Not just Cuba with kids, but Cuba with a five year old, three year old and a seven month old baby. And why not? It’s so family friendly and when we left our five year old cried and asked if we could come back every year.
I think Cuba with children worked for us because we managed to successfully mix the beach / pool / resort part of the holiday with enough culture and city break in Havana for us.
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Table of Contents
About Cuba
Cuba in the Caribbean sits just off of Florida. Despite opening up to the US in recent years the country still remains trapped in another era.
There’s an air of dilapidation everywhere which is picturesque but undoubtedly must be frustrating to live with. Thankfully there is some sympathetic renovation starting across the country.
Cuba is located at the meeting point of the northern Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and Atlantic Ocean. The country has a lovely mix of beaches and cities to explore.
5 of the best places to visit in Cuba
- Havana, the colourful capital
- The beaches of Varadero
- Trinidad
- Remedios
- Camagüey
Things to do in Cuba with kids
A visit to Cuba with kids can be whatever you make it. if you enjoy the beach there are some gorgeous ones and those in search of culture will find that too.
Enjoy the beaches of Varadero
If you’re visiting Cuba with kids, especially small children, you’ll want to spend a fair amount of time at the beach. And Varadero is perfect for this.
Well set up for tourists there are all the typical beach type activities here and it really is a great place to relax. We loved swimming in the warm sea with fish darting all around us.
We also drank from coconuts cut down fresh from the tree and drank Mojitos (and Shirley Temples for the children) until our heart’s content.
It was the perfect beach holiday to completely relax. See below in the accommodation section for where we stayed.
Spend time exploring Havana
We called Havana the place of a thousand smiles. Every few steps we would be stopped so that people could talk to our baby and smile at him.
In the markets the women gathered him up in their arms and cooed over him, it was so sweet. So some of our favourite times of Cuba with children were just walking the streets of the Old Town.
There is so much to see here with street performers and day to day life mingling.
We stopped at the Museo del chocolate where you can see chocolate being made and have hot chocolate or a big, cold chocolate milk. It was a perfect place to get out of the heat…and buy a few chocolates to munch along the way once we left.
Coppelia ice cream bar was my other highlight of the trip. Another setting from the film “Fresa y Chocolate” and just the coolest kitsch place.
I hesitate to put this as I know to some people taking your child to a graveyard wouldn’t be top of their travel list. But the Cemetario de Colon in Havana is wonderful.
They’re used to tourists here – you even get a map to locate the most interesting graves. We visited just before a massive thunder storm so the sky is particularly atmospheric looking.
🔎 Read more: The best things to do in Havana with kids
Cienfuegos
Cienfuegos is known as ‘The Pearl of the South” and is a lovely place to spend some time. This city has a very French feel and unlike anywhere else in Cuba.
With waterfalls and castles to visit this is somewhere all the family can spend time.
Trinidad
Also located in the south of the country Trinidad has a great mix of city, beach and countryside. It’s another area which would be lovely to spend time in.
Stopped in time this Spanish colonial settlement is picturesque and completely unique.
Remedios
Founded in the mid 16th century Remedios is one of the oldest settlements in Cuba. It’s the perfect place to explore the centre of the country.
See a slice of real life Cuba here in Remedios. Enjoy the slow pace and pretty surroundings.
Camagüey
In the eastern side of the country Camagüey is Cuba’s third largest city. Like everywhere in Cuba it’s somewhere that feels like you have stepped back in time
This is a great arty, cultural city.
Where to stay in Cuba with kids
There are some lovely family hotels in Cuba. The ones we stayed at on our trip are –
Varadero
In Varadero we stayed at the Paradisus Varadero which was perfect for what we needed at this point. With a seven month old baby we wanted to stay somewhere that was really relaxed.
It was important to us to have all of the comforts we needed for our baby’s first trip away. We definitely made the right choice for us because it meant that we had a great base.
The food here was varied and delicious. Importantly they had a beautiful beach and really child friendly pools too.
The children loved cooling off in all of the swimming pools while we relaxed watching them.
Havana
In Havana we stayed three nights in the Hotel Ingleterra which is the oldest hotel in Havana. I loved this hotel – it was a little worn around the edges but the history spilled out of every nook and crannie.
We also blew the budget for one night in the Hotel Nacional. This was also slightly faded but spoke of so much history itself.
In the 1940s the Mafia would congregate here. There have been amazing guests that have stayed there too including Errol Flynn, Sir Winston Churchill and Frank Sinatra.
