Don’t get stuck on the beach, get some ideas for great Cuba holidays
A holiday in the Caribbean is a wonderful idea, and my destination of choice in the Caribbean is Cuba. For long time under the radar, right now there are lots of Cuba holidays openly available in the internet or via travel agents. Cuba has lovely beaches and lots of sunshine as does all Caribbean islands. But Cuba has many unique attractions such as the genre of Salsa music known as “timba”. Soothing timba beats has its own trademark sounds due to its strong Afro-Cuban heritage and is very popular with holidaymakers who flood the island trying to learn the basic steps.
There’re other options apart from the obvious Varadero beach. Many tourists, including myself, who have been there, suggest spending a few days in Trinidad. This town is located in the Sancti Spiritus province of central Cuba. Since 1988 it has been a UNESCO World Heritage site along with the neighbouring “Valle de los Ingenios” (Engines Valley). Trinidad is a 500 year old city that was founded in 1514. The town is known for cobblestone streets, Spanish colonial architecture and beautiful plazas. You can even take a tour by horse-drawn carriage if you choose. I deeply recommend it.
Any Cuba holiday will be incomplete without a visit to the capital city of Havana. It is often characterized as three cities within one because of many differences among their largest neighbourhoods. These are “Vedado”, “Old Havana” and newer suburban districts like “Playa”. Vedado is a vibrant downtown neighbourhood in Havana with a number of historic sites and monuments. Of particular interest is the John Lennon Park with a life size sculpture of the Beatle sculpted by award winning Cuban artist Jose Villa Soberon. President Fidel Castro unveiled the statue on December 8, 2000, the 20th anniversary of his death. This is even more interesting because in the 1960s and 1970s Beatles’ music was frowned upon by Cuban authorities as a decadent influence from the West. At that time to hear the Beatles, tapes had to be smuggled into Cuba and the lights had to be off when you listened to them.
As another UNESCO World Heritage Site in Cuba, Old Havana cannot be missed when planning your trip. Be sure to explore the Malecon avenue running beside the seawall on the north shore with important monuments and buildings. The very impressive La Cabana fortress is found on Havana Bay’s eastern side. This 18th-century fortress was used as both a prison and as a military base, but now it is a portion of a historical park along with the nearby El Morro castle also on Havana bay. Every night you can hear a cannon shot rumble at 9 p.m. Soldiers dress in the attire of the era shoot the “gunshot of the nine.” This colonial custom signalled the closing of the city wall doors. This is a nice way to finish to great Cuba holidays, literarily finishing with a bang!
