End of Year trip to Cuba Question

[El Presidente]

Many thanks! Will review your recommendations, see how they fit into flights to and from Oz....and Book 

[hedgeybaby]

My wife is from Puerto Rico and we spent our honeymoon camping on the beach in Culebra - beautiful. Puerto Rico is a fantastic place with the advantage of a varied country side. Wonderful beaches and a rainforest. Old San Juan is amazing, with lots of bars, street art etc. but then you can get away from it all by taking the ferry to Culebra.

I can't wait to go back.

[Mycroft]

Off topic but why not check out eastern Cuba. Far from the world of cigars. My suggestion : Fly to Holguin and rent a car. . Gardalavaca is just down the road. There is a small 4 room hotel past the row of all inclusives, with fantastic black market lobster in the fishing village meters away. Drive up the coast to Baracoa . Before you get there is a fantastic wild beach with a small hotel. Baracoa  is great with good Casas and a hotel on top of the hill. Drive over the Sierra to Guantanamo. On the way are small isolated pebble beaches. Then to Santago - some great little traditional music venues. The coast west from Santago is stunning and isolated. Black sand beaches. At the end of the coast are some laid back towns. Then across the island back to Holguin. Need about a week and you won't forget it.