Cuba: Viva la revolution!

History and politics are inescapable in Cuba. Everywhere you go, there are hoardings that shout ‘Long live the revolution!’, ‘We believe in socialism’ and, of course, ‘Che lives’.

The posters of Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara, Fidel Castro and other heroes of the revolution – and the epic story of their boat landing and advance across the island – are at least as fascinating as Old Havana and Cuba’s palm-lined beaches.

Much of the UK tourism industry tends to focus on Varadero and all-inclusive packages on the pretty cayos (small islands). 

This is where Cuba and its foreign partners have invested a lot of money, and it has allowed Cuba to develop a parallel economy, by keeping tourists in resorts.

However several operators are now bucking the trend, offering packages that go deep into the Cuban interior.

The Revolution Trail follows the routes used by Guevara and other guerrillas during the revolution in the late 1950s.

Each operator has its own take on the trail, so routes can differ.

The release earlier this year of The Motorcycle Diaries, a film following a young Che Guevara’s journey around South America, has only heightened interest in the revolutionary.

Regent Holidays works closely with Che’s widow, Aleida March, and this year launched a package that takes intrepid travellers into the heart of the Sierra Maestra mountains, where Che and Fidel Castro hatched plans for the popular revolution that toppled dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959.

Regent’s head of operations Ali Hague said the company got involved with the programme via a contact in Havana who was working on the itinerary with Che’s family.

Regent was interested in promoting the programme as it matched the profile of the type of holidays it offers clients.

Hague is passionate about Cuba and recommends agents research the island thoroughly before booking clients who want to go off the beaten track.

Explore Worldwide, which won an award for its Cuba Libre itinerary from the Cuban government, visits several key centres, including Che’s mausoleum at Santa Clara and Castro and Che’s refuge at La Comandancia de la Plata in the Sierra Maestra.

Travelling overland across central Cuba also gives tourists an opportunity to see some of the prettiest towns on the island, including colonial Trinidad, lively Cienfuegos and the cultural hub of Santiago de Cuba.

Explore’s product manager, Stuart Whittington said: “Visitors will see and experience traditional farming, unspoilt countryside, cobbled colonial towns, horses and carts, bicycles, cigar-chomping old men huddled together in conversation – so many warm and welcoming people.

“Amid all this is the pro-revolutionary propaganda artistically displayed on crumbling walls. Cuba’s a magical place.”

These are the elements that annually attract around 1,500 Explore clients to the Cuban interior.

Whittington believes agents should promote the tours on the basis that they offer a distinct Caribbean experience, far removed from the all-inclusive resorts and luxury accommodation found elsewhere in the region.

While Cuba’s public transport infrastructure lags behind Jamaica and some of the Caribbean’s smaller, more exclusive islands, travelling around is not necessarily a challenge and self-drive is relatively easy.

“There are decent road networks and perfectly reasonable hotels all over the country,” said Whittington.

“But it still feels relatively untouched by international tourism which is, perhaps, part of its charm.”