Unlike other Latin American destinations, in Cuba there are two different types of accommodation, hotels and casas particulares. These are private houses licensed by the government under strict conditions to rent en-suite rooms to foreigners. A sort of micro bed and breakfast that has been set up in people’s homes.
Authentic experience in Cuba
Although tourism is now one of the main sources of income for the Cuban economy, hotel offering is still limited with a dearth of mid-range hotels. All hotels whether luxury or inexpensive are state-owned. However, staying in a casa particular is without a doubt one of the best recipes to get to know real Cuban life, know their culture, and experience the warmth of its people. Cuba is a country that has much to tell, and although many places here are designated by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites, it is undeniable that the greatest strength that the island has, in the spirit and the stories of its people.
Cubans adapt as much as they are able to the needs and requirements of their visitors, their homes are adequate to meet their guests’ demands and they absolutely respect the privacy of their guests. Some of them offer excellent dining options and additional services. Private houses are spread throughout the island and there is one for every taste, whether in cities like Trinidad or Havana with accommodation in beautiful colonial houses, or rural houses that immerse visitors into the lush Cuban countryside. In any case, all these private homes capture the authenticity of Cuban life.
For example, spending the night in the home of Dr. Santana in Trinidad is an opportunity to delve into the life of a pioneer dentist on the island whose father was a photographer and who has fantastic photographs of 1920s Cuba throughout their home. What is more, you can meet his fragile-looking wife who is still able to prepare a magnificent breakfast while debating the situation of the country in perfect English, having spent her student days in New York. All this under the shade of fruit trees in a beautiful patio in a unique colonial home.
