Cuba~ Havana Highlights

We love to travel and going places we've never been is our goal over the next few years.  

For some reason, I have always been fascinated with Cuba.  A few years ago, I saw some pictures from a friend's cruise to Cuba and I was smitten.  The classic cars, the colorful buildings, it just looked like a cool place to see.  Fast forward to spring break in March and we were looking for somewhere to visit in just a few days that would be somewhere new from our list.  Our oldest daughter was off on a school trip, so with just four of us and five days, it was the perfect short trip.  Being that it was Cuba, the easiest way we figured to see it was on a cruise.  A cruise takes care of all your paperwork for entry to the country.  In order to go to Cuba, it needs to be an educational visit and excursions to shore count.  

Cuba, The Authentic One

We decided on Royal Caribbean due mostly to the destination and the timing.  The ship was an older one in the fleet, but was clean and updated with amenities.  There was a lot of things for our kids (14 & 8) to do including a sports court, arcade, rock climbing wall, and pool.  With a short cruise as this, there was enough to do without visiting the Kid or Teen Club, but those were available.  We had 1 day at sea, 1 stop at Key West, and then 2 days (1 overnight) in Havana, Cuba.  

While on shore, we participated in a 4- hour guided walking tour.  It was the perfect way to see the city and get a feel for the culture and hit the highlights.  Our guide was lovely and gave us lots of insight into the history of the island.  The other tour we did was a classic cars tour.  This is a must- do while visiting Cuba.  There are over 60,000 classic American cars and they are everywhere.  Perfectly restored and ready for an extended tour of the city and its surrounding highlights.  This was a nice break for our legs and fun for our kids who wanted to know where the seatbelts were in the back seat. (There were none!) Our second day consisted of shopping and exploring on our own.  We found an indoor market with booths from local artists that we spent quite a lot of time in.  

Sights Around Cuba

What I enjoyed most about Cuba was the authenticity.  There is not one chain anything. No chain restaurants, stores, or coffee shop.  Everything is just as it was 50 years ago.  All local and authentic. You could see that the people were proud of their culture and heritage. 

It was an amazing adventure!  You should definitely add this trip to your bucket list.  We were on the 5- Night Keywest Havana Holiday via Royal Caribbean 

XO,