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Cuba Holidays
Cuba is a very distinct country known for its connections to Che Guevara, its colonial, art deco and art nouveau architecture, Cuban music and dance and its communist roots. Today traveling anywhere in Cuba is easy although you may benefit from speaking Spanish. Cuba is the 105th largest country in the world and its capital Havana is the largest city in the Caribbean.
Places to see in Cuba
Havana is of course a major destination for holidaymakers and is the home of modern Latino culture. 500 years of history has gone into what makes up Havana today. The city is set amid the sparkling azure waters of the Caribbean and its old charm colonial crumbling buildings combined with the buzz of busy streets makes for a unique atmosphere. This is the home of the salsa; mambo and drummers can regularly heard spilling out a rumba beat. There is a lot to do also – take a tour around Habana Vieja’s colonial monuments for example or wander through the neighbourhoods of Central Habana or Vadado to experience Cuban culture upfront. Take in a cabaret show or take a walk along the sea front.
Trinidad was declared a world heritage site in 1988 and has many UNESCO restored buildings. The architecture is stunning here made all the more magnetic by the setting of Trinidad, lodged between the Sierra del Escambray Mountains and the sea. Museums are plentiful here take for example Trinidad’s outdoor museum called the Valle de los Ingenios where natives mingle with tourists. Indeed, Trinidad is a place where intermingling with the locals is almost encouraged since there are only three major city hotels and many more casas particulares.to stay in. The area also boasts some naturally attractive beaches, with palms lining white sands.
Varadero is unlike any other place in Cuba in that it is built solely for the purpose of tourists and is a large resort set on 20km of beach. As such, integration with local Cubans is not as noticeable as in Havana or Trinidad although Cubans are not banned from entering Varadero as is sometimes thought. The resort’s setting rivals anywhere else you will see in the Caribbean and more than 50 hotels cater to visitors. One third of the peninsula is sectioned off for a Cuban town for native Cubans which if visited will give you a good taste of what everyday life is for Cubans.
Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city in Cuba and is a great cultural centre. Since the city is closer to the Dominican Republic many of its cultural influences have come from the East, namely Afro-Caribbean influences. Every Cuban musical type was no doubt born in this city. Fidel Castro began his revolution from here. Don Facundo Bacardi built his first run factory here. The city lies between the Sierra Maestra and the Caribbean Sea. The city’s historical centre feels a little neglected and time-worn and is reminiscent of centres in New Orleans, Barbados and Salvador in Brazil. Pollution is a problem in streets more designed for pedestrians or horses than the car traffic it receives today.