Once frequented by Fidel Castro, Pablo Neruda, Ernest Hemingway and Nat King Cole is popular Havana bar La Bodeguita del Medio. It’s also the home of the Mojito, so you know what you’re ordering even before you sit down. As food goes, it’s traditional fare: rice and beans, pork, and lots of plantains.

Cuba’s beaches truly are paradise: palm trees, white sands and crystal-clear, turquoise-tinged waters. To get away from the tourist throng, head to Playa Pilar – Hemingway’s favourite beach and exactly the paradise you imagine. Plus it’s a good bit quieter than some of the more touristic beaches like that of Cayo Coco, so you can really appreciate the scene without other people’s pesky noise.

Known for its huge number of vintage cars, a show-stopping way to experience the capital is actually by riding in one. Book a tour where, for two hours, you will be driven in a classic 1950s convertible around Havana seeing the major sights such as Anti-Imperialist Plaza and the Plaza de la Revolución. There are even sundowners at the end. #winning

Known in Cuba as ‘casa particular’, staying in someone’s home is a sure-fire way to get to know the real Cuba. They cost sometimes a quarter of what a hotel would, plus you get a homecooked Cuban dinner made for you in the evenings and a genuine taste of Cuban life. The standard of accommodation is often really high, too – for many Cubans this is their sole source of income. You can show up and enquire on the spot once you arrive, but for peace of mind, it’s best to book in advance via Casa Havana Particular.

Depending on how you feel about rice, beans and pork, a cooking course in Cuba might be right up your alley (or not, if you hate all three of those things). Ask in your homestay if they can offer you a cooking course or go with a pre-organised one, such as those where you’ll also learn a bunch of history about this fascinating cuisine.

Get out of Havana and head east to Baracoa in Guantánamo Province, the beautiful, quaint town that might well be Cuba’s oldest. Christopher Columbus landed here in 1492 and today, as the oldest Spanish settlement in Cuba and its first capital, it is jampacked with history, cobbled streets and colourful buildings. It’s a far cry from the busier streets of Havana.