Cuba has only one 18-hole golf course, El Varadero Golf Club located in Varadero, a spit of land northeast of Havana that juts out into the Atlantic for 22 Km (13.5 miles). And that says a lot about the country.

Of course, you don’t go to Cuba just for the one golf course, but Varadero is Cuba’s primary tourist destination, 120 kilometers (75 miles) from downtown Havana and with a series of all-inclusive hotels stretching along a glorious beachfront. With tourism the country’s primary industry, golf is one way to bring in tourists to a nation starving for international hard currency. In fact, the island nation is embarking on a series of new golf course construction over the next few years throughout the country.    

The Varadero Golf Club caters almost exclusively to the hotels located along the resort strip that include Breezes SuperClubs, LTI Tuxpan, Bella Costa, Meliá Las Américas, Golf & Suites Resort, Meliá Varadero, Sol Club Palmeras, and Sol Club Sirenas. And all of these all-inclusives have one thing in common; they offer fine accommodations with tours into Havana.

If you’re with your family and concerned about getting good accommodation in a country you know little about, yet want to explore the pleasures of Havana, Varadero is a great option.

In the city itself, there’s a variety of excellent four and five star hotels that rival hotels anywhere in the Caribbean. One of Havana’s most famous is the Ambos Mundos Hotel, where author Ernest Hemmingway would stay when in the city. It was there that he wrote the first chapters of his novel, For Whom the Bell Tolls and the writer's room, 551, has been preserved with Hemmingway mementos. Even if you don’t stay here, the rooftop restaurant terrace provides one of the best views of many of the city’s historical sites.   

The US embargo of Cuba will not last forever. And once it is lifted US residents will have easy access to one of the western hemisphere’s most historical destinations. Currently, US citizens going to Cuba without permission from the State Department have to enter through a third country such as flying from Canada or Mexico. Cuba doesn’t stamp passports when entering the country, simply placing entry stickers that are then removed when you leave.

Havana is a mesmerizing blend of history and modern life. Old Havana was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 and it mainly comprises the ancient walled area, although it also includes the system of colonial fortresses. In recent years there has been painstaking restoration work on streets, fortresses, squares and buildings, often contrasting with other parts of the city that have been neglected over the years.

And, yes, those stories you’ve heard about Cuban cars are true. Cubans must be the most remarkable mechanics on the face of the earth. Where else can you find a transmission from an old Dodge, placed in a 1955 Desoto that runs on a converted Volkswagen engine?  

While Havana is nowhere near the “sin city” of its pre-Castro past, it is still an exciting place that has a vibrant nightlife. And if that’s what you want, you’ll find it here. Havana is a safe city, especially in the downtown area, and you can feel comfortable walking between restaurants, nightclubs and your hotel. Tropicana Cabaret is hugely popular in Havana, and the cabaret show offers a spectacle of lights, costumes and high-energy entertainment. Nightly presentations are held on an open air amphitheater, where hundreds of dancers perform the dance routines.    

But, the accent on being in Havana is its history. From early in the sixteenth century, armed fleets of galleons were sent from Seville to the Spanish Main to collect silver, gold emeralds, indigo, tobacco and other exotic treasures from the New World. It was natural that Havana became the focal point of the Spanish empire in the Americas. And fortifications were built around the city and harbor to protect that empire.
 
The Tres Reyes Del Morro Castle is located at the entrance of Havana bay and was build between 1589 and 1610, it was considered unassailable until it was taken by the British in 1762. In the 19th century a lighthouse was built in the complex at the entrance to the port and helps to guide sailors in. Today, it forms part of the Morro-Cabana Historic Military Park, a complex that offers visitors the opportunity to tour five centuries of Havana’s history of pirate attacks and assault by the British armada – all of which are well preserved.

At nine o'clock every evening, there’s a ceremony of firing of the Canon (Canonazo), an ancient ritual in which the shot signaled closure of the city gates, raising a chain across the mouth of Havana Bay.

When you go through the central part of the city, you’re struck by the architecture, a style known as tropical baroque, which is essentially, a combination of columns and arches -   design influences from Southern Spain combined with Cuban building materials such as mahogany, cedar, coral and limestone.

But you don’t have to be knowledgeable in things architectural to enjoy wandering through the narrow streets and alleyways of the old city, stopping in the small shops, watching the creation of Cuban cigars, and even taking a ride in one of those neat open-aired yellow bubble taxis that are a great way for getting around Havana.  
 
If you prefer staying in Varadero, taking one and two day side trips into Havana, there’s a pleasant way to enjoy the golf course even if you don’t play the game. The clubhouse is the magnificent Xanadu Mansion, former residence to multimillionaire Irenée Dupont de Nemours. It has been refurbished to its original construction in 1930. Go upstairs to the Casa Blanca Panoramic Bar for cocktails and live music and a great view of the beach.  

Better yet, try staying in one of the six luxury rooms that are available for rent. The pro shop is located in the bottom of the building. But ask to take a side trip inside the building proper. It’s a wonderful example of grand living.

In 1932 Dupont installed the largest privately owned organ in all of Latin America, in the basement and two shafts carried the music to the mirador and the lobby, without inconveniencing the guests in their rooms.  Exotic woods were brought from Santiago de Cuba for the ceilings, stair rails and columns, while the floors and bathrooms were done in Cuban, Italian and Spanish marble.

Like Havana itself, it’s a pleasant trip into the past, to a time that exists only in its architecture but is still a part of today’s Cuba.