The Silent Sea Paradise of Cuba

Cuba Beaches with white, grey, black and golden sand contrast with blue or aqua-green seas; the calm water near a mountain peak hides the inner beauty of its seabed. Some of its coasts are on the Caribbean; others, on the Atlantic. In both cases, its shores tempt you to give yourself over to the sensual, magical movement of the waves.

Choose any of the large tourist resorts or an intimate, virgin, uninhabited spot for enjoying the beach. Take a cruise on board a pleasure yacht or catamaran, go deep -sea fishing or surfing, take out an aqua bike, warm up with snorkeling and then launch yourself on a real adventure with aqualungs among tropical fish and beautiful coral formations in some of the most amazing and best preserved underwater scenery in the world.

The cays which form the outermost fringe of the archipelago are particularly enticing. They have been left in nearly their natural state, with their original flora and fauna, so they still look much as they did when Christopher Columbus discovered these lands over five centuries ago.

It has over 3560 miles (5746 kilometers) of irregular coastline, including more than 200 bays and over 300 beaches whose sand is of different colors and textures. It is common knowledge that the Cuban sea is of excellent quality.

There are places-anonymous as yet or little known-virgin beaches which are not the exception but rather the rule. Large or small, they are waiting to be discovered on the Guanahacabibes Peninsula, a preserve of the biosphere; the coasts in the center and eastern parts of the country; and in tranquil Baracoa, at the eastern extreme of the island. You can enjoy them to the full in complete safety. There’s nothing quite like walking along a beach for hours with nothing to disturb you.

In 1985, the French oceanologist Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s crew was very impressed by Cuba’s seabed-most of all, by their exploration of the Cristobal Colon, a Spanish ship which was sunk during the naval battle that was fought just off Santiago de Cuba in i8g8. According to the divers, who have worked all over the world, few other places are as well preserved or have such a wealth of marine life. His colleagues waxed so enthusiastic that Cousteau, then 75, decided to put on an aqualung and see for himself. He wasn’t disappointed.

Scientific studies estimate that there are over 500 species of fish; 200 different kinds of sponges (cup, tube and branch); around 60 kinds of coral; and a large sample of mollusks, crustaceans, gorgonians, algae and Common Sea Fans (Gorgonia spp.) in Cuban waters.

Cuba undoubtedly is one of the most stunning tourist destinations in the World. Add the irrefutable fact of a super rich culture and you have the perfect formula for an unforgettable holiday.

Written by Jose Mauricio Maurette on July 27th, 2009 with no comments.
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Cuba A Sparkling Adventure

Waking up, going over to the window and seeing the unmistakable blue of a tropical sea. There’s no better therapy, no better way of greeting the day. While on your Cuba Holidays, this is a daily experience, and you can enjoy it not only in a beach hotel but also in one of the more luxurious hotels in the city and even up in a mountain retreat. Here, the sea is a living presence; in those few places where you can’t see it, you can still smell and sense it.

There is an average of 330 sunny days a year, with few clouds. The main tourist resorts (including the ones on the cays) have international airports, and the excellent hotel infrastructure is complemented with a wide range of extra hotel facilities (car and bus rentals, marinas, scuba-diving centers, shops, beauty parlors, fitness centers, etc.), entertainment during the day and at night, excursions to nearby cities, medical attention, and special family and honeymoon Cuba holiday packages.

The cays which form the outermost fringe of the archipelago are particularly enticing. They have been left in nearly their natural state, with their original flora and fauna, so they still look much as they did when Christopher Columbus discovered these lands over five centuries ago.

Many places on Cuba’s coasts are already famous: Varadero, Guardalavaca, Esmeralda, Santa Maria del Mar, Santa Lucia and Ancn Beaches, which are loved by tourists from all over the world, and Coco, Guillermo, Largo del Sur, Santa Maria, Las Brujas and Levisa Cays.

There are places-anonymous as yet or little known-virgin beaches which are not the exception but rather the rule. Large or small, they are waiting to be discovered on the Guanahacabibes Peninsula, a preserve of the biosphere; the coasts in the center and eastern parts of the country; and in tranquil Baracoa, at the eastern extreme of the island. You can enjoy them to the full in complete safety. There’s nothing quite like walking along a beach for hours with nothing to disturb you.

This peaceful, silent world-whose water is so clear that you can see for from 65 to 130 feet (from 20 to 40 meters) around you teems with fish of many colors, shapes and sizes, whose world consists of forests of coral, sponges, gorgonians and algae.

