If you are considering having a break in Cuba, you should be aware that there is plenty more than just the mainland to consider. There is an island that is tucked just underneath the mainland stretch of Cuba itself that is included in the Cuban part of the world. This is Isla de la Juventud – the so called Isle of Youth. Whether it is or not is up to you to decide, but it is definitely worth paying it a visit, if only for a short stay away from the mainland.

As you arrive on the island you probably wouldn’t see much to convince you that Robert Louis Stevenson was inspired by it enough to write the famous book ‘Treasure Island’. But this is indeed the case and you can now explore this island for yourself.

Once you disembark from the plane or boat that brought you to Isla de la Juventud, you should take your time to explore the island. Nueva Gerona is the capital of the island, and it is a pleasant enough place to look round. The locals are generally very welcoming, even though not all tourists take the time to make the journey from mainland Cuba to come here. Perhaps the locals like it that way, but you will certainly enjoy soaking up the atmosphere and finding out what the island is all about.

As you might imagine on an island of this kind, diving is a hugely popular way to spend the time. With countless different spots in which to explore the depths, you will appreciate the other side of Isla de la Juventud – namely the one you wouldn’t normally see. Of course there are beaches here as well, and you’ll no doubt appreciate spending some time relaxing on the dark sands.

Isla de la Juventud isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. But there is enough here to warrant a closer look and you can even see the prison where Fidel Castro himself was incarcerated many years ago. It may not be a prison any more, but it is still quite foreboding to see.

You may see one of these two names when you are in Cuba, but don’t let it confuse you. There is plenty to appreciate when you get there, as you will see when you discover this beach based area of Cuba.

While it is known as Havana Beach, it could more accurately be called Havana Beaches. This is due to the fact that there are several beaches here to look at. It’s good news for those who love nothing better than to recline on a beach during the day. You could move from one to the other on successive days if you want, taking in a different view each time.

Bacuranao is one of the beaches, followed by Santa Maria Beach and Playa Guanabo. Any of them will provide everything you could want and need from a nice beach, so it is not hard to see why lots of people head to Playas del Este every year.

This part of Cuba was also among the first areas to really get a taste of the tourist business. This means you will find plenty of tourist facilities worth using – it’s certainly good to know you won’t be left with little to do when you get there. It is good for families as well, for that same reason.

Havana is obviously a good place for newbies to Cuba to stay as well. Havana itself has much to share with you, including museums and much of its local history too. So it can be a good bet to stay near one of these beaches for more than one reason, as you can see.

The main thing is to consider which beach you would like to be closest to, and to check out the wide range of accommodation that is available. Some areas have more choice than others, and if you are visiting with the whole family a beach house could be a good bet. This will give you the best of all worlds and a nice place to return to that’s close by every evening. What could be better than that?

For many people, Cuba is one of the best places to go on holiday. But there is often a tendency to head straight for the most popular places in Cuba. It can be easy to automatically go for the most obvious destinations instead of considering whether anywhere else could be a better option.

Remedios could be one of those places you haven’t heard of before. But if you set aside some time to see it for yourself you might be glad you read about it here first!

This is a town that has been established in Cuba for some five centuries, so you can see it has bedded down and put down considerable roots in that time. There are signs of Remedios’ past everywhere you turn, with architecture and buildings that stand out for various different reasons. Some of the buildings are colonial in nature, including the colonial Grand Church. You will certainly find yourself whipping out your camera to take pictures of every building you see, as they are quite stunning and very attractive indeed.

Remedios has made a name for itself as one of the most attractive towns in the whole of Cuba. The colonial buildings certainly add to the charm and there are lots of other features of the town that you will enjoy like this as well. Cobblestone streets give the town a rustic feel and it is virtually impossible to pass through it without taking the time to stop and see everything it has to show you. It may not be one of the biggest and best beaches in Cuba, but this town has an altogether different charm to appreciate.

If you want to walk into Remedios and take a long look at it before you actually explore it in more depth, make sure you go to the central plaza first. Take a moment to sit down and check out your surroundings. Not only is this a wonderful place to sit and appreciate where you are, it acts as a nice introduction to the wonderful town of Remedios. You’ll be glad you paid it a visit.

It is somewhat ironic that the place that was settled first in Cuba is only just starting to become known among its many visitors every year. Cuba is not exactly a mysterious place, but Baracoa will usually elicit frowns and shrugs from most of the people who want to go to the country on holiday.

So what exactly is Baracoa all about? Why is it worth seeing and why has it remained something of a secret up until now?

For starters Baracoa is not in the most accessible part of Cuba. It is hidden in the north eastern corner of the country and this means that many people simply don’t venture anywhere near it. There are rewards for those that do however, since the area is incredibly beautiful and has lots to amaze and delight those who do decide to make the journey. Indeed some people do choose to make the effort to see Baracoa, and they spend their entire holiday here.

