After a winter trip to Cuba, I was left overwhelmed and enchanted by an astounding history, architecture and culture. Cuba has an energy which resonated with me and deserved to be put into words. Planning on travelling to Cuba? Here are my 3 top reasons why you should travel to the largest island in the Caribbean.
1. The Music
As a Cuban three piece band stood by our tiny table in the centre of Havana, time halted and sense of history washed over me. I could only dance, smile (and sip more rum), humming along as the charming, catchy and infectious sounds of the guitar strummed “Comandante Che Guevara”. This music, that is seemingly lost to the rest of the world, made me feel alive. It didn’t seem like any particular time of day, it felt like that simple moment mattered and was everything.
This feeling, rare to those submerged by the demands of routine, soon happened on a daily basis during my time in Cuba. It’s unusual that I truly feel as If I am living in the present. For me, days are often spent thinking of the past or the future, an upcoming task perhaps to tick of the to-do list, but here none of that was necessary. Music became the foundation of my trip around Cuba, from Havana to Varadero to Santa Clara, amazing sounds constantly played and this feeling of persistent present left me with an immense gratitude and unappreciated beauty for a country I knew so little about.
2. The Colours
From the vivid greens of the palm trees and yellow fields in the countryside, to the brightly painted pinks, blues and oranges of the aging buildings and retro cars, there is a different colour in every corner of Cuba, adding to its charm. As a Brit, it is not very often that I experience colours other than green fields, terracotta brick houses or grey skies (though these do change, I promise). It was beautiful to see a vast array of colours, and it’s true, bright colours certainly do increase your happy levels!
3. The Sea
Standing on the white sands of Cayo Santa Maria, after an 8 hour drive through the beautiful agricultural landscape, my goosebumps pricked. I have been to some beautiful beaches over the last 20 years, from Italy to Turkey to Vancouver, but I have never seen something as pure and paradisal as the Carribean sea.
Cuba heightened all of my senses. If I close my eyes I can still smell a cigar, taste Havana Club rum, hear the waves lapping against the shore, and see the most vivid and wonderful colours. But behind the music, colours and smells, there is an incredible history and a culture of genuinely charming and kind people.
“I’d Like to Go to Cuba” – Elian Gonzalez
Holly Stark 
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