Say Cuba and most people think of rum, revolution and fat cigars. But Cuba is also a historic colonial city, interesting museums and tropical sandy beaches. Here are pulsating salsa rhythms, green arable land with meter-high sugar cane and murals that pay tribute to the revolutionary hero Che Guevara. And if you travel to Cuba, you do not have to miss out on either rum or cigars.

See Cuba Travel

Population: 11 mill.

Capital: Havana

Language: Spanish

the American author Ernest Hemingway wrote two novels during his time in Cuba? They are about “The clock is ringing for you” and ‘The old man and the sea’.

rum Bacardi was originally a Cuban product? After the Cuban Revolution, the producer decided to move production to Puerto Rico.

Cuba’s nature and geography

Cuba is the largest country in the Caribbean. The elongated island of 1,200 kilometers is located between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. From Cuba’s northernmost point it is about 150 km to Florida, and from the western tip it is about the same distance to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Northern Cuba is fairly flat, while the terrain to the south and east is more varied with a couple of mountain ranges breaking off the green, rolling hills. The highest point in the country is Pico Turquino at 2,005 meters. Although the two coasts of the main island are only 191 kilometers apart at the widest point, they are very different. While the north coast mainly consists of sandy beaches lined with coral reefs, the next entire south coast is swampy. Most and the largest of Cuba’s over 4,000 small islands and skerries are located along the northern coast. Cuba’s climate is tropical with rainy season from May to October. The warmest month (July) is 28 ° on average, while January is 22 °. The northeast-facing coast is occasionally hit by hurricanes.

Cuba’s population and history

Of Cuba’s 11 million inhabitants, most are descendants of Spanish colonial masters and African slaves. The first Spaniard in Cuba was Christopher Columbus, who landed here on his first voyage to America in 1492. Thereafter, Spanish colonization gained momentum, and the Native American people were quickly exterminated. In return, the population increased when the African slaves were brought in as labor for the newly established coffee and sugar plantations. The Spanish rule of the country was harsh and oppressive and provoked several uprisings over the centuries. However, the Cubans would be helped by the Americans to expel the Spaniards, which happened in 1898 after the Spanish-American War. Cuba became an independent republic after a four-year transition period with US administration. Until 1959, When Fidel Castro took power and began his communist revolution, American influence was great everywhere. But with Castro’s victory over former dictator Fulgencio Batista, the Soviet Union took over the United States’ former status as Cuba’s best friend. However, the United States has not completely given up its interests in the country, and is present, for example, in the form of the controversial Guantanamo base in southeastern Cuba. The base was established as early as 1903 when Cuba’s independence was still something completely new, making the base the United States’ oldest naval base outside the country’s own borders. Like the Americans, many Cubans are not so fond of Castro and his form of government. Since the revolution, more than one million people have fled to Florida and Mexico in particular. However, social conditions have improved considerably under Fidel Castro’s rule. Before the revolution, more than half of the population was illiterate. A comprehensive campaign against illiteracy was launched, and Cuba now has the best education system in all of Latin America with free tuition from start to finish.

Holidays in Cuba

If you go to Cuba, you should try to adapt to the local pace and on the whole take things a little easier because everything takes its time here. In addition to this naturally de-stressing factor, Cuba has a lot to offer: a thriving cultural life with a vibrant music scene, colorful poster art and an annual carnival. In addition, Cuba has beautiful landscapes, exciting colonial cities and attractive sandy beaches. In the architectural gem of Trinidad, you can enjoy the incredibly well-preserved colonial buildings, relax on the exotic palm beaches or take a dip in the Caribbean Sea. With its two million inhabitants, the capital Havana is the Caribbean’s largest city and can present a contrasting street scene characterized by American 50s cars, rusty Russian barns, horse-drawn carriages and Chinese bicycles. Havana’s Old Town, founded in the 16th century, has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You understand why when you move through the narrow, cobbled streets, past heavy doors in solid wood and under fine wrought iron balconies.

In the Plaza de Armas, the city’s old parade ground, there are trees under which the city’s first city council was elected, and to which the inhabitants of Havana attribute almost magical powers. Incidentally, the site is surrounded by beautiful, historic buildings such as the Castillo de la Real Fuerza, Havana’s oldest fort, and the El Palacio de los Capitanes Generales – an impressive Baroque palace, completed in 1791, ready to house the Spanish colonial governor. An absolute must on the trip to Cuba is a visit to one of the factories that produce the famous cigars. Here you can see how the cigars are hand-rolled and hear the story of how the Indians in Cuba taught Europeans to smoke, after which the habit spread all over the world.

If you feel too little nature after the smoky factory visit, the Viñales Valley is a good alternative. The lush and mountainous valley is one of Cuba’s most scenic places. The cliffs are Cuba’s oldest, and for centuries the weather and wind have worked hard on the cliffs and over the years formed hundreds of caves with underground rivers and stalactites in strange shapes. Some of the caves were originally inhabited by Indians. In the valleys of the area, coffee and the world’s best tobacco called vueltabajo are grown between the distinctive chubby limestone plateau mountains that characterize the area. When you go on holiday to Cuba, you must be prepared that the bureaucracy and the salary system can make even the simplest activities difficult to carry out. A portion of tolerance and good humor is therefore important to bring.

Climate and weather Cuba

Below you can read about the weather and climate in Cuba – see, among other things, temperatures for the capital Havana.

According to bridgat, Cuba has a tropical climate that is regulated by both the Atlantic and the Caribbean. Cuba is occasionally visited by tropical cyclones, which are rarely of a more serious nature. The climate in the eastern part is warmest while the western part of the island can have temperatures of around 10 degrees during the winter months.