Visiting Cuba with Kids: What to Know

Traveling with a kid isn’t easy. We had no illusions that spending a month in Cuba with our almost-three-year-old would be straightforward. We previously provided some general tips for Cuba travel. Here are some specifics on what it was like to visit Cuba with our kiddo.

Accommodation

As we wrote in our general tips article linked above, many Cubans rent out parts of their homes to travelers. Staying with a host is our recommendation if you’re traveling to Cuba with kids. A good host can provide helpful information as you find your way around. You’ll also likely end up with way more space to spread out than in a hotel. This has been especially helpful during our travels with a toddler. For example, one of our host family’s homes in Havana’s Vedado neighborhood had a swing set and garden where our daughter Vienna could play. Our hosts in Viñales had a wonderful garden she loved to explore and chickens who occasionally wandered by.

Speaking of Vedado, it’s a good option with a kid while you’re in Havana. It’s way more tranquil than Havana Vieja and you’re more likely to find a home with lots of space. We loved our “casa particular” close to the “Habitat” playground, which we highly recommend!

One more reason we liked staying with local families in Cuba was the ability to have some meals at home (see “Food” below).

Getting around

We provided an overview on transportation options within Cuba in our general Cuba logistics article. Here are just a few additional considerations for traveling with kids.

When it comes to colectivos and taxis, note that seatbelts are not very common. We knew this would be the case and felt okay with Vienna in our lap but you’ll have to decide what you’re comfortable with. And again, your colectivo will drop you at an intersection on its set route. Be prepared to walk the rest of the way.

Speaking of walking, we brought our folding stroller and were glad of this. A lot of streets in Havana are in disrepair but they were good enough. We didn’t use the stroller in Trinidad (cobblestones) or in Viñales (we never had to walk that far).

Regarding intercity transport: The Viazul buses usually make one stop with limited food options so plan accordingly. If you use a colectivo for intercity transport your driver may or may not expect payment for your child’s seat. If not, they might expect that your child sit on your lap so be sure to discuss this while booking. Again, see our Cuba logistics post for more on this.

Food

We love trying local restaurants but as fun as this is it can also get boring for kids after a while. Plus it can be frustrating when Cuban restaurants don’t have some of the items on the menu. This is common so it’s best not to promise anything to your kid on the way to the restaurant. Eating at home can help if you’re hoping to get an earlier start or if you’re having trouble getting your child ready.

Most of our host families in Cuba offered the option for breakfast at the hour of our choosing. This generally consisted of bread, eggs, fruit, juice, and coffee. Some of our hosts also offered some kind of pastry. It was nice to know that, no matter what culinary direction the rest of the day would take us (which was often a bit heavier than what we personally are used to) we knew Vienna would eat a healthy breakfast.

If you’re hoping to pick up groceries for you or your child, know that many items are hard to find. Be prepared to be flexible. Pack small, healthy snacks for your kid (at least for the first few days). Stay with host families and have breakfast at home. Ask your hosts or other locals where to find things. When you find a restaurant you like, don’t hesitate to go again! Finally, you will want to drink boiled or bottled water.

Other basic goods

It’s challenging to find certain things in Cuba sometimes. For example, we never found any baby wipes during a month there. For diapers we had to go to a government-run store about a ten-minute walk from our accommodation. Our hosts provided toilet paper and basic soap but if you’re looking for something specific you’ll need to pack it. Medicines including over the counter pain medication are harder to find. As such, although bulky, it’s best to pack the standard medicines for kids. Your hosts will appreciate it if you pack a ziplock of basic goods to leave behind (medicines are especially appreciated).

Activities for kids

We knew we’d have to get creative traveling without lots of toys (or kids for Vienna to play with!) There weren’t many activities geared towards kids anywhere we visited but here are a few thoughts.

Playgrounds and amusements

In Cuba the playgrounds we found were often pretty run down and in some cases they were gated closed. 

