There are very few hotels

This is one of the fascinating facts about Cuba that visitors should be aware of. You may realize that motels are tough to find while reserving your accommodations. While there are a handful, most are pricey and will not provide you with a local experience. Alternatively, People is advised arranging a casa particular ("private house"), Cuba's equivalent of Airbnb. The majority of them are government-licensed and geared to welcome international visitors. Best of all, you'll get the opportunity to stay with a local family, eat homecooked meals, and get a sense of what daily life is like in Cuba.

Casa particular (Spanish for "private house"; plural casas particulares) is a word in Cuba that refers to private housing or private homestays, comparable to a bed & breakfast but also taking the form of a vacation rental. When the meaning is apparent, the phrase is frequently abbreviated to just casa. Best of all, Cubans may supplement their monthly income by renting out their homes at a reasonable fee (see below). You may feel good about helping the community by staying at a casa especial.