Cuba’s tribute to great Briton John Lennon

AS I enter the small oasis of calm that is the John Lennon Park in Havana, there’s a sudden flurry of activity from beneath a large tree. this Caribbean island. Not at all. But he is still a bit of a hero around these parts. Fidel Castro banned The Beatles’ music back in 1964 in his attempt to purge Cuba of capitalism.

But the records were smuggled into the country. There really was no escaping Beatlemania.

Lennon’s outspokenness over US involvement in other countries’ business made him even more popular, even to Castro.

The statue was unveiled on December 8 2000, the 20th anniversary of his murder.

And there is no denying Cubans love their music, with endless salsa bars and dancing in the streets.

You must make a night of it at Tropicana, the ultimate Cuban extravaganza of singing, dancing and outlandish costumes.

Opened in 1939, it has not changed much since its heydey in the 1950s. And thank goodness for that.

Gyrating bodies in carnival costumes burst on to the stage, sashay down aisles and sway on illuminated podiums.

Rum

Tickets to the Tropicana include a bottle of white rum for your table, which, er, helped me get into the rhythm. The odd mojito helps too.

My feet, tired from all the rum-fuelled dancing and exploring, were very happy for at the Iberostar Habana Riviera Hotel, which was the first luxury hotel in the capital.

Many holiday packages combine a few electric nights in Havana with some chilled-out luxury in Cayo Santa Maria, an island off the coast of Cuba.

But I loved Havana’s scene. And a quick tipple of Cuba’s national drink is also the perfect way to kick off a tour of the charming squares dotted around this Unesco World Heritage Site.

The old square, Plaza Vieja, has been restored to its 18th-century glory while the touristy main street called Obispo, packed with restaurants and craft shops, is the best place to pick up souvenirs.

Luckily it is just around the corner from La Bodeguita, the famous bar where the mojito is said to have been invented.

It was a favourite haunt of Ernest Hemingway, as was El Floridita the “home” of the daiquiri, another gorgeous Cuban gift to the world.

There’s plenty to look at outside the old town too. And the best way to see it is from the back of one of those classic American cars.

Find the time to take a tour of Havana in a vintage motor and ask your driver to include the Malecón, one of the city’s typical thoroughfares for the best people-watching spot in town.

Just don’t forget your glasses. FACTFILE: A Cuba Direct package includes three nights at the Gran Manzana Kempinski in Havana, followed by four nights at the Royalton in Cayo Santa Maria. Seven nights, with transfers, costs £1,239pp, without flights. See cubadirect.co.uk. For more information on Cuba, visit travel2cuba.co.uk.the tour in Havana to John Lennon Park was though Viajes Cubanacan, for details see holidayplace.co.uk.