Location
The Casa Particular of Miguel and Ana is situated in a great spot the heart of Havana, just a 5 minute walk to the Malecon, and 15 minutes to Havana Viejo (Old Havana). They have a massive open terrace which is a great place to relax, eat meals, play with their gorgeous little granddaughter or watch the world go by.
From the airport it will be $25 CUC to their house in a taxi or if you book in advance they will pick you up/drop you off in Miguel (Jnrs) 1950’s MG for just $20 CUC.
To lay your head
There are three rooms available – all different. The rooms sleep 2-4 and are comfortable and clean. Ours had a television, fan, air-conditioning and a small private bathroom.
Eating
Cuba is not renowned for its food!
We ate out a few times but in the end booked all our breakfast and dinners with Ana. Her cooking by comparison was bigger, tastier, cheaper and involved plenty of vegies and fruit which seems to be difficult to come by overall in Cuba.
Breakfast is like a tea party in most Casa Particulares with eggs, tropical fruit, juices, coffee, bread and all laid out in special china for guests only. At $4 CUC per person it is a good deal for both the guest and the host.
With hosts so eager to impress meals are simply enormous and we found that we would only eat twice a day.
Vegetarians usually have two choices in restaurants in Havana (Pasta Napolitano or Pizza) so we were pretty happy with the variety of Ana’s dinners for $5 CUC each.
Internet in Cuba
No wifi or internet access at the house. You can buy internet in large hotels or at the local ETECSA offices for $6 CUC per hour, internet in general can be very slow and with unreliable terminals and things like video or viewing large images can prove impossible.
Being looked after by the network
As with many Casa Particulares in Cuba we found Ana and Miguel to be incredibly helpful, caring and attentive. Miguel speaks some English too if you don’t speak Spanish or have trouble with the Cuban accents and turn of phrase! They are caring, friendly people who look after guests as if they were family.
Each Casa Particular has a network of others in different cities and they will happily book you ahead of time to be looked after in each city you visit.
We say
When we arrived in Havana we had originally booked with another Casa who happened to be full when we arrived (it happens a lot!) so we were walked down to Hostal Terraza instead.
This was disconcerting at first but Miguel and Ana were so lovely that it was the perfect start to our Cuban experience and we highly recommend their Casa if you are looking for a great budget travel option in Havana. We looked forward to catching up with them again when we returned at the end of our trip and were welcomed like old friends.
Cuba is very different to any other place in Latin America so check out our tips for budget travel in Cuba when you make your plans.
The facts:
Accommodation type: Casa Particular (3 rooms for rent)
Price: $15-22 per night for a private room (some with private bathroom)
Web Address: No website
Address: Carlos 111, No 608 e/Oquendo y Marquez Gonzalez
Centro. Habana
Phone Number: 879 4543 or 05 345 3523
Email: no email
Now check out…
- Budget Travel in Cuba: Staying in Casa Particulares
- Review: Casa Particular Julio y Yinet, Santiago de Cuba
- Travelling by Viazul Bus in Cuba
As well as capturing stories of inspiring people who are making a difference to their communities, her passion is to help people find a way to do the things they love for a living.
- The Ultimate Barcelona Travel Guide – Discover Barcelona Like a Local! - October 17, 2017
- Travel Tips: How to find Vegetarian Restaurants - October 26, 2015
- Dealing With Car Trouble In the Middle of Nowhere… - September 8, 2015
How did you book this casa as they have no email or website? I would like to book it… 🙂
Their phone number’s are 879 4543 or 05 345 3523 Good luck and please say hello for us!!
Thank you, I have boooked through a hostel site. 🙂
How far is Hostal Terraza from the bus station? Can you walk to it?