CUBA
Cuba is the largest Caribbean island, it is not far from Florida (USA) and Yucatán (Mexico), Jamaica and Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic). Cuba is 1250 km long and 191 km wide. To the east are the Sierra Maestra and the Nipe, Sagua and Barracoa mountain ranges, with peaks of 1200 to 2000 m.The climate is subtropical. From May to October it is the rainy season, November to April is the dry season. Hurricane season usually falls in September, October and November. Daytime temperatures are between 20 and 27 °Centigrade.
Thirty percent of the country is covered by forest, both dry forest and cloud forest, mangroves and swamp forests. There are still sugar and tobacco plantations. The subtropical flora consists of palms, pines, deciduous trees, cacti and orchids. There are tropical birds, lizards, chameleons, snakes, iguanas, wild boars and crocodiles.
The capital Havanna (La Habana) is located on the northwest coast. The second city, Santiago de Cuba, is located in the southeast. Camagüey is centrally located and smaller towns are spread across the island. The population of over 11 million inhabitants is 65% of European origin, 10% African and 24% mixed. Many people are Catholic, not religious, or practice Santería (a mixture of African and Christian religions). There are small groups of Jews, Muslims and Baha’is. A socialist country like Cuba has no state religion.
In 1898, Cuba was conquered by the US. The country became independent in 1902, but remained an American protectorate until 1934. Spanish is spoken. Hotel staff sometimes speak English. In small towns you notice more of the daily life of Cubans, such as power outages, limited menus in restaurants, overdue maintenance, queues at gas stations. Tourism is an important source of foreign exchange and the tourism sector is regulated by the government. Private individuals must have a permit to rent out rooms.
Cuba was an agricultural country (sugar cane and tobacco) until the 1970s. After Fidel Castro and his revolutionary supporters ousted dictator Fulgencio Batista on January 1, 1959, Cuba became a socialist people’s republic. The communist party has power and its secretary general is also head of government.
Santa Clara is the city of revolutionaries, because Che Guevara captured a train packed with weapons from dictator Fulgencio’s army here in 1958, after which the revolutionaries won the battle. In Santa Clara stands the mausoleum (funeral monument) for the revolutionary Che Guevara, the man with the Alpino cap with a star, whose image is more famous than his ideas.
Russia installed missiles on Cuban territory after 1960, which led to the Cuba crisis in 1962. The missiles were removed, but the US imposed an embargo. Trade and travel between the two countries was banned. That was a heavy blow, because the US was Cuba’s largest trading partner until 1960. From 1960 to 1991, the Soviet Union was the most important trading partner. The US embargo has been relaxed under President Barack Obama, but relations have not yet been normalized. There has been a US embassy in Cuba again since 2015. Fidel and Raul Castro have now disappeared from the scene and were succeeded by Miguel Díaz-Canel in April 2018.
The government offers free education up to university level and healthcare to all citizens. Citizens are expected to study or work and support socialist ideals. Cuba is in an economic crisis as a result of the US embargo and the collapse of its socialist ‘big brother’ Russia. The population is suffering and more than 1 million Cubans have emigrated, some as boat people. Since 2013, it has become easier for Cubans to travel abroad, with the exception of the US
Cuba has close ties with Venezuela, Bolivia, Brazil and Suriname. The country awards scholarships to students from friendly countries. Cuban doctors are sent to many countries in Africa and South America. Cuba exports cigars, nickel, music, sugar and rum.
Until 1959, Cuba was a holiday destination for Americans. Nowadays many Canadians and Europeans come. The center of Havana was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1982. Historic buildings have been restored and the 1920s-1930s have produced unique architecture. Havana is located on the sea and has luxury hotels.
The many oldtimers that drive around Cuba are constantly being patched up, because it is not it was possible to import new cars. There are also Russian cars and Chinese tourist buses. Horse and carts and donkeys can be found everywhere, as well as colorful cargo bikes and moped taxis.
Paradise beaches can be found in Varadero, a peninsula east of Havana. In the past a seaside resort for the jet set, nowadays there are all-inclusive hotels. Calle 62 is a street with music bars, but to experience the real Cuban atmosphere, go to Matanzas, the city where several Cuban music styles originated, such as the son and the rumba.
From 1950 onwards, the Cuban band Sonora Matancera made international tours. Her singer, queen of salsa, Celia Cruz (1925-2003) moved to New York in 1961, where she performed with, among others, Tito Puente, Johnny Pacheco, Willie Colón and Fania All Stars. Well-known Cuban instruments are conga, bongos, various rasps, timbales, marimba and claves, supplemented by wind instruments. In New York there was a vibrant Latino music culture and salsa was combined with jazz and other music styles. Years later, the veteran band Buenavista Social Club became popular in Europe with traditional Cuban music.
The Viñales Valley, 200 km from Havana, is famous for steep limestone formations (mogotes), Indian murals in a cave, tobacco fields and the Cueva de los Peces, a cenote, a river in a cave, where you can swim.
Santiago de Cuba is Cuba’s second city and is located between hills on the south coast. The city was founded in 1514 on a natural harbor, where the sugar trade and slave trade flourished. The Afro-Cuban culture has been preserved here. The steep streets of the center are lined with picturesque colonial buildings. The Tivoli district was founded in the 19th century by French people from Haiti. The Fortress Castillo del Morro is located 10 km from Santiago. Isla Granma is an island off the coast with a Caribbean atmosphere. Playa Siboney, a beautiful sandy beach, is located 20 km from Santiago. And where can you find a better summer carnival (July) than in Santiago?
Trinidad was founded in the 16th century and is the best preserved colonial city in Cuba, which is also on the UNESCO World Heritage List. On the street you see horse and carriages, children playing and in the evening there is often music on the Plaza Mayor. Trinidad is located in the Sierra del Escambray. Playa Ancón is nearby. On the island of Cayo Santa Maria there is a 16th century village and a beautiful beach.
From Trinidad you can visit the Valle de los Ingenios ( valley of the sugar factories). Around the year 1800 there were endless sugar cane plantations. slave huts and watchtowers can be seen on the plantations.
Isla de la Juventud (formerly Isla de Pinos) is located 50 km from the Cuban south coast, 142 km from Havana. There are daily flights to and from Havana. Gerona is the capital of the island, where the ferry docks. There are hotels, restaurants and museums.
In Presidio Modelo (the Model Prison) Fidel and Raul Castro and fellow revolutionaries were imprisoned for a few years before their second uprising succeeded in 1959. The round prison was built from 1926-1928 and remained in use until 1967. It is now a ruin worth seeing.
The island has a lot to offer tourists; there is an internationally known diving center. In the National Marine Park you can see coral reefs, tropical fish and sea turtles.
The beaches in the north of Isla de la Juventud have black sand and those in the south white sand. The south consists of protected tropical forest and mangroves where you can find parrots, iguanas and wild boars strong> can spot.
The caves in Punta del Este are famous for no fewer than 213 wall paintings that were once made by indigenous people.
Isla de la Juventud produces citrus fruits, there are marble mines, ceramics industry and fishing.
Do you want to taste the Caribbean Latino atmosphere and experience how cheerful and creative Cubans manage to survive the crisis in their country? You are welcome in Cuba!
$305,-
| Capital | Havana |
|---|---|
| Population | 11.241.161 million in total, in Havana 2.1 million |
| Language | Spanish |
| Currency | Cuban Peso |
| Visa required | www.visum.nl |
| Vaccination(s) | yes |
| Voltage | 110/220 V |
| Traffic | Right-hand traffic |
