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The time to visit Cuba is now! President Barack Obama’s announcement in 2014 that he was reestablishing diplomatic relations with Cuba was exhilarating. For the first time in decades every U.S. citizen can now travel to this Caribbean island of eccentricity and enigma.
Any U.S. citizen can qualify for group educational travel with licensed tour companies and academic institutions. Even more exciting is the possibility that new regulations may permit individuals to travel solo for educational activity—defined not as academic study but “people to people” interaction. Plus, U.S. citizens will be able to use their credit cards in Cuba and bring home cigars and rum—the ultimate mementos of a unique and long overdue travel experience.
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With all the media attention on politics, it’s easy to overlook the sheer beauty of the place: the diamond-dust beaches and bathtub-warm seas the color of peacock feathers; the bottle-green mountains and jade valleys full of dramatic formations; colonial cities with cathedrals and cobbled plazas; and, above all, the sultriness and spontaneity of the people in a place called the most emotionally involving in the Western hemisphere.
Divers are delirious over Cuba’s deep-sea treasures. Birding is the best in the Caribbean. There are crocodiles, too, lurking leery-eyed in well-preserved everglades. Horseback-riding options abound. Cuba is a prime destination for fishing and bicycle touring. In the Sierra Maestra, hikers can follow revolutionary trails trod by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. There are salsa, mojitos and Cuba libres to enjoy and the world’s finest cigars, fresh from the factory.
Cuba’s most enigmatic appeal, however, is the sense that you are living inside a romantic thriller. Cuba is intoxicating, laced with the sharp edges and sinister shadows that made Ernest Hemingway wish that he could stay here forever and inspired Spanish poet Federico García Lorca to write to his parents, “If I get lost, look for me in Cuba.” No other Western nation offers such sensual and surreal sensations, made more romantic by Cuba’s romantic caught-in-a-time-warp setting. Finally, after six decades, U.S. citizens can now legally taste this forbidden fruit.
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Habana Vieja (Old Havana) is the colonial core, full of plazas, cathedrals, museums, and bars. Parque Histórico Militar Morro-Cabaña preserves the largest castle in the Americas. The Vedado district teems with beaux-arts, art nouveau, and art deco mansions; a magnificent cemetery; and the one-of-a-kind Plaza de la Revolución. There are even gorgeous beaches nearby.
taxi on the malecón, Havana
These valleys are where the world’s finest tobacco is grown. Viñales has magnificent scenery, plus preeminent climbing and caving. Scuba divers rave about Cayo Levisa and María la Gorda. Península de Guanahacabibes has birding and hiking trails, as does Las Terrazas, Cuba’s most developed eco-resort. Head to Finca El Pinar San Luis for Tobacco 101.
Slung beneath Cuba, this archipelago draws few visitors. The exception is Cayo Largo, a coral jewel with stupendous beaches. Isla de la Juventud boasts Presidio Modelo (the prison where Fidel was held); Refugio Ecológico Los Indios, great for birding; and Cuba’s finest diving off Punta Francés. Two days is all that’s required to explore Isla de la Juventud, plus two days more for Cayo Largo.
Cuba’s premier beach resort, Varadero, has the lion’s share of hotels, plus Cuba’s only 18-hole golf course and exceptional diving. Colonial-era Matanzas is a center for Afro-Cuban music and dance. The Caribbean’s largest swamp—the Ciénaga de Zapata—offers fantastic birding and fishing. Nearby, Playa Girón, site of the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, has an engaging museum.
Bird-watchers and hikers are enamored of the Sierra Escambray, where forest trails lead to waterfalls. Santa Clara draws visitors to the mausoleum and museum of Che Guevara. Sleepy Remedios explodes with fireworks during the year-end parranda and is gateway to the beaches of Cayos de Villa Clara. Cienfuegos offers French-inspired colonial architecture and a world-class botanical garden, the Jardín Botánico Soledad.
Sancti Spíritus is a charming hill town that is a crown jewel of colonial architecture. It’s a great base for hiking at Gran Parque Natural Topes de Collantes, lazing at Playa Ancón, or riding a steam train into the Valle de los Ingenios. The provincial capital, Sancti Spíritus, also has a colonial core worth exploring, and anglers are lured to Embalse Zaza to hook world-prize bass.
Tiny Ciego de Ávila Province is the setting for Cayo Coco, the most developed isle of the Jardines del Rey archipelago. Come here for magnificent beaches and to view flamingos. Playa Santa Lucía has some of Cuba’s best diving. The less developed Jardines de la Reina archipelago is a new frontier for anglers and divers. Camagüey city has quaint cobbled plazas and colonial architecture.
