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Cuba

Guide to Cuba

Must See Cuba

Places in Cuba

In association with:

Lonely Planet

At a glance

Epic colonial architecture, libidinous young salsa dancers, Che Guevara murals, white-powder sandy beaches, swaying fields of sugar cane - the images of Cuba are as transfixing as they are timeless. This is an island of unique historical heritage floating amid a sea of encroaching globalisation.

Travel in Cuba can involve anything from sipping mojittos at an all-inclusive resort in Varadero to scraping the spit and sawdust off your shoes outside the Casa de las Tradiciones in Santiago. The burgeoning tourist sector rubs up against the Cuba of communist myth.

Fast Facts

Full name:
Republic of Cuba
Capital city:
Havana (pop 2200000)
Area:
110,860 sq km / 42,804 sq miles
Population:
11,000,000
Time Zone:
GMT/UTC -5 (Greenwich Mean Time)
Language:
Spanish (official)
Religion:
47% Catholic, 4% Protestant, 2% Santería (many Catholics also practice Santería)
Currency:
Cuban Peso
Electricity:
110/220V 60Hz
Electric plug details:
American-style plug with two perpendicular flat blades above a circular grounding pin
European plug with two circular metal pins
Japanese-style plug with two perpendicular flat blades