In depth
Crossing and circling Havana Bay: ferries, the tunnel, buses and how people actually get around
Havana Bay is the middle of the city, and moving around it is a daily puzzle for the people who live there. This guide covers the passenger side of the harbour: the small ferries that cross it, the tunnel beneath its mouth, the buses and shared taxis that serve the waterfront, the connections to the airport and the intercity coaches, and what a visitor should expect when travelling between the old city and the neighbourhoods across the water.
The ferries of the bay
The oldest way to cross the bay is by water. Small passenger boats, known as lanchitas, run between the Muelle de Luz, near the Plaza de San Francisco in Old Havana, and the opposite shore at Regla and Casablanca. The crossing takes only a few minutes, costs very little and gives a view of the skyline, the forts and the ships that cannot be had from land. For residents of Regla and Casablanca, the boats are part of the daily commute.
Service depends on the weather, the state of the boats and local demand. At peak times the boats fill quickly, and visitors should expect basic conditions and to queue. The operator is a state transport company, and timetables and fares are set locally rather than published at a national level. The most reliable way to confirm is to ask at the dock on the day.
The tunnel and the road around
A road tunnel beneath the entrance channel, opened in 1958, connects the Malecón and the city centre with Habana del Este and the road to the Via Blanca. Before the tunnel, the only road connection to the eastern shore ran around the bay through Regla and Guanabacoa. The tunnel carries most vehicular traffic to the east, including buses and taxis, and is one of the main engineering works of the city.
Because of its size, the tunnel is also a bottleneck, and traffic can build up at peak times. Heavy goods vehicles have restrictions in some conditions, so many trucks travel by the longer route around the bay. For a visitor, the practical consequence is that a trip to the beaches of the east, such as Playas del Este, is quick by taxi through the tunnel but slower on public transport.
Buses and shared cars
Public buses in Havana run on a network of numbered routes, and many pass the waterfront on the Avenida del Puerto and near the Capitolio. Capacity is limited and waiting times can be long, so many residents use shared taxis on fixed routes, often old American cars, known locally as almendrones or colectivos. These run along main avenues and charge a fixed fare per passenger. For visitors, there are also hop-on, hop-off tourist buses, regular taxis and private cars hired with a driver.
Fares, routes and availability change, and fuel shortages sometimes reduce service. As in other parts of the Cuban transport system, the practical advice is to be flexible and to ask a local host or the hotel what is currently running.
Airport and intercity connections
José Martí International Airport lies roughly fifteen to eighteen kilometres from the city centre, and the transfer to Old Havana or Vedado takes about half an hour by taxi in normal traffic. Intercity coaches that serve visitors, run by a state company, leave from a terminal in the Nuevo Vedado district for destinations such as Varadero, Viñales, Trinidad and Santiago de Cuba. Domestic trains leave from the Estación Central near the harbour, but their schedules and conditions are unpredictable, and many travellers prefer coaches or private transfers.
Cruise and yacht passengers
Passengers arriving by cruise ship dock at the terminals near the Plaza de San Francisco and walk into the old city within minutes. Those arriving by yacht use the marinas to the west of the city, such as the Hemingway Marina in Barlovento, where clearance procedures are handled on arrival. The two groups see the harbour from very different perspectives: one from the old waterfront and one from the western suburbs.
Cruise operations from the United States stopped in 2019 under US rules, although cruise ships from other countries can call. A traveller considering a cruise or a yacht visit should consult the US Treasury and State Department pages if they are a US person, and the Cuban authorities for entry requirements.
Planning tips
Allow extra time for any cross-harbour trip, carry small bills for fares, and keep a copy of the address in Spanish. Take care of belongings in crowded places, and avoid carrying valuables on ferries and buses. For late-evening travel, a taxi arranged by the hotel is usually the most reliable option.
This page is a general description. It does not run any transport service and does not guarantee the availability of those described.
A short history of getting around Havana
For most of the first half of the twentieth century Havana had an extensive tram network, and the cars rolled along the Malecón and across the old city until the system was dismantled in the 1950s in favour of buses. The postwar decades brought the large American sedans that visitors photograph today, many of them now older than their drivers. Because imports of new cars were restricted after 1960, owners kept the vehicles running with ingenious repairs, and the old cars became a feature of daily transport as well as of tourism.
