30 Things to do in Cuba
Over 100,000 Americans visit Cuba every year and data reveals that Cuba is becoming the fastest growing travel destinations of the world. Cuba offers unique events, hot music scene and also immaculate beaches for tourists. The place has become the dream of travelers.
Here are top things to do in Cuba:
1. A view from Cuba’s most famous hotel
Havana’s most famous hotel, and the only one in Cuba that’s a national monument, the National first opened its doors in 1930 hand has been frequented by the rich and famous ever since – there’s something about cruising through the lobby in the knowledge that you’re following in the footsteps of so many famous names, including Winston Churchill and Al Capone. Head up to the hotel bar La Terraza for a cocktail and a magnificent views of the Malecon.
2. Museo del Chocolate
There are some nice artefacts relating to the history of chocolate in Cuba. In any case, it’s a lovely place to stop for a breather, whether you opt for a warming cup of hot chocolate thick enough to stand your spoon in or a soothing glass of cold chocolate. You can also watch chocolates being made at the back of the premises. Make sure you buy some truffles to take away.
3. Rolling Cigars
Cuba is the country that historically produces the best tobacco in the world; and Cuban cigars reel in millions of tourists each year. Of the major cultivating areas, Vuelta Abajo and Vuelta Arriba are considered to have the best small plots. Havana, however, is cigar city, home to the habano. This is where the torcido takes place, transforming the tobacco leaves – already dried and aged – into habano cigars. Try your hand at the rolling cigars in any one factory of tobacco in Cuba out of many. Of the guided tours, the best is at the Partagas factory.
4. Visit Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba is located on the southern edge of Cuba. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city of Cuba. Here is the famous and most fascinating Old Santiago. It is widely admired for architectural splendour and also some of the shady parks. Moncada Barracks is not to be missed here.
It was in Santiago de Cuba where the victory of the Cuban Revolution was proclaimed! Besides cultural events and attractions, Santiago de Cuba is located next to Baconao national park, and it's just a short drive from the gorgeous beaches of Aguadores and La Estrella.
5. Hike the Sierra Maestra
Sierra Maestra mountains are ideal for hiking and climbing. The mountains have beautiful scenery across few miles. It is very close to the city Santiago de Cuba. So its an easy route to visit both the fabulous places.
6. Stroll to the popular Malecon
Malecon is a must when considering things to do in Cuba. The Malecon at Havana is a famous tourist destination in all of Cuba. Built in the early 1900's, this pedestrian walkway also features six lanes of important city roadway that serves as one of the city's main arteries. It is an important social gatherings, a perfect route for different parades on festivals, and of course the best place to watch setting sun. The stretch through Central Havana is of particular interest with its historic buildings.
7. Holguin
Holguin is located on the southeastern side of Cuba that boasts plenty of colonial architecture, galleries, museums and churches that you can visit. On one hand, Holguin is a short drive from beautiful beaches such Guardalavaca and Emerald Beach where you can enjoy a ton of water based activities; while in the other hand, you can enjoy nature trips to nearby La Mensura and Alejandro de Humboldt national parks where you can enjoy backcountry camping.
8. The Old Havana
The Old Havana is famous with the name La Habana Vieja among the Cubans. It is a tourist magnet. The Old Havana has been announced as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A trip to Havana is literary a trip back in time, not only because of the colonial art deco, but because of Havana’s classic American cars.
Great strides have been taken to renovate the districts colonial-era structuresin recent years. Old mansions and churches are just some of the sights that help to make old Havana on a whole one of the top tourist attractions in Cuba.
9. Vedado
Visit the famous Plaza de la Revolucion in Vedado. It is one of the largest squares in the world. When in Havana one should not miss district of Vedado because it is centrally located and hosts several good hotels, restaurants, bars and clubs.
10. Varadero
There is no better place than Varadero to enjoy a beach vacation. If relaxing by the beach and enjoying water sports like snorkeling, scuba diving, deep sea fishing and windsurfing is what you have in mind when visiting Cuba, you’ll love spending time in Varadero. Varadero boasts some of the most amazing waters for swimming and the softest sandy beach shoreline on the entire northern coast of Cuba.
11. Bellamar Caves
Since their discovery in the latter 1800"s, Cuba's Bellamar Caves have been one of the most recognized tourist attractions in Cuba. Found some 60 miles from Havana, and just 25 miles from Varadero, the Cuevas de Bellamar, as they are known in Cuba, will blow your mind. One can discover inside the Bellamar Caves some ornate crystal sculptures, underground rivers and ponds, and also some of the indigenous pictographs that can only be found inside the caves.
