Question 1

What is the "Airport Taxi Peso-to-Dollar Rate Confusion" scam in Santiago de Cuba?

Accepted Answer

At Santiago de Cuba Antonio Maceo International Airport, taxi drivers quote fares in a currency that is strategically ambiguous, sometimes appearing to quote in CUP but meaning USD or vice versa. When the tourist pays what they understood to be agreed, the driver insists the fare was in hard currency and demands additional payment. The confusion is deliberate and exploits tourists unfamiliar with Cuban dual-pricing. Before entering any taxi at Santiago airport, confirm the fare currency explicitly: ask whether the price is in USD, EUR, or CUP. State your understanding back to the driver clearly. Agree on the total amount in a single currency before the journey begins, and do not pay until you arrive.

Question 2

What is the "Castillo del Morro Taxi Roundtrip Trap" scam in Santiago de Cuba?

Accepted Answer

Drivers offer to take you to Castillo del Morro (10 km west) for "30 CUC roundtrip" then disappear once you arrive. You pay another fare back, usually inflated because no other cabs wait at the fortress. Pay only on return. Take the driver's plate number and phone, or use a colectivo taxi from Plaza de Marte that runs the route for a small fraction of the price.

Question 3

What is the "Airport Taxi Fixed-Rate Inflation" scam in Santiago de Cuba?

Accepted Answer

Taxis from Antonio Maceo Airport quote a fixed "tourist rate" of 30-40 USD into the city when the real fare is closer to 15-20 USD. Drivers refuse meters and insist USD-only. Agree the fare in CUP before getting in. If quoted in USD, ask for the equivalent in CUP and pay that. The state-run Cubataxi rank usually has fairer pricing.

Taxi & Transport Scams in Santiago de Cuba

Airport Taxi Peso-to-Dollar Rate Confusion

Castillo del Morro Taxi Roundtrip Trap

Airport Taxi Fixed-Rate Inflation

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