Since its reopening to tourism in the mid-nineties, Cuba has enthralled travellers with its marvellous beaches, charming colonial buildings, and fascinating history and culture. Long shaped by not only communism and Castro, but Che Guevara and the Cold War, the oft-overlooked Caribbean country has fantastic forts and colorful streetscapes to explore with striking scenery and views guaranteed wherever you go.
As well as being the largest island in the Caribbean Sea, the Republic of Cuba also includes several smaller archipelagos and isles that lie nearby. Located less than 160 kilometers off the southernmost tip of Florida, it is set not far from The Bahamas, Haiti, Jamaica, and the Caymans in the north of the sparkling sea. While most of the main island’s landmass is made up of flat to rolling plains apart from the rugged Sierra Maestra mountains in the southeast, almost all its sun-kissed shores are lined by glittering golden sands, gently waving palm trees, and enticing turquoise waters.
Due to its atmospheric streets, pretty pastel-colored houses, and classic old Cadillacs, most visitors’ first port of call is to Cuba’s capital Havana. By far the largest city on the island, it is not only known for its interesting historic sites and epic nightlife, but also the sense of decaying grandeur the crumbling colonial buildings of both its Old Town and Malecon waterfront give off.
After having explored Havana’s monuments and museums, many people head to the coastal city of Santiago de Cuba to delve into its revolutionary history and experience its rich Caribbean culture. Camaguey, Cienfuegos, and Trinidad also attract lots of visitors due to their narrow, cobbled streets, and striking colonial-era architecture, while Varadero is the country’s most popular beach resort.
Aside from basking on its idyllic beaches and exploring its colorful coral reefs and offshore dive sites, you can also explore some of Cuba’s other archipelagos and national parks. Here you can hike and bike around verdant forests, rearing mountains, and vast swamps with the Vinales Valley and all its cavernous caves being one of the island nation’s top destinations.
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