Cuba is a photographer’s dream. Photo opportunities present themselves at every turn, as old timers pose in the doorways of colourful but decrepit stucco buildings, while old 1950s American cars trawl streets filled with laughing kids and flirtatious lovers – all set to a rhythmic backdrop of son and salsa music.
It’s also a travel agent’s dream, enabling travellers to mix and match all-inclusive resort breaks, active excursions, and cultural tours taking in the enchanting old colonial towns and cities. Then there’s the 300 days of sunshine a year and the average temperature of around 25C.
Brits have long been entranced by the country, and the UK remains the biggest market in Europe (Canadians are the number one visitors overall).
Timeless it may seem, but with relations fast thawing with the US, all that looks set to change. When the US government finally lifts its long-standing trade embargo and travel ban, heavy spending American travellers are expected to flood back into the country and Cuba’s state-controlled tourism sector looks set for massive growth and development.
Activities
Just hanging out in a bar or cafe and watching the world go by is a highlight of any trip to Cuba, but there are lots of more active options for outdoorsy types, from trekking in the centrally located Escambray Mountains, to diving off Cuba’s many remote islands, which boast excellent reefs and shipwrecks a-plenty.
Nature and wildlife tours are a popular option. West of Havana, Viñales is a good base for ecotourism activities. Suggest cigar aficionados take in a trip to a tobacco plantation.
Its quiet, albeit bumpy, roads make Cuba great for cycling trips, which operators such as GAP Adventures, Explore and Exodus sell through the UK trade.
Send golf fans to the Melia Las Americas in Varadero, which has direct access to the Varadero Golf Club, home to the only proper 18-hole golf course on the island.
In Havana, popular add-ons include rum and cigar factory tours, a cruise around Havana’s enchanting old town and scenic Malecon in a classic old American car, and dinner and a show at the famous Tropicana nightclub.
For a dining experience not to be missed, suggest booking dinner in a ‘paladar’ restaurant, such as La Guardia. Hemingway fans should make a beeline for Harry’s Bar.
Rail buffs shouldn’t miss the short, quirky trip from Havana to Matanzas on the historic Hershey train, built by the US confectionery firm in 1917.
The heritage trail
To encourage visitors to stray from its beaches, this year the tourism office has been promoting tours that take in the Heritage Trail, which links various sites of historical and cultural importance related to the Cuban Revolution and colonial past.
The trail winds from Havana to Santiago de Cuba via Trinidad.
Points of interest along the way include Santa Clara, where a massive memorial to revolutionary hero Che Guevara commemorates the pivotal battle in the revolutionary struggle that took place there, and exploring sleepy old colonial towns such as Camaguey, Remedios and Cienfuegos, the ‘pearl of the south’.
Trinidad, on the southern coast, is a cultural jewel and retains much of its old character and laid-back charm. It has many buildings of historical interest, and is a nice complement to a visit to Havana, while nearby Playa D’Ancon offers plenty of beach pursuits.
Vibrant Santiago de Cuba, on the eastern tip of the island, Cuba’s second city, was the birthplace of the revolution, and it was here that Castro and his men declared their victory on January 1 1959. The city has also produced most of the important musical and dance traditions, such as son, rhumba and salsa.
Music and culture seep from every pore in frenetic Santiago, the most Caribbean of the major cities. There are excellent beaches nearby, or suggest your more active clients hike up Cuba’s tallest mountain, the nearby Pico Turquino, or the easier Gran Piedra, which offers fine views over the Parque National Baconao.
All-inclusives
All-inclusive breaks constitute a major part of Cuba’s tourism offering, centred on two resort areas on the north coast: Varadero to the west, and Guadalavaca to the east.
Send clients looking for an international resort scene with a lively nightlife to Varadero, the larger of the two resort centres, with manifold resorts spread out over the 13-mile Hicacos Peninsula.
Guardalavaca is more laid back, and its beaches are caressed by the warm Caribbean Sea, while Varadero is on the cooler Atlantic and is somewhat lacking in local identity, but has excellent facilities and white-sand beaches.
The island of Cayo Coco is another popular tourist centre. The Blue Bay Cayo Coco is the newest all-inclusive hotel there, offering three à la carte restaurants and a range of activities and entertainment, including golf, spa and family-focused fun.
Be warned – some of the older resorts are showing their age, so brush up on your resort products before you make a booking, using tools such as TWgroup’s hotel and resort directory Gazetteers.
Sample packages
Virgin Holidays has a seven-night all-inclusive break, staying at the Breezes Jibacoa in Varadero. The price of £720 per person, based on two adults sharing a standard room, includes direct Virgin Atlantic flights from Gatwick to Havana, departing September 9, and transfers. (0844 557 3860)
Thomson offers seven nights’ all-inclusive in Guardalavaca leading in at £875 per person, twin-share, at the Sol Rio de Luna and Mares resort. The price includes return flights from Gatwick to Holguin, taxes and transfers. (0871 231 3235)
Thomas Cook Signature has seven nights at the Paradisus Princesa del Mar Resort and Spa in Varadero, from £1,055 per person during September, based on two sharing a standard junior suite on an all-inclusive basis, including unlimited local drinks. This price includes Virgin Atlantic flights and resort transfers; spa treatments are excluded. (0844 871 0678, tcs4agents.com)