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History / Culture / Architecture

Cuba has an extremely rich history, of which all influences can be seen today. Before the Spanish explorers there were natives living on the island; particularly in the Eastern part of the country where there are still ruins that can be explored. Evidence of the early explorers can also be seen in the East, since this is where they first arrived and settled. Original colonial architecture is best viewed in Trinidad (Central Cuba), and the impressively restored buildings in Old Havana (Western Cuba). During the colonial era, Sugar was the main crop, so there were also many interesting sugar plantations that can be explored. Culturally, the result of the sugar boom was a unique mixing of religious, musical, culinary, and other customs of African slaves, French Haitian plantation owners, the Spanish, and the native population. Santeria, a religion that blends Christianity and African religions, and Salsa dancing were products of this blending and are still very popular today in Cuba. From the 1950's, the famous cabaret shows, like the Tropicana, were born, as well as some Classic Cars that are still running on the streets. The Cuban Revolution contributed some significant touristic sites, most notably perhaps in the East part of the country where the revolutionary forces first initiated guerrilla warfare on the republican government. The last 50 years of Communism and the U.S. blockade have had a huge impact on the culture of the current generation, which perhaps is best experienced by interacting with the locals.

Sand & Sea

Cuba is gifted in that it is surrounded by spectacular white sand beaches and crystal clear waters. Well-developed beach resorts are located sporadically along the coast. However, if you want to find tranquility there are also many uninhabited beaches that can be explored; Cuba has over 400 small islands, called cayos, of which only a handful are developed. Because so little of the coastline has been developed, Cuba has an extremely healthy and diverse system of coral reefs that can be explored either by snorkeling or scuba diving. Additionally, because Cuba was once very popular among Pirates, and was the scene of great naval battles of the Spanish-American war, there are many interesting shipwrecks to explore. If you like fishing, you can follow Hemingway's trails to search for Marlin or instead go after some of the other abundant game.

The Countryside

Venturing inland, to the West, in the Pinar del Rio region you can gaze down beautiful, lush valleys that are spotted with unique cylindrical rock formations and vast cave systems, you can see where the finest tobacco in the world is grown, and you can swim in waterfall lagoons. In the central and eastern part of the country there are higher mountains, the Sierra del Escambray (near Trinidad), and the Sierra Maestra (near Santiago), where you can go on day hikes or longer treks. In the central part of the country, it's possible to see varied wildlife, including crocodiles and numerous birds, in the Cienega de Zapata preserve. Far to the East, near Baracoa, stands a unique anvil-shaped mountain "El Yunque", and many significant rivers great for white-water rafting.

For more information on our itineraries and tours and to speak to a travel advisor, please contact us at 512-535-7677 or email us at travel@cubaforless.com.