Cuba is the national language. Holidays to celebrate with Cubans
The Spanish language uses the Latin alphabet, with an additional "ñ" (eñe). In addition, the Spanish spelling uses the following acute accented letters: Áá Éé Íí Óó Úú, and ü with diaeresis to indicate the readability of that letter after the letters g and q.
In dialects of Spanish, you can find letters with a grave accent: Àà Èè Ìì Òò Ùù and Çç - se-cedilla.
When reading, basically, everything is read as it is written. Spanish has a clear pronunciation of all vowels, while consonants can be swallowed or assimilated.
Basic rules for reading:
- ch - reads like a soft Russian "ch" ";
- h - never read;
- z - reads like "c";
- c - before a, o, u reads as "k", and before e, i - as "c";
- g - before i reads like Russian "x", before the rest of the vowels - like "g";
- s - reads like Russian "c", but with the language slightly shifted to the alveoli;
- j - reads like Russian "x", but more tense;
- x - is read depending on the word: like the Russian "s" or "x";
- combination gu - before e, i reads as "g", "u" is not pronounced, except for writing gü;
- the combination qu - before e, i reads as "k", "u" is not pronounced, except for the combination qü.
- b and v - "fricative b": at the beginning of the word and after the nasal and labial consonants, these letters denote the occlusive sound "b", pronunciation of the Russian "b". In other cases, these letters denote a semi-syllable sound between "b" and "c".
Almost all Cubans speak Spanish extremely clean. The dialect encountered is similar to that of other Spanish-speaking islands in the Caribbean, although the rhythmic speech and use of expressive gestures are distinctly Cuban. French took place for a short time with the appearance of slave-owning European refugees after the 1791 revolution in Haiti, but it has since become extinct.
The languages of the indigenous population of the country became extinct. The pre-Columbian population of the island was about 112,000, consisting mainly of Arawak (Taino and Sub-Taino) in the central and eastern region as well as the Guanahacabibes, who fled from the Arawaks and moved west to Pinar del Rio. The indigenous lands were quickly occupied by the Spanish conquistadors, and the indigenous people were enslaved and used by Europeans in the mining industry and agriculture... Indigenous peoples who resisted the new masters were killed. The rest of the population became extinct from malnutrition, overwork, suicide and cruelty. The indigenous population of Cuba virtually disappeared during the fifty years of conquest.
In the resort areas of Cuba, English, German and Italian are widely used.
Freedom Island Cuba is loved by tourists for its luxurious nature, excellent beaches and a lot of colonial and revolutionary sights. White-stone beauty-Havana, resort Varadero and Holguin, rum, cigars and Fidel - everything about Cuba: tours, vacations, prices and maps.
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Perhaps some still remember how they deciphered the name of this country 15 years ago: "Communism off the coast of America." All jokes, but Cuba really remains one of the few strongholds of a bright socialist ideology with such familiar attributes: the legendary Commander Che and his most alive follower, the external ideological enemy in the person of the States and the unprecedented patriotism of local residents. However, there are also radical differences from the USSR - a steady influx of tourists all year round, hotels with high level service and rich opportunities for entertainment: diving, snorkelling, yachting and more on the list. Plus, of course, let's not forget about the famous rum and cigars. The latter, by the way, secretly smoked (and smokes) the same ideologically enemy leadership, despite the embargo of the Island of Liberty.
Moscow time difference
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Climate
Visa and customs
For a tourist trip up to 30 days, citizens of Russia and Belarus do not need a visa to Cuba. For your own peace of mind, you should take out travel medical insurance in advance for the entire duration of your trip.
To enter Cuba at the border, you need to fill out a migration card (in duplicate - the second is presented upon departure), a return ticket and confirmation of financial solvency at the rate of 50 USD per day per person (a simple statement from a credit card will do). Hotel reservation is not required, but to answer the question where you plan to stay, be prepared.
Duty-free import of 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or 250 g of tobacco is allowed; 3 bottles of alcoholic drinks; perfumes, medicines and household items - within the limits of personal needs. Also, one photo and video camera (plus 5 cassettes for each) are imported duty-free. It is prohibited to bring in drugs, pornography and firearms (with the exception of sport hunting rifles belonging to tourists who come to the country for this purpose and have an appropriate permit issued in Cuba upon arrival).
