Transport yourself back to the 1950s - Cuba

The Cuban summer can be very sticky, and there is a risk of Hurricanes (June-September), July and August should also be avoided because many Cubans and Europeans holiday in this period which inflates prices. The best times to go are October-May when the weather is pleasant and reasonably dry. The East of the country is generally wetter and more humid than the centre and West.  Temperatures are between 20 and 30 degrees, if you are going to high areas and trekking you will probably need some warmer clothes

Getting Around

Hire cars aren’t cheap, but so worth saving up for. It is tough to see the best beaches without one. This is a road built on a causeway out to one of the many offshore keys

I travelled right across Cuba by car from Havana to Santiago in the East, about 1600 KM in total. Hire cars are ok - if you’re lucky, Korean; if you’re unlucky, Chinese. Unless you’re on a very tight budget, I’d highly recommend this option as you can really see a lot of the country, and stop at lots of beautiful deserted beaches on the way. Since barely anyone owns a car, roads are remarkably quiet and very relaxing to drive through – smaller roads do have quite bad potholes though.  If you do decide to book a car, do it at least a month in advance as supply never meets demand (a common problem for many goods in Cuba!)

As well as cars there is a bus company for foreigners called Viazul – these are good clean buses which are reasonably priced. Apart from overnight journeys such as Havana to Santiago these are ideal to get around.

For longer journeys, flights are only really available via the local airline. This can be quite scary because they use Russian planes which are very noisy and old, however I bit the bullet and my flight was fine – maybe think twice in hurricane season! A one way flight from Havana to Santiago will cost you about INR 5000

In cities, you can get around by private taxis, or if you really want to do things as the locals do (and speak good enough Spanish), take a shared taxi in one of Cuba’s legendary huge rusting American classic cars. 

Places To See :

Havana 

Central Havana – view of the famous ‘Gran Teatro’ and the ‘Capitolio’ – basically the Cuban version of Washington’s Capitol

Typical view of old Havana with its crumbling colonial squares.

Spend a good 3 or 4 days here at least.  Most tourism in Havana is concentrated in Old Havana – the very centre containing immaculately restored squares, churches and colonial houses (Such as Plaza Vieja and Plaza Mayor).  Once you walk a little further out buildings become more warn and time just stands still – for me these streets were the most interesting because they are still fully lived in.

Spend at least 2 days just walking around old Havana and soak up the local sights and sounds. Visit the single cigar factory where all Cuban cigars sold worldwide are made in front of you. Also don’t miss the famous gran teatro with its spectacular ballroom and see if you can catch a performance. Finally it’s worth taking a coco taxi (sort of Cuban rickshaw which looks like a giant orange) to the new area of the city “Vedado” to see some old colonial mansions in fancy neighborhoods and some Cuban-style modernization.

Trinidad

This stunning small colonial town is about 4 hours from Havana and like Havana is also an unmissable UNESCO world heritage site. Full of lovely casas to stay in and some beautiful squares, cobbled streets and churches, this is a great place to spend a couple of days. You can also spend a day at Playa Ancon, a nice long beach which is only 20 minutes away and great for a day trip. The “Casa de la Musica” in Trinidad is an institution – sprawling over the town square steps, it has great live music in the afternoons and evenings –  guaranteed to always be full of locals and other tourists every night.

Plaza Mayor, Trinidad

The colourful, cobbled streets of Trinidad’s old town.

Santiago

Cuba’s second city has a more African vibe and is the best place to sample Cuban music. To stay in I recommend Casa Maruchi. The views from the top of the hotel Casa Grande in the main square (Parque Cespedes) over the harbour are a great place to watch the sunset  over a mojito. Lastly, don’t forget the “El Morro” fort just outside Santiago. This belonged to the real life pirates of the Caribbean back in the day and you can walk around the ramparts to look down at the cliffs and to check out the far reaching sea views.

View from the top of the hotel Casa Grande

Authentic Cuban sounds in the Casa de la Trova in Santiago

Moron & Cayo Guillermo

Beach lovers, look no further. This is the best beach in the world – period. Cuba has many beautiful beaches; most are on offshore “Cayos” which are connected to the mainland by causeways. Unfortunately most have been taken over by horrible 80s style concrete hotels for package holidaymakers that don’t give you access to the beach. Luckily there is one untouched gem – Playa Pillar – named after Ernest Hemingway’s yacht. Apart from some deckchairs and a (surprisingly good) beach bar there’s nothing else but powdery white sand and transparent crystal clear waters.  To get to Cayo Guillermo you need to be renting a car, but you can stay in Moron (town on the mainland) and drive in under 1.5hrs and spend a day or 2 in paradise. In Moron stay at casa Marel Rodriguez– Marel is a keen cook and super friendly)

On The Beach

Vinales

Only a few hours from Havana, Vinales is known for its Jurassic Park-like boulder formations rising strangely out of the ground. It is where the best cigar leaves come from and worth visiting to see the plantations and do some hiking or horse riding. There are also some good beaches for daytripping.

Tips on Language : 

People who work in official tourist centers such as airports, hotels or car hire companies will speak English. However speaking basic Spanish will help wonders as people in smaller places and often casas are very friendly but speak little English.
 

Ropa Vieja is shredded and slow cooked beef which is really tasty and a welcome break from bland grilled pork.

Those of you who have had great Cuban food in the US before, prepare to be shocked – Cuban food in Cuba is nothing like it and pretty terrible! Food consists of chicken or pork served with rice and beans. My tips are: 1) each a very big breakfast in your casa (fresh fruit and eggs) 2) avoid eating in restaurants – they are all state run and tend to run out of food - most of the time all they have is ham and cheese sandwiches. Fruit is very good in Cuba so eat as much as you can – pineapples in particular are the best.  Other than that, make sure you get your fix of desi food before you head as you’ll definitely miss it spicy and flavourful food when in Cuba!