Caressed by the warm currents of the Caribbean, Cuba is the ultimate travel choice this summer. A dynamic mix of music, history and beautiful people. Although traveling here requires flexibility, creativity, good humor, patience and a healthy sense of adventure, you’ll love it… it’s impossible not to.
Beaches
From the capital, colorful Santa Maria is the most easily accessible beach. Tracking west it’s a toss-up between low-key Cayo Levisa and even lower-key Cayo Jutias, so why not throw the dice away and hit both?
There’ a reason why Varadero boasts more tourists than any other resorts in the Caribbean and 20km-long-diamond-dust Playa Varadero might well be it. Few beaches adorn Cuba’s swampy south coast, making platinum gold Playa Ancon. Guarding the biggest sand dunes on the archipielago, Playa Pilar is a Cuban beach worthy of a ‘’world top 10’’listing. Playa Santa Lucía competes with Varadero as the Island’s longest beach (20km plus).
Postcard-perfect Playa Esmeralda in Guardalavaca is paradise found for many. The wildness of the setting of Granma’s southern coast adds romanticism to an evening walk on the beach at Marea del Portillo. When the sun breaks out on Playa Maguana, so do the locals with their swimming costumes, snorkels and Baracoan sense of fun.
Horseback riding
With its -standing cowboy culture, horseback is available all over Cuba. You’ll find ranchos in Florencia (Ciego de Ávila), Hacienda La Vega (Cienfuegos), Finca Mayabe (HolguÍn) and Rancho Toa ( Baracoa).La Guabina is a horse-breeding center near the city Pinar del Rio that offers both horse shows and horseback riding adventures.
Alternative adventures…let’s fly away
Las Terrazas has Cuba’s first Canopy Tour with these zip lines that catapult you over Las Terrazas village and the Lago del San Juan like an eagle in flight. Professional instructors maintain high safety standards.
Culture vulture
Say a big warm ‘’buenos dÍas’’ to Cuba in Havana with its museums, forts, theaters and rum.
Pinar del Río is tobacco country and its scenic highlight is Viñales, where farmers grow the stuff with skills and love. On most itineraries is French-flavored Cienfuegos, an architectural monument to 19th century neoclassicism. A couple of hours down the road is colonial Trinidad with more museums per head than anywhere else in Cuba. Santa Clara is a rite of passage for Che pilgrims but also great for an upbeat nightlife. Further east Camaguey is a confusing maze of Catholic churches and giant ‘’tinajones’’(clay pots). You’d be foolish to miss Las Tunas and Holguin, which is about as “real” as Cuba gets. Laid-back Bayamo is where the Revolution was first ignited, but the cultural Santiago de Cuba was where it was conceived. Save the best till last with a long but by no means arduous journey over the hills and far away to Baracoa for coconuts, chocolate and other tropical treats.
Set your heart on Cuba this summer. Anything is possible here. The country is an impenetrable muse, the ultimate riddle wrapped up in a mystery inside an enigma. Hit the wonders and let them work their magic!!
