Cuba
Cuba, surrounded by 4,000 islands and coral cays, boasts dazzling white sands lapped by the Caribbean sea. These idyllic beaches, along with Spanish colonial buildings, traditional music, fabulous cocktails, lumbering old American cars, towering Royal Palms, world-renowned cigars, an extraordinary history and a warm and humorous population, all contribute to the unique charm of Cuba.
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Cuba is the largest of the Caribbean islands, 150 km (93 miles) south of Florida’s Key West, but it gets just a fraction of the tourists of nearby Jamaica. Only 35 km (22 miles) at its narrowest point, its slender shape and lush vegetation led Nicolás Guillén, the Cuban national poet, to describe his homeland as ‘a long green lizard’.
Cuba today is inextricably linked with its history. The country is truly unique and really getting to know it takes time. In February 2008, its charismatic leader, Fidel Castro, resigned due to ill-health. He had been head of the country for almost 50 years, since the Revolution in 1959.
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Things to Do in Cuba
- Old Havana: wander through the streets of this UNESCO World Heritage Site and admire the restoration of dozens of Spanish colonial buildings.
- Hire a 1950s American convertible and rumble down the oceanfront Malecón road from the Old City to the iconic Hotel Nacional.
- Walk amid the tobacco fields and mogotes (limestone stacks) of the verdant western region of Viñales.
- Head for the beaches: white sands and stunning blue seas can be found from the popular Varadero resort to the more exclusive Cayo Largo and Playa Esmeralda.
- Dive from Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo and spot lobster, stingray and other marine delights amid the coral reefs.
- Pay homage to Che Guevara at the site of his giant mausoleum topped by a large bronze statue. His other fallen comrades are also entombed here at Santa Clara.
- Listen to great music in the gorgeously preserved Spanish colonial town of Trinidad, with its cobbled streets and low-slung pastel-coloured homes.
- Head to Santiago for some great live music performances and to visit the cradle of the Revolution. Time your visit for the July carnival if you can.
- Visit the delightful town of Baracoa, reached by a stunning mountain pass; it’s home to the multicoloured polimita snails.
- Go horse riding at sunset along the sands of Cayo Guillermo.