12. Trinidad
The town of Trinidad is located just a short drive from Santa Clara, and it’s simply an stunning vacation retreat!So, If you’re looking for a charming vacation spot on the western coast of Cuba, look no further than Trinidad. From the narrow cobblestone streets to the colorful houses, Trinidad is truly a living museum and one of the best examples of a Spanish colonial town in Cuba.
What really makes Trinidad one of the top destinations in Cuba is being able to hop onboard the Baldwin Locomotive, which is a cool 1900’s steam engine that takes tourists to the beautiful Valley of Sugar Mills.
13. Cienfuegos
Cienfuegos, also known as the Pearl of the South, is another beautiful Cuban beach town worthy of a spot on our list of top 10 destinations in Cuba. In fact, the entire city of Cienfuegos is a UNESCO Heritage Site as many of its top landmarks such as the Valle Palace and Triumph Arch were built in the early 19th century.
14. Santa Clara
The historic city of Santa Clara is located in central Cuba, roughly at the half-way point between Havana and Holguin. Santa Clara was the scene of one of the most significant events of the Revolution: Che Guevara was the leader of the rebel column that took the city in 1958, after a battle that effectively spelled the end of Batista’s rule in Cuba. The city is now a mecca for worshippers of Che and there are several monuments around the outer neighbourhoods where the famous rebel is commemorated.
A huge statue of him, the Monumento a Che Guevara, towers over the entrance to the city at Avenida de los Desfiles on Plaza de la Revolución. The museum contains displays on Che’s involvement in the Revolution, and some of his personal belongings
15. Viva la Revolucion!
Rising above the city on Catalanes Hill, the Plaza de la Revolucion is Cuba’s political centre. Given its political importance – a key location for May Day marches and other festivities – it’s an essential stop on any itinerary. The awesome Memorial y Museo a Jose Marti is the centrepiece of the square. Attracting as much attention as Martí’s memorial is the bronze silhouette of Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara, the work of Cuban sculptor Rafael Avila, pinned to the Ministry of Interior building.
16. Catch a Live Cuban Music Performance
Head to one of Cuba's night clubs, or drop in on one of the country's many Music Houses and dance to live salsa, kick back to Cuban jazz, or see old masters deliver the famous Cuban "Son" pronounced like "Sone", Son is surely one of Cuba's major music genres, and is credited for shaping much of Cuban music after it. Cuban music takes plenty of influence from the country's Afro-Cuban roots.
Buena Vista Social Club is largely responsible for putting Cuban music on the map for those who weren't familiar with it, and if you are planning a Cuba vacation, their CD is a can't miss. Seeing a live Cuban music performance of any kind is definitely a highly-recommended entry for things to do in Cuba.
17. Cayo Coco
Cayo Coco is known for its luxury resorts, which provide a quite and relaxing vacation. Cayo Coco is a small an secluded island that boasts some of the most stunning and peaceful beaches you’ll ever see in Cuba. Cayo coco offers the opportunity to enjoy fun activities like jungle and glass bottom tours, as well as snorkeling, scuba diving and speed boating.
18. Go Scuba Diving
Visit a sunken ship from the Spanish-American War, or simply drift along with the current exploring miles of pristine coral reefs. Many of the Cuban beach resorts can help you arrange your Cuba scuba diving adventure, and once you enter the crystal-clear waters here, you will be treated to hundreds of species of colorful fish and all kinds of other interesting ocean creatures. Cayo Largo, Guardalavaca (Holguin), and Cayo Coco are just some of the possible Cuban destinations where you can enjoy world-class scuba diving.
19. Gone Fishing
Cuba fishing has plenty of exciting spots to check out. Deep sea fishing is popular with anglers looking to snare some pretty sporty species, and bonefishing here is about as good as it gets. You can flyfish for tarpon in Cuba, head to an inland lake for trout and bass, or struggle with a Blue Marlin offshore.
20. Buckle up with a local
A pleasant staying with Cubans at their licensed casas particulares (private homes) is a fine way of getting to grips with the realities of daily Cuban life. Antique collectors and art enthusiasts will adore the Casa de Eugenio y Fabio and Casa de Dr José Mario Parapar de la Riestra, an elegant mansion which has retained its original 1948 furniture, decor and artwork. Casa de Évora Rodríguez García has a very classy apartment with a magnificent sea view over La Punta, the entrance to the Bay of Havana.
