RHYTHM AND FLOW
Rumba, salsa and Afro-cuban jazz: find your rhythm in the legendary music haunts of Havana
Rhythm takes hold of everyone in Cuba. Even if you’re coming to the capital for its pastelpainted Unesco-protected architecture, vintage cars and famous esplanade, you’ll see music bring life to every corner of the city. Experiencing this can mean seeking out the major theatres, timing your visit with one of the music festivals or following the sound of salsa, jazz and rumba resonating from the bars.
You can start by following in the footsteps of Ernest Hemingway, Fidel Castro and Nat King Cole by stepping into 1942-founded La Bodeguita del Medio in Old Havana for live music and a mojito. See which famous names you can see scrawled on the signaturecovered walls then stroll over to another bar made famous for its association with Hemingway, Floridita, for live salsa and the original daiquiri. You’ll have to stray a little further to La Zorra y el Cuervo in Vedado but this is where many legendary Cuban musicians have played with nightly performances pulling in a local crowd.
By timing your visit with one of Havana’s festivals, you can see the city’s streets, squares and parks when they’re taken over by musicians and dancers. Havana World Music brings Cuban talent to Parque Almendares; Old Havana:
City in Movement sees dance performances unfold in museums, squares and parks; and the International Cuban Dance Festival draws dancers from across the world to Vedado. If you can’t make it to any of these, head to the architecturally impressive Gran Teatro de la Habana for performances by the Cuban National Ballet and seek out the muralled street, Callejón de Hamel, for its Sunday rumba sessions. Round your visit off with a stay in the city’s grand dame, Hotel Nacional de Cuba, or 2017-opened Gran Hotel Manzana Kempinski La Habana.
Los Cabos may be best known for its golden beaches and luxury resorts but between October and April each year, this is where whale sharks come to feed. Reaching up to 10 metres in length, these majestic creatures take the crown as the largest fish in the sea. You can take a boat tour from Cabo San Lucas to swim with these gentle giants in the sheltered Bay of La Paz. As well as being the optimum time for encountering whale sharks, the first quarter of the year is a prime time for watching humpback whales. See these marine mammals as they migrate through the region from January to March, and dive down to marine-life-rich reefs any time of year.
Explore wrecks marking the point the Pacific Ocean and Sea of Cortez meet, watch sea lions play beneath the waves and see rays pass through shallow bays. Nobu Hotel Los Cabos sits on the beachfront of Cabo San Lucas at the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula. You could be tempted not to stray from this stylish spring 2019 opened property but you’ll be glad you ventured out when you’re cruising across the turquoise water and diving down to see the abundant marine-life.
The chic Grand Velas Los Cabos resort also commands an enviable spot on this oceanfront. Take a boat from here to the natural landmark, El Arco, and kayak to the isolated beach, Playa del Amor. Located nearby in San Jose del Cabo, One&only Palmilla is another good choice for anyone who wants to get out and explore. The ultra-luxury hotel hosts private cruises aboard a One&only Palmilla yacht for whale watching and underwater exploration.