The 21-Day Best of Cuba
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The 21-Day Best of Cuba
Cuba is a large island—much larger than most visitors imagine—and exploring the isle fully would take a month. Few visitors have time to explore Cuba from end to end. I do not recommend domestic flights for reasons of safety, and given the dire state of public transport, your best options are either self-drive or the Víazul bus service, designed for tourists. Unless your intent is to explore as comprehensively as possible, with lots of time on the road, concentrate your time in no more than three or four places. You’ll want at least four days to sample Havana before heading out to the provinces (don’t underestimate how much there is to see in the capital city). The following itinerary combines a sampling of the best scenery, beaches, and cities for those intent on seeing the island end to end. (read more)
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Cuba by Bicycle
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Cuba by Bicycle
In many ways, Cuba is a cyclist’s delight. Many Cubans rely on bicycles for getting around. The scenery is magnificent, and the roads are relatively light on traffic. That said, cyclists face all sorts of hazards (potholes, errant vehicles, etc.), and refreshments (and sometimes accommodation) of any sort are often very far between. You’ll want to come fully supplied with spare parts, including inner tubes, and stock up with plenty of snacks and drinks for each day’s journey. A mountain bike is essential. (read more)
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¡Viva la Revolución!
Many a traveler to Cuba arrives, and/or departs, toting a T-shirt emblazoned with the world-renowned image of Che. That doesn’t necessarily indicate a fondness for Castro or socialism. Still, thousands of visitors do arrive every year to pay homage to the revolución. Numerous North American and European organizations offer “solidarity” tours, often with a work component in which tour participants contribute labor to a local community, if only for a day. These tours are designed to show you the positive side of the Revolution, and most participants are already firmly enamored of the socialist system and its successes in education and health. A few make a pilgrimage along the revolutionary trail. Whatever your politics, following the footsteps of Fidel Castro & Co. from youthful zealots to eventual power makes for a fascinating historical journey.
(read more)
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The Beach Lover's Tour
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The Beach Lover’s Tour
Cuba boasts glorious beaches. Many feature sugarcane-white sands shelving into waters of Maxfield Parrish blues. Most are scattered along the north shore, with concentrations immediately east of Havana; in Varadero; Cayo Largo; the Jardines del Rey (Ciego de Ávila and Camagüey Provinces); and Holguín. Many of the best beaches have been developed for tourism and at most, ordinary Cubans are not allowed. The south coast has relatively few noteworthy beaches; most are of an unappealing taupe color and backed by mangroves. Some beaches are used by marine turtles for laying eggs, although few of these are accessible to tourists and equally few are otherwise appealing for nature viewing, other than snorkeling and scuba diving. Likewise, surfers will find very few beaches where the waves come rolling in, with the exception being around Baracoa. Swimming requires caution, as many beaches are known for riptides, dangerous undertows that can sweep unwary swimmers out to see. Arrive with plenty of mosquito repellent, and avoid most beaches at dusk, when minuscule but ferocious no-see-ums are active. By combining the following beaches on a 10-day holiday, you’ll pass through much of Cuba’s most beautiful scenery. (read more)
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Cars, Cigars, and Cabarets
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Cars, Cigars, and Cabarets
So you enjoy indulging your fancies and fantasies à la Ernest Hemingway? Nothing wrong with that. Cuba is the mother lode for anyone who loves classic American autos, fine cigars, quality rums, and Las Vegas–style cabaret revues. Before 1959, Havana was the hottest spot in the Caribbean, notorious for its glittering cabarets, smooth rum, and chrome-laden Cadillacs. The good news is that the tail fins of ’57 Eldorados still glint beneath the floodlit mango trees of nightclubs such as the Tropicana, the open-air extravaganza now in its seventh decade of stiletto-heeled paganism. OK, big spender, let the fun begin. (read more)
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10 Best Scenic Drives
Cuba is a visual delight and anyone who enjoys driving (and can handle the sometimes daunting obstacles that pave the way) will thrill to the following scenic drives. (read more)
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