OUR DESTINATIONS
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We offer holidays to the four corners of the globe. If you want specialist advise please phone our travel team and we will be happy to help.
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- Destinations
- Caribbean
- Cuba
- Havana
- El Malécon
El Malécon
A five-mile (8km) esplanade, roadway and seawall, running
between the harbour in Old Havana and the historically Russian area
of Vedado, El Malécon is the perfect place to start your Havana
adventure. The two-hour walk, described by many as a cross-section
of Cuba's history, begins in Habana Vieja - where the buildings
have had their famous pastel colours faded by the sun and the salty
sea-wind - and goes past various monuments to significant figures
in Cuba's struggle history (including Máximo Gomez and Calixto
García), before ending up in the area of Verdado, a funky downtown
district with great sights and vibrant nightlife. Celebrated by
locals and tourists alike as the best way to gain an insight into
the soul of Havana, travellers are strongly advised to begin their
Cuban holiday with a walk along El Malécon.
Information & Facts
Address
Between the harbour and Vedado, Havana
Language
The official language is Spanish, but English is spoken
in the main tourist spots.
Money
The official currency is the Cuban Peso (CUP), divided into 100
centavos, but the 'tourist' currency is the Peso Convertible (CUC),
which replaces the US Dollar as currency in tourist related
establishments like hotels, restaurants and so called 'dollar
shops'. US Dollars are no longer accepted as payment, and a 10%
commission or more is charged to exchange them, therefore the best
currency to bring along is Euros, the British Pound or Canadian
Dollars. The CUC is almost equal in value to the US Dollar. Some
places only accept Cuban pesos and others only Pesos Convertible
(usually tourist related establishments). Money should only be
changed at official exchange bureaux or banks to avoid scams
confusing the two currencies. Visa and MasterCard are generally
accepted only in major cities and hotels as long as they haven't
been issued by a US bank; Diners Club has limited acceptance, and
American Express is not accepted anywhere on the island. Travellers
cheques are less readily accepted than credit cards, but all major
currencies are acceptable, except for US bank issued cheques. No
US-issued credit or debit cards will work in ATMs, but those
holding other cards issued in other countries should be able to get
pesos at most major tourist destinations. Euro or Sterling
travellers cheques are accepted at Cuban banks and Bureaux de
Change.
Time
Local time is GMT -5 (GMT-4 from the second Sunday in March
to the last Sunday in October).