Cuba Travel Guide

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With countless pristine beaches, mountainous forests and vibrant cities all waiting to be explored, Cuba is much more than a generic island getaway.

Time warped in its 50-year-old Revolution, this is a sunny isle of contrasts. Historic Havana and Trinidad have undergone painstaking restoration and preservation; walking around them is like a trip back in time. Staying at a casa particular (a private home with rooms to rent) gives the traveler a glimpse of life for the average Cubano, and opens up parts of the country that were once inaccessible or off-limits.

Pure island indulgence lies at many of the gleaming resorts punctuating Cuba's glorious coastline, and, across the island, party-hungry travelers can delve head first into the music, dance and cocktails for which the country is internationally renowned.

Geography

Cuba is the largest Caribbean island, about the size of England, and the most westerly of the Greater Antilles group, lying 145km (90 miles) south of Florida.

A quarter of the country is fairly mountainous. West of Havana is the narrow Sierra de los Organos, rising to 750m (2,461ft) and containing the Guaniguanico hills in the west. South of the Sierra is a narrow strip of 2,320 sq km (860 sq miles) where the finest Cuban tobacco is grown.

The Sierra de Escambray and Montañas de Guamuhaya behind Trinidad in the center of the country rise to 1140m (3,740ft) Encircling the port of Santiago are the rugged mountains of the Sierra Maestra. A quarter of the island is covered with mountain forests of pine and mahogany.