Cuba

Despite increasing hardships for locals, the Caribbean's most impressive island offers one of the world's great travel experiences, from its music and culture to Havana and its other cities, as well as beaches and nature.

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Las Terrazas, a Woodsy Cuban Eco-Treasure

The main reasons millions come to Cuba each year are (primarily) beaches and (secondarily) culture. But the lag in the country’s development since 1959 has been a boon for ecotourism, leaving the island with quite a few natural treasures for visitors to discover, from hidden waterfalls to castaway beaches, national parks, and conversatories. I recently discovered one such gem in the Sierra del Rosario mountains just over an hour’s drive west of capital Havana. Allow me to introduce you to Las…

Started by Iberia Airlines

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Havana´s gracious Vedado district

Ivan2010 Though mostly shabby and decrepit except for its UNESCO World Heritage colonial core, Habana Vieja, being restored for the tourism trade with the help of the Spanish government, the European Union, and other international donors, the capital of Cuba is truly one of the more remarkable cities in all the world, as millions of new visitors have been discovering each year since the régime started increasingly opening up the island to visitors in the years following the 1991 collapse of…

Started by Iberia Airlines

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In Cuba, Go West, to Pinar del Río & Viñales

marcin jucha For visitors to Havana, one of the most popular day and overnights trips besides colonial wonder Trinidad is a visit to the far west of Cuba, the mostly rural province of Pinar del Río (whose locals, by the way, have over the years endured much teasing by other Cubans as guajiros – "country-bumpkin" peasants – though at least these days inaccurately, as far as I’ve been able to tell). It’s home to not only the eponymous city – which makes for a charming visit in its own…

Started by José Balido

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A guide to visiting Cuba during COVID-19: what it's like to travel there now

Roberto Machado Noa / GettyLonely Planet recently came out with this article from their Cuba guide writer about pandemic-era travel to the island, which has had a low number of COVID cases and the world's second highest vaccination rate. Interesting reading; check it out here.

Started by Riccardo R

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Donna Esposito January 21, 2011 at 12:24am

Living in Toronto, I know a few people who have vacationed in Cuba. They say it was more expensive than nearby islands like the Dominican Rep., so the Miami Herald may be right when they say that when the U.S.A. opens the door to Cuba the rest of the Carribean's travel business won't collapse.
David Paul Appell January 20, 2011 at 6:43pm

Interesting piece in today's Miami Herald from astute Latin America (and especially Cuba) pundit Andrés Oppenheimer on how increased U.S. travel to the island may or may not affect the rest of the Caribbean. Some say it will be a hard hit, others say not so much -- and may even grow the overall pie. Yes, there will be novelty value and some pent-up demand, but on the other hand this is not exactly an unprecedented opening. And I can tell you first off that it's hardly going to be a flood, at least for the foreseeable future, at least in part because capacity is still pretty limited, and what capacity there is, is being amply used by Europeans, Latin Americans, and the other visitors Cuba already gets. So we'll see how big a move this actually turns out to be...
Lynn Rosen January 18, 2011 at 9:35am

Thanks for the suggestion. Will follow up on that.
Anil January 18, 2011 at 1:01am

Lynn: Do also contact your College and see if they have any immediate plans ? As an alum you can help organize tour to Cuba on behalf of the College :)
Lynn Rosen January 16, 2011 at 8:37am

Thanks, Jose, for this document. Note it was revised in 2004 and, as you suggest, will likely change within the next while. Might a travel writer's organization apply for permission to travel to Cuba with a group under these new possible provsios?
José Balido January 16, 2011 at 5:20am

You're right, Anil, journalists have always been exempt from restrictions on travel to Cuba, but if you read the Treasury Dep't. OFAC regulations on their Web site, it has to be a full-time journalist:

"...journalism by journalists regularly employed in that capacity by a news reporting organization, including supporting broadcast or technical personnel..."

Here are the current U.S. guidelines for travel to Cuba; this document will likely change in the next several weeks as these new changes are implemented.
Anil January 16, 2011 at 3:20am

I thought that journalists were already exempt along with persons of cuban descent who have family ties in the island ? I'm sure Ed or Joe can shed some light into this ?
Lynn Rosen January 15, 2011 at 11:05pm

About time. How can we lobby to include journalists alongside universities and religious groups? Seems logical.
Anil January 15, 2011 at 2:12pm

Ed: Just read about it in http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-12197939

So encouraging. I think allowing Universities is a good step. Maybe alums ? Who will howl ? Whomever has much to lose ?
Ed Wetschler January 15, 2011 at 1:44am

Obama announces loosening of restrictions on travel to Cuba.http://yhoo.it/eogiy0 Who will benefit? Who will howl?