How does the Internet work in Cuba? WIFI or SIM Card

There are trips in which it is a pleasure to turn off the mobile phone and disconnect completely.

But many times, whether for work or a need of some kind, it is essential carry Internet on the mobile outside your country even if it is for emergencies.

Have internet on your mobile It has become something fundamental for everyone, and even more so when we travel.

It helps us use a map to reach our destinations, to search for information, it serves as a lifesaver in case of emergency, and even to find restaurants to eat at.

How the Internet works in Cuba

But outside of European Union, the data rate of your country of origin is not worth it and you need to look for solutions.

More in the case of countries like Cuba, where to understand how it works Internet, You have to think about how we connected years ago.

Specifically, there are no flat data rates, the use of Internet It depends on time and, furthermore, with a limitation on the consumption of said data.

All the options to have Internet in Cuba

In our recent trip to cuba We try all the options that exist in that country to connect you to Internet, in order to explain it well, because there are several ways to have internet depending on your needs.

Let's teach you how the Internet works in Cuba and how you can have it on your mobile at any time.

How to have Wifi in Cuba

When we talk about what there is Limited Internet In Cuba, we not only refer to the mobile sim cardsBut Wifi is also limited.

But for the peace of mind of many, as soon as you arrive in Cuba you can connect to the Free airport wifi from the airport of Havana.

This allows you a short but sufficient connection in case you need to use it to contact someone as soon as you arrive.

But there are more Wifi options and each one with its peculiarities.

What is the WIFI connection like in hotels in Cuba?

The vast majority of Cuba hotels They have Internet connections for clients and they are often quite fast, although it obviously depends on the hotel.

We have stayed in several hotels in the 15 days of travel in which we toured the island, and the connection speed It varied quite a bit depending on the level of the hotel.

For example, the Iberostar hotels The ones I've been to on the island are the ones where it works best Internet in Cuba.

It's free, high speed and works with a code, password and goes by time.

They usually give you 3 hours of connection, but if you go over, they will extend it without problem and at no cost.

In other hotels the operation in terms of time, codes and passwords is the same, but it is not free; The cost is usually 25 CUP, 1 hour of Wifi.

It is important that every time you stop using your cell phone, you disconnect the connection, especially if you have iPhone mobile.

If you don't, you may be surprised that the connection time you had will be wasted.

How they work and how to buy SIM cards in Cuba

The most comfortable thing that guarantees you having Internet in Cuba, are the SIM cards.

There are several cards and several ways to obtain them, and each has its advantages and disadvantages.

Cubacell SIM cards in Cuba

A good option is sim card Cubacell, which is only for tourists.

This card is valid for 30 days from its activation and can be recharge online if you run out.

To contract and recharge it, you must enter the main page of Cubacell, You fill in some personal information and choose one of the operators they offer you, Suenacuba, Cubacall o royalcall.

After filling out everything, you have to pay about 25 euros and they give you a code that you must hand in, along with your passport, when you pick it up at the office. International Terminal 3 of Havana Airport…and voila, you have it Internet in Cuba.

This card allows you to navigate in all areas where there is coverage, which in practice is in all cities, especially in large ones, such as Havana or Santiago de Cuba, where you have 4G.

Important, it is necessary reserve the cards for at least 3 or 4 days before arriving in Cuba.

At the airport it will be very easy to find the aforementioned office because it is located right after you get off the plane and before passing customs control, you just have to follow the instructions of Cubacell.

You have 2.5 GB of data, 20 minutes of calls that may be useful to you and 20 SMS.

The problem with this option is that, since you have to collect the card before clearing customs, it is likely that after collecting it you will be the last in the waiting line to pass the controls.

Civitatis SIM card to have Internet Cuba

Another option that is equally valid but still more comfortable for many travelers is to hire the SIM card through Civitatis.

The great advantage is that you don't have to do anything after contracting it, since it is a card that they send you to the hotel.

When hiring it, you only have to indicate the name of the hotel, the day of arrival and the card will be waiting for you at the reception.

