Cuba has undergone a transformation since it first opened its doors to global tourism after almost three decades of isolation. Most noteworthy has been the rapid growth in private accommodation, the extensive network of
casas particulares allowing the independent traveller the opportunity, not only to experience life more as it is lived by the average Cubano, but also to explore corners of the country that had previously been inaccessible or off-limits. Good news for the tourist is the growing choice of resorts and the number of new or refurbished hotels that are opening in towns across
the country. While eco-tourism is still in its infancy and much of the island’s extraordinary natural beauty remains to be discovered, the Government is already making strides in the right direction.
HavanaOne of the largest and most vibrant cities in the Caribbean (with a population of over two million), Havana (La Habana) boasts an old town which features on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Much of the money made from tourism is currently being pumped back into restorative works in the city and its buildings. The surrounding 19th-century district of densely packed, crumbling houses and narrow streets has its own appeal, as does the high-rise city center (Vedado), developed during the 1940s and 1950s when US influence was strongest. The most famous of the hotels here is the Nacional, still patronized by Hollywood film stars. Dating from the same period is Miramar, the leafy embassy district reminiscent of Miami. The sea wall, known as the Malecón, extends for 8km and is a popular meeting point for locals, especially after dusk. Havana’s best beaches, the Playas del Este, are about 20km from the center.
Havana is closely associated with the US writer, Ernest Hemmingway. One of his favorite haunts was the bar, La Bodeguita del Medio, only a stone’s throw from the city’s magnificent 18th-century cathedral. Overlooking the neighboring Plaza de Armas is the Museo de la Ciudad and the recently opened Palacio del Segundo Cabo, former residence of the Captains General, which boasts wonderful rooftop views. The splendidly refurbished rooms of the Museo de Arte Colonial are also worth a visit. The Castillo de la Real Fuerza is the oldest of Havana’s three forts. The Capitolio, modeled on the Capitol in Washington DC, was once home to the Cuban Government and is sumptuously decorated. The huge Museo de la Revolución occupies the former presidential palace. Outside under a glass case is the Granma, the yacht which brought Castro and the leading rebels back to Cuba in 1956. Guided tours of the tobacco factory (Fábrica de Tabacos Partagás) are also available. It is worth enjoying a relaxing drink on one of the Habana Vieja hotel rooftops to enjoy the views.
Pinar del Río and the westPinar del Río is arguably Cuba’s most beautiful province. The countryside is amazingly diverse, but the outstanding feature must be the
mogotes (oddly rounded limestone mountains, covered in lush vegetation). The caves here, notably the Cueva del Indio, are well worth a visit, with stalactites and stalagmites and underground rivers. The town of Pinar del Río should be explored in its own right, and is home to several cigar factories that are open to the public. The tobacco plantations at Vuelta Abajo, a short distance southwest of Pinar del Río can also be visited during the growing season from December to April. The road from Viñales to the coast makes a scenic drive.
Isla de la Juventud (Isle of Youth) is the largest of the 350 islands making up the Canarreos archipelago, administered from the capital, Nueva Gerona. Once known as ‘Parrot Island’, the Isle of Youth was a hideout for pirates, including the notorious Englishman, Captain Henry Morgan. It is also supposed to have inspired Robert Louis Stevenson’s
Treasure Island. In the same archipelago is Cayo Largo, another of Cuba’s well-known tourist resorts, considered to have some of the best beaches in the Caribbean.
Varadero, a sheltered peninsula on Cuba’s north coast, is the island’s best-known beach resort. Apart from the 20km (12.5 miles) of fine white sand, there are excellent opportunities for scuba-diving. The amenities are first rate.
Guama, in the south of Matanzas Province, is a reconstruction of an Amero-Indian village, a government showpiece built on a series of islands linked by wooden bridges. There are boat trips along the Treasure Lake (Laguna del Tesoro), while most visitors will also enjoy the crocodile nursery. This part of Mantanzas is also famous for bird life and the attractive beaches of Playa Girón and Playa Larga, location for the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961.
