Cuba

About ninety miles from the tip of Florida, bathing in the tropics, is the hole in Coca-Cola’s empire and the biggest culture shock in the Caribbean. Welcome to one of histories most determined survivors. Welcome to Cuba.

Touching down in Havana International you’ll barely get past luggage collection before you realize something is different. After hailing yourself a taxi or boarding one of their huge yellow school buses, and hitting the acre wide lane-less highway, you’ll clock what’s odd. There are no adverts. No billboards, no sponsorships, no commercialization at all. And it’s all kind of fantastic. Here is a holiday you are free to enjoy without constantly being sold a familiar commodity, and because of that it is one of the last truly unique holidays in the west.

Cuba’s premier draw is, of course, Havana. The capital and cultural hub, it blends classical architecture with ramshackle dwellings, exaggerated grandeur with determined poverty. This is clearest in the centre of old Havana, which features beautifully kept buildings like the Capitolio and Parque Central but is outlined by cracked and dilapidated homes. It’s a strangely aesthetic mix with a surreal beauty.

The Parque Central is Cuba’s Ritz, the best hotel on the island. There really is no better place to unpack your suitcase. It boasts a small but excellent gym, spot on service and a restaurant that would keep Gordon Ramsey happy. The rooftop pool and bar offer stunning views of the city, and, if you order up enough coffee, you can watch the sun rise over Eastern Havana, slowly revealing the rustic beauty of this fine capital.

Nearby is the eclectic Museum of the Revolution which details the history of Cuba’s evolution into a communist state. Featuring a grand collection of military antiques and historical propaganda, this is a must for anyone with an eye for the past.

However there is no where more overwhelming then the Capitolio which is a blend of St Pauls and Washington’s Capital Building. It costs a few pesos to get through the door but the inside of the dome is a simple triumph and the rest of the building is full of interesting artefacts. At the foot the Capitolio stand locals with Victorian style cameras who, for a peso, will take your picture and give you a small black and white print for you to take home. It’s like being in a Charles Dickens novel (but with less gruel and more sunshine).

And Cadillac’s. Loads of them. You see because of its communist ideals, Cuba suffers from a trade embargo by the United States. The result is anything American on the island is at least forty years ago and so it’s the closest you can get to time travel without a flux capacitor. Most of the cars are old Cadillac’s held together by love and gaffer tape, the buses are old yellow General Motors types, and the fashion a mutation of mo-town suits and Grease leather jackets.

But if you want signs that times have changed, head over to Revolution Square. This is where Cuba’s leader Fidel Castro holds his rallies and speeches. The square itself is fairly bare and uninspiring, but the monument to national hero Jose Marti, and the accompanying 426 foot high tower make it one of the first stops on most tourists’ hit lists. For a few pesos you can travel up the tower in the lift and see all of Havana spread below you.

If the heights have fed your appetite then there is nowhere better to go than the Cathedral Square, which is a short taxi drive away in Old Havana. The food in the cafés there is nothing exceptional but the atmosphere is a delight, with live bands playing Cuban classics and the ambience of Havana’s cathedral, a building which is commonly called ‘music set in stone.’ For those have you who haven’t already tasted the delights of a mojito, this is the place to do it. Cuba’s most famous cocktail is a blend of rum, mint, lime and club soda and goes down well in the glowing Cuban sun.

Other worthwhile trips are to one of the various cigar factories, the Castillo de Real Fuerza (Castle of Royal Force) and the market which runs a few times a week in the old town. The latter is a good place to get something traditionally Cuban without having to suffer the usual tourist tack.

You don’t go to the Caribbean without visiting the beach at least once and Cuba pulls out another trump card in this respect. About a two hour drive from Havana is the Varadero region, Cuba’s tourist hotspot. Here you’ll find some of the best beaches in the Western hemisphere with calm, crystal waters and sand softer then an Andrex puppy. There are a lot of fine hotels in the area but the finest has to be the Sandals resort which will pamper you until you think heaven speaks Spanish. It’s fairly pricey to stay at but when you consider that it includes all local water sport activities you’ll begin to understand why. The resort itself is huge and has its own golf course and three restaurants, all of which will keep you happily fed. The lunchtime grill is particularly special.

Nearby there is an aquatic show where you can swim with dolphins, and a jungle tour where you can ride the waterways on jet skis. If you can tell your stalagmites from your stalactites then be sure to visit one of Cuba’s geographical wonders: the Bellamar Caves. These still haven’t been fully explored but are open to tourists who flock there every year to see the naturally formed karstic crystals.

Alternatively you can stay in the sunshine and take one of the day trips to the Cayo Blanco islands by catamaran. This scattering of unspoilt beaches is great for those who want to sunbathe without interruption and the coral reef is perfect for scuba diving.
If you still have space on your digital camera then the Ponte de Bacunayagua will give you a perfect Kodak moment. A spectacular bridge provides passage over a deep gorge framed by the sea, linking the regions of Varadero and Havana. A breathtaking merge of nature and man, the Dartford Crossing this is not. milf

Cuba is fast becoming a popular destination for holidaymakers, but it is not as simple as your usual break. You have to buy yourself a Visa to get into the country (about £15-20) and buy yourself out, when you leave, for about a fiver. As well as that the Cuban monetary system is pretty complicated with them operating a separate currency for tourists. You won’t be able to exchange your sterling at the travel agents, instead take your money into Cuba and exchange it there. But once you are in, you won’t want to leave. The sunshine, flavoured culture and smiling people makes you think communism never had it so good. If you come home a little red, it might not just be sunburn.


Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Recent Entries

« The Cultural of Bhutan
Learning spanish in Guatemala »