3. There are four places to buy NAUTA Internet cards:

1. ETECSA office

   This is the official way to buy a Nauta Internet card. You’ll need to show your passport and you’re limited to purchasing 3 NAUTA cards at a time. Expect to wait in a long line. Internet cards cost CUC$1 (about USD$1.20) for every hour of internet. 1-hour and 5-hour cards are the most common and they’re valid for 30 days. Most ETECSA offices are open from 8:30am-7pm but may run out of WiFi cards far sooner.

2. Hotels

   All major hotels sell NAUTA cards that can connect to any ETECSA public WiFi hotspot (though the hotel may charge extra for the cards). You don’t necessarily have to be a guest at the hotel to buy an Internet card there. A handful of hotels, such as the Habana Libre, sell proprietary cards (about CUC$5/hour) that connect to the hotel’s own private WiFi.

3. At the park/square

   There’s almost always someone walking around the park/square asking “WiFi? Internet”. These people are re-selling NAUTA cards at a premium, usually an extra 50 cents to $2. These cards are safe and will save you from waiting in long lines, just be sure to check that the password hasn’t been scratched off yet.

4. Businesses near the square

   In some cities, like Baracoa, restaurants and shops surrounding the WiFi hotspot will sell NAUTA cards on the side. Some casa particular hosts also sell them. Ask around if the ETECSA office is closed.

4. Most Internet hotspots in Cuba are outside

The vast majority of Cubans and tourists connect to the internet at outdoor public WiFi hotspots. These are usually in popular public parks (parques), plazas, and busy promenades. Though hotel WiFi used to only be accessible from within the hotel, it’s now strong enough to catch from outside many large hotels.

It’s totally safe to connect to the Internet outside, just know it’s not a private connection so be careful when entering credit card info. Keep in mind that you may be standing in the hot sun (or in pouring rain, as I’ve had to do in order to make urgent trip arrangements for clients).

5. Know where to look for “wee-fee”

How can you find the nearest WiFi hotspot in Cuba? Some apps and websites (such as the ETECSA website) indicate where hotspots are but if you can’t access WiFi to begin with, how are you going to get to the online map? Ask your host (or any stranger on the street) where to find WiFi (pronounced “wee-fee” in Spanish) or stop wherever you see a large number of Cubans staring at their phones.

In Havana, most WiFi spots are in La Habana Vieja (Old Havana) and Vedado. In other cities, such as Viñales , Trinidad, Cienfuegos, Santiago, Holguin, Matanzas, Guantanamo, Varadero, and Baracoa, hotspots are usually scattered in a few central parks and plazas.