Family fun in Cuba

Havana really is crumbling, you’ll have your own opinions about whether the outcomes of the revolution were all positive. I took a look around, and then closed my eyes to try and rebuilt the city in my mind: It is hard to imagine how magnificent this place must have been, I’ve not seen anywhere which could have been so beautiful in the Caribbean.... it must have been like Venice, Paris and Barcelona.... and now it is simply decaying around its people. There are some signs that money has been found to rebuild, for example the theatre reopened 2 years ago, and is stunning.

Hotels are generally either brand new or a shadow of their former grandeur with dodgy plumbing and AC. A couple of hotels have been built within the historical facades such as Saratoga and Manzana. There is music everywhere in this city, at breakfast in the hotel, on street corners and of course, in bars in the evening. The colourful vintage cars are part of the scenery of Havana ( as well as part of the pollution) The drivers are eager to show you their colourful motors and their vibrant city.

Leaving Havana for Viñales is like driving even further back in time..... you see more and more horse drawn carts, ox ploughing the fields and even horse drawn buses! Farming is the way of life out here: Cubans own land and their homes, they grow pineapples and tobacco, and spend time sitting on the porch with family. Viñales is one long colourful street with bars, restaurants and Casas (like old fashioned B&B's). We liked this town with its laid back vibe, no horses on the Main Street but just a row back and Cuban life looked like it had stood still for 50 years.

Driving back to the centre of the island, we skirted Havana again, then stopped in Cienfuegos which is where the French spent some time many years ago. There is a pretty main square, and the buildings are decaying only from poverty rather than from being in a war zone.

Colourful Trinidad was our favourite city and it was brought alive by our super guide, Julie. She showed us coffee shops in back streets, the best local beach, amazing restaurants and even arranged for our dance lessons. Music is in the air in Trinidad, the cobbled streets, bars and churches. One of the most fabulous places to simply sit, is on the steps of the cathedral...you can have a mojito or a coffee, and soak up the vibes....day or night.

Our holiday, like most that I plan, included some total chill time on the soft white sands of Cayo Santa Maria. There are few places to stroll out to, so we opted for 3 nights all inclusive which meant we could eat and drink with no worries about the bill!

Tip: Cuba is a holiday for those who get itchy feet, love chatting with locals, and who find perfection in an imperfect world....hot water can be unpredictable, the veggie option may have pork in it, the rum measures aren’t measured, pot holes are everywhere, my opinion....Cuba is perfectly imperfect!

Cuba isn’t as cheap as I thought it would be: in Havana the drivers of vintage cars want 50CUC or more for an hour, another CUC can be demanded when going for a wee.