Luxury combo in Cuba: Havana & Varadero

It was nearing dusk when our plane pulled into Cuba, and we were welcomed by the sun lighting up the sky in rich jewel tones. Cuba can be sweltering in the summer (or more simply known by locals as the humid season), but when we arrived in November the balmy evenings and sun soaked days felt just right.

There’s more to do and see in Havana than there were hours in the day – as ever with Cuba its capital is also full of contradictions, a town that feels sleepy under the gaze of the sun yet alive with colour and animated chatter. A guided tour organised by the hotel took us through the narrow streets and past both infamous monuments and the more candid, candy coloured houses Havana is famed for. It was all too soon that we bid farewell to Havana – but the best was yet to come as we arrived in Varadero!

The term “tropical paradise” tends to get thrown around a lot, but for Varadero it almost doesn’t quite do it justice. Everything that springs to mind when you dream of Caribbean bliss – leafy palms, white beaches, brightly coloured boats on gently rolling cyan waves – comes alive here in Varadero. Although my personal recommendation, as always, is to lounge idly in the unlimited comfort of the hotel’s five star luxury, there is no end to the activities the resort offers, from good old fashioned tennis to water sports that would whet even the most ardent adventurer’s appetite. So sit back, relax, and let the Cuba de Luxe tour spoil you rotten!