Best Places To Visit In Cuba | Travel Video

Best Places To Visit In Cuba.

From the colourful city of Havana and thetobacco fields of Vinales in the east to the beautiful beaches and historic Bay of Pigsin the west – Cuba is a destination filled with culture, charm and impossible contrast.

Famous for its revolutionary struggle whichwas headed by the famous faces of Che Guevarra and Fidel Castro – Cuba is a destination notto be missed.

Here is a selection of our top picks for Cubato help whet your appetite.

1.

Havana.

The vivacious and intoxicating capital ofCuba appears to be stuck in a 1950s time warp – vintage American cars cruise colonialcobblestone streets past with the crumbling facades of pastel-coloured buildings providingthe backdrop.

Here you’ll find impressive colonial monuments, a thriving modern Latino culture, revolutionary slogans painted on walls and along with adramatic coastline that fronts white sand beaches and crystalline blue waters, it’sa city that appeals to all the senses.

Discover some of Cuba’s best cigars at Havana’soldest cigar factory, get a handle on the country’s turbulent history at the Museode la Revolución or simply hang out at one of the public squares and be entertained bylively street performers.

2.

Trinidad.

If you came to Cuba with the expectation ofcolourful colonial buildings, cool plazas, and cobble stone streets, Trinidad has itall.

Absorb the town’s authentic Cuban charmby ducking into one of its many museums, tour the nearby Valley of the Sugar Mills or simplygrab a coffee and people watch as local pensioners lounge in their favourite chair outside traditionalration shops, and youngsters banter and soak up the sun on the pristine Ancona beach.

Located in the province of Sancti Spirituin central Cuba, the town retains much of its original charm and character, and is atreasure trove of colonial architecture, a fact that was recognised in 1988 when thetown was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the Valley of the Sugar Mills.

3.

Vinales.

The picturesque town of Vinales, adored forits unhurried pace of life, is located in the verdant Vinales Valley in the heart ofCuba’s prime tobacco-growing region.

Surrounded by irregularly shaped karst hillformations that are brought to vivid life at sunrise and sunset, it’s not difficultto see why Vinales is supposedly Castro’s favourite place.

The town itself is characterised by colourfulhouses with immaculate porches and more often than not creaking rocking chairs out frontwhere friendly locals watch the world go by and shout their welcomes.

The surrounding countryside is perfect forbicycle rides, hiking and rock climbing with a number of caves worth exploring though notrip to Vinales would be complete without a visit to a local tobacco farm to learn howto roll an authentic cigar.

4.

Santiago de Cuba.

Located on the eastern half of Cuba’s island, Santiago de Cuba is the country’s second largest city and a scintillating culturalshowpiece.

Top rate museums document various episodesfrom Cuba’s turbulent past whilst grand old architecture stands testament as the stagefor many of these same episodes.

The grandiose Santa Ifigenia cemetery is nowthe resting place for many of the city’s very own revolutionaries and Santiago hasalso produced its fair share of the country’s best contemporary musicians.

In fact, the sensuous streets of Santiagoare no doubt home to every genre of Cuban music available and the cosmopolitan cityhas a very distinct feel to it with a variety of cultural influences, namely Caribbean asit’s home to the country’s largest Afro-Caribbean population.

Every July carnival celebrations showcasethis colourful mix of people with infectious drum rhythms and dance.

5.

Baracoa.

Perched on the far eastern tip of Cuba, thetiny coastal town of Baracoa is perhaps one of the most picturesque places in the country.

Enveloped by lush tropical vegetation withmany rivers leading to a beautiful bay on the Atlantic, the town has enjoyed years ofrelative solitude and up until 1964 the only way to reach Baracoa was via the sea.

Its remoteness has not meant a lack of historythough and the town retains a rich heritage as one of the oldest colonial cities in theAmericas.

Originally a small fishing and farming village, today Baracoa offers the intrepid traveller plenty of things to see and do with hiking, white-water rafting and boating all on the menu.

There’s even an UNESCO Biosphere Reservethat protects one of the world’s last untouched rainforests and plenty of tranquil beachesto simply relax and enjoy this wonderful town at leisure.

6.

Santa Clara.

In the most central region of the country, the thriving university city of Santa Clara was once at the heart of the Cuban Revolution;it was here that guerrilla leader Che Guevara led his troops into the final battle of therevolution, resulting in the overthrow of Dictator Fulgencio Batista and the start ofa new era.

Bohemian student cafes juxtapose with handsomecolonial buildings and ghostly reminders of the city’s complex history.

Visit the Che Guevara Monument and Mausoleum, a memorial to those who gave their lives to the revolution and the location of the revolutionarytheorist’s remains.

Travellers can also visit the Monumento ala Toma del Tren Blindado, the site where a military train carrying supplies was derailedduring the historic battle.

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