CRUISE into Cuba for Caribbean paradise, exotic haunts and a cocktail or two says ANDREW FRASER

Breathtakingly  beautiful, fascinating and bursting with sunshine and music – the Caribbean island of Cuba is unlike any other place on earth.

Stuck in what appears as a time warp Cuba, still a socialist state, remains resolutely different to its Caribbean and American neighbours. Highways remain billboard-ad-free, violent crime is rare, and it’s devoid of American brands. Head to the capital Havana, with its crumbling mansions and vintage cadillacs to sip an ice-cold Mojito in one of writer Ernest Hemingway’s favourite watering holes. Or perhaps you’d prefer to pick a pristine beach? Views are as unspoiled as the days when Christopher Columbus landed here and declared it the most beautiful place on earth.

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WHERE SHOULD I STAY?
The genius of Cuba is that it’s both the perfect getaway for a sip-a-cocktail and do nothing holiday or for a real travel adventure if you prefer to explore the country’s culture. OK! plumped for a mix of both on a twin-centred holiday.

Out in the sleepy north-east coast of the island, lies the all-inclusive Paradisus Rio de Oro resort, about a 90-minute flight from Havana, where you can be treated like royalty for a week. Even the smallest suites at this five-star resort, set amid mature gardens with swaying palm trees, trickling fountains and stone pathways, feel huge. And although it’s a modern 300-room hotel with six restaurants, there are many traditional Cuban touches like the wooden-framed four-poster beds.

Honeymooners will love the gorgeous beachside pink and pale yellow-hued villas, the hammocks for lazy afternoons and the private outdoor showers.

And for those who wish to get married, you can take a horse-drawn carriage to the idyllic white gazebo that sits on the end of a wooden pier hovering over the turquoise blue ocean.

WHAT CAN I DO?
If you can bear to leave your sunlounger by one of the two pools, one of which has a swim-up bar, the hotel offers bicycles, horse riding, tennis and – from the private beach – you can take out water bikes, hobby cats and catamarans.

Prefer a pampering experience? The Paradisus offers a first class spa featuring such sweet-smelling delights as a roast coffee massage or an exfoliating chocolate and milk treatment.

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WHAT CAN I SEE?
Want to take in some authentic sights and smells? Then visit Santiago de Cuba, the island’s second largest city. After the calm of the Paradisus, historic Santiago, cradle of the Cuban revolution, could be something of a chaotic culture shock – but it’s a fascinating place, with a more exotic and tropical flavour than Havana. Or you could visit the delightful and slower-paced city of Holguin nearby.

If it has always been your dream to swim with dolphins then make sure you include a day trip to the nearby dolphinarium at the Bay of Naranjo Nature Park in your itinerary –OK! loved these bottlenosed beauties.

Our favourite excursion was, however, a catamaran cruise to Cayo Saetia, a tropical cay with white sands and emerald green sea. There’s also, bizarrely, an African style safari park there replete with wild horses zebras, buffalos and antelopes. Go figure!

WHERE CAN I STAY IN HAVANA?
Visiting the island’s half-dilapidated, half-exquisite capital Havana, packed with spluttering Cadillacs and salsa beats, is a mesmerising experience. It’s arguably one of the best-preserved Spanish colonial cities in Latin America.

Most visitors head straight to the UNESCO heritage-listed La Habana Vieja (Old Havana), for its cathedral, baroque churches and museums, grand squares, the botanical gardens and the old harbour’s medieval fortress.

There is no better spot from which to gawp at Havana’s cityscape – such as the Opera House and Partagas Cigar factory, than from the poolside Mirador bar on the rooftop at the Saratoga Hotel (www.hotel-saratoga.com) in Old Havana. Overlooking Cuba’s Capitol building – a replica of Washington DC’s Capitol – the five-star Saratoga is a wonderfully refurbished Spanish colonial pearl.

Behind its neoclassical façade, the modern interiors of this 96-room hotel are stylishly sleek. Sip a signature daiquiri at the hotel’s opulent bar or enjoy Cuban cuisine at the Anacaona restaurant. 

WHAT CAN I EAT?
Communism and food shortages have left Cuba’s restaurant scene somewhat crushed but you can still tuck into some splendid Caribbean home cooking thanks to legalised restaurants (paradors) in private homes and some excellent hotel restaurants.

Centuries of Spanish immigrants have brought traditional recipes with them to Cuba, such as the country’s popular national dish, Ropa Vieja. It resembles a hearty stew, using shredded beef, pork or chicken in a rich sauce – usually served alongside black beans and fried bananas.

One of the best places to sample it is also one of Havana’s most historic spots, La Bodeguita del Medio, a favourite spot of Ernest Hemingway who fell in love with Havana in the ’50s. Little seems to have changed since then and you are sure to be serenaded by a Cuban chanteuse as you sip one of their famous Mojitos.

OK!’s best meal was at the romantic El Ajibe in the city’s upmarket Miramar district. Order roast chicken, slow-roasted in a secret marinade rumoured to include bitter orange and champagne.

WHERE CAN I SPOT THE STARS?
You can see lots of celebrity faces who’ve passed through the bar, plastered across the walls of Havana’s La Bodeguita Del Medio – and chances are, if a passing A-lister is in town, he will while away a few hours either here or at El Ajibe.

Back in the ’50s heyday, the Hotel Nacional was the place to be seen in – with Winston Churchill, Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner all guests. Likewise the famed Floridita bar and the legendary Tropicana cabaret in Havana were, and still are, places to spot stars.

Present day Cuba fans include Jodie Foster, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Leonardo DiCaprio, Stephen Spielberg, Danny Glover and Jack Nicholson.

HOW CAN I GET THERE?
Thomson (0871 231 5595) offers all-inclusive holidays including flights and transfers staying one night at the Playa Pesquero, Guardalavaca, three nights at the Saratoga, Havana and ten nights at the Paradisus Rio de Oro, Guardalavaca, from £1,876pp based on two sharing. This price, based on a May 31 2010 departure, includes all taxes and charges.

A seven-night all-inclusive package including flights and transfers, staying at the Paradisus Rio de Oro, Guardalavaca, costs from £1,089pp. Price includes all taxes and is based on two sharing and departures on May 17 2010.