Cuban honeymoon

[AmericasTorturedBrow]

planning our 10yr delayed honeymoon to Cuba next year, likely to be about 10days. Any tips to get me started? Def want to do Havana but what else beyond? A nice beach for 1-2 days would be lovely but also keen on culture sighting, general wandering, active stuff, pref off the usual honeymoon-beaten path (so not Vandera!)

We went to Cayo Coco/Guillermo. Really didn't like it so wouldn't recommend.

Definitely steer clear of Varadero - it's very sterile! Havana is a great base - its a fascinating place which is a bit dilipidated in places but has a lot of character and life. We stayed at the Nacional for 5 days - a hotel built by Al Capone that's had everyone from Frank Sinatra to Kate Moss stay. It's easy from Havana to do day trips (Pinar Del Rio was interesting) and there are some good beaches within a taxi ride. The food in Cuba that we had while cheap was horrible and my friend got food poisoning. Despite that, one of the best places I've ever been - definetely go!!

Agree that you should avoid varadero - sterile a good way to describe it! We also stayed in the Nacional - AMAZING city. Go to vinales for a few days & visit the tobacco farms. It's a great country, people are lovely & lots to see. Wish we'd travelled about more when we were there

I stayed at the Nacional too! Loved it.

And I must be the only one who had a good time in Varadero. The hotel I stayed in was round the corner of two local bars both with bands. It was great. Got to know lots of lovely locals and one gorgeous one taught me the cha cha cha

This is a good site: www.cuba-junky.com/

Just back from ( a week) Cayo Coco/Guillermo and loved it, beach was fab, the sea warm and safe BUT it is quite isolated. A good 7-8 hour drive from Havana but if you don't mind the travel great location.
This time of year be aware that it is the start of hurricane season and we went for 2 weeks, in that time we had 7 whole days (very unusual and unlucky) of solid rain.
During the real 'tourist' season it does get very busy in this area.
The sand flies again at this time of year are bitie little things and no repellant works.
All in all I have travel extensively and I love this place, to the point that we are hopefully going again in December.

thanks all - keep them coming. We're not interested in resort style hotels, but a day or two on the beach wouldn't go amiss (we live on the beach currently but with two rugrats snapping at our heels constantly)

We're open to any time of year at the moment, depends mainly on when we can fly the granparents out to babysit but thanks for the timing tips for def!

eyelash what do you feel you missed out on when you went?

I suppose I feel that wherever I go, ha ha! We only went to Havana, Vinales & Varadero, would love to have travelled about more. No specifics really, but two days on the beach (rather than a week) would have done