• Population: 11 million
• Capital City: Havana
• Time difference: -5 hours GMT
• Language: Spanish

Cuba is the largest of all the Caribbean Islands and one of the most fascinating. It has a unique and colourful history, presently seen in the form of its unspoilt colonial towns, lovingly nurtured vintage cars and pristine beaches.

Castro’s revolution disposed of many of the inequalities of the previous era, when Cuba was a playground for rich Americans, propped up by the proceeds of gambling and prostitution. 

The facades of this earlier period remain, alongside increasingly efficient new hotels and resorts.

Cuba is anything but bland. Music plays a huge part in daily life, with the rhythms of salsa or jazz liable to erupt in the cobbled streets at any time. 

Material privations have not muted the friendly Cubans’ joie de vivre - singing and dancing are high on their list of priorities, and they appreciate the quality of their excellent rum and cigars.

Cuba represents a treasure trove for the modern holiday-maker, with the beautifully-restored centre of evocative Havana, colonial Trinidad, the stunning scenery of Pinar del Rio, the forests of the Sierra Maestra and the gleaming Caribbean beaches.