We had two rooms – the children’s once hosted Stephen Spielberg which impressed me! It had great views over the Malecón – the waterfront where so many social interactions occur.
Where to eat in Cuba with kids
Eating in a paladar
We found it relatively easy and inexpensive to eat in Cuba. There is plenty of choice and lots of international flavours.
Eating in La Guarida in Havana was probably the highlight of the whole trip and one of the most amazing meals I’ve had. It’s a paladar – a growing trend of restaurants being set up in people’s homes.
This is probably the most successful paladar, having been reviewed by the New York Times amongst others (and now Globalmouse of course).
It’s also the setting for the film “Fresa y chocolate“. Set in a disintegrating, atmospheric, beautiful tenement – where real life is going on all around you.
This setting in itself was a glimpse into real Havana and the food was delicious. If you eat in just one place in Havana, eat here.
Ice cream in Cuba
Ice cream in Cuba is serious business. The most famous ice cream bar here is Coppelia.
People queue for up to two hours to eat here in Coppelia. It’s a great place for locals to socialise and visitors to experience.
It was just so atmospheric – a place to really soak up real life in Havana. And the children were just happy to dig into some great ice cream.
Cuba with kids: How to get around
We flew in to Varadero from the UK on a package holiday and that made it super easy as they transferred us by coach to the beach resort.
With Varadero as our base we were then free to take our own excursions or mini breaks out.
We knew we wanted to go to Havana. As we didn’t want to hire a car so we negotiated a rate with a local taxi firm in Varadero and they drove us to Havana.
We also negotiated locally in Havana for the return trip.
We came prepared with a car seat for our seven month old and the fabulous Trunki rucksack car seats for our three and five year olds.
Whilst in Havana we took a few horse and cart rides to get around which the children loved. And we also used a number of the old classic American car taxis.
This really felt like how we should be travelling around Havana – in style.
Top Tips for Cuba with children
1. Travelling to Cuba with kids? Mix it up!
Our children were very young and so for us the mix was important. Finding lots of time to swim and build sandcastles with a smaller trip to Havana worked.
There were many other towns in Cuba I was desperate to visit. But I had to accept that there had to be a mix that worked for all of us.
2. Don’t worry about not being welcomed
Cuba is very family friendly and my children were welcomed everywhere – literally with open arms.
3. Take everything you need if you’re travelling to Cuba with kids
Take EVERYTHING you need. Nappies (diapers) and wipes are almost impossible to buy (at least when we travelled they were).
We took baby food, all medicines, toys, crayons, toothpaste, shampoo…everything.
Don’t panic about forgetting something because there’s always a way (it just might cost) but try to be as prepared as possible. Products just aren’t available in the way they are in other countries.
Also without sounding preachy if you can think of the children over there as well. We left our pushchair with our hotel maid who had a young baby.
It was really nice to pass it on at the end of the trip. It meant less luggage for us to take home and it was really nice to think of it starting a new life and helping someone in Cuba.
Your Cuba with kids holiday check list
- ✈️ Find great flights with Opodo
- 🏥 Get the travel insurance we use at CoverForYou
- 🅿️ Book your airport parking at a fantastic rate here with Holiday Extras
- 💳 Get a Currensea Card to easily pay for purchases when you’re abroad
Enjoyed this post? Find more related content here:
10 things to do in Havana with kids
What my children say about our family holiday to Cuba with kids
1. What was your favourite thing that we did in Cuba?
N (5) – I liked swimming in the sea with all of the fish….and when the gardeners cut down the coconuts for us to drink.
T (3) – Going on the horses [the horse and carriage rides we took around Havana].
2. What was your least favourite thing from our holiday?
N (5) – I didn’t like the people with the long legs. [There were stilt walkers in a big troupe who came and picked the children up and they got really scared of them! We kept seeing them around the streets of Old Havana and our five year old would shout, “Quick, it’s the long legged people, run!”]
T (3) – No I didn’t like those people either!
3. What was your favourite meal on holiday?
N (5) I liked the ice cream when I chose my flavour [at Coppelia Ice Cream parlour in Havana].
T (3) I like the chocolate milk [in the Chocolate Museum, Havana].
4. What was the best souvenir you brought home?
N (5) My coco taxi [a little model of the bright yellow coco taxis that are all over Havana].
T (3) My lady [a carved statue of a Cuban lady holding a bag and parasol!].
