Vedado
(Raúl Sarmiento, wife Magaly)
Paseo #313 apto 43 esquina 15
tel: 3-4174
email: vedadohabana@yahoo.co

Raúl and Magaly rent a room with private bath and fridge in their apartment. Their balcony overlooks one of Havana's nicest neighborhoods. They are a friendly, retired couple; Raúl was a professor and Magaly was a Colonel in the Cuban army. Raúl speaks good English. He has a website, and you can reserve a room over the internet. Very highly recommended.

Raúl and Magaly on their balcony

Miramar
"Mi Casa"
(Adita Nuñez)
96-a No 309 e/3a -A y 3a-B
Tel:(537) 23-6146

Adita is a professor at the University. She normally rents not a single room, but an entire floor — two bedrooms furnished in part with antiques, a dining/living room with TV and stereo, a modern kitchen and bath, and a private downstairs entry. It's a lovely place, quite expensive, but a good deal for two couples or a family who want to try housekeeping.

Cayayabos (on the way to Las Terrazas)
Villa Juanita
La Pastora, No. 601 Cayajabos
(4 ks east of the entrance to Las Terrazas)

Juanita and her family have a casa just a few minutes by bike from the entrance to Las Terrazas. If you want something better than the campismo and much cheaper than Hotel La Moka, it's a good choice. Two upstairs bedrooms with a shared bath and dining area. The food is good.

Guanabo (Playas del Este)
Casa Alberto y Neisa
Calle 500 No. 5
tel: 96-4503

This is one of the nicest casas in Guanabo. Alberto and Neisa are a friendly, young couple. There is a guest room with fridge, bath, and private entrance; another room is located in its own, private cottage in the attractive yard. Good food and only a block or two from the beach.

Vinales
"La Esquinita"
(Ara Fernandez and husband Tony)
Rafael Trejo No. 18 e/ Mariana Grajales y Jonquin Perez
tel: 93318 (a neighbor's phone)

Pinar del Rio City
Maria Julia y Roberto Lee Ofrece
Calle Antonio Rubio No. 70
e/ Rafael Morales y Osmani Arenado

The friendly couple run an adequate casa particular that is conveniently located near the center of town. (no photo)

Puerto Esperanza
Villa Dora
(Dora Gonzalez and family)
Pelayo Cuervo No. 5

This place has long been popular with visiting sailors who stop in Puerto Esperanza. The walls of the bedrooms are covered with enthusiastic graffiti from grateful guests, and seafood meals are served on a terrace out back.

Santa Lucia
Villa Mary
(Mary and Rolando)
Entronque La Sabana

Mary had one bedroom with a tiny private bath when we were there in early 2001, and she was preparing another for guests. Food was excellent, and her friendly, extended family shared the house. We heard, however, that Mary had stopped renting rooms, we hope temporarily. If anyone sends definite word, we'll post the information.

Sandino
Motel Alexis
(Alexis and Nelyda)
Zona L 33
(one block east of the main road through Sandino)
tel: 3282 6 3416

Sandino doesn't look like a great place to stop, but this casa particular is a delight. Alexis and Nelyda are thoughtful and generous, and the food is excellent. If you're making the long trip to Playa Maria La Gorda, this is the place to stop on the way.

Playa Girón
Casa Sylvia
(Sylvia Acosta and family)
Carretera Yaguaramas
Telephone 59-4249

Sylvia has a unique house — inlaid with many thousands of seashells. Guests get a comfortable bedroom with private bath, and good meals are served on a covered terrace. If the room is occupied, Sylvia can recommend several other good casas in the area.

Cienfuegos
María Antonia y Napoles
Calle 35 No. 22
Punta Gorda

This pleasant casa has an extraordinary setting. Located on the narrowest part of the Punta Gorda penninsula, the house has a backyard that is directly on the bay, and the front porch looks over the bay as well. María and Napoles are shown with some younger members of their family.

Pasacaballo (near Cienfuegos on south coast)
Finca los Colorados
(José Pinero)
Carretera Pasacaballo
(about 100 meters northwest of Faro Luna)

This place is more like a tiny inn than an ordinary casa particular. There are guestrooms in the house and also in a charming villa next door. Dining is either indoors or on a terrace under trellises overlooking the sea. The food is excellent, possibly the best of any casa we have visited.

