Located a mere 90 miles south of Florida, Cuba is the Caribbean’s largest island.
A colourful and often tragic past, together with a present full of contradictions, have given Cuba a strange magic that is hard to pin down, but always intoxicating. Many have called the country a failed social experiment that reached its nadir under Fidel Castro. However, while many Cubans have known little but tough times, this would be to ignore the undoubted success stories—health and education in particular—within Cuban society.
From a travel perspective, Cuba’s golden age between the 1930s and 1950s when Hollywood stars, politicians, and gangsters would flock to Havana for adult fun and glamour, is long gone. But so also are the ensuing decades under Castro when a visit (for those who were allowed) was as much a question of endurance as enjoyment. Today Cuba is finding its feet again, and its famously enterprising and resourceful people are reinventing what it means to travel in Cuba.
"There is so much for the inquisitive traveller to fall in love with, beyond the clichés of Cadillacs, cigars and cocktails."
The last few years in particular have witnessed an extraordinary improvement in accommodation, food, and logistics not just in Havana but across the country. Increased privatisation has led to a profusion of small boutique hotels and private villas, a few of which have been finished to the highest standards. Although much of this renaissance started in Havana, it is now starting to ripple slowly out across the country.
There is so much for the inquisitive traveller to fall in love with, beyond the clichés of Cadillacs, cigars and cocktails. The exuberant forms of cultural expression that you’ll find in Havana, Cienfuegos, Trinidad, and Santiago—especially music, art, design, and architecture—are magnificent and unmissable, and our connections within the country will allow you to spend time and exchange ideas in person with those who are at the cutting edge of Cuba’s creative identity.
Arguably, however, Cuba’s greatest wealth is its amazing biodiversity and the extraordinary efforts that are being made to conserve its wildlife. The country is blessed with a remarkable array of landscapes inhabited by rare and unexpected wildlife. Experience wonders from the pristine coral gardens of Jardines de la Reina to the pine savannahs of the Zapata wetlands with a top naturalist.
Cuba’s yacht charter scene has also transformed in recent years, giving you access to hidden coastal gems and castaway islands—there are around 4,000 to choose from. And how better to end your day’s explorations than to fetch up on a deserted beach to enjoy a private cookout with fresh barbecued lobster, mojitos, and a three-piece ensemble to beguile and entertain you? Cuba has always been a special case. Now—and once again—you can experience this magical island in comfort and style.