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01.02.2025 - 00:23 / lonelyplanet.com
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Pack a sun hat, some loose-fitting clothes and a book of José Martí’s poems, and get ready to uncover the buoyant and sophisticated magic of Cuba. Fewer restrictions on private enterprise in recent years have led to an explosion of creativity in this island nation, while the culture-dampening effects of globalization have yet to dilute the local charm.
Isolated but eager to advance, the country is buzzing with ideas – here, a free-spirited, student-filled cafe; there, an avant-garde art factory where live music, exhibitions, DJ sessions and creative gastronomy collide with electrifying results.
Here are the top activities that encompass the best of what Cuba has to offer.
Uncrowded, extremely varied and loaded with tropical beauty, Cuba’s beaches are world famous for a reason. Search around long enough, and you’re sure to find your own slice of nirvana.
The long, wide, tourist-heavy beaches of Varadero abound with massive resorts, while sea turtles lay their eggs on the wild, deserted beaches of the Península de Guanahacabibes. Pirates once roamed on the little-visited black-sand beaches on the Isla de la Juventud. On the nudist beaches of Cayo Largo del Sur, package tourists lounge with mojitos (and without self-consciousness).
Stay in a private homestay, and you quickly uncover the nuances of everyday Cuban life. Think rocking chairs on the porch, a bottle of rum on the dresser, a front room full of family heirlooms, the clip-clop of horses’ hooves in the street outside and the animated conversations over breakfast that always seem to end with the words “no es fácil” (it ain’t easy).
Local tip: Casas particulares in places like Havana and Viñales are positively palatial, while others remain refreshingly down-to-earth. All of them offer an uncensored view of Cuba that no hotel could ever replicate.
Aside from crocodiles, Cuba’s fauna doesn’t make much of impression – except for its abundance of birdlife, that is. Approximately 350 avian species inhabit the shores of this distinct and ecologically unusual archipelago, a good two dozen of them endemic.
Look out in particular for the colorful tocororo (Cuban trogan), the zunzuncito (bee hummingbird), the critically endangered ivory-billed woodpecker, and one of the world’s largest flamingo-nesting site.
Planning tip: The Gran Parque Natural Montemar is one of many birdwatching highlights.
Through war, austerity, rationing and hardship, Cubans have retained their infectious joie de vivre. Even during the darkest days of the Special Period (following the demise of Cuba’s ally and patron the USSR), the feisty festivals never stopped – a testament to the country’s capacity to put politics aside and get on with the important business of
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