A small island in the Caribbean sea, just off the coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, Cuba is an island almost everyone has heard of. Putting the politics aside, this island is a time warp of 1950s cool. And with beaches that are as glorious as any you’ll find elsewhere in the Caribbean, Cuba has a lot to offer tourists.
Whether it’s sipping a Cuba Libre heavy with Cuban rum or a mojito in the bars of Havana or exploring the city’s culture, the capital of Cuba is a great place to start your trip.
Varadero is popular with tourists for its beaches, though I really recommend you get out of the resorts and explore this fascinating island more fully. From stories of pirates and hidden treasures in the south to the salsa bars of Trinidad, to the rolling green hills of Viñales, Cuba holds a lot of geographical diversity in its hands.
Stay at Casa Particulares, explore the local food scene or take a hike the mountains of Toppes de Collantes. However you spend your time in Cuba, you’re sure to have a trip like no other. It’s not the Cuba you might have imagined if you’ve ever visited Miami.
Visiting Topes de Collantes, a nature reserve in the southwest of the Escambray Mountains, was never in my original travel itinerary for Cuba. However, for each day that I lingered at the beach in La Boca, staring out at the ominous peaks and troughs of the distant range, I became increasingly drawn to the mountains, … Read more
Cuba is a unlike any other country I’ve visited and it’s safe to say that this out-of-kilter Caribbean island requires a bit more research and planning than your average trip. Having recently completed my second trip, here’s my list of 10 essential things to know about Cuba before you visit covering everything from visas to … Read more
Being one of only two foreign faces in the tiny beach town of La Boca in Cuba is one of those travel experiences that will likely endure right down to my dying days. I hadn’t set out on a quest to find one of the best beaches in Cuba, but leaving La Boca I’m confident … Read more
As I engaged in my rapid departure from what had become an ugly experience at Varadero’s beach resorts, I was desperate to replace my memories with something novel and exciting. Fortunately, within 24 hours, my wish was to be granted when I found myself at a rave in a cave at Disco Ayala, an exceptionally … Read more
“Varadero beach is full of tourists” seems to be the automatic response I get from any independent traveller who I speak to about Cuba. It’s a curious response given most of these self-professed “non-tourist” travellers I meet (otherwise known as backpackers) have never actually visited Varadero beach. They are simply citing a stereotype that has … Read more
Cuba’s Hershey Train is the epitome of how travel should be. Lazy, unpredictable, social and slow. As someone who crammed herself into London’s commuter trains for the best part of a decade, always watching the clock, multi-tasking the entire journey (sipping coffee, sleeping, standing, emailing and reading all in one shot), travel was a chore. … Read more
If you could trace the origins of the phrase “Mi Casa es Tu Casa” (translation: my house is your house), I’d put money on the phrase being invented in the casa particulares in Cuba. To many people, particularly those most familiar with staying in hotels when they travel, renting a room in a casa particular … Read more