For travelers, Las Tunas Province is a place to pass through en route to history-packed Holguín, with its intriguing plazas and lively artistic culture. Nearby are the beaches of Guardalavaca, an archaeological site at Museo Aborigen Chorro de Maíta, the alpine setting of Pinares de Mayarí, and Fidel Castro’s birthplace at the Museo Conjunto Histórico Birán.
Sierra de los Órganos, Pinar del Río
Off-the-beaten-path Granma Province is dominated by the Sierra Maestra, the mountainous base for Fidel Castro’s guerrilla war. You can hike to his headquarters, La Comandancia de la Plata, and to the summit of Pico Turquino, Cuba’s highest peak. Independence was launched in Bayamo, touting a vibrant colonial plaza. For scenery, the lonesome coast road east of the ho-hum beach resort of Marea del Portillo can’t be beat.
The city of Santiago de Cuba, founded in 1514, predates Havana and has strong Haitian and Jamaican influences. Much of Cuba’s musical heritage was birthed here. The Moncada barracks, museums, and mausoleums recall the city’s revolutionary fervor. At sunset, visitors flock to Castillo de San Pedro del Morro for a cannon-firing ceremony; in July it hosts Cuba’s preeminent Carnaval. Explore the eclectic attractions of nearby Reserva de la Biosfera Baconao and the basilica at El Cobre.
This mountainous province is synonymous with the U.S. naval base, which can be viewed from a hilltop restaurant at Glorieta. The town of Guantánamo has a lovely colonial plaza and is alive with traditional music. Nearby the Zoológico de Piedra—literally a stone zoo!—fascinates. The La Farola mountain road leads to Baracoa, Cuba’s oldest city, full of vernacular charm and boasting Cuba’s most dramatic physical setting. Some of the nation’s best birding and hiking can be enjoyed at El Yunque and Parque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt.
Cuba has fairly distinct seasons: a relatively dry and mild winter (November-April) and a hot and wet summer (May-October). Early spring is the ideal time to travel, especially in the Oriente (the eastern provinces), which can be insufferably hot in summer. Christmas and New Year’s are the busiest periods, and many accommodations and car rental agencies sell out then, while finding a domestic flight is nearly impossible. Hotel prices are usually lower in summer—the low season (temporada baja)—when hurricanes are a slim possibility. Tropical storms can lash the island even in winter, however.
You might want to time your visit to coincide with a major festival, such as Carnaval in Santiago de Cuba or the Festival del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano (Festival of New Latin American Cinema) in Havana.
roadside onion seller
Visitors to Cuba need a passport valid for at least six months beyond their intended length of stay; a ticket for onward travel; plus a tourist visa, typically issued when you check in for your plane to Cuba. Stays of up to 30 days are permitted (90 days for Canadians), extendable one time.
Most international visitors fly into either Havana’s José Martí International Airport or Varadero’s Juan Gualberto Gómez International Airport. Cuba is a large island (more than 1,000 kilometers east-west). In Havana, getting around is simple thanks to an efficient taxi system. Traveling between cities by public transportation, however, can be a challenge. Víazul tourist buses connect major cities and resorts, as do domestic flights. Renting a car is recommended for serendipitous travelers, but cars are in short supply and roads are full of hazards.
U.S. law currently bans travel by individuals, other than those who meet specific criteria for licensed travel (such as journalists). Thousands of U.S. citizens simply hop a plane to Cuba via Canada, Mexico, or other countries and travel illegally. However, since 2011 every U.S. citizen can legally visit Cuba as a participant on a “people-to-people” program offered by licensed tour companies and institutions.
Cuba is a large island, and exploring the isle fully would take at least a month, but the following fast-paced itinerary combines a sampling of the top scenery, beaches, and cities for those intent on seeing the best of the island. Rent a car and plan to spend at least three days sampling Havana before heading out to the provinces (don’t underestimate how much there is to see in the capital city).
Arrive at José Martí International Airport in Havana; transfer to a hotel or casa particular in Habana Vieja or the Vedado district.
Take a self-guided walking tour of Habana Vieja, including the Plaza de Armas, Plaza de la Catedral, and Plaza Vieja, and taking in the key museums, galleries, and shops along the surrounding streets. Return at night to savor the plazas lit by traditional gas lanterns. Don’t fail to sip a mojito at La Bodeguita del Medio.