Lovers of Cuban cigars should not forget about the following point: although they can be exported from the island with a check as much as they like, to Russia, according to our customs regulations, you can import no more than 50 pieces.
You can take out up to 1000 CUP and up to 5000 USD without a declaration, no more than 23 cigars per person (if the cigars are sealed in a package with a hologram, bought in special store which issues receipts and export permits, you can export as many as you like), goods worth not more than 1000 CUP (jewelry is only exported if you have a license issued in the store).
There is no tax free system in socialist Cuba.
The export of animals, cultural values, sea shells, antiques is prohibited, precious metals... When buying jewelry or crocodile leather goods, it is necessary to require an export license from the seller, otherwise the goods will be seized during customs control. These licenses are issued, as a rule, only in stores. In markets where crocodile leather goods cost 3-5 times less, but export licenses are not given, such goods should not be purchased.
How to get to Cuba
The simplest and quick way to get to Cuba - direct direct regular flights of Aeroflot Moscow - Havana (about 12 hours of flight, departure from Sheremetyevo). Other options: Transit via Paris on Air France to Havana, via Amsterdam on KLM, via Madrid on Iberia, via Frankfurt with Condor to Havana and Varadero and other European carriers. The road will take from 16 to 20 hours.
Flights from the CIS countries are carried out either through Moscow, or with docking in European cities.
If tourists fly with KLM, they will have to spend the night in Amsterdam due to the inconvenient flight connection. To do this, you need to issue a transit visa, as well as book a hotel in advance. It is more convenient to stay in the center of Amsterdam: time railway crossing from the airport to the train station in the city center - only 20 minutes.
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Transport
Public transport in the country is underdeveloped; the most convenient way is to rent a car. Cubans themselves often use hitchhiking to travel within cities or around the country.
Public transport
Buses are considered the main urban transport, but they can only be recommended to extreme people: the stops are not marked in any way, it is almost impossible to find them, the buses are jam-packed, and they have no clear timetable and routes. Buses - in Havana they are called camallos (due to their resemblance to camels) - stop every 4 blocks. The fare costs 3-5 CUC, it is not recommended to check with the driver - he will suspect you are a tourist and take much more. Prices on the page are for September 2018.
For tourists there are special "tourist" taxis - they are always modern and serviceable cars. They can be ordered from any hotel or simply by phone; travel is paid only in dollars. The cost of the trip is from 0.5 to 1 USD for each km of the journey. Regular taxis that accept pesos are quite old cars, and there are not many of them. Finally, there are also “bombily” participants in Cuba. Their prices are somewhat lower than those of state taxi drivers, but there are no guarantees of quality either.
Intercity communication
Locals often hitchhike around the country. Cuba even has a law that government cars are required to take hitchhikers on board if they are in the car. free places... The implementation of this rule is closely monitored by special people, like our traffic cops.
All major cities in Cuba have bus stations with intercity buses departing from. Unlike public transport, they run more or less on schedule. Most a budget option is Astro Bus. The bus fleet leaves much to be desired, but the trip from Havana to Varadero will cost only 8-10 CUC. Viazul Bus is a more modern fleet and the buses even have air conditioning. The fares are higher: from Havana to Varadero, a ticket will cost 8-15 USD. The company has its own website (translated into English) where you can buy tickets online. In other cases, passes are purchased at the ticket offices at the station, and this must be done in advance.
Rent a Car
Cuba Accommodation
Consulate General in Havana: 5-a Avenida esq. a 66, no. 318, Miramar, La Habana ,; tel .: 204-10-74, 204-10-85.
Police: 116 and 820-116, Ambulance: 242-811, fire brigade: 811-115, airport information: 45-31-33.
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Cuba beaches
The beaches in Cuba are some of the best on the planet: sandy, with easy access to the sea, many are marked with the Blue Flag, in addition, they are all municipal and free.
Most of the hotels on the coast have separate protected areas of the beach, where you can hardly meet the local population. Sun loungers and umbrellas are free.
You can safely go to any resort and be satisfied. But if you choose the ideal from the best, then you should pay attention to the following beaches:
The longest beach in Cuba is Varadero: almost 22 km of white sand with sun loungers, umbrellas, beach cafes and other tourist infrastructure. Almost all the beaches here are in hotels, so it is always clean there and there are no suspicious outsiders. Varadero is perhaps the funniest and noisiest resort in Cuba, there are many discos here, so young and not so party-goers should come here. Varadero is also suitable for tourists who prefer an all-inclusive vacation - most of these hotels are concentrated here.
