25 Reasons To Visit Cuba on Your Gap Year

Just In Case You Need Any More Reason Other Than That It’s Awesome

Cuba is a little island in the Carribbean, which is actually one of the largest. It’s well known for its colourful houses, rum and cigar industries and for being a favourite for all-inclusive lovers worldwide. I want to change the way people think of Cuba though. Spending a fortnight up in Vedado cruising the huge hotels is not the way to see it, check out my guide to backpacking round Cuba and you’ll soon see that between Havana, Trinidad, Cienfuegos and Playa Ancon there is a huge amount to see and do if you decide to visit on your gap year. So here goes just 25 out of the millions of reasons you should visit Cuba on your year out.

1. The buildings really are as colourful and photogenic as the photos make out

2. The peninsula of Playa Ancon is lush and beautiful and well worth a visit

3. They do things differently over there

4. The beaches are beautiful and relatively quiet

5. You can take a boat trip out fishing

6. Blue seas and white beaches, stunning

7. If the mojitos here are good enough for Pulitzer Prize winner Hemingway, they’re good enough for you

8. Stunning architecture at every turn

9. The evening parties on the Malecon are crazy fun, a great place to hang out in the day too

10. Daiquiris at The Nacional – a popular hotel in Hemingway’s books and financed by the Mafia

11. Everyone drinks bottles of Havana Club Rum on the beaches, it’s awesome

12. To visit Trinidad – a quaint town full of life

13. To get photos of cars and taxi drivers like this

14. To drink the local Cristal beer on the Malecon at sunset

15. To sit on roof terraces in Havana and look over the city

16. To eat the cheapest and tastiest lobster money can buy

17. To capture traditional scenes like this

18. To visit Hemingway’s House 30 minutes from Havana

19. To drink huge daiquiris in El Tranvia to escape the heat in Cienfuegos

20. To see how cigars are made in Partegas, and get an all important pic smoking one

21. To stay in a super cheap and awesome Casa Particular – a local’s home

22. To drive around Revolution Square in one of these

23. To get dropped off at the beach in a pink Cadillac

24. To listen to a band play Buena Vista Social Club’s Chan Chan, on repeat

25. To watch the sun go down on another awesome day in Cuba

Click to find out more about taking a gap year in Cuba.