Cuba

Our trip started in Havana, where we took a taxi right out the airport and drove for a while towards the center of the city. We finally got to the Hotel Inglaterra, right by the square where everything was flooded with music, sunlight and classic cars. The hotel was beautiful, and one of the oldest in the city. There was always live music around, really good food and the rooms were comfortable, the only downside was that the room was on the inside of the huge building and had no windows.The city was a surprise for us from the first moment there; even though a huge part of the city still was torn and affected by the history of the country, the places that have been renovated and fixed up were stunning. There was so much to do in the city, we weren’t still for one minute. There were great places to eat, mostly food that seemed homemade and was delicious, music shows all around, and a lot of historical sites to visit and enjoy. We got to see the Buena Vista Social Club music show, we found a jazz club called La Zorra y El Cuervo and we got to drive and walk by the Malecon, the gorgeous seaside. Another thing to take advantage of are the beautiful street markets that you can find here and there, which usually have beautiful vintage items. You must go to plaza de la revolución, one of the most famous places and if you’re able to, get a tour around the city on a beautiful open hood car. One of the great historic places to go is Fortaleza de San Carlos to see every night’s firing of the cannons. One thing to be very aware of are the paying politics in Cuba, they don’t receive most credit or debit cards and nothing from American banks; there are a few cash machines, but my biggest advice is to be prepared to pay for most stuff in cash.

Havana

Malecon

Jazz Club La Zorra Y El Cuervo

Legendarios del Guajirito Buena Vista Social Club

La Cabaña

Plaza de la Revolución

National Capitol building

While in Havana we had the chance to take a daytrip to Cuevas de Bellamar, a beautiful natural location about one hour and a half drive from Havana; you can easily take a taxi over there. These caves are composed of about 23 km of caves and it’s one of the most important paleontological findings in the world, as well as a national monument. You can book a tour online with various companies and go to a meeting spot, or you can usually book tours with cab drivers outside hotels; whichever you would prefer. The caves are incredible and you’re able to tour around them, walking by the stalactites, stalagmites and just marvel at nature; as well as visit a nice museum on site.

Cuevas de Bellamar

After visiting Havana, we went to Varadero for a few days, to take the chance to relax and just enjoy the sun and sea for a few days. From Havana it’s almost a two-hour drive to Varadero; once again you can just schedule this drive with one of the taxi drivers around the hotel, it’s much easier than looking for a bus or other forms of transportation to this spot. Varadero is on an edge of the island, filled with resorts and a nice place to relax and walk along the beach between the different hotels. We stayed at the Iberostar Selection Varadero Hotel, a nice all included resort (as most are in Varadero) with access to the beach, pools and just a great spot to relax. In Varadero the beach is not private for each hotel, which means you can walk along the beach until you reach almost the end of the island, getting to see each beautiful hotel and enjoy a long walk.

Cuba for Tourists

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