Handpainted slogans around Cuba cry 'Viva la revolución!' and 'Homeland or death!' But Hemingway’s quote could be a more fitting motto for the country in which his last major book was set; the resourcefulness and ingenuity of the Cuban people is astounding. Cut off from the outside world for almost six decades, daily essentials are in short supply, yet Cubans live to cherish what they do have: music, dance, literature, landscapes – and one of the most inspiring histories in the world.
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Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is
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– Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea
Watching dancers in the plaza, rolling a fresh cigar and riding a classic car along the Malecón are classic experiences, but our cultural vacations in Cuba really get under the skin of the country – staying in a family home, taking an Afro-Cuban drumming lesson, meeting a Santería priest and exploring forgotten pueblos where ox carts are wistfully, lovingly, described as 'Cuban tractors.' This unique Caribbean-Communist state is on the brink of major change, for better or worse. Read our Cuba cultural vacations travel guide to find out how you can experience it now.
