Cuba calling

Christopher Columbus called Cuba “the most beautiful land human eyes have ever seen.” You should call it your next holiday destination.

In the charming streets of Old Havana, 1950s Cadillacs and Buicks can still be seen, providing irresistible photo opportunities without the need for an Instagram digital filter

Known for its music, cigars and rum, Cuba is the small Caribbean country with the very large soul.

Its most famous resident may be Fidel Castro, but the island is powered by the millions of friendly folk who also call it home.

Amerindian Taino, Spanish, African, French, Asian and English influences have combined here to create an utterly distinct culture like nowhere else on earth.

The island’s location at the crossroads of the Caribbean has attracted waves of immigrants over the centuries, whose influences live on in the visual arts, architecture, literature, dance and music.

Across the country, there are dozens of museums focusing on all things Cuban; from music, art, cars and religion to tobacco, rum, sugar and even weapons.

To learn more about why the ailing Castro’s influence endures, visit the Museum of the Revolution in Old Havana.

Once the Presidential Palace, today it houses exhibits glorifying the period of the successful 1953-1959 revolution led by Castro, although it also features portions devoted to pre-revolutionary history, including the island’s war of independence with Spain (1895-1898).

Half a century of isolation from the West has turned Cuba into a treasure trove of classic cars. In the charming streets of Old Havana, 1950s Cadillacs and Buicks can still be seen, providing irresistible photo opportunities without the need for an Instagram digital filter. You can even rent your own classic car or take a guided tour.

Then there are the countless art galleries and theatres that are dotted here, there and everywhere, a testament to the thriving grassroots cultural scene; not to mention nine Unesco World Heritage Sites.

Wherever you go in Cuba, you cannot escape the lively, energetic sound of Cuban music, which owes its melodic power to its Spanish colonial heritage and 300 years of African slavery.

Cuba is also renowned for its spectacular beaches on its northern Atlantic and southern Caribbean coasts.

Sun-seekers can choose from more than 300 pristine beaches, blessed by an enviable 330 days of sunshine a year and catered for these days by plush, exclusive resorts.

Varadero Beach is the country’s most famous, with 20km of pristine white sand, dissolving in tranquil, turquoise waters. Further east, famed author Ernest Hemingway was enchanted by the towering dunes of Playa Pilar.

Don’t miss

Unesco World Heritage Sites:

• Old Havana and its fortifications
• Trinidad and the Valley de los Ingenios
• San Pedro de la Roca Castle, Santiago de Cuba
• Desembarco del Granma National Park
• Viñales Valley
• Archaeological Landscape of the First Coffee Plantations in the southeast of Cuba
• Alejandro de Humboldt National Park
• Urban Historic Centre of Cienfuegos
• Historic Centre of Camagüey

What are you waiting for?

ROCS Travel is organising two 14-day Outstanding Authentic Cuba Escorted Tours from July 17 to 30 and from October 2 to 15. Guests will visit Havana, Santiago, Biran, Holguin, Camaguey, Santa Lucia, Santa Clara, Trinidad, Cienfuegos, Havana, Pinar del Rio and Vinales, among other places.

The itinerary includes:

• Return flights to Havana on Air Malta and Virgin Atlantic
• Internal flight from Havana to Santiago
• Return airport transfers
• 12 nights’ in four-star accommodation
• 12 breakfasts
• 11 lunches
• 11 dinners
• All excursions as per itinerary
• All transfers unless otherwise stated
• Airline taxes and charges
• ROCS Travel manager

Rates for the full-board tour start from €2,599 for all of the above. Call ROCS on 2015 1515, visit www.rocsholidays.com or e-mail travel@rocsgrp.com.