Cuban Tourism Ministry
Binge-watching another season of some show this weekend?
Such a waste of your time, when there’s paradise within your reach.
Turn off your devices and take an affordable extended weekend getaway to sun, sand and lasting memories.
Cuba is only a few hours away. Leave Thursday night, return Monday or Tuesday and the next morning, walk into work freshly tanned and refreshed.
A needed respite – and sand between the toes – doesn’t have to cost a week or two of your vacation time.
For Canadian travelers, Cuba is the most accessible, safest and affordable destination in the Caribbean. Choose your pleasure: from the vibrant streetscapes of Havana to the calm beaches and tropical waters of Cayo Coco, the fun of Varadero or explore cities like Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba. There are direct flights from almost all major Canadian cities such as Toronto, Montreal and Halifax and Cuba has ten international airports to connect to.
Romantic reconnection?
There are a myriad of five star resorts. Pamper yourselves with massages, fine dining, dips in languid turquoise waters or laze away on white ribbons of sand. Then dance all night, swaying to the hypnotic salsa and rumba beats. There are many adults-only resorts such as Melia Antillas or the Paradisus Varadero or try the Jardines del Rey, Cuba’s north coast archipelago full of perfect coral reefs, flamingos and indigenous villages.
In Cuba, there are sights and snapshots that will last a lifetime, including the view of Cayo Coco.Cuban Tourism Ministry
Want history, architecture, culture and nightlife?
Havana, founded in 1519, reflects the rich culture of Cuba. It may be the first urban image you have of Cuba, but even if you’ve been there several times before, you likely have only scratched the surface of a city set to mark its 500th anniversary.
It’s alive with the work of local and internationally known artists – including Niels Reyes – and there is no shortage of excellent restaurants to delight your palate.
Smells and sights are down each side-street. Another corner offers a chance of new discovery.
Not that there aren’t organized venues to showcase Cuba’s art and culture.
Did you know that Havana offers 21 cinemas theatres, 52 museums, 35 galleries, and four trova houses for Cuban music?
The city speaks as much about the future as the past, with cutting-edge art and modern restaurants.
And if you want to truly breathe in Havana, why not a bike ride through El Bosque, a park between the communities of Miramar and Vedado, where ancient carob and banyan trees grow. This is the lungs of a city – draw it in deep.
Stroll the streets of the area, known as Centro Habana, and talk to the working-class people to see why they make the city world famous for openheartedness.
If you thought you know Havana, think again.
Cuba is one of the safest vacation destinations in the world. And every laneway leads to somewhere remarkable, including the colourful streets in Camaguey.Cuban Tourism Ministry
Whether you stay in a hotel near the beach, check into one of the boutique hotels in the city or go really local and opt for casa particulares, the Cuban version of a hosted Airbnb, there’s more than one way to find a comfortable place to stay.
Relax, you’re in good hands, Cuba was just designated the “Safest Country for Tourism.”
“The best lobster I ever I ever had in my life.”
— Canadian traveler Andy Rogers
“I’ve travelled extensively in the islands and Central America and there’s no place as safe as Cuba,” says Toronto paving contractor Andy Rogers, who has wintered in Cuba for 15 years. “Havana is such a great city for a long weekend and the beach nearby at Varadero is very good.”
Grab a tour in a classic car like a 1950’s Cadillac and cruise the streets to soak up some sun and learn first hand about the capital.
“Definitely check out the Bogedita del medio,” says Montrealer Mario di Tomasso, a world traveler who has done more than a dozen extended trips to Cuba. “It is a very famous restaurant where people write on the walls.
“Take a drive along the Malecon with its classic buildings, it’s the coastal boulevard and it is fantastic for both the view and people watching.”
Also recommended is the Floridita, where Ernest Hemingway hung out and where Daiquiris were invented. Of course, the nightlife is spectacular in Havana, so pull up a seat, light up a fresh cigar, savour some aged rum and sit back.
These are your best days.
“Even if you don’t dance, watching the locals dance is an experience in itself,” says Mr. di Tomasso.
Indeed, there are now three iconic outdoor Tropicana Nightclubs - the original in Havana and its sibling in Santiago de Cuba with a third in Matanzas.
Cuban getaways often revolve around the sand and surf. But even during extended long weekend stays, there’s much more to see – including taking a jeep drive in Florencia.Cuban Tourism Ministry
Beach life? And beyond?
Mr. Rogers rates Varadero, Playa Santa Lucia and Guardalavaca as the nicest beaches, but adds there’s so much about Cuba most visitors never see such as the extensive national parks and other cities.
He suggests Trinidad – a UNESCO Heritage site - where the Playa Ancon is prized by Cubans as one of the nicest on the island and where the waters are warmer in early season than the northern side.
“The city is also 504 years old and very much like Havana with night clubs and dancing but on a smaller scale,” he says adding Cienfuegos is another small city worth exploring and recommends either hiring a car and driver or renting a vehicle.
“The El Nicho waterfalls are between Cienfuegos and Trinidad and are really worth seeing and swimming in,” Mr. Rogers notes. “The water there is full of bass and it’s a fishing spot where serious anglers come from all over the world.” There’s also lots of deep sea fishing for mackerel, sword fish, tuna, and barracuda in addition to lots of fresh water angling in lakes, streams, inlets, and lagoons, including fly fishing for tarpon.
Nearby is Ciego Montero, which also is the name of the sparkling bottled water found all over Cuba and named after the village of Arriete-Ciego Montero, famous for the spa a few kilometres north.
“It’s really special,” Mr. Rogers says. “You get packed with mud from the hot spring and then you sit under this pipe from which the hot springs flow from and wash it off. The people are great too.”
Being an island, seafood is never far away in Cuba and it doesn’t come fresher than right out of the ocean. “The best lobster I ever had in my life was as a guest of a family, in their home,” says Mr. di Tomasso. “We had it with rice and beans and we spent the evening with their family drinking beers and rum while my kids were playing with their kids in the yard and the family pig. And Cubans are lovely people, well educated and knowledgeable about the world.”
For those who do get down to Santiago de Cuba, Mr. Rogers says the El Cobre church is another must see trek.
“It’s high up and it really is beautiful,” he says. “Cobre means copper and it used to be a mining area. The church is 500 years old and the Cubans have their own form of Catholicism which is on one side and then on the other it’s given over to Santeria which is a blend of Catholic and African mysticism.”
Canadian travelers tend to think of vacation in weeks at a time.
But more and more travelers are deciding to break getaways down into smaller adventures.
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