There’s plenty more to discover beyond Cuba’s colonial cities and lush tobacco country – from wild wetlands and mountain guerrilla hideaways to desert-island hopping in its gin-clear seas…
1 LEARN TO DIVE AMONG SHIPWRECKS
Santiago de Cuba
In July 1898, the entire Spanish naval fleet was sunk in a battle in Santiago’s bay during the Spanish-American Civil War, leaving a trail of diveable debris, including the 6,800-tonne cruiser Cristóbal Colón. Learn the basics at Scuba en Cuba, then head below to spy relics like the USS Merrimac, sunk by the US navy to stop the Spanish from escaping, concluding both the battle and independence for Cuba.
How long: Five days to complete Scuba en Cuba’s ACUC (acuc.es/en) Open Water Diver course; one day minimum for wreck diving (some wrecks for advanced divers only).
Get started: Scuba en Cuba offers ten-night Santiago wreck-diving from £1,635; six extra nights all-inclusive stay at Brisas Sierra Mar Hotel from £485, including ACUC course.
2 CHRISTMAS AT LAS PARRANDAS
Remedios
Join Cuba’s most riotous annual festival, Las Parrandas, when every Christmas Eve sees the tiny town of Remedios transforms into the biggest one-night fiesta in Cuba. The origin of this party lies, unusually, with the town’s priest, who in 1820 noticed his parishioners dwindling as the weather got colder. To make them attend mass, he rallied all the townsfolk together and encouraged them to make as much noise as possible to get the adults out of the house. Over the years, it has become a full-scale party, and now the town’s districts compete with vibrant floats, towering illuminated sculptures, music, dancing and all-night fireworks.
How long? It’s one-night-only, but be sure to book your accommodation months in advance, as rooms tend to fill up fast.
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