Vacationing in Cuba is like traveling by time machine – most of the country seems to exist in some parallel reality, which still remains in the past decades, if not centuries.
Here you will see intertwined in a bizarre pattern, coexisting peacefully for very many years, amazing examples of truly luxurious architecture, the beauty of nature, the exotic life of the indigenous Cubans and just incredible for the perception of the citizen of Europe poverty. Cuba is a true country of contrasts, beautiful in any form.
- Try Casa Particular in Cuba
If you really want to not just touch everyday life in Cuba, but experience it to the fullest, try renting a Casa Particular private home.
Casa in Cuba is very widely represented, so you can easily find an apartment, room or house for rent in exact accordance with your preferences and interests. Accommodation options you can choose a variety of, for example, if you are fond of art, you can stay with a local artist or musician.
- Dance the rumba in the street
Filled and driven by African rhythms and sensual Spanish temperament, the Cuban rumba is truly a primal, primal form of dance. Cuban culture is always vibrant, free-spirited, and a little explosive, so impromptu rumba dance routines often explode the sleepy calm of city streets.
Instead of waiting for such an impromptu performance, tourists can also head to the Centro Cultural El Gran Palenque to watch the Sábado de La Rumba dance, and even join the dancers at almost any time.
- Proletarians of all countries, unite!
Havana’s famous Plaza de la Revolución, formerly known as Republic Square, is probably the best place in the world to get a true sense of freedom and every traveler visiting Cuba should definitely visit it at least once.
At one time up to a million and a half Cubans attended rallies and demonstrations there, and many fiery speeches were delivered by Fidel Castro to the citizens of Cuba from the podium at the José Martí Memorial.
- Try Cuban cigars at the Cigar Museum
Cuba is home to some of the best tobacco in the world, and attracts a very large number of tourists. Many of the island’s visitors, by the way, come here just to try real Cuban tobacco.
Tobacco plantations in Cuba are almost everywhere, but the main production of authentic Cuban cigars is concentrated precisely in Havana. Be sure to go on a tour of the factory Partagas – here you can not only see the process of drying tobacco and cigar production, but also try to make their own Cuban cigars. You can also buy the best cigars in the world – a really welcome souvenir even for the most sophisticated connoisseurs.
- Try Gulfstream fishing
Not only fans of high-quality varietal cigars, but also connoisseurs of really good fishing come to vacation in Cuba.
The Gulf Stream, a warm Atlantic current that brings an incredible abundance of fish, really is the perfect place for great fishing. All you have to do is hire a boat, get out into the Gulf Stream and try your luck at catching the fish of your dreams!
- Attend a Cuban baseball game
No visit to Cuba would be complete without experiencing the object of Cuba’s sporting obsession, baseball. The best way to learn about the fanatical devotion Cubans have to the sport is to attend the Cuban Baseball Championship (Serie Nacional de Béisbol). - Relax in Varadero
Varadero is an area of Cuba that is world famous for its natural beauty. The fine sands of clean sandy beaches, clear blue waves and a beautiful climate – all these qualities put together here, make the Varadero region a great tourist paradise, which can not compete with either Barbados or the Bahamas. - Swim with dolphins
Few things can compare to swimming with dolphins in the ocean – there’s probably nowhere else you can experience such an incredible sense of all-consuming joy of communing with nature. - Take a cruise on the Miramar River
Miramar River day cruises are very popular with tourists in Cuba.
On this river cruise you can see the most vibrant urban and rural Cuban landscapes, and just enjoy the amazing beauty of the local nature.
- Explore the architecture of old Havana
Due to the trade embargo that has been in place in Cuba since the 1960s, almost the entire country was frozen in the 1960s. Once in the historic part of the capital, you are transported to the middle of the last century, when Art Deco architecture was the peak of popularity and cars that we now call “retro” drove through the streets, because it is La Havana Vieja (Old Havana) that is particularly acute to feel this “stopped time”.