Cuba has fast become one of the most popular destinations in the Caribbean. As a result, the infrastructure of the country has been overstretched, making it more difficult to confirm certain accommodation in advance. Therefore, we ask when planning a tailor-made itinerary to Cuba that you keep an open mind and have a flexible approach.
Despite possible difficulties prior to your trip, upon arrival you are immediately rewarded with splashes of colour and bursts of upbeat rhythms and, of course, a fascinating history which is commemorated in the form of monuments, statues, facades and grand plazas.
Accommodation in Cuba ranges from superior and good standard hotels to basic but can offer a chance to interact with local families. Throughout Cuba, you may choose to stay in casa particulares – private accommodation or homestays that can vary from old colonial buildings to rustic and modern family homes.
In Havana, explore the city’s sites by classic car, or go back in time by seeing the iconic Buena Vista Social Club perform live. We recommend taking a walking tour of Old Havana, which takes you to the Camera Obscura where you can enjoy 360-degree panoramic views, then take a break and have a refreshing daiquiri cocktail at the El Floridita bar, made famous by Ernest Hemingway. Get lost in the cobbled streets and escape the heat by entering the many museums, such as the Bellas Artes Museum, Hemingway’s Museum or the Revolution Museum, housed in the former presidential palace of 1950s dictator General Batista, or see how the internationally famed Cuban cigars are made in Havana’s cigar factory.
Elsewhere in Cuba, drive to Las Terrazas and experience Cuba’s countryside communities; see the growing and drying process of the tobacco plantations in the scenic Viñales valley; visit the botanical gardens in Cienfuegos; discover one of the most important sites of the Cuban revolution in Santa Clara, the Che Guevara monument; and take a tour of the Valley of the Sugar Mills and people watch in the colonial Plaza Major in Trinidad.
After your journey, you may wish to end your tailor-made itinerary on the northern coast of Cuba, where the Caribbean coastline is dotted with small islands and cays, some connected to the mainland by long causeways.