Insight Guides Explore Cuba (Travel Guide eBook)

Insight Guides

Description

The best routes around the island

Cuba is a country of contradictions: timeworn but still oh-so-cool, where post-communist ideology beats to Afro-Cuban rhythms and strong mojitos. And Cuba is on the brink of big changes. A heady mix of sun-drenched beaches and exhilarating, photogenic streetlife, Cuba is the most mesmerising of Caribbean islands. Be inspired to visit by the brand new Insight Guide Explore Cuba, the ideal pocket companion for your trip: a full-colour guide containing easy-to-follow routes around the island.

Inside Explore Cuba:
Discover the island's unique attractions, from Havana's atmospheric Malec�n waterfront with its parade of old Buicks and Chevrolets to the white-sand dunes of Playa Pilar.
Experience Cuba's extraordinary streetlife and sizzling Afro-Cuban dance and music
Insight's trademark cultural coverage sets the routes in context, with introductions to Cuba's cuisine, entertainment and nightlife, shopping and key historical dates.
Our recommended places to eat and drink are highlighted in each route, with even more suggestions in the directory section, which also contains a wealth of useful practical information including a range of carefully selected accommodation to suit all budgets.
Pull-out map with useful plotted routes.
Evocative photography captures Cuba's dilapidated architecture and eclectic cultural heritage.

Sujets

• Culture of Cuba
• Music of Cuba

Informations

• Publié par: Apa Publications
• Date de parution: 01 décembre 2017
• Nombre de lectures: 2
• EAN13: 9781786718495
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

How To Use This E-Book

This Explore Guide has been produced by the editors of Insight Guides, whose books have set the standard for visual travel guides since 1970. With top- quality photography and authoritative recommendations, these guidebooks bring you the very best routes and itineraries in the world’s most exciting destinations.
Best Routes
The routes in this book provide something to suit all budgets, tastes and trip lengths. As well as covering the destination’s many classic attractions, the itineraries track lesser-known sights. The routes embrace a range of interests, so whether you are an art fan, a gourmet, a history buff or have kids to entertain, you will find an option to suit.
We recommend reading the whole of a route before setting out. This should help you to familiarise yourself with it and enable you to plan where to stop for refreshments – options are shown in the ‘Food and Drink’ box at the end of each tour.
Introduction
The routes are set in context by this introductory section, giving an overview of the destination to set the scene, plus background information on food and drink, shopping and more, while a succinct history timeline highlights the key events over the centuries.
Directory
Also supporting the routes is a Directory chapter, with a clearly organised A–Z of practical information, our pick of where to stay while you are there and select restaurant listings; these eateries complement the more low-key cafés and restaurants that feature within the routes and are intended to offer a wider choice for evening dining. Also included here are some nightlife listings, and our recommendations for books and films about the destination.
Getting around the e-book
In the Table of Contents and throughout this e-book you will see hyperlinked references. Just tap a hyperlink once to skip to the section you would like to read. Practical information and listings are also hyperlinked, so as long as you have an external connection to the internet, you can tap a link to go directly to the website for more information.
Maps
All key attractions and sights mentioned in the text are numbered and cross-referenced to high-quality maps. Wherever you see the reference [map] just tap this to go straight to the related map. You can also double-tap any map for a zoom view.
Images
You’ll find hundreds of beautiful high-resolution images that capture the essence of the destination. Simply double-tap on an image to see it full-screen.
© 2018 Apa Digital (CH) AG and Apa Publications (UK) Ltd





