Best Airports To Land In Cuba

Cuba has several airports that receive domestic and international flights. The José Martí International Airport, located just outside Havana, is the largest airport in Cuba and the most common entry point for travellers to the island. It has five terminals and serves four million passengers each year. If you’re travelling from South America, Europe, or Canada, you’re most likely to land here. The second-largest international airport in Cuba is the Juan Gualberto Gomez Airport in the province of Matanzas, just 18.6 miles (30 km) from the popular beach resort of Varadero. Other international airports in Cuba include the Frank Pais International Airport in Holguin, connecting travellers to the south of Cuba, and the Abel Santamaria Airport in Santa Clara. It's important to note that flying to Cuba from or through the US for tourism is not allowed, and there are specific requirements and restrictions for travel to Cuba that should be considered when planning a trip to the country.

José Martí International Airport, Havana

José Martí International Airport (IATA: HAV, ICAO: MUHA) is the main international airport in Cuba. Located in the municipality of Boyeros, it is just 9 miles (15 km) or 20 kilometres (12 mi) from the centre of Havana. The airport is named after José Martí, a Cuban patriot and poet.

The airport is the likely entry point to Cuba for travellers from South America, Europe, and Canada. It is Cuba's largest airport, serving around 4 million passengers annually, and has four passenger terminals and one freight terminal. Terminal 1 is the domestic terminal, used for internal flights, and is located on the west end of runway 6. Terminal 2 is the US Charters terminal, used for scheduled charter flights to and from the United States. This terminal is the largest in the airport and is located on the north side by runway 24. Terminal 3 is the main international terminal.

The airport connects Havana with the Caribbean, North, Central and South America, Europe, and one destination each in Africa and Asia. It is a hub for Cubana de Aviación and Aerogaviota, and was previously a Latin American hub for Aeroflot, the Soviet (and later Russian) airline.

The airport replaced the Columbia Airfield in 1930, which was Havana's first airport. The original name of the airport was Rancho Boyeros, meaning "(Bull) Drover Ranch", in reference to the plains where the airport was constructed.

Juan Gualberto Gomez Airport, Varadero

Cuba has several airports that receive domestic and international flights. The José Martí International Airport, located just outside Havana, is the largest airport in Cuba and the most common entry point for travellers to the country. However, if you want to explore Cuba's beaches, you might consider flying into the Juan Gualberto Gomez Airport in Varadero.

Juan Gualberto Gomez Airport is located in the province of Matanzas, just 18.6 miles (30 km) from the popular beach resort of Varadero. It is the second-largest international airport in Cuba. You can easily fly direct to Varadero from North America and Europe. Most hotels and tour companies will also organise airport transfers to and from Varadero to Juan Gualberto Gomez Airport.

The airport serves travellers from more than 60 destinations worldwide. Airlines that operate regular scheduled and charter flights at Juan Gualberto Gomez Airport include Aerocaribbean, which offers flights to and from Havana.

If you're looking for more flexibility in your travel arrangements, you can also take a taxi for around $30 USD or rent a car to travel independently in Cuba.

Frank Pais Airport, Holguin

Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean with several airports catering to domestic and international flights. If you're travelling from South America, Europe, or Canada, you're most likely to land at José Martí International Airport, just outside Havana. The second-largest international airport in Cuba is the Juan Gualberto Gomez Airport in the province of Matanzas, which is close to the popular beach resort of Varadero.

Another airport in Cuba is Frank País Airport (IATA: HOG, ICAO: MUHG), which serves Holguín, a city in the Cuban province of Holguín. The airport is located about 13 km (8 mi) southwest of the city of Holguín and was built in 1962 initially for military purposes. Civilian air operations began in 1966, and today, it has two terminals—one for domestic flights and the other for international flights. The international terminal was built in 1996 and expanded in 2007 to accommodate 1,200 passengers per hour and includes duty-free shops, restaurants, car rental agencies, and a VIP lounge.

The airport is named after Cuban revolutionary Frank País (1934-1957). It is located in the neighbourhood of Peralta, which was named after mambí General Julio Grave de Peralta. The aviation history of Holguín began with a makeshift runway near the Hill of Cross (Loma de la Cruz) in the city. In 1914, Domingo Rosillo landed on this airstrip, a year after becoming the first pilot to fly between Key West and Havana. The first official airport serving Holguín was inaugurated on 30 October 1930 and served as a stop on Cuba's first airmail route between Havana and Santiago de Cuba.

Frank País Airport connects travellers to southern Cuba, including popular beach resorts like Guardalavaca. International flights arrive from transport hubs in the US, Canada, and Europe, with one flight per day from Havana. Most hotels organise shuttle buses from the airport to Guardalavaca and other beach destinations, which is a journey of approximately 72 km (45 miles) and takes about an hour by car.

When flying to Cuba, it is important to note that there are specific travel requirements. Online check-in for flights to Cuba is typically unavailable, and you must check in at the airport, allowing up to 3 hours for the process. Additionally, there are restrictions on travel from or through the US for tourism purposes, with specific permitted reasons and requirements for entry.

Abel Santamaria Airport, Santa Clara

When travelling to Cuba by air, you will most likely arrive at José Martí International Airport, which is located just outside Havana and is the largest of the few international airports in the country. However, another airport option is the Abel Santamaria Airport, located in Santa Clara, Cuba.

Abel Santamaria Airport is approximately 6 miles from Santa Clara and is served by at least one international flight each week. The airport code for this airport is SNU/MUSC.

As for transportation to and from the airport, you can take a taxi for around $20-25 USD or rent a car to travel around Cuba independently. The cost of a taxi from Havana Airport to Havana city, which is about 9 miles, is between $20 and $25 USD. Alternatively, you can take a shuttle bus, which is usually pre-arranged with your tour package or hotel.

It is important to note that if you are flying to Cuba from or via the United States, tourism is not a permitted reason for travel. There are 13 permitted reasons, including official business of the US government, and you must have a visa and health insurance with coverage in the area.

Jardines del Rey Airport, Cayo Coco

Jardines del Rey Airport, also known as Cayo Coco Airport, is a small international airport located on the eastern end of Cayo Coco island, part of the Jardines del Rey archipelago off the north coast of Cuba. The airport was built to better serve tourists visiting the island, who previously had to arrive at Máximo Gómez Airport, 70 kilometres away. The airport was inaugurated in December 2002, replacing the earlier domestic Cayo Coco Airport, which was situated in an environmentally sensitive area.

The airport is managed jointly by the Spanish company Aena and the Cuban company ECASA, making it the only airport in Cuba partially managed by a foreign company. It serves the island resorts of Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo, Cayo Paredon, and Cayo Cruz, as well as the province of Ciego de Avila. The island of Cayo Coco is connected to the main island of Cuba by a 17-kilometre causeway, allowing the airport to serve the north-central regions of Cuba as well.

Jardines del Rey Airport handles both international and domestic flights, with around fifty flights per week. It features a single runway that has recently been expanded to accommodate larger aircraft with more than 300 passengers. The terminal building is air-conditioned and offers amenities such as VIP lounges, a snack bar, a restaurant, duty-free shops, and a currency exchange booth.

The airport is easily accessible from the resorts on Cayo Coco, with a transfer time of just 10 to 20 minutes. For those travelling to Cayo Guillermo, the journey takes between 40 and 45 minutes. This is a significant improvement over the previous travel times from the Maximo Gomez Airport, which was 1.5 hours to Cayo Coco and 2 hours to Cayo Guillermo.

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