Good-looking Cuba is blessed with natural beauty. So, you won’t need much persuading to head into the lush hills, dip into the bluest of seas, or to stroll the streets of her beautiful ancient towns and cities. With year-round sunshine, you’ll have time for all these activities found from west to east across the island!
With a coastline of 3,500 miles, and dozens of dazzling white sand beaches, you’ll find plenty of popular places and hidden spots from where to snorkel the turquoise seas and coral reefs of the Atlantic and Caribbean. Search for blue tang, moray eel and clown wrasse in these top underwater sites – Punta Perdíz at the Bay of Pigs, Playa Jibacoa near Havana, María La Gorda in western Cuba, and off Guardalavaca in the far east.
The Vinales Valley, a Jurassic wonderland of pudding-basin mountains wreathed in early morning mist is an ideal place for a horseback ride. You’ll head out on trails through the limestone mountain valley, and past fields of green tobacco crop in sunlit fields. Stop at tobacco leaf-drying huts along your route and learn about Cuba’s famous cigars from farmers.
Bicycling dropped out of fashion in Cuba but it’s having a comeback and is now a favoured mode of getting around for many. Hire bikes in Havana to wheel down the Malecón coastal road or pedal to Playas del Este beaches, a short ride away. In Baracoa, your own wheels will take you to the wild beaches and archaeological sites of this exciting Atlantic coast. Travelling further? Organise an e-bike trip to smooth the way.
Cuba is a photographer’s dream with deeply green tropical landscapes, handsome cities, beautiful beaches, and beautiful people. The golden hour – when the light is at its most gorgeous in late afternoon – is a wonderful time to capture colonial buildings and street life. Need expert tuition? Seek out photography tours in Havana and Trinidad.
Cuba’s fleet of surviving American classic cars, all polished chrome and tutti-frutti colours, are an eye-popping sight. Hire a convertible vintage motor to tour Havana or a hardtop beauty to drive out to the Vinales Valley for a day trip. Self-drive isn’t possible but you’ll have fun with your driver who’ll have plenty of stories to tell along the way.
Cuba’s underwater jewels include rare staghorn and elkhorn coral, endangered marine turtles, and bands of sleek sharks. The best dive spot in Cuba, hands down, is Gardens of the Queen. A dream trip sees a visit on a liveaboard where you’ll dive with lemon, nurse and Caribbean reef shark and giant Goliath Grouper. Don your dive gear, too, at the Bay of Pigs, María La Gorda, and island paradise Cayo Largo del Sur.
Dancing queen? If your footwork’s a bit wobbly there’s no better place to learn to dance salsa or son than in Cuba. Look out for lessons in Havana, Trinidad, and Santiago de Cuba where you’ll gain confidence to step out on to the dance floor and groove with a partner. Cuba’s dance venues and music houses found across the island offer plenty of opps to practice those new steps. The best nights under the stars are in Havana, Trinidad, Santiago de Cuba, and Santa Clara.
The world’s smallest flight of feather lives in Cuba – the tiny bee hummingbird weighing all of two grams! Find the pink-headed male of the species with ease at La Casa de Zunzún in Pálpite, just north of Playa Larga. Cuba’s other feathered jewels include the endemic Cuban trogon, coloured red, white, and blue, and the neon-green bauble, Cuban tody. Pink flamingos and roseate spoonbills poke about Las Salinas salt flats in Zapata’s national park. Other birdwatching hotspots include the Sierra del Rosario Biosphere, Gardens of the King, Sierra de Najasa, and Humboldt Park near Baracoa.
Cuba bathes in the Atlantic Sea along its north coast, and the Caribbean laps at its southern shores. The water changes from turquoise to indigo to sapphire along dozens of white sand beaches that fringe the largest of the Caribbean islands. Life on water is better enjoyed by getting out on a boat or catamaran. Every resort offers trips. Some of the most beautiful journeys on water are at Cayo Levisa in western Cuba, Cayo Santa Maria, and at Cayo Saetía in the far east.
The hills are alive with the sound of birds and filled with views of elegant royal palms and other tropical plants. And buried in dense flourishing foliage are thundering waterfalls and natural bathing pools. The most beautiful in Cuba are at El Nicho in central Cuba with cascading pools. You’ll also find a beauty at Soroa near the lovely national orchid garden, the natural river pools to relax in at Las Terrazas, and popular Salto de Javira in Topes de Collantes near Trinidad.
For more information on Cuba holidays, Multi Centre Cuba Holidays, Cuba City & Beach Holidays, Cuba Beach Holidays or Tailor Made Cuba Holidays please don’t hesitate to contact our friendly team of Cuba holiday specialists on
0207 071 3636 or email enquiries@lovecuba.com