For families with children, the Santa Lucia beach (about 110 km north-east of Camaguey) is suitable. There is a comfortable, gently sloping sandy bottom, there are no waves, and since you cannot get to this beach by regular buses, there are not many people even in the high season. These are very calm and beautiful places, but there is also entertainment for extreme lovers: diving with sharks.
Cuisine and restaurants of Cuba
Creole cuisine is widespread on the island, the main ingredients of which are pork and chicken, cooked different ways... One of the most popular national dishes- "Creole ajiaco" - pork with vegetables and big amount spices. It is also worth trying lobster with lemon, crocodile or turtle meat dishes, turtle eggs. In Cuba, a lot is prepared from fruits and served with almost every dish. The coffee is brewed here very strong and sweet.
National drinks - Cuban rum and numerous cocktails based on it: mojito, cuba libre, daiquiri and many others.
There are few restaurants in the classical sense of the word in Cuba, and they are all located in tourist areas and resorts. They usually take credit cards but crashes are not uncommon, so it's better to go with cash (convertible pesos). The average bill in a good restaurant is about 30-40 CUP per person without drinks, in a more budgetary one you can keep within 10-15 CUP. There are also many pizzerias and hamburger shops in Cuba. You can have a snack there cheaply (2-5 CUP) and often around the clock, but only for cash. Cuban bars are a separate story. Most of them are very colorful and with a history, they do not feed there (maximum nuts and chips), but it is imperative to try all the daiquiris.
Guides in Cuba
Entertainment and attractions
There are not as many cultural attractions in Cuba as in other countries; much was destroyed by the Spanish colonialists in the 16th century. The main wealth of the island is natural beauty. Picturesque landscapes, national parks and amazing undersea world- this is what attracts thousands of tourists to Cuba every year.
Historical sights are concentrated in cities, most of them, of course, in the capital - Havana. The most interesting area in terms of tourism is Old Havana, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. You should definitely see the Cathedral of St. Christopher, the Havana Capitol, which is larger than Washington's. Also interesting are the city squares: Armory (Plaza de Armas), Cathedral (Plaza de la Catedral) and Old (Plaza Vieja), around which there are ancient buildings and structures, as well as the José Martí Revolution Square with a memorial and an obelisk ... At the top of the latter is the highest observation deck in the city.
The province of Havana will be especially interesting for fans of ecological and adventure tourism, as there are many quiet secluded beaches. In the area of Escaleras de Jaruco there are many caves and sheer cliffs: it is good for caving enthusiasts. In San Antonio de los Banos, you can visit the Museum of Humor, and the coastal village of Santa Cruz del Norte is famous for producing the famous Havana Club rum.
In the city of Santa Clara (Villa Clara province) is the Memorial to them. Che Guevara and his remains are kept. IN small town In Remedios, the city's Carnival Museum, the Alejandro García Caturla Music Museum and the main parish church of St. John the Baptist, considered one of the most curious in Cuba, are worth seeing.
The city of Pinar del Rio in the province of the same name is interesting for its Museum of Natural Sciences, the Guash Palace, the Milanes theater and the Francisco Donatien cigar factory.
Juventud Island is the second largest island in the Cuban archipelago. Here is the famous Los Indios San Felipe nature reserve with unique flora and fauna, the Presidio Modelo prison, a copy of the American Joliet prison in Illinois (where Fidel Castro served his prison sentence), Punta National Marine Park -Frances "and the international diving center" El Coloni ".
In the province of Matanzas, in addition to caves with cave paintings, it is worth visiting the provincial capital of the same name. Must-see: Piazza Vihia (the place where the city was founded), Liberty Square, Montserrat Chapel (built in the image of a temple in Catalonia), San Severino Castle (due to its size it is considered one of the main Spanish fortresses in America) and the ruins of the "Triumvirato" - there, in the 19th century, the largest African slave uprising in the history of Cuba took place. The main attractions of the Zapata Peninsula are the Taino Indian village in Guam, the crocodile nursery in La Boca, the Santo Tomas and La Salina fauna reserves, and the Playa Giron Museum of History.
