![]() ![]() Planning tip: Check out Cuba’s narrowest and shortest streets while you're in Camagüey. Spend a day wandering between the artisan market in Plaza San Juan de Dios and the less-visited Plaza del Carmen, home of the inspiring art gallery of Martha Jiménez Pérez. Instead, stroll around maze-like alleys to discover small but lovely plazas all within walking distance from one another. With most of the grid formed by one-way narrow streets, it’s almost impossible to sort it out if you’re behind the wheel. Camagüey Best city for strollingĮlegant and artistic, Camagüey oozes charm and youthful energy, but it’s the surprisingly intricate street pattern of the city center that usually strikes visitors most. Planning tip: Río Duaba and El Yunque are great spots for hiking among abundant flora and birdlife, but if you’re looking for a deeper immersion into semi-virgin forests, book a tour at Parque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt. Expect a three-hour trip through lush mountains, interrupted only by vendors of cucuruchos de Baracoa, a cone-shaped mix of coconut flakes, honey, guava paste and a fruity flavor (such as pineapple and orange rinds) all wrapped up in a palm frond. The road from Guantánamo leads to La Farola, a sinuous 60km-long (37-mile) road considered the most scenic drive in Cuba. Located in the easternmost tip of Cuba, just getting to Baracoa is an experience in and of itself. Trinitarian needleworkers stitch their linen pieces at open-air markets, exhibiting handmade clothing, delicate embroidered tablecloths and garments such as guayaberas (Yucatán shirts). ![]() Trinidad Best for shopping handmade arts and craftsĭeclared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1988 and a World Craft City in 2018, Trinidad, full of cobblestoned streets and colonial-era mansions, is not only Cuba’s best-preserved “open-air museum” it’s also a cradle of the best handmade crafts on the island. Planning tip: In symphony with its rebellious roots, Santiago bursts with a constant party-like atmosphere, reaching its pinnacle at the nationally famous Carnavales right after the Día de la Rebeldía Nacional on July 26. It has an exhibition of offerings given to the patron saint, including those given by the bearded revolutionaries themselves in the 1950s. Continue your journey through the past at the Basílica de la Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre, Cuba’s most venerated church. Start with a visit to Cuartel Moncada, one of Cuba’s best museums, with a curated collection of the guerrillas’ paraphernalia and a detailed explanation of the events that started the 1959 revolution. Caribbean rhythms, tropical flavors and frenzied festivals set the rhythm of this colorful city. ![]() Santiago de Cuba Best for understanding Cuba’s revolutionary pastĬonsidered the second capital of Cuba, Santiago de Cuba was the HQ of the revolutionary guerrillas in the 1950s, but there’s more to experience here. Planning tip: When you tire of the beach (if there is such a thing!), while away an afternoon sipping rum-infused cocktails at Mansión Xanadú’s rooftop bar while gazing out at the peninsula.Įxperience the rhythms of Santiago de Cuba © Benjamin Rondel / Getty Images 4. Families enjoy Varadero’s safe, shallow shores while revelers dance the night away at Casa de la Música or themed party nights at hotels. Casas serve as B&Bs and range from budget-friendly rooms adjacent to family houses to classy hostels with private swimming pools. ![]() You can stay in all types of accommodations, from top-end all-inclusive resorts to beautiful casas particulares (private homestays). Varadero is Cuba’s best beach resort, with 20km (12 miles) of white, powdery sand and impossibly crystalline waters. Varadero Best Cuban beach resortĮven if every tourist in Cuba decided to meet in Varadero, there’s still room for more. For an in-depth session on Cuba’s artistic history, spend a day at the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes – Arte Cubano. Planning tip: Art is everywhere in Havana, with plenty of galleries and artsy outdoor areas such as San Isidro Art District or Fusterlandia. A walk along pedestrianized Obispo Boulevard offers art galleries, shops, music venues and incredible architecture, with buildings ranging from the 1700s to the late 1900s in just a mile. Make sure you visit Habana Vieja’s old squares for a glimpse of the colonial architecture that shaped the city in the 1700s and 1800s, where you can admire the palatial mansions that now operate as museums and hotels. The Cuban capital of Havana is packed with vintage cars, embellished with old-world cobblestone plazas and silhouetted on the north by a five-mile sea drive known as the Malecón. Havana Best city for art and architecture Visitors admiring the old-world cobblestone plazas of Havana © James_Gabbert / Getty Images 2. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |