Blog

Cuba’s cuisine has been influenced by a blend of civilizations over time. Spain colonized the island after Christopher Columbus discovered it in 1492, and the Spaniards brought the flavors of home and the introduction of African slaves. These two cultures greatly influenced the flavors of Cuba, blending their native techniques and spices with the island’s edible offerings.

InsightCuba caught up with Berit Engstrom, an insightCuba tour leader hailing from Minnesota that has been traveling to Cuba, on and off, since 2007. Berit discusses how her love for Cuba started while on a semester abroad in Havana, her experience in being in a cross-cultural relationship with a Cuban, as well as her thoughts on the current changes in Cuba.

A lesser-known attraction to the world famous Old Havana is to be found in Jaimanitas, at the northwestern edge of the Cuban capital, where Cuban artist José Rodriguez Fuster has built a fantasy world, by the name of Fusterlandia.

What do you picture when you think of Cuba? Most people associate it with the world’s finest cigars, cool rum drinks, vintage cars and lively music. Sports fans know that Cubans love baseball, and if you paid attention in English class, you might remember that Earnest Hemingway wrote sections of “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and “the Old Man and the Sea” from Cuba. But there’s much more to the story of this island than many realize, as revealed by the following facts:

When Jack Nicholson switched from cigarettes to cigars, he purportedly declared, “The only way to break a bad habit was to replace it with a better habit.” Cigars have long held an allure far beyond the Caribbean Islands, but their history begins there. Christopher Columbus and his crew encountered, and enjoyed, tobacco first when they landed the island of Hispaniola, the present-day Dominican Republic.

Travelers often describe visits to Cuba as trips back in time. Although many cities and villages boast centuries-old structures or streets, Cuba's classic cars—on the roads since the early 1950s—make Havana and surrounding areas look as if life came to a full stop more than half a century ago.

Why Do Cuba’s Roadways Have Classic Cars?