Cuba's turbulent Communist history is evident across the former Spanish (and American) colony, but with the recent regeneration there is no time like the present to visit this most vivacious of countries. With Castro gone, once crumbling facades have been beautifully restored by local artisans and architects, housing charming casa particulares (guesthouses) and restaurants. Even the food, once communistically bland, has come on in leaps and bounds and the internet, no longer in its stumbling infancy, is widely available through 3G networks.
Travelling around is almost criminally easy - whether you want a bright pink classic car to drive yourself, a car and driver to guide you, or something somewhere in the middle - and we know the best local guides.
Havana, Cuba's sultry capital city, is the nation's cultural hub, with museums and stunning architecture aplenty. The UNESCO World Heritage Site 'old town', Havana Vieja, is a must, and best experienced in the company of one of our expert guides. Dig deep into Cuban history past the revolution, into the Batista years and earlier. Havana is also is also one of the best places to learn two of Cuba's most sacred arts - cigars and rum - and there are plenty of bars and cigar shops around that make a suitable classroom.
A couple of hours west of Havana lies Vinales, a fertile region famous for its tobacco (the education continues) and bananas. The landscape is stunning and diverse, with mogotes - otherwise known as limestone kasts - providing a stark contrast to the flat landscape they pop out of. Further contrasts lie in the daily life of the Vinales inhabitants. Old fashioned farming methods are still in practice, with oxen and wooden carts dotting the countryside, making it a wonderfully peaceful stop on your journey. Want a change of pace? We can also arrange fishing trips off the coast of the island, where hardy fishermen and women can try their luck on the hunt for the so-called The Grand Slam: permit, tarpon and bonefish.
