Cuba Destinations
Havana (La Habana)
With its beautiful colonial architecture, classic cars and laidback people, the capital of Cuba makes for a romantic setting. Despite being Cuba’s second largest city it is number one with the tourists and a great point to start your explorations of Cuban life.
The area of Old Havana (La Habana Vieja) was declared by UNESCO in 1982 to be a world heritage site and recent restoration works mean that many of the grand old buildings now house museums, revolutionary monuments and a wealth of Cuban culture. Check out the Castillo de la Real Fuerza, which is the America’s oldest colonial fortress. The nearby Plaza de la Catedral is more than a beautiful city square, it is home to a market on weekends and the relaxed Plaza life says a lot about the Cuban people. The Museo de la Revolucion houses Che’s beret and bullet holes in the foyer from an assassination attempt against the President in the 1950’s.
Around Havana you will notice the ever-present cigar being smoked, sold and rolled all around town. Cross over the river Rio Almendares into the suburb of Miramar where you will find one of the best cigar shops in Cuba, the Casa del Tabaco (2 blocks west on Quinta and corner of Calle 16). Or you can tour the Corona Cigar Factory, which was built in the 19th century, and is still kept busy supplying the locals and the tourists with high quality cigars.
Pinar Del Rio
Pinar Del Rio is one of the tobacco provinces of Cuba and is located amongst the scenic limestone hills of Vinales. Tobacco from the Pinar Del Rio area is the basis of some of the world’s finest cigars, and this region accounts for about 80% of Cuba’s tobacco production. To see some of this tobacco production in action you could visit theFabrica de Tobacos Francisco Donatien, which is at Maceo No 157 Oeste and is open weekdays 7:30am-4pm and Saturday 7:30am-11:30am, with admission being around US $2. This factory houses around 80 staff who are busy rolling cigars, and you can purchase some of their finest on site.
Santiago de Cuba
As Cuba’s second largest city, Santiago de Cuba has a thoroughly Spanish feel to the city and the revolution is always on your mind, thanks to the number of monuments and museums that the city boasts. Unlike Havana, the industrial side of Santiago is quite separate to the historical city centre. Any visit to the city wouldn’t be complete without taking the time to peruse the architecture of the city as many of the buildings were built in the 1500’s, including the Casa de Diego Velaquez on Felix Pena no 602 (near the Parque Cespedes) which was built in 1522 and thus holds the honour of being the oldest house still standing in Cuba.
Matanzas
Matanzas is home to many industrial activities, including a sugar refinery, a shoe factory, textile mill, chemical plant and a paper mill. However, you might find more appealing activity in the downtown of Matanzas. Check out the Ediciones Vigia which is a key attraction of Matanza as it is a factory that produces handmade first-edition books in runs of only 200.
Cayo Largo
This lush area is a key location of Cuba’s tourist resorts that cater primarily towards the tourists from the USA and Canada. Shimmering white sands, tropical waters and a great scuba diving environment make Cayo Largo an ideal location for those of you seeking a sun, sand and sea type holiday, despite being somewhat removed from daily Cuban life.
Trinidad
Back in the late 1980’s Trinidad was declared a World Heritage Site. Because of its well-preserved Colonial buildings and quaint atmosphere this town of aprox 50,000 people is a great visit and a chance to see another side to Cuba. Trinidad is home to a number of fantastic museums, with the Museo Historico Municipalbeing the major attraction.
Holguin
As Cuba’s fourth largest city, Holguin is regarded as a pleasant place to visit, with many parks to be explored and culture to be discovered. During the first week in May, hundreds of organ playing pilgrims, and orchestras flood into Holguin to play in the city squares. Holguin is home to the only music organ factory in Cuba, the Fabrica de Organos, which can be worth a visit. Its located on Taller Polivalente, Carretera de Gibara no 301 (Weekdays 7am-3:30pm).
By Lorna Musgrove
Destination – Cuba
TV Show – Cuba’s Sugar Trains
