Internet & WiFi | Varadero, Cuba

The "Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba S.A." (ETECSA) (in English: Telecommunications Company of Cuba) is the government-owned service provider for the entire country. Their services include: telephony, mobile telephony (through their Cubacel branch), and Internet (through their NAUTA branch).

Every all-inclusive resorts and most hotels provide WiFi to their guests, and the majority of them now offer this service for free so there is no longer a need to buy internet cards. WiFi is generally available throughout the resort and in many cases in the guest rooms also.

If your hotel offers free Wi-Fi:

A username and password to access the network will be provided to you at the Front Desk, and these are unique to each device, not to each rooms. So if you want to use more than one device (cellphone, tablet or laptop) you’ll need to get login details for each of them. You will initially be given a certain number of hours, then you’ll have to go back to the Reception for more when your time is up, ask for a “recarga”. With each “recarga” (top-up) you receive a few extra hours and you can do as many as you need during your stay.

If your hotel offers Wi-Fi for a fee:

To access the network you must then buy NAUTA Prepaid Internet Cards at the Reception (or in any ETECSA outlet). On these cards there's a scratch-off area to reveal the Login (Usario) and Password (Clave or Contrasena) that allows you to connect; here's a screenshot of the NAUTA WiFi Sign-in page.

NAUTA Prepaid Internet Card Here are the Internet Cards available and their price* in Cuban Pesos (CUP):
• 30 minutes : 12.50 CUP (~ $0.50 USD)
• 1 hour : 25 CUP (~ $1 USD)
• 5 hours : 125 CUP (~ $5 USD)
(*Subject to change, see ETECSA website for up-to-date prices)

These cards are non-rechargeable and they remain valid for 30 days from the first connection. They also have an expiry date (shown on the back), always check when buying that this date is not too close.
Don't forget to sign-out after your session! (Cerrar sesion), so you can use the remaining minutes later. Here's a screenshot of the NAUTA WiFi Connected/Log-out page.

Internet access outside your hotel:

If you plan to wander outside your resort to visit downtown Varadero or other nearby villages and towns, you can still access the internet through one of the many Wi-Fi hotspots provided by ETECSA throughout the country, they are mostly located in city parks, main squares, commercial and entertainment centers, outside ETECSA offices, airports, and many hotels. All you need is a NAUTA Prepaid Internet Card (as described above) to access the network. These cards are sold in ETECSA offices and outlets.

Another option (new since 2022) would be to get mobile data by buying a temporary Cubacel Tourist SIM card for your cell phone, but they are a little expensive to purchase and to recharge, compared to using WiFi cards. You’ll find more information on the 30-day Cubacel Tur SIM Card here: www.cubaceltur.com

Internet and WiFi