FOR 30 years, the US has attempted to bring Cuba to its knees with a crippling trade embargo.
It is a policy that has left an indelible mark on the island, the largest in the Caribbean, with its people denied the goods and lifestyle we take for granted. The fact that huge 1950s Cadillacs still roll through the streets is an indication of its stunted development.
Yet the absence of commercialisation, little evidence of any class structure and the refreshingly unassuming and genial nature of its people suggest Cuba is a contented nation.
Of course, this impression is gleaned from just a few days on the island. Reality is quite possibly far different. Indeed, the fact that Cubans still flee to neighbouring Key West, just 106 miles across the Florida Straits, suggests all is not well.
But there is no doubting the trade block has allowed Cuba to retain a charm which is luring tourists from Europe.
Havana is the largest city in the Caribbean, with a population of 2.1m. It is a captivating collection of 18th-century churches, museums, fortresses and monuments, the pick of which is the Catedral de San Cristobal de la Habana.
The city, and the country as a whole, is also justly proud of its independence from the US, with many references to Fidel Castro’s 1950s revolution.
The former Presidential Palace, which now houses a museum dedicated to the exploits of Castro and Che Guevara is still peppered with bullet holes from an assassination attempt on former dictator President Fulgencio Batista.
Cigar making remains one of Cuba’s largest industries and a visit to the Real Fabrica de Tabacos Partagas takes visitors through the intricate art of rolling the world’s finest. So intense is the work for the 400 employees that they are read the day’s newspapers over the tannoy in the morning and a novel in the afternoon.
Cuba is also synonymous with rum. And tucked away down a back street is El Floridita – the bar frequented by Ernest Hemmingway who lived on the island. El Floridita is about as touristy as it gets in Havana. But go now, before it becomes a well trodden path.