Plaza de la Catedral, Habana Vieja
This morning, concentrate your time around Parque Central and Paseo de Martí. You’ll want to visit the Capitolio Nacional, Fábrica de Tabaco Partagás, the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, and the Museo de la Revolución. A daiquiri at El Floridita is a must! At dusk, walk the Malecón.
Spend the morning exploring the streets of Vedado, being sure to call in at the Hotel Nacional, the Hotel Habana Libre Tryp, and Universidad de la Habana. After cooling off with an ice cream at Coppelia (with pesos in hand, stand in line with the Cubans), hail a taxi to take you to Cementerio Colón and Plaza de la Revolución.
Rent a car and set out on a tour of suburban Havana, calling in at Museo Ernest Hemingway. Then head west along the Autopista Habana-Pinar to Las Terrazas, an eco-resort and rural community in the heart of the Sierra del Rosario. Hike the trails and visit the artists’ studios. Overnight at Hotel Moka.
Continue west to Valle de Viñales. Spend the afternoon exploring Viñales village, the Cuevas del Indio, and tobacco fields. Overnight either in a casa particular or at the Horizontes La Ermita.
This morning, head to the town of Pinar del Río and Finca El Pinar San Luis, then take the Autopista east to Havana and onward to Santa Clara. Visit the mausoleum and museum of Che Guevara and spend the night in town.
Continue east to the historic town of Remedios. During Christmas week, you’ll want to overnight in Remedios to enjoy the local fireworks battles called parrandas. Once done, follow the coast road east via Morón to Cayo Coco, arriving midafternoon. On day 9 spend an entire day relaxing on the beach and enjoying water sports.
Depart Cayo Coco and head south via the provincial capital, Ciego de Ávila, then turn west and follow the Carretera Central for Sancti Spíritus. After strolling downtown, continue through the Valle de los Ingenios, stopping at Hacienda Iznaga. Arriving in Trinidad, spend the rest of the afternoon perambulating the ancient plazas.
horse-drawn buggy, Trinidad
After further walking the cobbled colonial heart of Trinidad, visit the studio of artist Lázaro Niebla, then check in with “horse-whisperer” Julio Muñoz and go horseback riding in the countryside. Tonight, check out an Afro-Cuban performance before heading to the Disco Ayala, set in a cave.
Cuba boasts glorious beaches. Most are scattered along the north shore, with concentrations immediately east of Havana, in Varadero, on Cayo Largo, on the Jardines del Rey (Ciego de Ávila and Camagüey Provinces), and in Holguín. The south coast has relatively few noteworthy beaches. Swimming requires caution, as many beaches are known for riptides. Arrive with plenty of mosquito repellent, and avoid most beaches at dusk, when minuscule but ferocious no-see-ums are active.
• Playas del Este: This series of lovely beaches is within a 30-minute drive of Havana; they get lively with habaneros on weekends. The best sections are Tarará and Playa Mégano.
• Playa El Francés: Tucked at the very southwestern extreme of Isla de la Juventud, there’s a reason this white-sand beach draws big cruise ships. It’s a beauty, with turquoise waters for snorkeling. You’ll need an obligatory EcoTur guide in Nueva Gerona to get here.
• Playa Sirena: Reached by a sandy unpaved road, this stunning beach is the best that Cayo Largo (and Cuba) can offer. The turquoise waters must be seen to be believed—but the waters shelve deeply and are not safe for children.
• Playa Mayor: Varadero’s main beach has silvery sands that run unbroken for five miles or more. Although it’s lined with hotels and thatched restaurants the whole way, you can still find quiet spots all to your lonesome.
• Playa Ancón: If you tire of wandering the cobbled streets of Trinidad, explore this beach just a few minutes away. The scuba diving here is superb, and there’s a dive shop at the Hotel Playa Ancón; you can use the recreational services for a fee.
• Playa Flamenco: The miles-long, palm-shaded, white-sand beach at Cayo Coco is lined with all-inclusive resorts, all with water sports.
Playa Pilar, Cayo Guillermo
• Playa Pilar: The high point of Cayo Guillermo, this beach is backed by sand dunes and has a rustic seafood restaurant.
• Playa Los Pinos: Sugar-white sand dissolves into turquoise shallows that stretch as far as the eye can see. Magical! It’s just you and whatever day-trippers call in on excursions from Playa Santa Lucía. Bring your snorkeling gear to explore the coral reefs farther out.
Get up early again to follow the long and winding road over the Sierra Escambray to Gran Parque Natural Topes de Collantes. Descend to El Nicho to bathe in mineral pools at the base of the waterfall before continuing to the lovely bayside city of Cienfuegos, with time to stroll the pedestrian boulevard and explore Parque Martí.
