Casa Caribe Havana Hostel, Havana

Casa Caribe Havana Hostel is one of many backpacker hostels that have opened up in Cuba within the last ten years or so. There’s a choice of around twenty in Havana at the time of writing, and they are scattered around different neighborhoods. Casa Caribe is in an area about two kilometers from the center, where there is a clutch of backpacker choices in a very local Cuban area, within a ten-minute walk of each other.

The Location

Located on a street corner, diagonally opposite a small park, Casa Caribe is a two-kilometer walk east from the El Capitolio in the center of Havana. It’s a fairly quiet area, with local eateries (paladares) within a few minutes’ walk. For backpackers wanting to go online, the location is good because there is a Wi-Fi hot spot in the hostel itself -- something unusual in Cuba. You still have to buy an internet card (tarjeta de navegacion) to connect, as the internet is government run, but there is a kiosk in the park opposite.

Rooms and Bathrooms

Casa Caribe is pretty typical of most backpacker hostels in Havana, in that it is a family apartment with just two rooms. One is a private double room and the other a ten-bed dorm. The dorm is spacious enough with small lockers provided for your valuables. There is also a power point for each bed. The mattresses are very variable, so try a few before choosing your bed. The room is clean and there is a wall fan and air conditioner in the dorm. There are two bathrooms in the house, both with a toilet, hand basin, and a shower with twenty-four-hour hot water.

Common Spaces

Casa Caribe has a sitting room with a couch and cushioned chairs and there is a flat-screen TV. There is a narrow balcony overlooking the park and another narrow balcony at the back of the house primarily for smokers. There is a small kitchen with a sink, kettle, and gas ring; another, larger kitchen with a larger cooker and a table is primarily used by the family. In the sitting room, the simple, free breakfast is served every morning from 8:30 a.m. and consists of slices of fruit, a bread roll, fruit juice, and tea or coffee; it's not particularly substantial.

Summary

Casa Caribe is pretty much what you’d expect from a hostel in Cuba. It’s clean and functional, but it isn’t really a fun hostel. The owners are fairly helpful, but there is very little English spoken here. As with most hostels in Cuba, it’s small and you have to share some spaces with the owners. It’s also a little hard to find, as there is no sign outside. There is only a small sticker by the front doorbell, so make sure you have the street name and number before arriving.