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A
Cuba Vacation
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by: Suzanne
Morrison
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Taking
time out from the everyday
stresses and strains of life
to visit an exotic place is
something that everyone looks
forward to. Cuba, with its
notoriety brought upon by its
government and the clamp down
of the American government on
its export and tourism, is a
country known more for its
cigar and its leader, rather
than as a vacation
destination. Despite this,
every year more and more
tourists from Canada and
Europe are flocking to Cuba,
enthralled by its natural
beauty and its passionate and
welcoming people. Tourism in
Cuba is currently at an all
time high.
Cuba is the largest of the
Caribbean islands and is
inhabited by people with a
mixed race of Caribbean
Indian, African and Spanish
heritage. It has a contrasting
landscape ranging from
beautiful and mesmerizing
beaches to sprawling and
craggy mountain ranges.
Limestone Mountains loom over
the fields of tobacco,
utilised for their famed
cigars, providing a stunning
scenic view. The natural
beauty of Cuba and its history
has shaped the country to what
it is today. This is one
Caribbean island that has been
left unspoiled by technology
and modern day living.
Like many of the Caribbean
islands, Cuba’s main source
of tourism is the beach
industry. The country is
blessed with hundreds of miles
of sprawling sandy beaches,
with fine white sand and clear
blue water. Tourists visiting
Cuba have a multitude of
choices for the location of
their beach vacation. The
major resorts of Varadero and
Cayo Largo are the most
renowned and here you’ll
find many 5 star all inclusive
resorts. Despite this, there
are also plenty of smaller,
quieter beach resorts where
you can truly get away from it
all.
Aside from stunning beaches,
Cuba also offers plenty of
rustic towns and cities full
of rich culture and heritage.
A vacation to Cuba isn’t
complete without visiting at
least one of the Cuban towns
or cities and meeting the
local Cuban people.
In the north-west of the
country you’ll find the
capital city, Havana - the hub
of everything that is Cuban.
When you stroll around the
city you’ll feel the essence
of the Cuban past - a rich
legacy emanating from the
Spanish colonial architecture
that beholds the city. Parts
of the city resemble the set
of an old movie, reminiscent
of a bygone era, with old
American cars bustling by. A
lot of work has been done in
the past decade to restore old
Havana, a UNESCO world
heritage site, but much of the
city has been left untouched
and hundreds of crumbling
buildings collapse each month.
Havana also has its fair share
of museums, including the
Museum of the Revolution, the
Havana Club Museum of Rum, the
Cigar Museum, the Ernest
Hemingway Museum and the
National Museum of Fine Arts.
Santiago de Cuba is the second
largest city in Cuba and is
located on the eastern end of
the island. It has a beautiful
setting at the foot of the
Sierra Maestra Mountains and
overlooks a magnificent bay.
Unlike the other towns and
cities in Cuba, Santiago de
Cuba has a very Caribbean feel
to it. This is as a result of
the influence of the Haitian
planters who settled here in
the 19th century.
Trinidad, located in the heart
of Cuba is one of the original
towns and was founded in 1514.
The city is filled with
cobbled streets and old
buildings with tiled roofs and
has been a UNESCO World
Heritage Site since 1988.
It’s a very pleasant city to
spend a day or two, with many
museums, churches and Plazas.
An ideal way to spend your
vacation is to take a few days
to do some sightseeing in
Havana or one of Cuba’s
other cities and then follow
that up with a relaxing
week’s stay in one of the
luxurious all inclusive
resorts by the beach.
About the author:
Suzanne is the webmaster of http://www.suzannestravels.comYou
can read about her recent
vacation to Cuba in her Cuba
Blog http://www.suzannestravels.com/cubaHere
you’ll find information and
reviews of her stay in
Guardelavaca, Holguin and
Havana
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