Country Summary: Petty crime is a threat for tourists in Cuba. Also, violent crime, including armed robbery, homicide, and sexual assault, sometimes occurs in Cuba.
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The primary reason for travel restrictions on Americans headed to Cuba is to keep money out of government-run tourism services and businesses. Because of the decades-long U.S. embargo against Cuba, American debit cards and credit cards will not work on the island as they do for those traveling from any other country.
As of January 14, 2013, all Cuban government-imposed travel restrictions and controls have been abolished. Since that date, any Cuban citizen, with a valid passport, can leave the country at will, without let or hindrance from the Cuban authorities.
Pharmacies are almost empty and medication is hard to come by. These days, a growing black market on the internet is one of the few places where Cubans can find commodities such as antibiotics, soap or toilet paper. Cuba is certainly no stranger to food shortages and a lack of access to basic items.
Most of the best places to stay in Cuba are in Havana, perfect for kicking off your explorations in style from the northern part of the island. Journey to Santiago de Cuba — from where Fidel Castro launched his revolution — for gorgeous architecture and lots of history, as well as a more noticeably Caribbean feel.
You may have noticed that a visit to other countries implied a visa stamp on your passport, but this is not valid for Cuba. Your passport will not get stamped upon entry. Only the Tourist Card will receive a Cuba visa stamp, but you need to keep it in your passport at all times.