• A notable exception was the wonderful Habitat Park in Havana’s Vedado neighborhood. 
• Cienfuegos, a one-night stopover for us on our way out to Trinidad has a fairly large amusement park with playground equipment that Vienna enjoyed. There are also rides for small kids, which were not operating when we visited. Funnily enough, they were in no way closed off (if, hypothetically, Vienna wanted to sit on a carousel horse). 
• In Trinidad there was an indoor amusement space (Ocio Club) with three or four coin-operated rides for very small kids, air hockey, and some arcade games including some VR experiences.
• In Santa Clara, also a one-night stop for us there are some youngsters at Parque Vidal with powered mini-cars that kids can ride around the plaza for a small fee. This is a common thing to see in Latin America. Just make sure your kid doesn’t get in a car and step on the gas without you holding on!

Music

Our daughter loves music but scheduled shows often take place after her bedtime. Also, there were a couple of times when we were told kids weren’t allowed at a performance. In Havana Vieja (as well as in cities like Trinidad) you’ll encounter live music in restaurants earlier on and on the streets sometimes. I took salsa piano lessons at Havana Music School and usually they have sessions for kids on the weekends. 

Beaches

From Havana’s Parque Central you can get to Playa Santa Maria by public bus very cheaply and the ride takes about 30 minutes. This turned out to be a great half-day activity! We went on the earliest bus and returned right after lunch (make sure to pack some lunch, as the options by the beach were not great). Similarly, if you’re in Trinidad, you can easily get out to Playa Ancon for a half day on the beach. Later in our trip we decided we might as well enjoy a few days at the beach so we ended up in an Airbnb about a five minute’s walk from the beach in Varadero. Vienna loved it! 

Horses

In Viñales Vienna had her first horseback riding experience, riding in front of dad. We opted for a two-hour experience rather than the longer options available and this proved to be just right. The ride was fun and they took us to a farm where you can learn about the production of honey, tobacco, and coffee if you want. We already knew a lot about these things so we had a rest with some fresh juice.

Many cities have horse-drawn carts (whether for tours or getting around). Once or twice we hopped on the back of one, including in Cienfuegos where our driver offered to show us a few parts of town even without a formal tour. It was a nice little diversion (though a bit rough and bumpy).

Bikes in Viñales

In Viñales we decided to rent bikes for a day. The owner of the rental place said there weren’t many child seats available so we asked a day in advance if they could hold one for us. We took a fun ride north of town and followed one of the routes described on this website, until the mud became a bit too deep and we had to walk the bikes. At that point we encountered a local woman who happened to live on one of the farms often visited on the horseback tours, so we popped over for a bit of a rest.

Hiking

In Viñales there are some nice options through the countryside where you can appreciate the Mogotes. We had a wonderful experience in El Nicho on our way between Cienfuegus and Trinidad. And there are several parks near Trinidad worth looking into. There is doubtless much more to be said about hiking in Cuba but we personally did not hike extensively there.

Museums

Without going into detail since you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding information, there are many great museum options in Cuba. Generally they are quite inexpensive and often free for children. One tiny gem in case you happen to pass through Santa Clara is the Café-Museo Revolución.

Farms

As mentioned above we ended up on farms a couple of times, just for a half hour or so as part of the bike and horse trips we did. This was a good amount of time for Vienna and in both cases there were pigs, chickens, and horses around for her to see. 

Health and safety

We found Cuba to be welcoming and safe and did not generally feel worried for our safety. There is a strong regard for children and our hosts took a personal interest in making sure our daughter was happy. Naturally, and especially in busier touristic centers, you’ll need to keep your head up. Again, bring any medicines you might need and don’t expect to find them locally. Know that the food can be a bit heavier than you might be used to. The different diet might even result in a bit of stomach trouble at some point. We experienced minor food poisoning once during our month in Cuba. (Surprisingly this came after one of the fancier restaurants we dined at.) As mentioned elsewhere, seatbelts are less common. We’ve also heard stories of old cars breaking down during longer trips. Happily this wasn’t our experience but you should plan ahead and have snacks and essential comfort items handy.