Table of Contents
Recommended Routes For...
Art lovers
Back to nature
Beach enthusiasts
Birdwatching
Escaping the crowds
History buffs
Music lovers
Views
Explore Cuba
Geography and Layout
History
Climate
Population
Local Customs
Politics and Economics
Food and drink
Local Cuisine
Cuban staples
Fruit and desserts
Where to Eat
Eating out
Eating in
Drinks
Cuban rum
Beer and wine
Home-grown coffee
Shopping
Cigars and Rum
Coffee and Cacao
Music and Crafts
Books and Art
Entertainment
Bars and Nightclubs
Cabaret
Jazz
Casa de la Trova
Outdoor Activities
Scuba diving
Fishing
Hiking
Cycling
Baseball
History: Key Dates
Early History
The Spanish Colony
Dictatorship and Revolution
Communism
21st century
Old Havana Sights
The Prado
Parque Central
Plaza de la Catedral
Plaza de Armas
Plaza de San Francisco
Plaza Vieja
Vedado Walking Tour
Cementerio de Colón
Plaza de la Revolución
Universidad de La Habana
La Rampa
Sierra del Rosario
Las Terrazas
Soroa
Viñales
Viñales
West of Viñales
North Coast
North of Viñales
The Zapata Peninsula
Playa Larga
North of Playa Larga
Birdwatching
Around the Bay of Pigs
Playa Girón
Cienfuegos
Parque José Martí
Cayo Loco
Cementerio de Reina
Paseo del Prado
Around Cienfuegos
Castillo de Jagua
Botanical Gardens
Punta Gorda
Trinidad
Plaza Mayor
West of Plaza Mayor
East of Plaza Mayor
Playa Ancón
Topes de Collantes
Trails
Santa Clara
Parque Vidal
North of Parque Vidal
East of Parque Vidal
West of Parque Vidal
Plaza de la Revolución Ernesto Guevara
Remedios and the Cays
Remedios
Plaza Martí
Cayos de la Herradura
Camagüey Walking Tour
Parque Ignacio Agramonte
Plaza del Carmen
Plaza San Juan de Dios
The Riverside
Plaza de la Juventud
Plaza de los Trabajadores
North of the Center
Hiking in the Sierra Maestra
Santo Domingo
La Comandancia de la Plata
Pico Turquino
Santiago de Cuba and the Castillo del Morro
Parque Histórico Abel Santamaría
Plaza de Dolores
Parque Céspedes
Calle Heredia
Padre Pico
Parque Alameda
Cementerio Santa Ifigenia
Castillo del Morro
Baracoa
Baracoa
Parque Independencia
Cueva del Paraíso
Playa Maguana
Excursions
Accommodations
Old Havana
Vedado
Sierra del Rosario (Las Terrazas, Soroa)
Viñales
Zapata Peninsula
Cienfuegos
Trinidad
Santa Clara
Remedios and Cays
Camagüey
Parque Nacional Sierra Maestra (Bayamo & Santo Domingo)
Santiago de Cuba
Baracoa
Restaurants
Old Havana
Vedado
Viñales
Zapata Peninsula
Cienfuegos
Trinidad
Santa Clara
Remedios
Camagüey
Bayamo
Santiago de Cuba
Baracoa
Nightlife
Cabaret
Havana
Santiago de Cuba
Classical and modern dance
Havana
Camagüey
Jazz clubs
Havana
Santiago de Cuba
Music and Dance
Havana
Viñales
Cienfuegos
Trinidad
Santa Clara
Camagüey
Santiago de Cuba
Baracoa
A-Z
A
Addresses
Admission charge
Age restrictions
B
Budgeting for your trip
C
Children
Clothing
Crime and safety
Lost property
Customs regulations
D
Disabled travelers
E
Electricity
Embassies and consulates
Emergencies
Etiquette
F
Festivals
G
Gay and lesbian travelers
H
Health and medical care
Medical services
Health insurance
Hours and holidays
Public holidays
I
Internet
L
Language
M
Media
Newspapers and magazines
Television
Radio
Money
Currency
Changing money
Credit cards
Cash
P
Post
R
Religion
S
Smoking
T
Telephones
Telephone codes
Time zone
Tipping
Toilets
Tourist information
Tours and guides
Transport
Arrival by air
By sea
Getting around
From Havana Airport
By air
By bus
By train
Driving
Private cars & taxis
Cycling
V
Visas and passports
Visas for US citizens
W
Weights and measures
Women travelers
Language
Basic rules
Words and phrases
Getting around
Numbers
Days of the week
Months
Seasons
Shopping
Eating out
Cuban expressions
Books and Film
Books
Non-Fiction
Fiction
Film


Recommended Routes For...




Art lovers
Havana (routes 1 and 2 ) and Camagüey ( route 10 ) have art galleries, studios and street art installations to delight anyone seeking contemporary Cuban art.
Sylvaine Poitau/Apa Publications



Back to nature
Head to the protected forests and mountains of the Sierra Maestra ( route 11 ), Sierra del Rosario ( route 3 ), or Topes de Collantes ( route 7 ) for a tropical natural wonderland.
Shutterstock



Beach enthusiasts
Cuba’s northern cays ( route 9 ) have the best sand, but more intimate beaches are found around Baracoa ( route 13 ) while the Bay of Pigs ( route 5 ) fascinates divers and snorkelers.
iStock



Birdwatching
The Zapata peninsula ( route 5 ) is essential for viewing endemic and migratory birds, while the national bird, the tocororo can be seen in the mountains (routes 3 and 11 ).
iStock



Escaping the crowds
Off the beaten track – visit the Jardín Botánico Soledad outside Cienfuegos ( route 6 ) or hike to Playa Las Gaviotas on Cayo Santa María ( route 9 ), a pristine, undeveloped beach.
Sylvaine Poitau/Apa Publications



History buffs
Cuba’s 500-year history of struggle against oppression is showcased in the museums and plazas of Havana (routes 1 and 2 ), Santa Clara ( route 8 ), Santiago de Cuba ( route 12 ), and Camagüey ( route 10 ).
Sylvaine Poitau/Apa Publications



Music lovers
Cuban music