Brightly colored
bungalows
in pastel shades of pink, turquoise, violet and lime green shine
brightly in the Caribbean sun, a stone's throw from the shallow, warm
sea and powder-like sandy beach. A few windsurfers race across the early
afternoon chop, while a smart sportfishing boat and a large catamaran
bob up and down in the distance. People stroll along the water's edge.
Children play and build sand castles. Two men sit on the beach
sunbathing, drinking cocktails and smoking cigars.
The hotel grounds
have just about everything a person could want in an upmarket beach
resort. Not only are the beautiful rooms adorned with soft, welcoming
decor and private balconies, but there are two large swimming pools,
tennis courts, three bars, four
restaurants, a fully equipped gym and various game and crafts rooms, as
well as an array of available boats and aquatic sports.
It sounds like just about anywhere in the Caribbean. Barbados, St.
Martin and Grand Cayman are just three islands with similar
accommodations. But this is Cuba. For years, the island boasted some of
the most beautiful beaches and clearest seas in the Caribbean, but its
accommodations were third class at best. Today, it's a different
story.
The Spanish hotel group, Sol Meliá, is managing a $25 million, 296-room
resort on the isolated island of Cayo Largo, located about 115 miles
southeast of Havana. Cayo Largo has a history as a beach resort; but it
wasn't until the early 1980s that the first decent hotel was built on
the island. Wealthy Americans before Castro's revolution knew about Cayo
Largo, since they tied up their yachts in its small harbor and spent
long weekends fishing and partying. However, since they left it hasn't
been the same. Until the Sol Club Cayo Largo was built, most of the
hotels on the island were tacky and rundown; it was a sort of Gorky Park
by the sea.
It's the Sol Club Cayo Largo that illustrates the slow but gradual
changes in Cuban tourism, even since our last review of the island in
our June 1999 issue. Whether it's the government itself or foreign
companies like Sol Meliá, someone has finally decided to offer
sophisticated, affluent tourists somewhere to go in Cuba. It's the same
in Havana. Small new restaurants offer good service and interesting food
in a charming atmosphere. Cozy nightclubs and bars deliver some of the
best jazz and Caribbean music this side of Miami. Granted, it's all very
limited still, but it's a beginning. It's also a huge change from the
cheesy, low-budget fare dished out to the hundreds of thousands of
package tourists roaming Cuba in large white-and-red buses.
"It's something," admits Enrique Nunez, the young owner of one of the
best restaurants in Havana, La Guarida. Last year, the Queen of Spain
canceled a state dinner in a government house to take over his funky
restaurant for a private dinner party. From European royalty to
Hollywood stars such as Jack Nicholson, everyone is knocking on his door
to eat at his small restaurant. Nunez isn't making Michelin-starred
cuisine, but his decor and service are defining Havana chic. "The only
problem we have is that there are still only a handful of good hotels,
restaurants and clubs to go to, so they are always full," Nunez says.
"But Havana is definitely coming of age for the sophisticated
traveler."
Nonetheless, the seasoned independent traveler looking for a high level
of comforts is bound to be disappointed with Cuba. Most of its hotels
and restaurants continue to offer substandard accommodations, service
and food. The low-budget approach may be fine for package tourists
looking for some cheap sunshine, but for someone paying three or four
times more per day, the value for the money is just not there. The only
way to really enjoy Cuba is to be choosy--stay in the best hotels, eat at
the best restaurants and visit the best cigar shops, bars and
nightclubs.
Last year, Cuba attracted more than
1.8 million tourists, according to the Cuban government. Just 10 years
ago, that number was only 300,000. Cuba is now the fastest growing
tourist destination in the Caribbean, and for good reason. It remains an
icon for many of the good things in life, from music to history to
cigars. (Yet nearly all of Cuba's hotels and restaurants remain out of
the reach of most Cubans, either due to expense--the average Cuban salary
is less than $25 a month--or because they are declared officially
off-limits to Cubans by the government.)
Despite the political problems between the United States and Cuba, many
Americans are now traveling to the island, many of them illegally.
Official sources say that more than 100,000 Americans visited Cuba last
year.
If a recent flight from Cancún, Mexico, to Havana is any indication,
there will be even more Americans in Cuba this year. The airplane was
full of Americans, from groups of men sneaking over for scuba diving and
deep-sea fishing to churchgoers making a humanitarian visit. Whatever
their reasons, they seemed extremely excited to be seeing Cuba and the
Cubans with their own eyes.
"Cuba represents many things for many visitors," says Nunez. "It's the
music, the history, architecture, people, government, beaches and even
cigars. Maybe it still doesn't really live up to the expectations for
some visitors. But for many it represents a dream."
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