In the 1990s, during the severe economic crisis that followed the end of Soviet support, the city invented its own solutions. Enormous articulated trucks pulled by tractors, nicknamed camellos for their humped shape, carried hundreds of standing passengers across the city for a few pesos. They disappeared over time as new buses arrived, many bought from China, but the era left a lasting habit of improvisation. Bicycle taxis, three-wheeled coco taxis and shared cars fill the gaps in the official system to this day.
Seasons, weather and the best time to cross
Havana has a tropical climate with a warm, humid wet season from May to October and a milder, drier season from November to April. Afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer and can flood low streets near the waterfront within minutes. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to November, and the most dangerous period for the north coast is usually late summer and early autumn. Winter brings cold fronts, called nortes, that raise waves against the Malecón and sometimes suspend small-boat services for a day or two.
For visitors, the most comfortable months to walk the harbour and take the ferries are December to March, when temperatures are lower and the sea is usually calm. In summer, the best strategy is to move early in the morning or after the heat has eased in the late afternoon, and to carry water. The national meteorological institute publishes forecasts and warnings, and ferry operators follow its advice about sea conditions.
Paying, queuing and getting help
Since the monetary reform of January 2021, the Cuban peso is the single official currency for domestic transactions. Fares on public transport and ferries are low and paid in cash in pesos, and drivers of private taxis often quote higher prices in pesos or in foreign currency by agreement. Because prices change with inflation and fuel costs, any figure printed in a guidebook is likely to be out of date, and it is wise to ask the price before boarding.
At ferry piers and bus stops, queuing is informal but generally respected, and locals are usually willing to explain which line goes where. For problems such as lost property or a dispute over fares, a hotel or a private guesthouse host is often the best intermediary. In an emergency, the police number and the ambulance number are posted in hotels, and consular contact details for your country are available on its foreign ministry website.
Safety and accessibility on the water and the road
Ferries are small, boarding often involves a step or a gap, and not every boat has handrails or life jackets in view. Travellers with limited mobility, young children or heavy luggage may prefer a taxi through the tunnel. Street surfaces around the old city are uneven and some sidewalks are broken, so comfortable shoes matter. At night, well-lit streets such as the Prado and the streets around the Plaza de San Francisco are busier and generally easier to navigate than the back streets near the docks.
Walking and cycling along the waterfront
The Malecón, the sea promenade that runs for about eight kilometres along the northern edge of the city, is Havana's most famous public space and the best way to see the mouth of the bay. It begins near the channel entrance and runs west past the old city, Centro Habana and Vedado. In the evening residents sit on the sea wall to talk, fish and watch the sunset. Waves breaking over the wall during a northerly storm are a familiar sight.
The Avenida del Puerto, the road that follows the inner harbour, links the Plaza de San Francisco with the railway station and the former customs warehouses. It is flat and fairly wide, with views of ships at the quay, and makes a good route for walking or cycling when traffic is light. Bicycle taxis and rental bicycles are available in tourist areas, but cyclists should watch for potholes and for vehicles that stop without warning.
Evenings by the water
Many visitors find that the best time to feel the harbour is after dark. The lights of the fortresses reflect in the water, the ferries make their last crossings, and the sea wall fills with people. Street musicians play near the plazas of the old city, and the smell of the sea mixes with that of cooking from nearby restaurants. As elsewhere, it is wise to keep valuables out of sight, stay on busy, lit streets and agree the price of a taxi before getting in.
Common questions
- Where do the harbour ferries leave from?
- From the Muelle de Luz in Old Havana to Regla and Casablanca.
- When did the bay tunnel open?
- In 1958.
- How far is the airport?
- Roughly fifteen to eighteen kilometres from the city centre, around half an hour by taxi.
- Where do intercity coaches leave from?
- From a terminal in the Nuevo Vedado district.
- Do you sell tickets?
- No. This is information only.
- How do I recognise the ferry pier at Old Havana?
- The Muelle de Luz lies near the Plaza de San Francisco de Asís, close to the cruise terminal. Locals can point the way.
Official sources and where to go next
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