CUBA HIGHLIGHTS

1 Havana

Go for chrome-festooned classic cars, cocktails, the art, the music, and beautiful Cuban baroque, art deco and art nouveau.

2 Matanzas

Colonial Matanzas, once known as the Athens of Cuba, is getting a facelift. Its elegant marble theatre is due to reopen in 2018, and a musical revival is underway. Check out heart-stopping rumba performances, too.

3 Varadero and Cárdenas

East of Matanzas are the golden sands and shallow turquoise seas of Varadero. Kick back in a top hotel, or a smart B&B, at Cuba’s premier beach resort.

The antidote to Varadero is Cárdenas, a colonial town from where a large number of Varadero workers are drawn. It’s untouristy, with many locals on bicycles, but Cuba’s nouveau riche are opening up new restaurants and bars.

4 Sanctí Spiritus

A compact colonial town, one of the first founded by the Spaniards, is off the beaten track. Go for pretty painted streets, a sugar baron museum, and riverside relaxation.

5 Mayarí region

Fidel Castro’s birthplace offers remarkable insight into the early years of the leader of Cuba’s 1959 Revolution; the creamy beach and sparkling sea at Cayo Saetía is one of the most lush in Cuba; Parque Nacional La Mensura blooms with pine forest, hiking trails, and the tallest accessible waterfall in Cuba, the Salto del Guayabo.

6 Santiago de Cuba

Come for the music and carnival in this hot and historic city.