Santa Clara
Casa María
(Alina and Eliar)
Calle San Pablo #19

Alina and Eliar are now the hosts at Casa María, facing a historic church (Iglesia del Carmen) near Parque Vidal in downtown Santa Clara. They rent a spacious, if rather dark, bedroom with a private bath and a shower that is perhaps the best at any casa particular we have visited. Great after a hard day of cycling or sightseeing!

Remedios
Gladys Aponte Rojas
Brigadier Gonzales #32
2nd Floor

Gladys rents one or two rooms in her spacious second floor apartment. Many friends and family members drift in and out, a friendly, lively place but with sufficient privacy, and good food. It is possible to have a drink or a meal outside on a flat roof off the kitchen.

Crowd gathers to see digital photos at Gladys' house

Barb on balcony

Trinidad
Martha Puig Jimínez
Calle Francisco Cadahia # 236 e/ Colón y Lino Pérez
tel: 0419-2361

Martha is a lovely person, and she speaks excellent English. Though her immaculate home is close to the historic section of Trinidad, it is on a street that is not overwhelmed by tourists. If Martha's rental room is not available, she is helpful and reliable, and you can count on her to find you another good accomodation.

La Boca (convenient to Trinidad and Playa Ancón)
Hostal Sol y Mar
(Joaquín Pomes and wife Olga)
Avenida del Mar #87
(east end of the village)

This is one of our very favorite casas. The food is among the best we've had in Cuba, served with care, and the view over the La Boca waterfront from the front porch is lovely — but it's something special about Joaquin and Olga that brought us back twice and makes it hard to leave. (A Norwegian couple became so relaxed and happy when we were there that they cancelled the rest of their travel plans and stayed for a week!)

Casa del Capitán
(Cuca Casanova)
Playa la Boca No. 82
Carretera Ancon
Tel (0) 419-3055

Cuca is a delightful, slighly eccentric widow whose house is comfortable and fun. The bedrooms and shared bath are not quite up to the standard of the best casas we've visited, but Cuca's back terrace is spectacular, and she serves wonderful, fresh seafood and very cold beer! There's good snorkeling right off the rough limestone waterfront.

Holguín
Antonio Ochoa
(wife Amada Macheco)
Morales Lemus No. 199 e/ Martí y Frexes
Telephone 42-3659

Antonio and Amada are a gracious couple who rent a room in their colonial-style home just a block or two off the central square in Holguín.

Banes
Casa Evelyn
(Evelyn Feria)
Calle Bruno Merino No. 341 e/ Delfín Pupo y Heredia

Evelyn and her husband are big, friendly people who obviously enjoy their own good cooking! The rooms they rent are on the second floor. There aren't many choices of accommodation in Banes; fortunately this is a good one. Sorry, no photo.

Guantánamo
Casa Elyse
(Elyse Castillo)
Calixto García Norte No. 766 e/ Prado y Jesús del Sol

This casa doesn't look like much from the street, but behind the rather battered facade is a large, sprawling home centered around a courtyard, with some rooms in 50's style, others in colonial style. This is a good place to stay very near the center of the city.

Santiago de Cuba
Luis Raúl Mercaderes Pérez
(son-in-law Gery is host)
Hartman # 262 Habana y Macio
phone 52481

This is one of the most wonderful families we met in Cuba, and that is really saying something! Their home is a few blocks walk from Parque Cespedes. Guests in the one rental room have the airy third floor to themselves, and meals are delicious. Highly recommended.

Santiago de Cuba
Edgardo Gutierrez
(wife Miriam)
Terraza No. 106
Reparto: Ampliacion de Terrazas
tel: 4-2536

Edgardo's and Miriam's home is in one of Santiago de Cuba's nicer suburban neighborhoods, on a quiet side street not far from Hotel Las Americas and Hotel Santiago de Cuba. Edgardo speaks excellent English. They serve good food on the back patio. This casa is very popular with repeat European guests.