Days one to three: SIM, data and a base
Your first priority on landing is a line of communication. Acquiring a local SIM and a data plan through the state operator is usually the earliest task, so that maps, messaging and calls work while you sort everything else. Register the SIM as required and test that data actually flows in the neighbourhood where you are staying, because coverage is uneven and worth confirming before you rely on it.\n\nUse these first nights in a short, pre-booked stay rather than a committed monthly one. Treat the opening days as reconnaissance: walk the immediate area, note where you can get a stable signal, and start a simple record of what you spend so your cash lasts the full trip. Nothing about the longer arrangement needs to be fixed yet.
The first week: groceries, routines and a unit
Once you can communicate and move around, build the daily infrastructure of living. Find the nearest sources of food and household basics, and learn their rhythms — what is typically available, on which days, and how queues and stock vary. Shopping in Cuba rewards flexibility and a willingness to buy what is there rather than a fixed list, so plan meals loosely around supply.\n\nThis is also the week to choose where you will actually settle. Having seen a neighbourhood in daily life rather than on a screen, view candidate units in person, inspect them properly, and only then negotiate a monthly term with a host. Locking in accommodation after a week of local knowledge, not before, is what separates a smooth setup from an expensive mismatch.
Registration and staying legal
A practical detail many newcomers overlook is that your presence as a guest is normally recorded. Licensed hosts are generally required to register the foreigners staying with them, so where you sleep is documented through your accommodation rather than by you filing anything yourself. This is one more reason to stay within the licensed private sector rather than an unrecorded informal arrangement.\n\nKeep your entry paperwork, your passport and any permission tied to your length of stay in order, and be clear with your host from the outset about the dates you intend to remain. Ask them directly how they handle guest registration for a longer stay. Sorting this early, as part of the setup rather than as an afterthought, avoids complications later in a month-plus visit.