It is also essential to reserve it 4 days before arriving in Cuba.

It may be the case, as happened to us, that they write to you by Whatsapp to coordinate the time of collecting the card based on the time of your arrival at the hotel.

In this case there are two card options to have Internet in Cuba, depending on the amount of data you need.

One 1 GB worth 20 euros, or the largest, which is the same as that of Cubacell, 2 GB for 25 euros.

SIM card at Enjoy Cuba Agency

If you hire the entire trip with agencies like Enjoy Cuba As was our case, the same agency provides you a card to have Internet in Cuba.

If, like we did, you book a trip with said agency with a car route around the island at your leisure, they will provide you with the card in case you need help at any time.

Specifically, you have a 24 hour customer service In case any problem arises, and to guarantee that you can use it, they themselves provide you with a card with Internet, calls and messages.

In this case they do not charge you any extra and it is included in the price of the trip; Obviously if you do not contract the trip with an agency, this option is not possible.

Stores where you can buy Internet SIM card in Cuba

The aforementioned Cubacell cards It is also possible to buy them in physical stores in the cities.

In this case it is not necessary to reserve or anything, but you have the disadvantage that you will have to do the entire process there.

Including, of course, locating the store, waiting in line and approaching it during opening hours.

I would only recommend this option if for whatever reason you have made the mistake of not doing the Buy online prior to your trip.

Honestly, I think it's clearly worth buying them in advance.

What mobile phone do I need to have Internet in Cuba?

The first thing you need to know is whether you are going to use only local Wi-Fi or are you going to buy a data card.

Si vas a buy sim cards, you have to keep in mind that you are going to need a cell phone that is unlocked.

If you have bought your mobile with an offer from a telephone company in your country, it is possible that it is not free and that your sim cards don't work.

In the case of having the mobile unlocked, you move on to the second obstacle, it is necessary that it has Dual SIM.

If your mobile does not have two slits to insert cards, you're going to have to take yours out to put the new Cuban one on.

If you do not have Dual SIM and you don't want to take out your card, but you want to use a SIM that allows you to have Internet At any time, a solution is to take an old cell phone to put it in.

Is a VPN needed to travel to Cuba?

When use Internet in Cuba, you have to know what there is certain content that is prohibited in said Caribbean country.

For example, TikTok is blocked and cannot be accessed, like some American internet pages or services.

That is why we always recommend having a VPN downloaded to your computer or mobile phone that allows you to access another server.

If you don't know what what is a vpnI'll explain it to you roughly.

It is an application that connects to a server in another part of the world different from where you are located; In this way, the mobile phone believes that you are in another country and does not block the information that it does not allow you to access.

It is something that is hardly used in Europe, but its use is quite common there.

For example, on our trip we used it to watch a soccer game. Champions League using the VPN through a server in Europe.

There are paid and free VPNS.

How to save on Internet data consumption in Cuba

A very important thing when using the Internet is turn off background data refresh.

It is an option found in the mobile settings that prevents applications from being updated without your permission.

El background update problem It's that it consumes your cell phone data like crazy without realizing it.

And considering that the data is not unlimited, it is better to disconnect it.

A curious thing about saving data is that in Cuba, for example, is hardly used Instagram because it consumes a lot of data since there are many videos.

The main social network used by Cubans is Facebook.

Can you connect to Google Maps, Facebook or Instagram in Cuba?

The answer is yes; curiously are blocked TikTok y Snapchat, but these large social networks are perfectly accessible.

They use a lot of data, yes, but access is possible.

If you are traveling by car, we recommend that you use the free application maps.me

It is very similar to Google Maps, but it does not use mobile data.

You download it to your mobile before traveling and you download the road map of Cuba, in this way with the GPS you are guided.

On our trip it has been a fundamental tool to drive without problems throughout the island.

Other interesting topics from Cuba

Before we leave you some practical articles that can help you on your trip.

• Guide to traveling to Cuba
• How does money work in Cuba?
• 14 Cities to see in Cuba
• What to see in Havana
• What to see in Trinidad