Not to miss

Havana

There is nowhere in the world like Havana. From the resplendent Spanish colonial architecture of the Old Town, to the spectacular dilapidation of Havana Centro, a city of stalwart survivors and masterful musicians rocks indefatigably to the syncopated beat of the rumba.

Bereft of the consumer-driven trappings of other less colourful metropolises, Havana remains characterful, safe, and packed with a plethora of interesting museums. For history buffs there's the living breathing essence of UNESCO-sponsered Havana Vieja; for beach bums there's the sun-splashed tranquility of Playas del Este.

Trinidad

Trinidad was founded in 1514, but remained a backwater haven for smugglers until the late 18th century. This changed in the early 19th century when a slave revolt in Haiti caused French planters to flee to Trinidad, where they re-established their mini-empires.

Trinidad boomed until the Wars of Independence devastated the region's sugar plantations and the town again fell into obscurity. The legacy of this short-lived sugar-boom wealth can be seen in the town's baroque church towers, Carrara marble floors, wrought-iron grills and run-down mansions.

The most impressive of all Trinidad's many museums must be Museo Histórico Municipal. A visit to the Taller Alfarero, a large ceramics workshop where traditional techniques are still used is also worthwhile and you will find some of Cuba's finest beaches just outside Trinidad.

Santiago de Cuba

Santiago de Cuba, the second biggest city in Cuba, is Havana's rival in literature, music and politics, and is regarded as the 'cradle of the revolution' because of the pivotal role it played in overthrowing the Batista regime.

The city overlooks the Bahía de Santiago de Cuba and, unlike other Cuban towns, has a distinct Caribbean flavour due to the influence of French planters and Haitians who settled in the 19th century. The city's character is also due to its isolation from Havana, and its history is just as colourful.

Santiago de Cuba's first mayor was the conquistadore of Mexico, Hernán Cortés. The city houses Cuba's oldest palaces and museums including the Casa de Diego Velázquez and the Museo Municipal Bacardí, and many houses in the area feature intricate ironwork balconies, pointed windows and narrow external staircases. The Cementerio Santa Ifigenia is the final resting place of many famous revolutionaries, including José Martí, whose embalmed body is on display.

Valle de los Ingenios

The ruins of dozens of ingenios (small 19th-century sugar mills), including slave quarters and manor houses, are scattered throughout this valley. The royal palms, waving cane and rolling hills are timelessly beautiful. The prime sight is Manaca Iznaga, an estate purchased in 1795 by the dastardly Pedro Iznaga, who became rich by trafficking in slaves.

La Jungla de Jones

La Jungla de Jones is a rich and verdant botanical garden containing over 80 varieties of tree. The highlight of La Jungla is the aptly named Bamboo Cathedral, an enclosed space surrounded by huge clumps of craning bamboo that only a few strands of sunlight manage to penetrate.

Bisected by a network of shaded trails and punctuated by bamboo, mangoes and Yamagüa, this expansive and recently restored garden once belonged to two American botanists, Helen and Harris Jones who set up the establishment in 1902 with the intention of studying plants and trees from around the world.

Cueva Punta del Este

The Cueva de Punta del Este has been called the 'Sistine Chapel' of Caribbean Indian art. Long before the Spanish conquest (experts estimate around AD 800), Indians painted some 235 pictographs on the walls and ceiling of the cave. The largest has 28 concentric circles of red and black, and the paintings have been interpreted as a solar calendar.

Discovered in 1910, they're considered the most important of their kind in the Caribbean. Smaller, similar paintings can be seen in the Cueva de Ambrosio in Varadero. The long, shadeless white beach nearby is another draw (for you and the mosquitoes - bring insect repellent).

Museo de Ciencias Naturales Sandalio de Noda

The most interesting sight is the Museo de Ciencias Naturales Sandalio de Noda. In a wild, neogothic-meets-Moorish mansion built by local doctor and world traveler Francisco Guasch, this museum (called Palacio de Guasch by locals) has everything from a concrete T-Rex to a stuffed baby giraffe. Come for the flowering garden, architectural details and friendly specialist staff.

Mirador de Bacunayagua

Above the Vía Blanca on the border of Habana and Matanzas Provinces is the Mirador de Bacunayagua, an outlook over Cuba's longest (313m) and highest (100m) bridge. This is one of the best views in Cuba, with densely wooded valley chasms backed by blue waves. All tour buses between Varadero and Habana stop here.