CUBA.HavanaViñales.Trinidad..Las Terrazas55Essentials Climate Semi-tropical; dry, cooler and less humid season November?April. Rainy season May?November.Festivals International Jazz Festival early December (Havana). Travelling from UK Time difference (GMT) -5hrs Travel time 10hrs Highlights of Cuba 13 days, 11 nightsHavana 2 nights, Viñales 2n, La Moka 2n, Havana 1n, Trinidad 3n, Havana 1n.Day 1 Fly from the UK, arriving Havana the same evening. Private transport to your hotel in the lively historic centre. Day 2 At leisure to wander, or take a nostalgic 1950s American classic car/taxi ride around the city. Day 3&4 Drive through rural Cuba to Viñales, a small town set in a stunning, Jurassic landscape of serene valleys and weirdly shaped rock monoliths. This fairy-tale landscape makes a good base for horse-riding, mountain-biking or day walks. Days 5-7 Drive to La Moka Ecolodge (p56) a lovely countryside hotel close to the village of Las Terrazas, a purpose-built eco-friendly community. Mock-colonial buildings are interlaced with exuberant, bird-filled vegetation. There is a pool, canopy zip-line and an opportunity to ramble. Return to Havana for one night. Days 8-10 By road to Trinidad (p58), a beautifully preserved colonial town (UNESCO World Heritage Site) set in some of Cuba's loveliest scenery, backed by shadowy green hills and surrounded by sugar and tobacco plantations. Plenty of time to explore, and a white- sand beach is just a short taxi-ride away. Day 11 Private transport to Havana. Day 12 Return to the UK, arriving day 13. Prices from £869pp based on two sharing, excluding transatlantic flights. Daily from the UK 5santiago and the eastCuba's second city and port is the eastern hub of Cuba's railway, and rivals Havana for its cultural diversity and dynamism. Close by are the forested hills of the Sierra Maestra, where Castro plotted revolution.020 8747 8315 / journeylatinamerica.co.uk bookings, consultant advice and additional information how about?» Some time on the beach?over the mountains from Trinidad (p58) lies an archipelago of coral cayes where you can stay with your family, in an inclusive resort or at a boutique hotel. We saw beautiful architecture, parks, beaches etc but really it was the experience of meeting ordinary Cubans and soaking up the history, politics, culture and music that bowled me over. JB, Sale50 Miles100 KMJAMIE MARSHALL / TRIBALEYE.COMG MAGNANHAITIDOMINICAN REPUBLIC

SARAH BEARDHavana and the westHavana is one of Latin America's most evocative cities. Linger to explore the crumbling alleys and its many restored public buildings. The province of Pinar del Rio to the west is fertile and picturesque, with a spine of rugged mountains dividing coastal plains. In and around sleepy colonial towns such as Viñales you can dine with a local family; a memorable experience. Explore the forests, caves, rivers and limestone mogotes? lofty cylindrical rocks studding the valley bottoms. Tobacco for Cuba's finest cigars is grown here. The coast is marshy but small coral islets are fringed with white sand and there are some isolated hotels serving them.For a quiet stay in pretty countryside werecommend La Moka Ecolodge, which sits on a hillside in the Sierra del Rosario Reserve. The park is the main centre for ecotourism within Cuba. The lodge and its grounds complement the surroundings rather than dominate them?a tree grows up through the lobby and its branches disappear through the roof. There are artificial and natural pools for swimming and nature trails for hikes and bird watching.Hotel María La Gorda is a modest property of wooden bungalows on the remote western Peninsula de Guanahacabibes with excellent diving opportunities among reefs and wrecks. You can hike the fossil coastline; there are caves, woodland and mangroves to explore, with many species of mammals, birds and reptiles in residence. For a day trip from Viñales to the coast you might visit Cayo Levisa, a coral caye of powdery sands backed by mangroves alive with wildlife. Swim, snorkel or kick off your sandals and stretch out on the beach.56 Cuba