5. Do you want to go back?
N (5) YES….every year!
T (3) YES
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Great post! Cubans are very nice people, I’m sure the kids never got bored with the attention. You guys really hit some of the famous restaurants & hotels which I found interesting. We were there a couple of years ago but unfortunately missed those.
Keep up the good work,
Frank
Thank you Frank. They really were the friendliest people and the children definitely didn’t want to leave! Thank you so much for reading and commenting 🙂
Looks like us great trip! Cuba is on my bucket list, but still isn’t easy to visit for us Americans.
Thank you! I can’t believe it’s so difficult for Americans to visit still. I know many do though. It’s a very interesting country…I hope you get there soon 😉
Wow, it sounds like an amazing place! You make travelling with kids sound easy!
Aw, thank you!! I certainly wouldn’t describe it as easy, it takes a LOT more planning and thought into what to do – and everything’s a compromise between enough fun and enough culture so everyone is happy. Plus I want to ensure my children get enough culture to grow up appreciating it too. I would definitely recommend Cuba – it’s got relaxation and culture wrapped up 🙂
I can only imagine! But well done on making it look easy despite that! This is a great inspirational site for all those who want to travel with families or young children. Touching wood it wont be me for a long time yet, haha, but I have no intention of stopping travelling when I do have kids. I totally agree that it is important to give them as much varied culture and applied education as possible, and travel is the best way to do that!
Thank you so much BB, such kind words and much appreciated 🙂
My god-daughter had her honeymoon in Cuba, its never been somewhere I thought of going. Our 13yo would love the old cars though. Considering Barbados for next year but think I will research Cuba now too.
Nortonmum.
Thank you so much for your comments. I think Cuba is so family friendly, I would definitely recommend it…and the old cars are EVERYWHERE so your son would be very happy – it might just take awhile to choose which one to go in as they are all so amazing to look at! (Barbados sounds lovely too!!)
I love this post, I hadn’t realised that Cuba was so child-freindly.
Thank you for your comment! We just loved Cuba and really long to return…but there are too many new places to visit to justify it right now! It’s perfect for children.
Oh wow – that holiday looks amazing. I must admit that I have heard horror stories about Cuba with children but you’ve totally reassured me. My parents went a couple of years again and loved it….must start saving!
Thank you! I think Cuba so SO family friendly. I wouldn’t hesitate to go back and I’d feel really safe travelling around. Definitely recommended! Thank you again for reading and commenting 🙂
We ‘used’ our 4-yr old as a ‘passport’ to get us hotel rooms. Worked a treat – but yes – do take soap, toothpaste – kiddy toys and clothes you can leave behind, pencils and paper as gifts. We have so much and they so little.
I’m always telling Rovi I wanted to go to Cuba!
I’m going to show him this post when he gets home D: Thanks so much for sharing lovely
Looks like you guys had an amazing time!
Charlotte x
I love your post ! Leaving in a week to Varadero with an 8yr old and 6month old and this is soo reassuring. Will definitely check in to visiting Havana. Ive always wanted to go but was worried with the kids, but not anymore ! Thank you 🙂
Oh thank you so much for the lovely comment. It’s so nice to know that it’s been useful. We had an amazing time there and it is definitely somewhere I would love to return to. I think you will love it and what a fantastic time of year to visit. Just take enough supplies – nappies and wipes – and get ready for lovely Cuban people who adore children. Have a great trip and I’d love to hear how you get on when you’re back! 🙂
Thanks for the post and the pictures! We are heading to Cuba with our 21 month old next month – can’t wait! I’m wondering – we were thinking of taking a lighter model car seat – do you think any of the local folks would want that if we left it behind? Also wondering what locals do instead of car seats – hard for me to imagine.
Oh how exciting! I hope you have a great time, I’m sure you will. A lot of people in Cuba don’t have cars, people use motorcycles more and when they do use cars they are the big older cars that often don’t have seatbelts. So to be completely honest I imagine there wouldn’t be much call for a car seat but if you had one you were happy to leave you could always ask – people are so friendly there it would be easy to strike up a conversation. Hope you have an amazing time, I love Cuba so much and can’t wait to return! I’d love to hear how you get on.
It sounds like such a wonderful and memorable experience. It’s great to hear that you found a perfect balance between the beach resort relaxation and exploring the vibrant city of Havana. The way you described the interactions with the locals and the warm welcome your children received is heartwarming.
Thank you, we really enjoyed the whole trip!