Gap Year Programs in Cuba

Here are some of the most popular locations that are guaranteed to give you your dream gap year in Cuba!

Havana. There is no other place in the world that looks or feels like Havana. This enchanting and seductive city, and the capital of this great country, is most popular location, with a wide range of volunteer placements in community development, health care, or education. You can immerse yourself in the Cuban culture through a study program or by living with a host family. Havana is a fast-developing city, slowly catching up with the rest of the world. Let yourself be seduced by the vivacious nightlife, visit the UNESCO World Heritage sites, or travel outside the city and explore the fishing village that inspired Hemingway to write The Old Man and the Sea.

Santiago de Cuba. Cuba is not just Havana. Although a poor town where the faces of revolution still seem to mean something and look kind of grim, Santiago de Cuba is anything but grim. Spend your gap year with a host family, finally master Spanish, relax on the beach, drink the best rum in Cuba, swim, spend time with your new family and friends, hit the streets of Santiago and dance with the locals, and immerse yourself in the incredible Cuban culture.  

How you spend your gap year will be determined by your interests, but take a look at these popular activities!

Volunteer. If you want to have a meaningful gap year, there are countless volunteer opportunities in Cuba. Get involved into an education program and teach English through various activities with the local community. Not only will they learn English, but you will learn Spanish too. If you’re interested in the wildlife, you can volunteer in Cuba to help with the bat conservation in the breathtaking peninsula Veradero. Help build up some parks for the children, work with elderly people, or get your hands dirty doing field work.

Learn Spanish. Live with a host family for a year and learn directly from the locals, while you completely immerse yourself in the Cuban culture.There are schools or language courses in Havana, Trinidad, and Santiago de Cuba that you can enroll in, or you can work with an one-on-one tutor. Either way, you’ll be practicing outside of class in no time!

Travel. Cuba adventure travel is the perfect idea if you just want to spend some time traveling a beautiful country—there’s plenty to discover in Cuba. Outside the vibrant city centers, like Havana and Santiago de Cuba, where the nightlife is like nowhere else in the world, Cuba has a spectacular green ecosystem with lakes, swimming holes, hiking trails, glorious beaches, and a beautiful countryside.

Costs. Formal gap year programs have different prices depending on your interests and location, but the good news is that most of them have accommodation included in the price and they take care of the visa for you. Neat!

Although Cuba has a different currency, the exchange rate is about 1:1 with the U.S. dollar, which is not necessarily cheap, but it’s affordable.You can still have a decent meal for under $10, a beer or a cappuccino for about $1, and go anywhere with public transportation for under $1. Check out our GoAbroad FundMyTravel and start building up your budget with the help from friends and family!

Accommodation. Many formal gap year programs offer accommodation included in their price, be it either a dorm housing, guest houses, apartments, or homestay accommodation, where you get to immerse yourself in the Cuban culture completely. If you’re adventure traveling, you can find accommodation for a decent price at locally owned hostels and guest houses.

Visas. You will definitely need a visa, no matter if you’re on a student program in Cuba, volunteering, or just visiting. The good news is that you can find out all the requirements for a visa in Cuba with our embassy directory within minutes. The bad news is that there is actually quite a lot of paperwork to be done. And the good news again is that all formal programs will assist you through all the process and do most of the job for you. Yay!

Safety. Cuba is a very safe country, perhaps due to the strong police and military presence. But we think mostly because of the friendly people. Dance on the street with the locals, but still be cautious with your wallet and mind your manners. And try not to get hurt. Cuba has good doctors, but their medical supplies can be limited, so try not to get hurt and bring your own prescriptions if you need any.

Everyone dances in Cuba. Mom, dad, grandma, the dogs and cats, and it’s impossible not to join. Especially now, when Cuban rappers can play their songs without getting into trouble. 

Yes, the future is here, but the past, too, is everywhere, with historical buildings, old horses, and carriages on the streets and 1950s cars everywhere. Cubans love their cars, some so much that they upgrade it as best they can (mostly with duct tape and bailing wire) and then race them on the streets. Hundreds of people gather to watch these exciting races and you will never see anything alike anywhere else in the world.

You will probably be taking a few pictures during your gap year in Cuba, but don’t forget that you are not allowed to take pictures of military personnel or any government building. 

Using credit or debit cards is still not as popular in Cuba, so make sure you have multiple methods of using money, even in both the local currency and US dollars (if possible).

Spend a gap year in Cuba and explore this previously off-limits country, immerse yourself into a rich culture, and learn how the Cubans can still smile with the “little” that they have. Connect with yourself and new people and build your path towards a new future. 

Keep reading! 5 Best Gap Year Destinations RN.