Elegant, slightly dilapidated, unique and unexpected, Cuba makes for a fascinating holiday destination. Vibrant Havana is magnificent, the white sands of the coast feel like they’ve hardly changed since the days when pirates hid their treasure on the island’s shores, and the interior is still wild. Think abandoned coffee plantations edged with crocodile-infested swamps on one side, and rugged mountains on the other — with charming colonial-era towns dotted on the fringes. Accommodation around the island varies incredibly; you'll find boutique B&Bs, Grand Dame properties in Havana, beach resorts and much more. Most of the best places to stay in Cuba are in Havana, perfect for kicking off your explorations in style from the northern part of the island.
Journey to Santiago de Cuba — from where Fidel Castro launched his revolution — for gorgeous architecture and lots of history, as well as a more noticeably Caribbean feel. Trinidad, on the other hand, offers a sense of colonial Cuba under the Spanish, and has extravagant mansions (some now converted into hotels) once owned by the island’s sugar barons. For galleries and still more cultural insights, head to pretty Camagüey or to artsy Santa Clara, a city in the heart of Cuba — and the site of the Che Guevara Mausoleum. Back on the coast, French-built Cienfuegos is also striking.
Of Cuba’s islands, the Jardines del Rey group are known for their extensive resorts, good snorkelling and diving, whilst the quieter Isla de la Juentud has the pristine white-sand beaches typical of the Caribbean.
Adventurous travellers will adore the caves and mountains of the Viñales National Park and spendind days birdwatching or diving in the salt marshes and barrier reefs of the Ciénaga de Zapata National Park. The dense cloud forests of the Gran Parque Nacional Sierra Maestra hide the Comandancia de la Plata, a remote camp built by Castro in 1958. It’s a seriously intriguing place to discover.
Whether you’re dreaming of big nights out in Havana, guided tours of streets lined with heritage houses or expeditions deep into the jungle, the best places to stay in Cuba promise the perfect springboard for the trip of a lifetime.