21. The state of the art
The Muse Nacional de Bellas Artes was reopened in 2001 to unanimous praise, following a five-year closure. The art collection, totalling nearly 50,000 works, has been divided into two separate buildings - the Cuban art collection and the International collection. The international collection is a passable survey of world art but the main draw is the building itself.
22. Rumba on the street
Authentic Cuban rumba is a raw call and response format in song and dance, driven by pulsating African rhythms and tinged with Hispanic influences. Rumba is sometimes and impromptu happening. However, as a visitor, your best bet is to find the regular rumba spots around town, where the event is more formal but does still attract as many Cubans as tourists.
Callejon de Hammel is the most atmospheric brightly painted alley, where several rumba groups play on Sundays; the best known is Clave y Guaganco, which also performs at the UNEAC.
23. Have a religious experience
The most widely practised religion in Cuba is santeria, known also as the Regla de Ocha or Yoruba religion after the orishas or gods from western Nigeria. During the ceremonies in honour of the orishas, each one is invoked by using his or her distinctive drum rhythm and dance. Some of the initiated participants may appear to become possessed and assume certain aspects of the orisha’s personality. Just how far you wish to delve into such rituals is entirely at your discretion. The annual festivals of the most popular orishas draw huge crowds.
24. The White Sand
The Playas del Este are frequently overlooked by tourists, but more than hold their own against the slicked-up resorts elsewhere in the country. Just 20 minutes by car from Old Havana the beaches are really a single, eight-kilometre (five-mile) stretch with changing names (from west to east): Tarara, El Megano, Santa Maria del Mar, Boca Ciega and Guanabo - each with their own differing scenic nuances and unique feel, they offer something for everyone.
25. Get a taste for authentic Cuban cuisine
Cubans started welcoming paying diners into their houses to enjoy home-cooked food in the mid 1990s, as part of the government’s introduction of limited private enterprise. Family members are the only employees at paladares, so there are usually plenty of dramatic domestic outbursts for you to enjoy while you eat. Particularly fine paladar cuisine can be found at La Cocina de Lilliam and La Esperanza.
26. Hemingway and The Cuban bar
The classic Hemingway haunts – La Bodeguita del Medio and El Floridita – are particularly under-patronised by locals, and have become little more than photo opportunities and places to rip off tourists with watered down mojitos at extortionate prices. Bar Monserrate consistently comes up with the goods and Lluvia de Oro has a fabulously raucous atmosphere when a band plays.
27. Watch out for Cuban Banksys
The essence of Cuban murals is colour. Bold primary colours and oranges, pinks and other hues glow in the Caribbean sun. A trip to Regla is rewarded with the 100-metre-long (328-foot) mural in the centre of the village showing off the best of Cuban and Brazilian artists. Eagle-eyed visitors will spot iconic images by British graffitist Banksy, including a ghetto rat on the corner of Obispo and Aguiar in La Habana Vieja, and cool animal stencils by the French graffiti collaborative Mosko et Associes in Centro.
28. Classic 50’s car
The first thing that springs to mind when you think of Cuba is cruising around town in a 1950’s classic car is the only way to take in the sights. Make sure you ask your driver to cruise along the Malecon, the atmospheric ocean road lined with lovers, fisherman and dogs peering out to sea set against a backdrop of a long parade of coloured but fading, dilapidated and salt-eroded colonial and art deco buildings.
These cars are bookable through Gran Car at all hotel tour desks. Cars are recognisable by their highly preserved state and black logo. They cannot be hailed on the street.
29. Shimmy down to Cabaret Tropicana
Havana’s caberet-espectaculos are song and dance variety shows performed by G-stringed mulatas. With the state aware of their huge popularity with foreign visitors, the primary function of cabarets these days seems to be to fleece tourists. Shimmy down to the Copa Room to see some of Havana’s finest groups perform at the weekends.
The real coup de grace is Cabaret Tropicana, tucked away in the western neighbourhood of Marianao, it’s the grandest of Havana’s cabarets with an outdoor theatre seating up to 800.
30. Get fanatical about Baseball
A visit to a Cuban ballpark during the Serie Nacional de Beisbol is a relaxing escape into baseball’s innocent past – it’s free of luxury boxes and giant electronic scoreboards – which belies just how deep baseball runs in Cubans’ veins. For a measure of how seriously Cubans take their baseball, and how fanatical they can be about it, head for Parque Central on the edge of La Habana Vieja. Here you can witness a daily gathering of baseball aficionados arguing passionately over the game.
- By Sunil R Yadav
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