Drive west to Playa Girón, the landing site for the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion. Visit the museum before continuing west to Cueva de los Peces to snorkel in the blue hole and turquoise Caribbean. At La Boca de Guamá stop to visit the crocodile farm. Now head back to Havana via the Autopista. This evening, visit the Tropicana cabaret, being sure to have made reservations.
Fly home today.
Many a traveler departs Cuba wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the world-renowned image of Che Guevara. That doesn’t necessarily indicate a fondness for Communism, or even Che. Still, thousands of visitors do arrive every year to pay homage to, or at least learn about, the revolución. Whatever your politics, a pilgrimage along the revolutionary trail following the footsteps of Fidel Castro & Co. makes for a fascinating historical journey.
Arrive at José Martí International Airport in Havana; transfer to a hotel or casa particular in Habana Vieja or the Vedado district.
Start the day with a visit to the Museo de la Revolución, housed in the former presidential palace of corrupt dictator Fulgencio Batista, whom the Revolution overthrew. Of course, you’ll want to spend some time viewing the other fascinating sites nearby. In the afternoon, your tour of Habana Vieja should include the Museo Casa Natal de José Martí, birthplace of the national hero whom Fidel Castro named the “intellectual author” of the Revolution; and Casa-Museo del Che, near the Fortaleza de San Carlos de la Cabaña.
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| statue of José Martí, Parque Central, Habana Vieja | Che Guevara mural, Plaza de la Revolución |
Today, concentrate your sightseeing around Vedado. Must-see sights include the Casa Museo Abel Santamaría, a former apartment that was the secret headquarters for Castro’s 26th of July Movement; the Universidad de la Habana, where the Escalinata (staircase) was a venue for clashes with Batista’s police; Galería 23 y 12, where Castro first announced that Cuba was socialist; and Plaza de la Revolución, the seat of Communist government.
Music and dance are the pulsing undercurrent of Cuban life. Spanning the spectrum from traditional son to high culture, here are key venues and experiences not to miss in Havana.
The Tablao de Pancho hosts a supper show with old-time crooners belting out songs from Buena Vista Social Club.
For bolero head to Café Concierto Gato Tuerto, a 1950s lounge club where you expect the “Rat Pack” to stroll in any moment.
The Conjunto Folklórico Nacional will wow you with traditional Afro-Cuban dance to the beat of the drums.
Salsa is at its sizzling best at the Casa de la Música, where salsa dance lessons are also hosted.
No visit to Havana is complete without a visit to the Tropicana for a sexy cabaret show like no other.
Cubans astound with their fond appreciation of ballet, theater, and classical and choral music, and Havana is replete with venues.
The Basilica de San Francisco de Asís hosts classical and chamber ensembles most Saturday evenings. Nearby, the intimate Iglesia de San Francisco de Paula is the venue to hear choral groups.
The acclaimed Ballet Nacional de Cuba typically performs at the Gran Teatro de la Habana. The Teatro Nacional hosts the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Cuba. The Gran Teatro’s chic Adagio Barconcert lounge bar hosts live classical and jazz ensembles.
Havana boasts several jazz venues, including the snazzy Café Miramar and intimate Privé.
jazz player at Restaurant Tocororó in Miramar, Havana’s upscale residential district
Head west from Havana to Pinar del Río Province to visit Cuevas de los Portales, used as Che Guevara’s command center during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Continue to Viñales to visit the tobacco fields and overnight.
Depart Pinar del Río along the Autopista for the town of Santa Clara, setting for the seminal battle that toppled the Batista regime. After arriving midafternoon, your tour of the town should include the Tren Blindado (a troop train destroyed by Che Guevara’s troops) and the Complejo Escultórico Memorial Comandante Ernesto Che Guevara, with an excellent museum devoted to the Argentinian revolutionary, whose remains are interred here.
It’s a long day’s drive today along the Carretera Central to reach Holguín, with time for exploring the colonial heart of the city. Check out the Plaza de la Revolución.
Leaving the city, take Avenida Simón Bolívar, lined with monuments to nationalist and revolutionary heroes, including a pop-art rendition of Che. Your destination is Museo Conjunto Histórico Birán, Fidel Castro’s birthplace and home into adolescence. Afterwards, continue via Palma Soriano, arriving in Santiago de Cuba in the afternoon.
