Holidays in Cuba - 2021. Reviews of tourists (in case of a pandemic)

Is it worth going to Cuba? Let's get acquainted with the reviews and impressions of tourists from a vacation in Cuba. Find out what people think about prices in 2021, weather, beaches, excursions and activities on Liberty Island. Actual information about the rest in Cuba now, with a pandemic.

Socialist Cuba is a unique place. This country will either fall in love with you, or terribly pissed off you. Yes Yes! Rest in Cuba does not leave anyone indifferent: either they like it very much, or not by foot anymore. Let's find out why.

Exchange rate: 1 CUC = 1 US dollar = 25 CUP.

Holidays in Cuba now

According to the situation for February 2021 for tourists, the conditions of arrival in Cuba are quite loyal:

• From January 10, 2021, a certificate with a negative covid test done no more than 72 hours before boarding is required.
• You will also have to take a free PCR test right at the airport. If the result is positive, then the tourist will be hospitalized, and his companions will be isolated in the quarantine zone of the hotel.
• Upon arrival, fill out a health questionnaire.
• Wear masks and gloves at the airport and during the transfer. It is not necessary to wear a mask on site.
• Have a voucher, return tickets, insurance.

Attention: From February 6, 2021, independent tourists will have to leave Cuba for a 5-day quarantine at the hotel at their own expense. From this, tourists who arrived in the country as part of an organized group, that is, on a voucher, are exempted. This is a temporary measure, which is planned to be canceled by March.

November 2020 there was a collapse with Russian tourists... The fact is that the situation with covid in Cuba is very easy - there are very few infected and sick people, and there were almost no infected among Canadians (the main tourists of the country). And then the very first plane from Russia to Cayo Coco arrives as many as 11 infected. "What to do, how to be ?!" - the Cubans grabbed their heads and, in a panic, all COVID-positive tourists were sent to the Military Hospital with the conditions of a not at all 5-star hotel. Of course, tourists who paid 150-300 thousand rubles per tour are shocked. Fortunately, they will be accommodated at the Moron Hotel, a hospital hotel. The contacts turned out to be in better conditions, but also not very well - they were isolated in the quarantine building of the Pullman Cayo Coco 4 *. The food is modest, you can't go out. So so vacation!

So if you don't want to sit in isolation, carefully read the rules for entering Cuba, buy travel cancellation and COVID-19 insurance.

According to tourists, the beaches are now completely deserted - only very few Canadians and Russians are resting. Hotels are only 50-60% full, no more. Outside the hotel, you need to wear a mask.

You can pay in hotels only by cards - for excursions, internet, shops and restaurants. This is done to make contact less. At the same time, you cannot pay from your phone (ApplePay, GooglePay).

In Cuba, food has always been not very good, but now the choice of food is generally minimal - there are few restaurants, they also cook a little, because the hotel occupancy is small. Part of the infrastructure is idle, the animation is also weak. However, this does not upset tourists - after a six-month lockdown, they are happy with fruits, the sea, the beach and turn a blind eye to these shortcomings.

julwsl: "Not everything works in the hotel, especially the restaurants, so the food is a bit of a failure. The rum is delicious here, so you won't be lost. Cayo Coco is an island, you can't leave it because of the crown, we tried to go to Varadero - not There are few excursions here (again, all because of restrictions). Well, who likes to just lie like a seal near the sea, just right. Money is not accepted in cash (I don’t know why), only a card. Internet 1 hour - 1 $ ".

And here is how the arrival and test at the airport goes:

Olga @vinogradovamur: "We went to the airport, not everyone was launched. There are lines everywhere, so that there is a distance. We filmed the whole thing on camera. When it’s the turn to hand over documents and tests, they silently point the finger at the door ... you go in like a horror movie They take the test, all silently and again point the finger where to go. Nobody smiles. In general, I was not the only one who thought it all strange, especially after Turkey, where everyone was smiling and everything was more civilized. They waited for luggage too long and after that they finally went out into the street , and there we were already greeted with songs and dances. Before receiving the test, we were told to wear masks everywhere except the beach and the pool. In general, the first impression is of course very strange ... ".

Other Russian tourists were more fortunate and they were able to relax in Cuba in November 2020 without any problems. Their video will tell you in detail about the procedure for passing the tests at the airport and the conditions of rest on the island of Cayo Coco:

Is Cuba Good or Bad? Should I go?

Cuba is different for everyone... We have read many reviews from tourists, and they are all very different. There are two reasons for this:

1. Someone has had bad luck with hotels, restaurants, travel agencies and just people. Alas, there are many problems with the service in Cuba. These people remain extremely unhappy with the rest.
2. Some tourists go to Cuba with high expectations and are shocked upon arrival. Others relate to life more simply, they are not embarrassed by either simple living conditions or the lack of normal service.

Conclusion: Come to Cuba without high expectations and carefully choose your hotel and leisure program. Find out why you should fall in love with Cuba and come back again.

On the Vinsky forum, the traveler Sapfir wrote a large negative review about her vacation in Cuba and made the following conclusions:

You won't like it in Cuba if

• you are not a fan of alcohol marathons;
• you are not looking for cheap paid love in unsanitary conditions;
• you are traveling with a small child / children;
• you are used to the comfort of your vacation;
• you are a foodie;
• you love cleanliness and order;
• you are a fighter for the environment;
• you don't like paying more for questionable service or lack of it.

Cuba you might like if

• you are a photographer and hunt for unique shots, you don't care where to live and what to eat;
• you are nostalgic for the Soviet Union;
• you are a lover of long sandy beaches, but unpretentious to the service on them;
• you are an architecture lover.

Of course, this is the opinion of the individual. Perhaps these tourists were catastrophically unlucky with everything at once: housing, people, food. But still, this review draws some idea of ​​the specifics of holidays in Cuba.

Of course, there is another opinion: many tourists write in reviews about delicious food, good hotels and a pleasant stay with children. We repeat once again: Cuba is different for everyone.

But for tourists Riana and Yuri I liked it very much in Cuba. Watch their video - this is the best review on Cuba on YouTube:

Main pros and cons

Cuba's main problem is that everything there is unreasonably expensive... The state and many local people believe that all tourists are snickering bourgeois, and they need to be milked, milked, milked! Hotels in Cuba are more expensive than in Paris and London: for $ 100-200 per night you get what the red price is $ 30-50. Get ready for a massive imbalance in price and quality.

Nature in Cuba gorgeous. The ocean and beaches are praised by everyone! But the natural attractions on land are rather boring: there are no grandiose mountains, waterfalls, gorges.

Mosquitoes... There are many mosquitoes and nasty midges in Cuba - all tourists write about this in their reviews. Dinner on the air is simply impossible. Get repellents and fumigants.

Danger in the water... The water is inhabited by jellyfish, including deadly ones. Be careful.

People and safety. The people of the country are generally praised. In the reviews, tourists vacationing in Cuba in 2020 note that the local people are sociable and friendly, and the young ladies are not burdened with a puritanical upbringing and willingly get to know foreigners. There are cases of theft, but in general, rest in Cuba is safe, it is one of the safest countries in Latin America. There are beggars, as well as those who want to cash in on tourists by imposing services and assistance.

The food is bad. Those who will definitely have a hard time in Cuba are gourmets.Cubans do not pay enough attention to the culinary arts, which is why the food here is often tasteless. You still have to look for good establishments where they know how to cook. Tourists especially often criticize food in hotels, so you need to carefully read the reviews or not take "all inclusive". Going to buy groceries in the store and cooking yourself will not work either - the store shelves are depressing with a meager assortment.