As is the case throughout other Spanish-speaking Caribbean destinations like the Dominican Republic and Mexico, a little bit of Spanish goes a long way in Cuba. In many ways if you can make yourself understood by the island’s wonderful inhabitants, you’ll have unlocked the secret to many dream viajes Caribe (Spanish for Caribbean trips!) in the future.
2. Get Literary:
Through the years, Cuba’s attracted its fair share of writers. Reading Hemingway over a mojito on a sticky afternoon in Havana is the most obvious literary tip, but few things could be better than settling down to Gabriel Garcia Marquez’ One Hundred Years of Solitude in Baracoa (where it’s believed to have been set).
3. Pick a Park – Any Park!:
Cuba is a surprisingly large island, and its interior is covered with magnificent national parks. If Vinales is the most developed (and hence easiest to access), then getting out to La Guira in Pinar del Rio or the mangrove swamps of Cienaga de Zapata in Manzanas is also enormously rewarding.
4. Splash Out on a Hotel:
One of the best things about a holiday in Cuba is the great selection of hotels to choose from. Out in Varadero, the luxurious Hotel Paradisus Princesa Del Mar Resort & Spa is a popular choice amongst Spanish holidaymakers on their Caribbean trips (or viajes Caribe!)
5. Life’s a Beach!:
And the reason for its fantastic resorts is obvious – the beaches in Cuba are some of the best to found anywhere in the world. There’s every type of beach you’d care to mention in Cuba from busy city beaches and resort beaches, but one of the most splendid of all is the relatively undeveloped Playa Paraiso (to the west of the island).
6. Explore Habana Vieja:
Few cities in the world can match Havana’s Old Town for atmosphere. A marvelously evocative network of grandly crumbling palaces and squares, it thoroughly deserves its World Heritage Status. No trip to Cuba would be complete without spending a few days thoroughly getting to know it.
7. Go on a Diving Trip:
With its miles of reef-lined coasts, diving in Cuba is understandably fantastic. Major Cuba dive sites though include: Maria la Gorda (to the west), Jardines de la Reina (south) and Cayo Coco and Cayo Santa Maria (to the north) amongst countless others.