The first stop today is Cuartel Moncada, site of the 1953 attack that launched the Revolution; today the former barracks holds the Museo Histórico 26 de Julio. Nearby is the Museo Abel Santamaría, named for a prominent revolutionary tortured to death following the failed attack. This afternoon, tour the historic town center, including Parque Céspedes (where Fidel Castro gave his victory speech after Batista was toppled); the Colegio Jesuita Dolores, where Fidel attended school; and the Museo Lucha Clandestina, recalling the clandestine war in the cities.
Head out to Siboney to visit the farmhouse from where Castro and his revolutionaries set out to attack the Moncada barracks. The route is lined with monuments to those who died in the attack. Afterwards, head into the mountains to Mayarí Arriba and the Complejo Histórico de Museos del Segundo Frente and the nearby mausoleum, recalling the “Second Front” led by Raúl Castro. Return to Santiago for the evening.
Mausoleo del Segundo Frente, Mayari Arriba
Head west along the coast via Chivírico—a stupendous drive! Beyond Ocujal, visit La Comandancia de la Plata, with exhibits detailing the revolutionary war in the mountains. Continue to the Parque Nacional Desembarco del Granma, site of the landing of Fidel’s army in 1956. Overnight in Niquero.
Cuba is a visual delight, and anyone who enjoys driving (and can handle the sometimes daunting obstacles that pave the way) will thrill to these scenic drives.
• Mariel to Valle de Viñales via Circuito Norte: This winding ridge-top drive between mountain and sea begins one hour west of Havana and offers lovely views of the mogotes of the Sierra del Rosario.
• Chambas to Caibarién via Circuito Norte: This route offers quintessentially Cuban rural scenery: tobacco fields tended by ox-drawn plows and shaded by royal palms, with rustic bohíos in the lee of mountains.
• Trinidad to Sancti Spíritus via Circuito Sur: A roller-coaster ride travels through swathes of lime-green sugarcane in the Valle de los Ingenios. Farther east, you’ll pass the rugged Alturas de Banao.
Alturas de Banao, Sancti Spíritus
• Trinidad to Santa Clara via Manicaragua: This mountain drive with steep climbs and hairpin turns winds through forests and rolling tobacco country. Drive cautiously on the switchback ascent to Topes de Collantes.
• Bartolomé Masó to Marea del Portillo: On this four-wheel-drive challenge via the Sierra Maestra, the staggering mountain vistas are topped by views over the coast and sea, but the steep, looping road is in awful condition.
• Marea del Portillo to Santiago de Cuba: Copper-colored cliffs loom massively out of the sea on this lonesome drive, which features awesome coastal scenery. Cuba’s highest peaks are within fingertip distance beyond the stark low-desert plains.
• Cajobabo to Baracoa via La Farola: The road ascends steeply through the pine-clad Sierra Cristal, with snaking bends and occasional pullouts for savoring the vistas.
Call in at Media Luna to view the Museo Celia Sánchez, birthplace of the revolutionary heroine who ran the secret supply line to Fidel’s army in the Sierra Maestra. In Manzanillo, visit the Monumento Celia Sánchez, then continue via Bartolomé Masó to Santo Domingo, where a small museum features a 3-D map of the war in the Sierra Maestra. Overnight in Santo Domingo.
This morning hike to La Comandancia de la Plata, Fidel’s headquarters deep in the Sierra Maestra. In the afternoon, continue via Bayamo, arriving in Las Tunas in early evening.
Prepare for the long drive back to Havana today via the Carretera Central and Autopista. In the morning, transfer to the airport for your departure flight.
Cuba is a 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.
Arrive at José Martí International Airport in Havana; transfer to a hotel or casa particular in Habana Vieja or Vedado.
This morning, concentrate your time around Parque Central, where the highlight will be the Fábrica de Tabaco Partagás. After buying some premium smokes, head to the Fábrica de Tabaco H. Upmann (formerly Romeo y Julieta) for a guided tour of this cigar factory. Then rent a classic 1950s auto and set out for a tour of the city. In the evening, enjoy dinner at La Guarida restaurant and then thrill to the sexy spectacle of the Hotel Nacional’s Cabaret Parisien.
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| bottles of Ron Guayabita | cigar roller at Fábrica de Tabaco H. Upmann |
Today, follow Hemingway’s ghost. Drive out to the village of San Miguel del Padrón and the Museo Ernest Hemingway, in the author’s former home. Afterwards, head to Cojímar for a seafood lunch at La Terraza restaurant, once popular with Papa and his former skipper, the late local resident Gregorio Fuentes. Return to Havana for a mojito and stogie at La Bodeguita del Medio. Explore Plaza de la Catedral and Plaza de Armas, being sure to stop in at the Hotel Ambos Mundos (Room 511, where Hemingway was a long-time guest, is a museum) and the Museo del Ron, a splendid museum giving insight into production of Cuba’s fine rums. This evening, sample the daiquiris at El Floridita.
