generous tourist offer, which consists of national and international hotel chains with 2, 3, 4 and 5 star hotels, restaurants and cafeterias that offer the best Cuban and international cuisine to delight each and every single palate, travel agencies and first-rate transportation services.
Information & Facts
Activities
Havana's historic center, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982, is today one of the best preserved architectural complexes in Latin America. Among its most representative monuments are the Cathedral of Havana, the Plaza de Armas, the Castillo del Morro, the Museum of the Revolution, the National Palace of Fine Arts, the Grand Theater of Havana, the Capitol, the Plaza de la Revolution and the Malecon, perhaps the most recognized international symbol of the city.
Climate
Cuba's climate is tropical, seasonally humid, with maritime influence and semi-continental features; however, other climatic times located in the mountain systems and on the coasts coexist.
It is defined in two periods: little rainy and rainy.
Not very rainy (November to April):
Known as winter, the variations of weather and climate become more noticeable, with abrupt changes in daily time, associated with the passage of frontal systems. It is more noticeable in the western half than in the eastern half.
Rainy (May to October):
Known as summer, there are few variations in time, with the most important changes being the passage of eastern waves and tropical cyclone
Getting Around
Cuba's climate is tropical, seasonally humid, with maritime influence and semi-continental features; however, other climatic times located in the mountain systems and on the coasts coexist.
It is defined in two periods: little rainy and rainy.
Not very rainy (November to April):
Known as winter, the variations of weather and climate become more noticeable, with abrupt changes in daily time, associated with the passage of frontal systems. It is more noticeable in the western half than in the eastern half.
Rainy (May to October):
Known as summer, there are few variations in time, with the most important changes being the passage of eastern waves and tropical cyclone
Language
The Spanish spoken by Cubans is a variation of Castilian Spanish, brought over by immigrants from the Canary Islands in the 19th and 20th centuries. Today, Cuban Spanish and Haitian Creole are the two most widely spoken languages of this vibrant island nation
Money
The peso CUP, sometimes called the "national currency" or in Spanish moneda nacional) is one of two official currencies in use in Cuba, the other being the convertible peso CUC, often called "dollar" in the spoken language). There are currently 25 CUP per CUC.
Most Cuban state workers receive their wages in national pesos, but some receive a portion of their salary in convertible pesos. Until 2014, some shops sold only in CUP and others only in CUC. The word "peso" may refer to either currency. From 2014, state-owned shops sold in both currencies.
Cuban convertible pesos are 25 times more valuable per face value. The convertible (CUC) pesos are distinguishable from the national (CUP) ones, as CUC coins have an octagonal shape within the outer round rim. The only exception to this is the most common CUP coin, the 1 peso, which also has this octagonal shape; while CUC currency shows monuments, and CUP bills have portraits.
Restaurants
In Havana there is a wide network of gastronomic services.
Sightseeing
Havana, on the north coast of our country, has kilometers of coastline of great beauty. Its best beaches are located towards the east of the capital: Playas del Este. Formed by a chain of white sand beaches and very safe and warm waters, this area is located only 25 kilometers from Havana and is the ideal place to enjoy one of the modalities of our tourism industry.
Considered the best beaches in the province, this chain extends to the east formed by the beaches: Bacuranao, Tarara, Megano, Santa Maria, Boca Ciega, Guanabo, La Veneciana and Brisas del Mar. With easy access through the Vía Blanca and just 20 minutes by car from the capital, these 20 km of beaches are ideal to relax, sunbathe, enjoy the warm weather of the tropics or to practice snorkeling and diving in its coral reefs and the rent of nautical equipment such as kayak, katamarán and jet skis in the different nautical points located along these beaches. They also have a wide and excellent hotel and extra hotel network with accommodation in hotels, aparthotels, villas and private homes of great comfort, as well as restaurants, bars and cabarets with nightly shows for different tastes.
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