Moreover, history has added an extra fillip. There ar over a thousand sunken ships in Cuba’s waters: pirat ships and also galleons filled with treasure which was being taken from the New World to the Old and fell victim to pirates or storms.

Cuba without a doubt is one of the most beautiful tourist destinations in the Caribbean. Combine that fact with a super rich history and you have the perfect formula for an unforgettable holiday.

Written by Jose Mauricio Maurette on July 26th, 2009 with no comments.
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Havana’s Most Charming Square.

To go sightseeing in Havana means also visiting the Plaza de la Catedral, a virtuous place with cobbled streets, full of beauty and senses, a place where thousands of people from all over the world get together each month, as tourist guides recall it.

Originally known as Plaza de la Cinaga (Swamp Square), and then named “Plaza de la Catedral”, it is a place that has much to do with the origins of the capital city, settled definitively on the 16th of November 1519 along the Puerto de Carenas (Havana’s harbour), or Baha de la Habana.

Late in the 18th century and after many refurbishment to a religious building which eventually became The Cathedral of Havana Cathedral the Square was to be known as The Cathedral Square. The Cathedral it self is just amazing. On its facades the best baroque architecture of Havana can be appreciated which contrast with its complete Neoclassic style in the interior. Beautiful buildings surround the this church harmonizing with the splendour of the square.

Several significant events and festivities find home in this amazing little landmark of Havana. Festival, music concerts and gala dinners organized by the government for important groups have found the perfect venue in Cathedral Square. An excellent weather all year around is always the perfect allied and escorted by a superb and colourful architecture you will be able to soak up the atmosphere to the beat of salsa band.

As a special feature, one of the nearby alleys is the seat of the most famous Cuban restaurant: La Bodeguita del Medio which reaffirms its quality after serving for more than 60 years since its foundation.It is an emblematic restaurant for the Cuban tourism, with the walls full of around two million autographs of all clients from different time periods, and photographs left by outstanding figures such as Ernest Hemingway, Mario Benedetti, Pablo Neruda or Errol Fryn.

The list of celebrities is long, including cinema artists, painters, politicians, dancers and musicians, both foreign and Cuban, where this country’s national poet Nicols Guilln (deceased) had his space too.

During day time the square becomes crowded with visitors who come to experience the splendour of its walls. The music, the cocktails and specially the characters that can be found here make it a unique place in Havana. You will find an old lady that reads the cards, the one that poses with a huge cigar and the ones that dance all the time even when there is no music playing.

A word of advice is to find a hotel in the old town, there are about 15 of them and they are very small, cosy and boutique hotels with very affordable prices. Santa Isabel and Florida hotels have both the best standard of service and location. Every thing you need to do or see will be walking distance from your hotels. At the end of the day you do not want the hassle of having to take taxis while on your holidays.

Written by J. M. Maurette on July 7th, 2009 with no comments.
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Which Havana Hotel To Choose?

I get this question all the time and I always try to get as much information as possible from my clients in order to recommend the best hotel in Havana for them. As I am not going to be able to do this now I will be as fair as I can be and I will leave down to you which hotel to go for.

One of Havana?s best places to stay is the Old Town commonly known as Habana Vieja. This area has a wealth of heritage building which earned the title of World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984.

I will start with Santa Isabel Hotel. It only counts 27 rooms, most of them with fantastic views. This four stars plus hotel really transport you back in time. Santa Isabel hotel needs to be booked well in advance. In spite of being an expensive one; the fact that it has few rooms makes it a difficult one to get, especially in high season.

I definitely recommend the junior suites at Saratoga Hotel as these ones do have balconies overlooking the streets of surrounding the Capitol of Havana ? an area that many consider the most interesting in terms of places o visit.

This is my very favorite hotel ? 5 * NH Parque Central. Its excellence in service is second to none in the whole of Cuba. Beautiful lobby, roof top swimming pool with Jacuzzi overlooking the Old Town skyline, large rooms decorated with furniture from the Fifteenth Century this hotel really does it for me.

If you are looking for something cheaper but still you want to have a bit of comfort in your accommodation the why not try one of the 3 star hotels in the Old Town Such as Comendador, Beltran de Santa Cruz, Hostal Valencia or Park View Hotel.

I hope I managed to give you a starting point to organizing your holidays by suggesting you the best hotels in Havana and look forward to your visit to www.quest2cuba.co.uk

Written by Jose Garces on July 4th, 2009 with no comments.
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