|
|
Last Updated: Jan 28th, 2008 - 17:11:39 |
Tourists who are looking for something a little out of the ordinary, complete with sun, sights and a fascinating history, could do worse than look to Cuba for their next adventure.
Located in the north Caribbean, the Republic of Cuba enjoys a tropical climate and is known for its quality beaches and excellent blue marlin and barracuda fishing. Cuba's average year-round temperature is 24 degrees, although there are definite variations across the country and the eastern coast basks in heats of up to 32 degrees Celsius during January and February.
The nation itself consists of the island of Cuba, the Isle of Youth and numerous smaller islands. With the North Atlantic Ocean on its east coast and the Caribbean Sea to the west, Cuba offers some superb snorkelling and diving and is an excellent beach holiday destination.
However, Cuba is a fascinating nation, with far more than sand and sea to interest travellers. A multiracial society, its population is composed primarily of Spanish and African descendents. Following its independence from the United States in 1902, Cuba has been ruled by several political and military figures, including the authoritarian
Fulgencio Batista, who fled his opponents in 1959 to make way for the regime of the infamous Fidel Castro, who still seeks to control most aspects of Cuban life today.
The military plays a vital role in the economy and even manages a number of hotels. In recent years, Cuba has embraced the opportunities for tourism after nearly three decades of isolation and the industry overtook sugar as the main source of foreign exchange in the 1990s. The
capital, Havana, has invested particularly heavily in tourist infrastructure and has renovated many buildings of historical interest, luring increasingly large numbers of visitors who are naturally fascinated by its political past.
Whereas Cuba was only ranked 23rd in the Caribbean in terms of visitor numbers in 1990, it currently welcomes nearly 2.5 million guests on an annual basis, stealing a significant slice of visitors to the region. By 2010, it expects to be attracting as many as four million tourists a year.
Havana is one of the key destinations for tourists. Downtown Havana is a crumbling and, in some places, squalid mesh of narrow streets but, under the broken facade, it is still possible to make out the remnants of the once glorious city that existed before the Revolution.
Full of character, the colonial architecture of Habana Vieja (the Old Town) takes you back to a previous era. Some of the buildings are being restored but many remain in a serious state of disrepair; the fact that all of the main streets date from before 1959 is unmissable. Built by
the Spanish from the mid 17th century, the area is also the main place to be at night, with its great food and vibrant Salsa bars. It is hard not to be caught up in the constant rhythm of the Old Town.
While the history and ambience of the city is a definite draw, the tobacco-growing area of Vinales is certainly worth a visit and visitors with an interest in the cigar industry should visit one of Havana's oldest cigar factories, the Real Fabrica de Tabacos Partagas. The factory offers an insight into the cigar-making process, from the initial unbundling of the tobacco leaves through to the final boxing of the finished cigars.
All over Cuba, towns are opening up new and refurbished hotels, many of which are housed in carefully restored old houses, complete with ornate balconies adorned with tumbling flowers. The Cuban atmosphere is intoxicating and the romantic image of beautiful young couples dancing
to rumba rhythms, watched by weather-beaten, cigar-smoking old men is still very much alive throughout the island.
The peak tourist season in Cuba is undoubtedly between December and April but don't let this put you off from visiting at other times. Cubans themselves take their holidays in July and August, so you can expect to see much more of the locals at this time of year.
The island is served by ten international airports and has direct links with over 40 cities around the world, making it highly accessible to tourists. A large number of major hotels are located close to Havana airport, although other key tourist areas include Resto Pais, Santiago de Cuba and the ten kilometre stretch of sandy beaches at Varadero.
Just under a third of Cuba's hotels are currently one to two-stars; a similar amount are three-stars and the remainder are four or five-star luxury hotels, offering a wide variety of accommodation for travellers on any budget. The majority of Cuba's tourists come from Canada,
although Italy and the UK now come a close second and third, with the number of cheap flights from the UK growing by the year.
Call Global Holidays on 0870 1999038 for holidays to Cuba
(c) Adfero Ltd 2006
Top of Page
|
|
|
|
|
Book online 24 hours a day or contact our telephone helpline on:
0870 1999 038
Mon - Fri 08.30 - 22.00
Saturday 09.00 - 22.00
Sunday 10.00 - 22.00
|
|
