Times are changing in Cuba, and if you want to capture that magical spirit that makes the island so special, book your trip now, says Luke Waterson in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2012
For years people have been saying it, and for years (53 and counting) the Castro brothers have staved off the inevitable – that Cuba has to change. Its socialist credentials are gradually crumbling in the face of international capitalism, as evidenced by dramatic public sector cuts and the relaxation of restrictions on private enterprise. With President Obama’s increasingly tolerant attitude, it could soon be hello to a new, Americanised Cuba, and goodbye to the quirky, quintessentially loveable Cuba.
This is good news for Cubans, but bad news for fans of peeling Plymouths, crumbling colonial charm, impromptu salsa sessions in half-collapsed yet elegant houses, all-day coffee and rum breaks, and horse-drawn carts in the fast lane of highways. In short, everything that makes Cuba such a magical mayhem of contradictions is now under threat.
Even a few years ago, a sadness lurked beneath the non-stop party atmosphere that permeates everyday Cuban life – understandable for a people who receive a world-class education but have precious few places to utilise it, and where beggars can make more than doctors.
Now, as limiting laws are repealed, the optimism is palpable, but Cuba’s soul is still hanging in there. And Cuba is all about soul. The beaches will still be pristine 10 years from now, and the world’s best mojitos will still flow. But the country might not be so, well, distinctive. Or fun. Go while the clock is still stopped at 1959, and don’t become one of those that can’t join the conversation that starts: “Remember Cuba before capitalism?”
Life changing experiences
First soak up deceptively grand, architecturally astounding, musically scintillating Havana. Marvel at the myriad art deco delights and contrast them with the monumental socialist contributions to the cityscape. Spice up your evenings by checking out a show at the legendary Tropicana or Vedado’s ever-cool jazz club La Zorra y El Cuervo. Take in some hiking or horse riding in gorgeous Valle de Viñales, then add colonial sightseeing in Trinidad. Indulge in some of the Caribbean’s best diving on Isla de Juventud and always, always take a dose of the colourfully multicultural eastern city of Santiago de Cuba. You have the recipe for one hell of a holiday.
Festivals and events
• Santiago de Cuba’s carnaval in July is Cuba’s biggest: a manic medley of fantastical floats and rumba that taps into the eastern city’s exciting ethnic roots, where West Indian and African influences intertwine and blossom into the country’s best festivity. The climax is on the 26th, the anniversary of Fidel’s raid on the Moncada barracks, which effectively set the Revolution bandwagon rolling.
• Havana and jazz go together like rum and a Cuban cigar: at the city’s Festival Internacional de Jazz in November upteen renowned acts gather for performances in the leading theatres.
• Remedios gets Christmas Eve off to a cacophonous start with one of the Caribbean’s most eclectic street parties, Las Parrandas; part carnival and part firework extravaganza, with the town split into two teams intent on out-revelling each other.
New developments
The Internet. Cuba is bidding adios to the once-infamous queues for a few pricey, state-controlled access points. In 2010 a high-speed cable to Venezuela (theoretically) gave people broadband for the first time. While online resources are appearing, if you’re lucky enough to be allowed Internet in your own home (many Cubans surf clandestinely), you’ll still be treated with the reverence reserved for Fidel. OK, almost…
Hot or not?
Hot: Fidel (still). Overheating Cadillacs (still). Buenavista Social Club (still). The possibility of change (still).
Not: Beards (unless you’re Fidel). Public transport. Political chitchat.
Most bizarre sight
Nothing embodies irony in Cuba like the little-visited ghost town of San Miguel de los Baños, a sadly ruined spa town in the verdant foothills of Matanzas province. Ostentatious hotels and houses shot up here in the early 20th century when the curative powers of the waters hit the headlines – until a sugar mill polluted the place. The wackily OTT buildings now lie abandoned, with livestock grazing within.
This extract is adapted from Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2012 © Lonely Planet 2011. lonelyplanet.com