Trinidad and the centerCienfuegos is a prosperous modern city built around a fine harbor at the foot of the Escambray Mountains. Its 19th-century core was built with the help of French settlers from Louisiana, which explains why many of the town’s finest buildings are reminiscent of New Orleans. The main sights around Parque José Martí include the cathedral and the late 19th-century Teatro Tomás Terry, worth exploring for its florid interior. Closer to the harbor are the castle, Castillo de Jagua and the Palacio de Valle. Built in an appealing mixture of architectural styles, with Moorish influences to the fore, it is now a restaurant with a roof-top terrace that affords splendid views of the bay and surrounding countryside. Trinidad retains the atmosphere of an old colonial town, despite the influx of tourists. Founded in the year 1514, it was one of Cuba’s seven original towns, and the presence of many beautiful buildings dating from the 17th to 19th centuries accounts for its place on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Apart from the cobbled streets and the houses painted in pastel colors, the main attractions include the elegant Parque Martí and several museums in the colonial mansions, the best of which, the Museo Romántico, having been beautifully refurbished in period style. The Taller Alfarero, a ceramics workshop where traditional techniques are still used, is also worth visiting. Many tourists stay not in Trinidad itself but at the nearby beach resort of Playa Ancón. Mention should also be made of the Torre de Manaca Iznaga (50m/165ft), a lookout tower offering great views of the Valley of the Sugar Mills (Valle de los Ingenios) and the Escambray Mountains.
Santa Clara is a bustling city in the heart of an important agricultural region. Santa Clara is closely associated with the revolutionary hero Ernesto ‘Ché’ Guevara who captured the town for the Cuban revolution days before the resignation of the dictator, General Batista. Understandably, the Government promotes this lively town; it is also investing in the area’s other potential attractions, which include Remedios and the beaches around Cayo Las Brujas.
Sancti Spíritus has a laid-back feel and a good range of state and private accommodation. The bridge over the Yayabo River is made of stone – the oldest one on the island. Strolling through the sleepy streets while admiring the colonial architecture is the main attraction. The best example of the style is the Colonial Art Museum.
Santiago de Cuba and the eastCamagüey is one of the more heavily promoted towns of the island. Its attractions include a number of churches and museums and a thriving (and very photogenic) peso market. Camagüey lies in the center of a fertile plain, exploited for sugar. The unspoilt Camagüey archipelago is also known as Jardines del Rey. Within the natural park are some 20km of landscaped white-sand beaches, the best known of which are Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo, the latter a favorite haunt of Ernest Hemmingway who came to fish here.
Bayamo was the birthplace of the 19th-century revolutionary, Manuel de Cépedes, who launched Cuba’s struggle for independence here in 1868-9. Modern Bayamo is a delightful little town with one of the few pedestrianized centers on the island. From here it is possible to explore the nature trails of the Parque Nacional del Granma around the fishing hamlet of Cabo Cruz.
Holguín is familiar to most tourists for its airstrip, but the old colonial town is worth a couple of hours at least for its attractive squares and streets. Also falling within the province are the beach resorts of Guarda la Vaca and Esmeralda, both of which are well served with amenities.
Santiago de Cuba, 780km (485 miles) from Havana, was the island’s first capital. It owed this distinction to a superb deepwater harbor, the majestic Sierra Maestra Mountains forming a dramatic backdrop. Despite losing its primacy early in the day, Santiago was never eclipsed by Havana thanks to the French plantation owners and their slaves who arrived in the 18th century, turning the region over to coffee and sugar production. Santiago consequently acquired a cosmopolitan flavor that accounts for its cultural importance, especially in music – the Son originated here. In July, the town hosts one of the most spectacular carnivals in the country, which has even spawned its own museum. Highlights of Santiago’s old quarter (around the square, Parque Céspedes) are the cathedral, the Casa de Diego Velázquez, one of Cuba’s oldest colonial mansions, and the Museo Emilio Bacardí, which contains the rum magnate’s collection of antiques and fine art. Adjacent to the square is the Casa Granda Hotel, located adjacent to the square in the area, a favorite haunt of the British author Graham Greene.
The Moncada Barracks, where Fidel Castro and his revolutionary insurgents launched an abortive uprising in 1953, is the most visited sight outside the town center. After soaking up Santiago’s heady atmosphere, visitors should venture into the surrounding countryside. Excursions on offer include the Castillo del Morro, once an important fortress and now a museum of piracy with superb vistas of the surrounding countryside. The shrine to the Virgin of Cobre is housed in a magnificent basilica. This important center of pilgrimage was the focus of Pope John Paul II’s visit to Cuba in 1998. Baracoa lies between two bays on Cuba’s eastern tip and is one of the island’s most beautiful towns. Tradition has it that Christopher Columbus planted a wooden cross here after coming ashore in 1492. It was later transferred to the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption where it is still on view. Until the 1960s, when a road connecting it to the mainland was constructed, Cuba’s oldest European settlement was accessible only by boat. The town’s role as a former Spanish outpost is evidenced by its three forts, the Fuerte Matachín (now housing the municipal museum), the Castillo de Seboruco (now a hotel), and the Fuerte de la Punta (which now also houses a restaurant).
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