HomeOur top ten places to go in Cuba, from Viñales in the West to Baracoa in the East, includes undiscovered gems like Holguin and popular destinations such as elegant Trinidad in the south.

Havana

The chances are that Havana’s Malecon, where sea and city meet, will be your first visceral encounter with Cuba’s heart and soul. The sea wall symbolises so much about Cuba’s history and is often referenced in Cuban art. It is where children play, lovers meet and restored vintage cars cruise to a soundtrack of surf and salsa. Facing the sea, Havana’s once elegant buildings have been lovingly restored in the UNESCO heritage site of Havana Vieja, but there is so much more to experience - from music to sports, fine art to fine dining, the streets of Havana are where Cuban society meets and greets the wider world.

Cuba Private Travel’s bespoke itineraries will make the most of the country’s best events and special occasions. From Jazz Festivals and Havana’s Art Biennial to AfroCuban Santiera celebrations and major sporting tournaments we provide front row experiences and make sure you are always in the best place at just the right time.

Havana

Viñales, Pinar del Río

A beautiful Eden in the far West of Cuba, this is a popular weekend retreat where karst limestone peaks rise from fertile valley floors to create some of Cuba’s most memorable scenery, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Known for its tobacco plantations, it is also a great place for horse trekking, rock climbing, cycling and caving. The nearby beach of Cayo Levisa offers 3km of white sands and turquoise water.

Pinar del Río

Cienfuegos

A colonial gem on the central South coast, renowned for its seafood, Cienfuegos is a place to stroll. It is home to the beautiful Catedral de la Puraisima Concepcion and magical Botanical Gardens. Nature lovers can swim with dolphins, go horse riding or visit the remarkable flora of Laguna de Guanaroca-Punta Gavilanes Protected Area and Refuge. Just a couple of hours away Playa Girón is the gateway to the Ciénaga de Zapata National Park, one of the largest wetlands in the world.

Cienfuegos

Santa Clara, Villa Clara

Revolution central, this is the place to learn about Che Guevara’s life and works. It is also a great place to see how Cuba makes the most of its community projects, with the Compañía a la Sombra de un Ala, a children´s community project within an art gallery that is teaching theatre, music and dance to the country’s next generation of performers. You can sail from Cayo Esquivo or meet musicians from Piquete Melodías Antilanas, one of the Cuba´s last piquete groups - a street music style that combines waltzing and marching.

Villa Clara

Trinidad, Sancti Spíritus

Nestled in fertile hills above one of Cuba’s most beautiful beaches, Trinidad’s main square was once home to Spanish families whose wealth was generated by nearby sugar cane plantations. These architectually elegant homes offer hospitality for guests and the town has always had a good reputation for its cuisine. Enjoy salsa and rumba and explore the surrounding areas, especially nearby Topes de Collante Nature Park, which is a haven for bird watchers and plant lovers. Cycle to the coastal beaches or explore fishing with the locals.

Sancti Spíritus

Jardines del Rey, Ciego de Ávila

This archipelago, on the northern coast of Cuba, was made famous by Ernest Hemmingway. It is where you will find the best international levels of exclusive luxury at the Kempinski Hotel. The hotel Spa pampers body and soul and you will be able to swim from your suite in warm clear ocean waters before strolling the sandy shoreline to the hotel’s fabulous restaurant. Swim with dolphins, explore a diver’s paradise along pristine corals, kite surf the coastline, or drop anchor after a day of deep sea or fly fishing.

Ciego de Ávila

Camagüey

Rustically pretty and home to Cuba’s third city, life here is family focused. Winding alleys and forked streets were originally designed to confuse marauding pirates in the sixteenth century. You can go diving with sharks, visit violin makers, learn about fossils, go horse riding and fishing. This is also a great place to learn about Cuba’s sugar and chocolate heritage.

Camagüey

Sierra Maestra, Granma

The tallest mountain range in Cuba and once a hideout for Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, this is a remarkable area in the south east of Cuba where you can hike and climb in virgin jungle territory and visit Castro HQ.

Sierra Maestra

Santiago de Cuba

Rich in Afro-Cuban culture, hot, humid and musical, Cuba’s second largest city is where you will find a wealth of small museums and, at The Casa de la Trova, the city’s legendary rumba. You can meet local artists and musicians, tour the food market with top chefs or take a jeep ride out to La Gran Piedra in the mountains to explore a rich feast of endemic flora and fauna.

Santiago de Cuba

Holguín

Remote and undiscovered, with great rivers for wild swimming, a stunning coast for diving and cave systems to explore, the province of Holguin on the eastern end of Cuba’s north coast has some of the most beautiful beaches, mountains and isolated rural communities in the country. The town of Gibara hosts the annual Low Budget International Film Festival (Festival Internacional de Cine Pobre) which features concerts, theatre and exhibitions as well as a cinematic programme. The nearby safari island of Cayo Saetía gives visitors a chance to meet some of the African animals presented to Fidel Castro by the government of Mozambique.

Holguín

Baracoa, Guantánamo

Alejandro de Humboldt Park is the greatest protected area of biodiversity in the Caribbean, a World Heritage site that, along with Gimto Bay, teeters on Cuba’s eastern edge. Mountains and shorelines make this a unique region for trekking. Foodies will love the fruit and coffee plantations as well as Baracoa’s fishing bounties.

Guantánamo