Cuba calling

As Cuba marks the 50th anniversary of the revolution, we pick out our top 10 highlights. Be inspired – visit this fascinating country soon.

1/ Old Havana

Wandering around the streets of Old Havana is unmissable. Now a World Heritage Site, this atmospheric city oozes history and colour, from the heroes painted on the walls to vintage cars from the Fifties with bulbous bonnets and colourful sun-bleached paintwork.

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2/ The best beaches

Beach The tranquil resort of Guardalavaca in Holguin lies on Cuba’s northeast coast and has spectacular beaches. Stay at hotels such as the Paradisas Rio de Oro and wander across the sand for a dip in the warm lagoon, which glows and sparkles in the most amazing emerald hue. The beaches in this area have a picturesque backdrop – the Sierra Madre mountains and lots of small, rural farms. This is a slice of the real Cuba.

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3/ Museums

While in Havana, learn about the revolution at Museo de la Revolucion, which is housed in the former presidential palace of dictator Fulgencio Batista. Over 100 years of Cuban history pores out from the 38 rooms. Tales of heroics, the struggle for power, tyranny and the triumph of the revolution led by Fidel Castro. There’s also the National Museum of Fine Arts of Havana – Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de La Habana – which houses 47,000 pieces, from colonial art to Cuban plastic arts.

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4/ Trinidad

One of our favourite places in Cuba, Trinidad is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and features cobbled streets and old colonial buildings. Trinidad gets a lot of day trippers so, to experience this town at its best, make sure you stay over when the crowds have left. You can spend two nights in Trinidad as part of our Discover Cuba tour.

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5/ Hotel Nacional, Havana

Even if you’re not staying at this iconic hotel, the Hotel Nacional De Cuba is worth a visit just to taste their famous Mohito cocktails while gazing out over the Straits of Florida. Opened in the 1930s, this elegant hotel has attracted celebrity guests including Winston Churchill, Frank Sinatra and Alexander Flemming.

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6/ Tobacco plantations

Cuba’s Pinar del Rio province is one of the most beautiful and dramatic landscapes you’ll ever see. The Valle de Vinales is a sea of gigantic limestone karsts and thriving green tobacco plantations, which feed Cuba’s famous cigar industry. If you’re booking the Discover Cuba tour, add on the Pinar del Rio extension – we promise it’s worth it.

Discover Cuba tour

7/ Havana’s paladares

Tourists flock to the famous paladares – local restaurants – La Bodeguita del Medio and La Floridita. Our experts in Havana prefer La Guarida, a converted apartment where the Cuban blockbuster Fresa y Chocolate was filmed and signed celebrity headshots hang from the walls. Or try La Cocina de Lilliam, a stunning garden restaurant and home decorated with antiques.

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8/ Cienfuegos

Located on the south coast of Cuba, Cienfuegos has a beautifully-restored city centre with a French flavour and wonderful colonial architecture. It’s really worth booking a boat trip through the stunning bay and wandering downtown to admire the remarkable cluster of neoclassical structures.

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9/ Fidel’s hideout

Take a fascinating hike up to Comandancia de la Plata in the Sierra Maestra mountains – Fidel Castro’s hideout during the revolution. The only way to reach the jungle headquarters is on foot and you’ll get to see where Che Guevara made his remote broadcasts. The hideout is situated in the south of Cuba, west of Santiago.

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10/ Santa Clara

Santa Clara city was where the last battle of the revolution took place and is the final resting place of Che Guevara. In 1958, Batista sent a heavily armoured train to attack the revolutionaries in Santiago de Cuba but Che Guevara and his troops were laying in wait on the outskirts of Santa Clara, ready to ambush. The soldiers on the train quickly surrendered but the battle for the city lasted four days. Today you can visit Monumento a la Toma del Tren Blindado, where four of the train carriages still remain.

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Article added 24th April 2009.