New Year (January 1), on the other hand, is celebrated noisily and cheerfully. On this night, beach discos are open, concerts and parties are held, with a special scale they approach business in big cities.
January 2 is the most important day in the country - the Day of Liberation and Victory of the Cuban Revolution. This is an official day off throughout the country, solemn processions take place in cities, the president makes a pretentious speech, Cubans congratulate everyone on the street, and ends with all the festivities until dawn.
The country is very fond of the holidays inherited from the communist era. Here, May Day is still celebrated in the way it was customary in the Soviet Union - with demonstrations, flowers, cheerful patriotic songs and festivities around the city. On July 26, National Uprising Day is celebrated, also with parades and demonstrations, and on October 10, Independence Day: the main venue is a monument to Carlos Manuel Cespedes ("Father of the Motherland", one of the leaders of Cuba's Ten Years War against the Spanish colonialists) on a square in Havana, to to which flowers are laid. Nobody works that day either.
In July and August, you can visit two carnivals in Cuba at once - in Havana and Santiago de Cuba.
On weekends from July 15 to August 15, Cuba hosts perhaps the most colorful and fun event of the year: the Havana Carnival. These days, freaks from all over the country gather in the capital, dress up in costumes, dance, drink daiquiri and have fun literally around the clock in every possible way. Many perform in teams and prepare for the carnival in advance, in order to surely outshine all other participants in the dance. Another carnival takes place at the end of July in the city of Santiago de Cuba. The scenario is the same: dress up, drink and dance. It is very convenient that both holidays fall at about the same time: you can visit both carnivals in one trip.
In the first week of December, Cuba hosts one of the most important cultural events for the entire Hispanic population of the planet - the New Latin American Film Festival. In terms of prestige, this film award is equal to the Oscar - for directors, actors and other filmmakers - it is a great honor to be awarded this award.
And at the end of February, smokers from all over the world come to Havana, as it hosts the International Cuban Cigar Festival. It lasts 5 days, during this time there are excursions to factories and tobacco plantations, auctions and competitions, as well as concerts, presentations and festive receptions where you can taste the most different varieties cigars.
Having learned what language is in Cuba, they sit down at Spanish textbooks and try to learn at least basic phrases and expressions. Indeed, practically the entire population of Cuba does not speak except the Cuban-Spanish language, no more.
It is possible that during your trip, you will come across a Cuban who knows Russian, but this will be a person who studied in the Soviet Union, and there are very few such people.
There is another category of Cubans who speak English - the so-called friends. These are young Cubans who are trying to make money off foreigners and harass them on the streets. They always begin their address to a tourist with the phrase: “My Friend”. Hence the name of these "friends" white man... The friends themselves understand that without knowing English, they will not be able to earn anything in Cuba, so they study it hard. They make money on tourists by offering to find accommodation, a girl, cheap cigars, a restaurant and coke. They will walk with you all day and you will have to support them, i.e. buy them food and drinks if you went to the bar with them.
When asking Cubans what language they learned in Cuba at school, the answer most often you can hear is that it is English. However, in practice it turns out that they do not even understand basic words such as "Hello", "Yes" and "No". It is impossible to explain this phenomenon.
So what language is spoken in Cuba, and what should tourists who do not know Spanish do ?! The answer is simple, you need to learn Spanish and study seriously, since you cannot come to an agreement with the local population. They do not understand sign language, unlike Asians.
If you are flying to have a rest through a travel agency, then most likely you will arrive in Varadero, where you probably will not need Spanish, if you will not leave the hotel in the city. If you go on excursions with a Russian-speaking guide, then you will not need Spanish either. But if you are an independent traveler, then go to Spanish courses before the trip. And remember that Cuban pronunciation of words is different from Spanish.
Cuba is called the Island of Freedom, others call it “the Caribbean pearl”. And they are all right, because the smell of freedom just hovers in the air, it is clearly felt. And the sea, sun, comfortable hotels, beaches in Cuba are fantastic. The excursions offered in Cuba are exciting and interesting, because they are not only historical, but also colonial places.
The ancestors of the Cubans are immigrants from Europe. Their descendants are the Spanish knights conquerors, as well as the negroes brought from Africa and other neighboring states.
