In January 2015 I spent two weeks travelling around beautiful Cuba, just as talks were beginning with the United States which – many hoped – would eventually normalise relations between the two countries. There has been a US trade embargo in place since 1962 which, by some accounts has crippled the Caribbean island.
Things have clearly moved on in Cuba in the two decades since the end of Cold War – and given the talks between the two countries things now are by no means settled. During my travels, I wanted to see how the country had change following its decision to embrace international tourism, rather than shying away from it.
Before leaving for the airport, I went to have a look around Havana’s cathedral, a Cuban baroque building, with two vast towers and completed in 1787. Designed by Italian architect Francesco Borromini, it was described by the novelist Alejo Carpenter as “music set in stone” and is one […]
Wi-fi is hard to find in Cuba, with only tourist hotels offering their guests access at a premium price. Much more common is to see tourists queuing for creaking connections at state run cyber cafes, where some sites are blocked. Cubans are officially barred from having the Internet […]
When I told people I was coming to Cuba, most who had visited warned me about the terrible food I would eat. But dining out in Cuba, I was pleasantly surprised at the choice and quality of meals offer. The best ones that locals and guidebooks recommended were […]
There are hotels wherever you look in Varadero. Popular with tourists from around the world, the all-inclusive buffets and fine beaches at these (mostly) luxury establishments are all that many will see of Cuba during their break in the sun, especially if they land at the local airport. […]
Cuba was hit hard by the collapse of the Soviet Union. “I landed in a world that resembled the aftermath of a natural disaster or war,” wrote in an account of arriving in Havana in 1993 by Marc Frank in his excellent book Cuban Revelations. The journalist had […]
While most tourists head to beach resorts (and often don’t move from their sunbeds for a week or a fortnight!), travelling around Cuba can be really rewarding. If you do your research you can find you have a pristine white beach to yourself, as I found near Trinidad […]
Clambering up the 45 metre tower at Manaca Iznaga – where the wooden staircases creak in the wind – you are rewarded with a wonderful view. From the top platform, the open Valle de los Ingenios seems to stretch for miles. Today, many families live in this area […]
Che Guevara follows you around in Cuba. His stylised visage pops up on everything from t-shirts and billboards to bank notes and postcards as you travel across the Caribbean island. But nowhere is Che – the second in command to Fidel Castro during the Cuban Revolution – more […]
If the Museo de la Revolucion is to be taken at face value, the Cuban Revolution of 1959 was nothing short of a miracle for its people. Rid of dictator Fulgencio Batista, the displays described how within months of the new government taking over Cubans enjoyed lower rents, […]
After a busy day exploring Havana’s historic sites, there is little more relaxing than enjoying a mojito on the expansive colonnaded veranda and the well-kept lawn terrace of Hotel Nacional. Palm trees bring welcome shade for your ringside view of the Malecon – the Cuban capital’s 9km open […]
Past In The Present 