Our last stop in Cuba seemed to sit halfway between the beach scene at Veradaro and the much more authentic Cuban experiences we have had so far. In addition to the many bus groups we saw, Vinales attracts a substantial number of hikers and bikers who enjoy the unique vistas surrounding the town. Viñales Valley is an outstanding karst landscape (limestone interacts with underground water and the water dissolves the limestone to form an amalgamation of caves, und...

Cienfuegos looks like the kind of town that most in Cuba will turn into when even a degree of prosperity returns to this island nation. The colonial town of Cienfuegos was founded in 1819 in the Spanish territory but was initially settled by immigrants of French origin and does show French flavour in the architecture- and apparently the only natural blondes in Cuba come from this area as a result.  In addition to wandering blondes there are a number of spectacu...

Have you ever had a desire to experience Colonial Spain but your time machine was in the shop? Trinidad, Cuba, a UNESCO World Heritage site might just bring out your inner Spanish Conquistador. For the non Veradaro/Holguin beach crowd, Trinidad is the second most important stop in Cuba after Havana. And rightly so. Preserving, restoring, and promoting Trinidad actually predates Castro and his band of not-so-merry men. Batiste recognized the historic and tourism ...

The Cuban Revolution led by Fidel Castro is a compelling story which is made that much moreso by the ongoing, almost childish, animosity between Cuba and the U.S. It's a part of day-to-day life here and the propaganda is pervasive. We wanted to do our own walk through history and Santa Clara seemed to be as good a spot as any- it's often referred to as the spot of the battle that marked the beginning of the end for the despised Batista regime. Calling it ...

Cuba was a big deal for us while were in this part of the world. At some point soon I would expect that the long-standing dispute between Cuba and the U.S. will end, not with a bang but a whimper, and Americans will pour in here and, as they are prone to do, rearrange the furniture in a very dramatic way. Even the current presence of Canadians and Euro sun-seekers has resulted in carved out and somewhat surreal beach enclaves in Veradaro and Holguin. Forget the ...