Cuba has some of the Caribbean’s most spectacular diving, much of it almost entirely virgin. The coral formations rival those of anywhere else in the region, and the wreck diving is varied and fascinating: take your pick from Spanish galleons to 20th-century Soviet warships. These are the major venues worth planning a trip around:
• The “Blue Circuit”: You don’t have to leave Havana to dive. Wrecks litter the Atlantic seabed, with dive sites extending for 10 kilometers east, beginning at Bacuranao.
• Playa María la Gorda: This site near the western tip of Cuba is the place to dive with whale sharks. El Valle de Coral Negro (Black Coral Valley) is another highlight, and there are Spanish wrecks in the bay.
• Cayo Levisa: This tiny, coral-fringed cay off the north coast of Pinar del Río Province is a dedicated dive resort.
Cayo Levisa
• Punta Francés: Spanish galleons and coral formations await divers a short distance off the south shore of Isla de la Juventud.
• Ciénaga de Zapata: The Club Octopus International Dive Center, at Playa Larga, will take you diving in cenotes, water-filled limestone sinkholes. You can even dive wrecks of landing craft that grounded during the Bay of Pigs invasion.
• Playa Santa Lucía: Although the hotels here aren’t much to speak of, the diving is sensational. A big draw is shark feeding, performed by the dive master.
• Jardines de la Reina: Never mind shark feeding. How about riding a shark? The “Gardens of the Queen,” south of Camagüey, are virgin territory, with stupendous coral reefs, colorful fishes, marine turtles, moray eels, and other desirable stars of the show.
Rent a car or hire a taxi for a day trip to Pinar del Río. Set out early to visit the tobacco fields of Valle de Viñales and the Finca El Pinar San Luis, finca (farm) of the late Alejandro Robaina, a legend after whom the Cuban state named a brand of cigar. Return to Havana in the evening for dinner at El Aljibe. Share fine cigars and añejo rums with connoisseur cigar lovers at the La Casa del Habano in Miramar.
Head out to Marina Hemingway for a full day of sportfishing for blue marlin in Hemingway’s “great blue river.” This evening, enjoy dinner at La Fontana, one of Havana’s chicest restaurants.
This morning, head to Club Habana, a private and very chic members club (open to nonmembers for a fee), where you can relax on the fine beach, partake of water sportst, and sample cocktails and fine cigars. After dinner at El Cocinero paladar, head to the Tropicana nightclub for the sauciest cabaret in Cuba.
Eastern Cuba receives relatively few visitors despite boasting many of Cuba’s preeminent national parks and historic sites. For an eco-adventure, exploring the Sierra Maestra and adjacent mountains can’t be beaten.
• Hike to the summit of El Yunque, a fantastic mountain formation dominating the landscape around Baracoa.
• Drive La Farola, a switchback mountain road that takes you through several ecosystems, including pine forest at higher elevations.
• Head to Punta Maisí via coffee country, with time to explore a private coffee farm. Then explore the cactus-studded landscapes of Reserva Ecológica Maisí-Caleta.
• Hire a guide to look for Polymita pictas snails and go birding in Parque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt, then take a boat ride up the Río Toa. Look for manatees in the river estuary.
Baracoa is the oldest town in the Americas and retains a distinct culture that owes much to the legacy of Taíno pre-Columbian culture, while Santiago and Guantánamo are infused with Haitian and Jamaican influences.
• For an immersion in Taíno culture head to the Museo Arqueológico Cueva del Paraíso, with pre-Columbian skeletons in situ.
• Descendants of the Taíno keep their traditions alive at the village of El Güirito.
• Baracoa is Cuba’s ground zero for cacao and chocolate production. For Cacao 101 visit Finca Duaba, then head to Baracoa’s Casa de Cacao for a tasting at this artisanal chocolate “factory.”
cacao pods at Finca Duaba, Baracoa
• In Guantánamo and Santiago de Cuba, the Tumba Francesa keeps alive the Haitian music, dance, and dress traditions.
• Son (Cuba’s quintessential sound) is said to have been birthed at Santiago de Cuba’s Casa de la Trova, where you can still hear traditional Cuban music at its best.
