One reason to choose Cuba over other destinations in Latin America is definitely the relatively high level of safety for tourists. Violent crime against tourists is very rare. Theft and various tourist traps are more of a problem. One of the main issues during a stay in Cuba is the need to carry a relatively large amount of cash. Our relatives had about half of their money stolen from their locked hotel room. It is a great advantage to travel in a group that can divide the cash among themselves. For example, we preferred to leave some of our money in a locked car, as the hotel staff did not have spare keys.

During your stay, you will most likely encounter several attempts to lure you into tourist traps. For example, at the entrance to the El Nicho waterfalls, they tried to convince us that we had to pay in euros, even though the price list was also available in Cuban currency – and in that currency it was about five times cheaper. In Havana, you will be approached by touts who will try to lure you into overpriced establishments in order to earn a commission on your spending. It is important not to have exaggerated illusions about the sincerity of the locals, but once you get used to it, you can move around Havana more or less in peace – both during the day and in the evening. And that is a really significant benefit in Latin America.