Old Havana
Old Havana, a UNESCO heritage site and the most beautiful spot in Havana, has exquisite Spanish influences. Enjoy incredible live Cuban music and be sure to visit the Plaza de la Catedral and Hemingway Bar.
Havana is the awe-inspiring capital city of Cuba. With a population of 2.1 million residents, Havana is described as three cities in one. With its five hundred-year existence, it boasts the most diverse styles of architecture in the world. Popular attractions include the Gran Teatro de La Habana, Museo de la Revolución and legendary Cuban café culture.
Now is the time for a voyage to this culturally rich city, because cheap flights to Havana are now available for a limited period of time. Havana is the home of José Martí International Airport (HAV), which is a short 20-minute drive from the city centre. José Martí International Airport serves a multitude of airlines, including COPA Airlines, KLM and Air France. Popular international flights to Havana depart from Cape Town and Johannesburg. The flight duration from Johannesburg to Havana is approximately 25 hours.
| Flight Route | Airline | Trip Type | Travel Dates | Searched | Price From |
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Old Havana, a UNESCO heritage site and the most beautiful spot in Havana, has exquisite Spanish influences. Enjoy incredible live Cuban music and be sure to visit the Plaza de la Catedral and Hemingway Bar.
This monumental building displays a combination of Neoclassical and Art Nouveau styles. The National Capital Building was the seat of government, after the Cuban Revolution.
During the month of February, Havana is ignited with tours of cigar factories and cigar tasting over a period of 5 days. Grab a Bolivar Belicosos Finos and enjoy the best of Cuban tradition!
Essential details you need to know before your trip
| Country | Cuba |
|---|---|
| Currency | Cuban Peso |
| Exchange Rate | 1 ZAR = 0.07 CUC |
| Language | Spanish |
| Hub Airport | José Martí International Airport (HAV) |
| Airline | Cubana de Aviación |
| Time Zone | GMT-5 |
| Travel Adaptor | Type A / B / C |
Havana experiences a warm tropical climate. Sunny days and balmy temperatures caress the city during the dry season (November to April), and events such as the Havana Jazz Festival (December) fills the air with musical revelry. The wet season (May to July) sees a rapid increase in temperature. December to April is the best time to visit; visitors will avoid the rain and occasional hurricanes. For cheap flights to Havana, the best time to visit is during the low season (April to June), when the city offers great deals and discounts on rooms and thinner crowds.
Average temperature (°C) & rainfall (mm) per month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low °C | 19°C | 19°C | 20°C | 21°C | 22°C | 23°C | 24°C | 24°C | 24°C | 23°C | 21°C | 20°C |
| High °C | 26°C | 26°C | 28°C | 29°C | 30°C | 31°C | 31°C | 32°C | 31°C | 29°C | 28°C | 27°C |
| Rainfall (mm) | 64 | 69 | 46 | 54 | 98 | 182 | 106 | 100 | 144 | 181 | 88 | 58 |
Hospitality and Havana go hand-in-hand. The city is elegantly decorated with bold colours and deeply ingrained history. Bask in the ambience of revolutionary heroes, who have left their mark throughout the cityscape, and the moving storytelling of the Cuban nation.
The city is best experienced through an attentive stroll. It is a life changing fiesta for the senses.
In Old Havana, a transient aesthetic awaits. Gaze upon women smoking cigars; this legendary and empowering image of women engulfed in thick cigar smoke has spiritual and religious roots. Havana and its people will remain in your heart forever. She captivates and moves you through live rumba music; the locals embrace each other through the sensual dance of the rumba.
This renowned hospitable city continues to welcome people to its shores. It is a heart-warming experience to see the locals so proud and humble of their home, culture and identity.
Compare several airlines, and book your cheap flights to Havana online at Travelstart!
South African passport holders require a visa to enter Havana, Cuba. You passport will need to be valid for at least 6 months and have empty pages available for visa stamps.
The Embassy of Cuba is situated in Pretoria.
Address: 45 Mackenzie Street, Brooklyn, Pretoria, 0011
Phone: (+27) 012 346 2215
All travellers should be up-to-date on routine vaccinations before their trip. These vaccines include measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, dipthera-tetanus-pertussis, varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, polio vaccine and yearly flu shot. Travellers going to Havana are also encouraged to get vaccines for hepatitis A and typhoid.
The tap water is not safe to drink. Visitors should boil water before drinking it or purchase bottled water. There is a moderate risk of the Zika virus transmission. The mosquito-borne virus can be spread through sexual contact and from a pregnant woman to her unborn child. Travellers to Havana should take the necessary precautions to avoid mosquito bites.
Although the city is considered relatively safe, you should still take the usual safety precautions. Be wary of pick-pockets and bag-snatchers on bicycles, and keep your bag in eye-sight at all times. Avoid walking through alleyways at night and be wary of the illicit sale of counterfeit cigars around Centro Habana and Habana Vieja. When making use of taxis, agree on the fare beforehand.
| Item | Cape Town | Johannesburg | Havana |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | R 100.00 | R 100.00 | R 66.65 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 litre draught) | R 25.00 | R 25.00 | R 13.48 |
| Cappuccino (regular) | R 22.22 | R 22.57 | R 18.07 |
| Taxi 1 km (Normal Tariff) | R 10.00 | R 10.00 | R 6.67 |
| Pack of Cigarettes (Marlboro) | R 38.00 | R 40.00 | R 32.66 |
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