Cuba: what documents are needed to go on holiday to Cuba and visit its main tourist attractions, including paradisiacal beaches and cigar shops
Cuba it is the largest island found in the Caribbean Sea, and is bathed on one side by the sea of the same name and on the other by the Atlantic Ocean. Its capital is Havana, a splendid colonial city where the main airport of the island is located. To reach Cuba from Italy it takes approximately 12 flight hours, and probably to save on air fares you need to choose a flight with a stopover. In addition to a passport with a residual validity of at least six months, in some cases you may need a visa to go on holiday in Cuba. In fact, once you arrive in the country you will be issued a tourist visa valid for thirty days, which can be extended for another 30 days. For the extension it is necessary to contact the consular authorities well in advance. Before leaving the island you must pay the exit tax which varies from 22 to 26 euros depending on who requests it, whether the tour operator or the airline. It is possible to obtain the visa and have it delivered to your home by the courier. All you need to do is attach your passport, the outward and return flight booking and a couple of possibly recent color passport photos to the application. In Italy it is possible to go to the General Embassy in Rome or the General Consulate in Milan. The first stop for those going on holiday to Cuba is the capital, Havana.
To see in the city we recommend the Museum of the Revolution, with testimonies of the long revolutionary period, the Morro Castle, the Capitoline Hill, the National Museum of Fine Arts, the Castello de la Real Fuerza, the Finca Vigia museum, the Gran Teatro, the Colonial Cemetery and the Fortaleza de San Carlos. In the city there are many restaurants where you can eat some Creole and Spanish specialties. In the evening there are places open where you can dance and stay up until the first light of the morning. The old part of the city is very beautiful, connected to the reconstruction part by the Malecon which runs along the entire northern fault of the capital. In Cuba, in addition to the main airport which is located near Havana, there are also the airports of Varadero, Santa Clara, Holguin and Camaguey. Varadero it is another famous Cuban tourist resort very popular with foreign tourists and is located in the north-western part of the island. Its most beautiful beach is Playa Azul, blue beach, a beautiful white sand beach overlooking the Caribbean Sea. Its airport connects it to the main urban centers of Cuba.
One of the most beautiful beaches of the entire island is the very famous one of Cayo Largo, which is located on a small island north of Cuba. This island belongs to the archipelago de los Canarreos, which is part of the Republic of Cuba. Fine white sand, the turquoise blue sea and the vegetation that surround it will be the setting for your splendid holiday on Cuban soil. Among the most beautiful naturalistic excursions we recommend the one to Cayo Blanco, an enchanting beach that can be reached by catamaran from the northern coast of Cuba, a wonder of nature. Here you can swim with dolphins in the Delphinarium, a tank in the middle of the sea and do snorkeling among the colorful fish of the Cuban sea. The mangrove forests are green and very dense, but the island is completely uninhabited. In fact, nature reigns supreme in a true tropical paradise. The only structure that stands on the islet is a restaurant where it is possible to eat excellent freshly caught lobsters. One of the most interesting places from a historical point of view to visit during a stay in Cuba is the small town of Vinales, where there is a prehistoric cave that testifies to the presence of man in Cuba since ancient times. It is located on the western end of the island of Cuba, in the middle of a green and uncontaminated valley.
Many beautiful events can be organized from the capital excursions discovering the island. For example, you can go and visit Trinidad and Santa Clara, two picturesque Cuban towns or visit the most beautiful beaches in Cuba. To visit Havana and its surroundings it is also possible to rent a private car to discover the most hidden and interesting places in the city. Anyone who goes to Cuba on holiday cannot fail to visit an artisan shop where the famous cigars are made or go where rum is prepared and taste some excellent ones. It is possible to take home a bottle of rum and a box of cigars, as long as the quantities required by law are respected. Please inform yourself before packing anything that could compromise your exit from the country or the seizure of purchased goods. Cuba is truly magnificent but the best time to visit is the months of January, February and March because during the rainy season hurricanes and torrential rains may occur.