Such a fact must make you realise that there is a lot here to please you for a whole holiday. Indeed there is – just look at pictures of the superb beaches to see that you are spoiled in many ways. The surroundings are stunning too, with sections of rainforest and wonderfully attractive buildings dotted around the village.

Yes, this is a village – not a town and not a city, and this is one reason why it attracts people every year. It’s smaller than many of the places on Cuba and it has so much to entice you that you won’t want to leave. Imagine streets lined with cobbles. Think about cocoa trees everywhere you turn. White chocolate is one of the things that this part of Cuba is renowned for, so make sure you get a taste of it.

El Yunque is another must see venue in Baracoa – the flat topped mountain that most visitors to the village head for at some point. Make the most of this village and let it reveal some of Cuba’s best kept secrets to you as well.

If the answer is no then it’s a pretty safe bet you have never been to Cuba. More to the point you have never been to Havana, since this is where you will find them.

Now you are probably asking what on earth a coco taxi is. The clue is in the word taxi of course, and to be honest we’re not entirely sure where the word coco comes from. But you won’t mind at all when you actually see one, because not only are they easy to spot and hail down, they are fun to ride in as well.

When you first see a coco taxi in Havana, you may be reminded of a hollowed out lemon. These amusing but highly appealing looking vehicles are like tricycles, with two wheels at the back and one at the front. They also have handlebars like a motorbike and the rider sits in the front and rides it just like a bike.

There is room for two people in the seat behind the rider, and you will largely be sheltered too, as the body is designed to come out and over the passengers and even the rider as well. The coco taxi is also bright yellow so it’s not hard to see at all.

Some people don’t like riding in them but to others there is nothing better. It is certainly an experience worth having at least once, and if you have been out and about exploring Havana all day, your feet will want a rest from walking anyway. If you are happy with the ride you will find yourself hailing one down throughout your time in Havana.

Much like the yellow cabs in New York and the black cabs of London, the coco taxis are a familiar sight on the streets of Havana in Cuba. They provide a cheap and easy way to get from A to B when your feet just can’t take any more, and so you can look forward to trying them out when you get there. A holiday in Havana doesn’t get much better than this!

Cuba is a long thin strip of a country. If you’ve never been to it before you might be surprised at how many different and diverse places there are along its length from east to west.

One prime spot to consider staying in if you take a holiday there is Baracoa. You will find it located almost as far to the east of the country as you can go. It is in the province of Guantanamo and although tourism isn’t raging in this part of Cuba there is plenty here to enjoy.

In fact you could say that Baracoa is something of a well kept secret. If you look up information on the destination you will read some very encouraging reviews. Yet it isn’t included as one of the top spots to visit in Cuba where tourism is at its height. In short, you might want to keep this little discovery to yourself.

Getting to Baracoa is a bit of a challenge though. You will find it nestling on the coast of this end of Cuba, and although there is a dedicated road leading right to it, it is still a challenge to reach. Before the Sixties there was no road at all. Had you wanted to reach the area before then you would have had to come at it from the other direction – i.e. the sea.

But now you can look forward to seeing Baracoa for the first time as you drive towards the coastline. Some of the area’s main sights started life as important buildings and have since been converted into hotels or bars. For example El Castillo de Seboruco was created originally as a fort. However its days as a fort are long since over and you can now stay in it if you wish – it has been transformed into a hotel. What better way could there be to get closer to what Baracoa is all about?

As you can see Cuba is about much more than just the best known spots. If you steer away from the common and the normal and go towards some more unusual places, you will be well rewarded.

Cuba has drawn lots of visitors to its shores throughout recent years, as more and more people discover the sheer variety of activities and sights it has to offer. Cuban islands in particular can provide you with that true getaway you’re after, and one of the best of these is surely Cayo Largo.

This is a pretty small island off to the south of the main part of Cuba itself. Indeed you should try Googling it – you need to zoom in quite a way before it even becomes visible as more than just a marker. Even then all you can see is the name of the island itself.

The words ‘natural paradise’ have popped up more than once when people talk about Cayo Largo. It’s well worth bearing in mind that this island is not geared up to give you lots of places to go and explore while you are there. It is an island of luxury, tranquillity and peacefulness. You can expect wonderful beaches and relaxation virtually on tap the whole time you are there though, so if you’re looking for something other than a standard package holiday this could be it.

Just imagine nearly seventeen miles of pure white gorgeous sand to lie back and relax on. This is what you’ll get from the beaches at Cayo Largo. And if you want an all over tan you can have that as well, since the beaches are known to be welcoming to nudists.

Don’t be put off if you don’t like stripping down to your birthday suit though. This isn’t a nudist only island – in fact the huge section in the middle of the beach is designed to cater for everyone else. So whether you like tan lines or not, you’ll find Cayo Largo has a space on the beach just for you.

You’ll enjoy swimming in the sea too, drifting among the calm green waves as you start to unwind and enjoy the surroundings. Are you starting to see why Cayo Largo is so well loved among those who visit Cuba to see its islands?