Airbnb Cuba: This Havana Rental Has Its Own Pool

Navigating Havana’s hotel and rental scene can be tricky, but that’s why Cuba Journal is here to help. Our Airbnb Cuba feature looks at some of the more interesting places to stay in Havana and the wider island. This one, for example, even comes with its own pool and snack bar. The funky property with … Read more

Cuban President Raul Castro To Visit France on Feb. 1

Cuban President Raul Castro To Visit France on Feb. 1

Cuban President Raul Castro announced that he will travel to France next month as diplomatic relations continue to develop between Western nations and Cuba. Mr. Castro will meet with French President, François Hollande on Feb. 1. Mr. Castro’s trip is the first visit of a Cuban head of state since his brother, Fidel Castro, visited … Read more

Cuba Tops “Luxury Travel” Up-and-Coming Destinations in New Survey

Cuba Tops “Luxury Travel” Up-and-Coming Destinations in New Survey

Today, Travel Leaders Group released its top luxury travel trends for 2016 including the top up-and-coming destinations led by Cuba. “Today’s luxury traveler is someone who seeks incredible, authentic and memorable experiences – not merely 5-star hotels and Michelin star restaurants. So it makes perfect sense that Cuba, Antarctica, and African safaris are among the top … Read more

CubaNetwork Plans First VOD Network

CubaNetwork Plans First VOD Network

CubaNetwork, America’s first multi-platform network dedicated to capturing the mystique of Cuba, will launch with thousands of hours of original and exclusive programming from Havana, Cuba in both English and Spanish. The programming service will capture a love affair with classic American cars, salsa singers, inventive offerings in food, culture, night life and much, much … Read more

FCC Removes Cuba From Exclusion List, In Boost for Telecom

In what could be a major boost for US telecom growth in Cuba, the Federal Communications Commission has removed Cuba from the commission’s “Exclusion List.” By removing Cuba from the list, the move opens the door for US telecom carriers to provide facilities-based telephone and Internet service to Cuba without separate approval from the FCC. … Read more

A New Private Jet Service to Cuba

ExcelAire has launched a private jet charter service to Cuba, with direct flights from 19 U.S. cities, the company announced this week. The airline has obtained FAA authorizations to fly to Havana from U.S. government-designated portal airports, and completed its first trip from JFK to Havana on December 21. “ExcelAire is one of the few … Read more

Cuba’s Crafty Barter Practices Are Coming To An End

Cuba’s Crafty Barter Practices Are Coming To An End

On Saturday, a Pakistani ship set sail carrying around 15,000 tons rice to Cuba. Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, said that Pakistan would extend all possible assistance to help Cuba by reciprocating in the same spirit as Cuba had done by sending teams of doctors following the aftermath of the country’s magnitude 7.6 earthquake … Read more

Josefina Vidal Reflects on Building Blocks for Relationship with U.S.

Josefina Vidal Reflects on Building Blocks for Relationship with U.S.

The first round of talks between the US and Cuba began in January 2015, thirteen months after President Obama announced the normalization of relations. Leading talks and representing Cuba was Josefina Vidal, general director of Cuba’s U.S. Division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Since then, she has been at the table, negotiating and constructing … Read more

Children’s Harrowing Journey Depicted in Operation Pedro Pan Exhibit

Children’s Harrowing Journey Depicted in Operation Pedro Pan Exhibit

From December 1960 to October 1962, more than fourteen thousand Cuban children arrived, unaccompanied, to the United States. Known as “Operation Pedro Pan,” it was the largest recorded child refugee exodus in the Western Hemisphere. Since it opened in June 2015, more than 15,000 visitors, including the Cuba Journal, have journeyed alongside the Cuban children … Read more

Cuba Lightly Shaken By 4.6-Magnitude Earthquake

A 4.6-magnitude earthquake caused weak to light shaking in Cuba early Sunday morning, according to the United States Geological Survey. The quake struck at around 1:48 AM local time at a depth of 8 kilometers. Its epicentre was 30 kilometres south-southwest of El Cobre and about 33 kilometers southwest of Santiago de Cuba. There were … Read more