Cuba Holiday Destination - Shearwater Travel

Cuba is an exciting country to visit right now. Cuba has recently opened up to the western world, providing tourists with access to a previously little known, colourful and diverse country. The landscape is stunning, the architecture beautiful and there are many fun activities to take part in when you are out there from salsa lessons to driving an American classic car.

Havana – a living time capsule of days gone by from Spanish colonial times to the enduring legacy of the revolution. Think 1950’s classic cars, the famous mural of Che Guevara overlooking Revolution Square, colonial Spanish villas, impromptu bursts of music and evenings strolling along the esplanade.
Between the Caribbean coast and Escambray mountains, Trinidad is a must see for any visitor to Cuba. It is a UNESCO world heritage site with cobbled streets lined with pastel houses and beautiful plazas overlooked by historic buildings. At night there is a vibrant and growing scene for Cuban food, music and dancing.
Now a protected biosphere, Las Terrazas was formerly a piece of scrubland chosen by Castro as an area to be reforested using terracing on hillsides. Visit to relax, go birdwatching, cycle or even zip wire across the lake. You can also climb to the top of Taburete Mountain, former site of Che Guevera’s training sessions.
Visit Vinales, home to tobacco plantations, natural springs, rivers and Mogotes (lime stone mountain outcrops that rise vertically out of the valley floor). Cycle and hike, tour the Santo Tomes cave system or visit one of the nearby almost deserted beaches.
Known as the Pearl of the South, Cienfuegos was initially settled by French immigrants and to this day retains a number of French influenced colonial and neo-classical style buildings. Situated on a large Caribbean bay you can reach some unspoilt beaches within a short drive.
Cuba has literally hundreds of beaches. Both on the mainland and on the tiny cayes situated offshore to the north of the island. There is a range of accommodation from all inclusive resorts on mile long white beaches to smaller intimate hotels on the some of the cayes.

Key Facts about Cuba

Cuba Photo Gallery

Here are some photos from Cuba including from our recent trip. Click on an image to launch the slideshow.

From £1830

Per person excluding flights

Self-drive western Cuba

If you are adventurous in spirit, the most rewarding way to travel around Cuba is to drive your own hire-car. This two-week tour of Cuba’s highlights is an explorer’s delight. Your hotels are all pre-booked for you. Walk round Havana’s historic centre; drive through limestone landscapes in the Viñales valley and forests around Las Terrazas. Move on to Cuba’s historic cities, Cienfuegos and colonial gem Trinidad.

From £1550

Per person including flights

11 night all inclusive

Stay in one of the Melia all inclusive beach resorts either on the mainland in Varardero or on Cayo Santa Maria. You can expect to find their usual high standards of quality and facilities, with many land and sea based activities to keep you busy, or you can just take life easy on the beach and in the excellent YHI Spa.

From £3110

Per person excluding flights

Complete Cuba

The trip begins in Havana, Cuba's inimitable capital, with its faded grandeur – gradually being restored - and pulsating rhythms. Visit forested Las Terrazas, an eco-experiment which works, from where you head west to stroll around Viñales, a fertile valley with a fairy-tale limestone landscape composing the tobacco-growing region. You’ll step into four of the country’s principal cities, Cienfuegos, colonial Trinidad, Camaguey and Santiago, each with a story to tell. Visit the thickly wooded Sierra Maestra, Fidel Castro’s revolutionary hideout. Lingering in the less visited east of the country, you call in at Baracoa, and Gibara, a pretty port on the craggy northeast coast. It’s not a beach holiday but you could extend your trip to soak up the rays at one of the delightful eastern coves if you wish. Cuba’s vibrancy and friendly people will make a lasting impression.

Will I need a visa?

If you’re entering Cuba as a tourist, you’ll need to get a tourist card before you travel.

For more information and advice about visas, contact the Cuban Embassy.

If you’re a dual national, you should contact the Cuban Embassy for advice on entry requirements before you travel.

Click here for more advice from the FCO on entry to Cuba.

Will I need any jabs or injections?

Ensure usual immunisations are up to date and visit NHS Fit for Travel pages for further advice.

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