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Founded in 1819 by French settlers from Bordeaux and Louisiana on the coast of South-central Cuba, Cienfuegos (literal translation “one hundred fires”) is the only Cuban city with an entirely distinct character and urban layout.

Anyone who has been paying attention to headlines has gathered that travel to Cuba for Americans is getting easier. On August 31^st, the first commercial flight since 1961 between the United States and Cuba landed in the Cuban town of Santa Clara, making history. JetBlue operated the flight, making it the first of half a dozen major carriers to kick off regularly scheduled service between the United States and Cuba.

Cuba, the pearl of the Antilles, is perhaps most renowned for its music, rum, and cigars. Equally deserving, though, are its unique cityscapes. Havana, Cuba’s capital, is known as the Paris of the Caribbean. The city is steeped in history and boasts the best of Cuban architecture, including remnants of the colonial period, classical European-style edifices, art deco homes, 1950’s mobster-run casinos, and giant concrete Soviet structures.

The world has its eye on Cuba this year. The Caribbean island nation of some 11 million inhabitants has been topping news headlines and travel industry must-see lists, and for good reason. With its turquoise waters, unbelievably preserved wildlife habitats, distinctive music, rich history, lively culture, classic cars, and cigars, Cuba is stunning and unique. And with the recent political détente between the Cuban and U.S. governments, Cuba is more accessible to Americans now than it has been in decades.

There is some debate over the exact origins of salsa, but many historians agree that this popular music and dance were born in Cuba. Salsa music is a mish-mash of Latin musical rhythms centered mostly on traditional Cuban son music from the east. The high-energy music and accompanying dance gained its name in New York in the 1960s where son was fused with big band music and jazz, and Cubans and Puerto Ricans living in the big apple transformed the dance accordingly. 

InsightCuba’s Sail Cuba tour offers a unique opportunity to experience a beautiful corner of this tantalizing island in true comfort and style. Over 8 days, passengers aboard the state-of-the-art sail cruiser S/C Panorama II will journey between major highlights of western Cuba, including Havana, Trinidad, Cienfuegos, Caya Largo, a national biosphere reserve, and 3 UNESCO World Heritage sites.