Saddle up and gallop through the scenic sugarcane fields around Trinidad and the Valle de Ingenios…

Canter through the Cuban countryside

Saddle up and gallop through the scenic sugarcane fields around Trinidad and the Valle de Ingenios, or the hills, tobacco fields and valleys of Pinar del Río. At the likes of Rancho La Guabina, adults can try their hand at playing cowboy with lasso lessons, whilst Kids love pony rides offered at bigger Havana parks like Parque Almendares.

Climb Torre de Manaca Iznaga for views over history

Enjoy outstanding views of the Valley of the Sugar Mills from the Torre de Manaca Iznaga – a former slave watchtower by an old plantation house-turned restaurant. At the foot of the structure, the large bell that sounded in warning if a slave tried to escape still lies on the ground – a reminder of a sobering past.

Explore Cuba’s oldest fort, Castillo de la Real Fuerza

Wander around the Castillo de la Real Fuerza and its new shipwreck museum. The oldest of Havana’s three forts is still standing because it was, to all intents and purposes, built in the wrong place.

Explore mountains and caves

Pinar del Río is arguably Cuba’s most beautiful province, and its most outstanding feature must be the mogotes: oddly rounded limestone mountains, covered in lush vegetation. There is beauty below the surface too; the caves here are awash with stalactites and stalagmites, and underground rivers.

Grasp the horror of the Bay of Pigs

Take an emotional journey to the museum at Playa Girón, scene of the US-backed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961. The display includes tanks, aircraft and personal items from the battle’s victims. Far from the Cold War, Playa Girón’s warm waters offer much for scuba divers, with flooded caves, a sea wall and superb visibility.

Meander along the Malecón

Join fishermen, families and couples, and take a stroll along the Malecón, the sea wall that links Old Havana to the western edge of Vedado. Careful though: during high seas and storms, the surf surges over the wall and the boulevard is sometimes closed to traffic as a result.

Seek out the characters of Baracoa

A visit to this lost-in-time corner of Cuba is a must for history and nature buffs. Getting to the quaint seaside town was made feasible only in the 1960s with the construction of La Farola – one of Cuba’s most scenic roads. In isolation, Baracoa led a fantastical, fabled existence. The tall tales and colourful characters still remain today.

Take a plane to paradise, Cayo Largo

This small island off the southern coast was developed exclusively for tourism and boasts Cuba’s most pristine beaches. Accessible only by plane, there is an air of exclusivity to the pure white sands and shimmering cyan seas. Nature enthusiasts will delight as the beaches here are sea turtle nesting areas too.

Take a tour of Capitolio Nacional

Take a tour of the Capitolio in Havana’s centre. Built by a dictator to mimic Washington DC’s Capitol (though the detailing on Havana’s version is finer and structure taller), it housed a puppet parliament until the Revolution. Today it is home to the Cuban Academy of Sciences.

Take a trip back in time at Trinidad

Feel the history in the colonial town of Trinidad. Founded in 1514, time seemingly stood still in the late 19th century and today locals still ride horses down cobbled streets, past houses painted in pastel colours. Elegant mansions are now museums in this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Trek through a tropical paradise Walk in the footsteps of the revolutionary army to Cuba’s highest peak, Pico Turquino (1972m), in the Oriente’s Sierra Maestra range. Other hiking gems include the Sierra del Rosario and Viñales areas of Pinar del Río province, around Baracoa in Guantánamo and the peaceful peaks above the Embalse Hanabanilla reservoir.

Visit the resting place of a revolutionary at Santa Clara

Visit revolutionary Santa Clara, and the monument, museum and mausoleum of Ché Guevara. His body was only returned from Bolivia in 1997, 30 years after his capture and execution. In 1959, he and 300 rebels defeated 3,000 of Batista’s troops here, leading to the dictator’s flight just days later .