Cubans are proud of their ancestors and painstakingly study pre-colonial culture and their Native American past. The Cuban language contains many Indian words, because their ancestors are Indians. Many are of Indian origin geographic objects therefore they are spoken in the language of the Indians.
So what is the language in Cuba? Modern inhabitants are the descendants of the Spanish conquistadors and sailors who once landed on this island. Therefore, they speak Spanish in Cuba. Before the arrival of the Spaniards, the local inhabitants were Indians who spoke their own language. The Spaniards destroyed these Indians at the root, so the Cubans do not remember that language.
It seems that Cuba should speak English language, since it is surrounded by countries such as the USA, Canada. It is surprising that Cubans speak Spanish, more precisely the Cuban-Spanish dialect. Therefore, a purebred Spaniard will not quite understand a Cuban.
The Cuban Spanish language (Espanol cubano) was contributed by the important slaves from Africa, immigrants from France and Italy. This language has quite significant differences from Spanish, for example, the language is absent plural the pronoun of the second person.
What is the official language in Cuba? In Cuba the state language Spanish is considered. But in restaurants, hotels, museums and parks they speak English, Spanish, French, and maybe even Russian.
What language is in Cuba - a tourist has nothing to worry about, if he does not speak the language, then he will be provided with a Russian-speaking guide. But if a tourist learns a few phrases in Spanish, the local residents' respect for him will increase many times over.
What you can meet in Cuba
If before the trip to Cuba the tourist knew only the immortals - Che-Guevara and Fidel Castro, now he will know about the divine climate of the island, about the wonderful weather and about the fantastic beaches of Cuba.
The name of the country comes from "akoba", which means "land, dry land" in the language of the local Indians.
Cuba Square... 110860 km2.
Cuba population. 11.39 million people (
Cuba GDP. $77.15 billion (
Location of Cuba... Cuba is a state located on the largest island of the West and several nearby islands. In the north it is washed by the Florida Strait, in the southwest - by the Yucatan Strait, in the east - by the Windward Strait, in the south -.
Administrative divisions of Cuba... The state is divided into 14 provinces and a special municipality, Juventud Island.
Form of government of Cuba... Republic.
Head of State of Cuba... Chairman of the State Council.
Supreme Legislature of Cuba... National Assembly electing the Council of State.
Supreme Executive Body of Cuba... Council of Ministers.
Big cities Cuba... Santiago de Cuba, Camaguey, Holguin, Guantanamo, Santa Clara, Cienfuegos, Matanzas.
State language of Cuba... Spanish.
Religion in Cuba... 55% are atheists, 40% are, 3% are Protestants.
Ethnic composition of Cuba... 65% are descendants of Europeans, 20% are mulattoes, 12% are Africans, 1% are Chinese.
Fauna of Cuba... Of the mammals of the animal world, the hutya and the crackle-tooth should be distinguished. is home to a huge number of bats, almost 300 species of birds, including the vulture, quail, finch, macaw, hummingbird. The coastal waters are home to over 700 species of fish and shellfish. There are numerous insects, among which are very dangerous - sand flea and malaria mosquito.
Rivers and lakes of Cuba... The largest is Kauto.
Cuba landmarks... In Havana - National Museum, Colonial Museum, Museum of Anthropology, Moro Castle, Santa Clara Monastery, La Fuerza Fortress, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, City Hall, America's largest zoo; in Santiago de Cuba - Museum of Natural History; In Cardenas - the Oscar M. de Rojas Museum; in Camaguey - a large number of churches and mansions of the colonial period. The world's largest aquarium is located on the shore of the bay.
Helpful information for tourists
As souvenirs from Cuba, you can bring black coral and jewelry made from it, products from the shell of a turtle (especially bracelets and hairpins). Don't forget to buy a bottle or two of this unique Cuban rum and real Cuban cigars. When buying crocodile leather goods, ask the seller for an export license, otherwise this souvenir will be withdrawn during customs control. Nice gift from Cuba there will also be a tumbadora or bongo - drums musical instruments... Another gift is the guayabera, a shirt worn in the tropics by officials. You will probably have to use the foreign exchange shops, since you can only buy books and medicines for pesos.
In Cuba, it is customary to pay a tip in the amount of 5-15% of the cost of services. The porter, the maid in the hotel is given $ 1.
