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Writer's picturePassion Varadero

Guagua (pronounced wawa or guagua) and other public transport


Workers' bus


Some definitions and information


The word "guagua" means a bus, whether it is new, old, for tourists or for Cubans.


Origin of the word "Guagua" In Cuba and the Canary Islands, the term "Guagua" is used to refer to buses. It is believed that its origin comes from the company Wa & Wa Co. Inc. (Washington, Walton and Company Incorporated) which was the first American company to export buses to these islands. To see their initials labeled in this means of transport, people began to coin this term to name them, reaching this adaptation to this day.


Buses "reserved" for hotel staff may occasionally pick up tourists, but this is rare.


The "camiones" pick up the tourists without any problem.


The "city buses" (Omnibus Hicacos) are in principle reserved for Cubans but it is possible for a tourist to get on if he is accompanying a Cuban. The price varies according to the distance.


Collective taxis (collectivos) are taxis that are shared by several people. Nathalie Valiquette: "Collective taxi... we went from Cayo Coco to Varadero... for a 7-hour drive it was 60 CUC per person. And we changed taxis between the two. The 1 goes home and the other does the other 3 hours with us." Gaétan Vaudreuil: "I know that several collective taxis stand in front of Todo Uno calle 54 in the parking lot during the day."




Viazul buses are those that travel between cities in Cuba.



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