MAIN Travel Caribbean Cuba

The largest island in the Caribbean, Cuba lies just 90 miles from the southern tip of Florida, between the Cayman Islands and the Bahamas.

Although a very popular destination for American tourists up until the rise of Fidel Castro (and a resulting 1959 travel ban still in effect), today Cuba remains off limits to most Americans although it remains a major travel draw for more than 2 million other tourists each year from around the world.

Most famous for its cigars, beautiful beaches and colonial architecture, Cuba's main attraction is Havana, which offers a busy cosmpolitan hubub of main thoroughfares, street vendors, delapitated buildings and, by night, a colorful and swinging nightlife.

Elsewhere, world class swimming areas around Holguin, Cayo Coco and Varadero Beach also serve as prime basking, snorkeling and diving meccas today visited mostly by Canadians and European tourists.

Important travel advice:

As Cuba remains under strict Communist rule, visitors are best advised to speak only in glowing terms (or not at all) of the political system, or the country's leader, lest they undergo a very unhappy police interrogation and possible jail term. Overall, authorities in Cuba are warm and welcoming to revenue-producing tourists, and police are likely to look the other way on minor descretions by partying vacationers (although it's probably best to not press your luck).

Hotels are also kept under close supervision by the government, so it is always highly advisable to book your room well in advance of your arrival. Otherwise, airport customs will most likely assign you a hotel not to your liking.

Private home stays - "Casa particular"

Better still, rooms are now available in a type of bed & breakfast (casas particulares or "private houses") throughout Cuba that allow visitors short stays with local families.These are almost always preferable since, at half the cost, many families will go out of their way to make guests feel welcomed and well-fed throughout their visit, and affords a chance to experience what many travelers say is Cuba's main attraction, its people.

US travel restrictions lifting

In April 2009, the US government signaled the lifting of restrictions to Cuba with the announcement that relatives of Cuban nationals living in the US were free to travel to Cuba for family visits. The move brings hope of a more permanent agreement which will completely open the borders between all Cubans and Americans in the near future.

Cuba travel guide - Excellent insider guide from Wikitravel with a complete overview of top attractions, getting around by bus, car, taxi, bike (and the unofficial hitchhiking network), where to find the best accommodation, health & safety tips, and warnings about typical tourist scams.

Go Cuba - The complete guide from Canada's Cuba Tourist Board with information on scheduled airlines, entry requirements, places to visit in Havana and other major attractions, practical travel tips, photos, videos, related links.

Cuba Travel Information - Lonely Planet guide with expert tips on where to go, how to get around and top attractions to visit including Havana, Santiago de Cuba, Trinidad, Cueva Punta del Este and more, plus advice from visitors in the online forum, photos, map, related links.

Cuban Culture.com - Find details, photos and colorful descriptions of "what makes Cubans tick" with overviews of Cuban food, history and heritage, art, architecture, music and more, with related resources to more information.

also see in Travel -> Discovering Cuba's Keys

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