PERFECT PACKAGES FOR CUBA
Its image may be fixed – a cocktail of sun, salsa and Spanish architecture – but Cuba is a country of surprising size, breadth and variety. In fact, it is the largest island in the Caribbean (the third largest, Jamaica, would fit into it 10 times over); a feat of geography that makes it a plausible playground for all manner of exciting escapes.
FOR THE FULL PICTURE
Few destinations are more romantic than Havana on a sweltering evening – music seeping from doorways, mojitos sipped in leafy courtyards. Cuba’s capital is an unmissable part of the experience – and yet, just one of many
essentials. Last Frontiers (01296 653000; lastfrontiers.com) offers three nights in the city in its 15-day Historical Cuba tour – but the route also flits to southern rival Santiago, and the province of Granma that neighbours it. The tour calls on Trinidad (the country’s “third” city) too – which, as well as enjoying a glorious south-coast location, is a salsa hotspot. From £5,180 per person, flights included.
FOR A SUNTAN
As with any Caribbean island, Cuba is a wonderful option for a getaway which involves a beach and nothing but a beach. The majority of its resorts are dotted along its north coast – most famously Varadero, which occupies a sliver of a peninsula, 100 miles east of Havana. If the range of accommodation isn’t huge – the template is an unpretentious four-star with a large pool in front – then that doesn’t diminish the scope for relaxation. A seven-night break to the (four-star) Blau Varadero hotel, flying in directly from Manchester on December 13, starts at £908 per person via Tui (020 3451 2688; tui.co.uk).
FOR A SUNSET
The majority of holidays to Cuba tend to cram in a lot (see above) or very little (also see above), but a middle ground can be found. Tropical Sky (01342 395 461; tropicalsky.co.uk) ventures into it with its Classic Western Cuba package – a potted seven-night itinerary which begins in Havana, but rather than heading east and south, wanders west. This means Pinar del Rio, the rural province which makes up the left-hand tip of the island – gazing into the sunset in a blur of small fincas, splashing waterfalls, Santeria shrines and mist-shrouded mountains. From £1,759 per person, including flights.
FOR SPORT
While Cuba’s tropical climate dictates that it could never be described as “Alpine”, it has enough peaks and troughs to make it a challenge for cyclists (its tallest summit, Pico Turquino, tips its hat at 6,476ft). Exodus Travels (0203 993 4514; exodus.co.uk) runs a Cycling Cuba group holiday which explores the country over 15 days, tackling its loftiest mountain range (the southerly Sierra Maestra), and pedalling the north coast in Las Tunas province. Three editions are planned for 2022, from £3,599 per person, with flights.
FOR A FAMILY ESCAPE
Cuba’s affable weather and splendid scenery mean it can also underpin a holiday with children. Journey Latin America (020 3131 7959; journeylatinamerica. co.uk) offers a 15-day Family Cuba trip that ticks off Havana, Trinidad and Pinar del Rio, and throws in salsa lessons and cycling excursions before it finally slumps onto the sand at Cayo Santa María. From £3,076 per person (flights extra).
Chris Leadbeater