Reading Time: 4 minutes Leaving Edinburgh on a cold, grey November day it was wonderful to arrive at Nice airport in full sunshine just 3 hours later.  A further 20 minute by taxi, with Javier my driver regaling me with stories about his latest rondonee hiking route in the nearby Alpes Maritimes, I was dropped off in the heart of Old Antibes. The main purpose of my trip was to visit the French school we have worked with in Antibes for many years, but also to reacquaint myself with just what makes this picturesque area so special. So what to do in Antibes? Here are our top 5 activities: Le ..read more

Reading Time: 4 minutes The Ruta del Cafe is an initiative launched in Oriente, the eastern province of Cuba, to promote the heritage of coffee production in the region. Coffee growing, production and exporting have been a  key feature of the Oriente region of Cuba for almost 200 years.  When Haitian independence was declared in the wake of the French Revolution, French coffee plantation owners fled to this southeastern corner of the island with their slaves. Over 600 coffee farms were set up in this region as well as in other mountainous areas of Cuba.   Santiago de Cuba w ..read more

Reading Time: 2 minutes A Tribute to Idalberto Bandera Sido Idalberto Bandera Sido has recently retired from being the director and driving force behind Ballet Folklorico Cutumba in Santiago de Cuba. He  started his professional career as a dancer with the Folklorico de Oriente in 1976 and then joined Ballet Folklorico Cutumba. He received First Dancer status with Cutumba some years afterwards and was  also trained as a specialist teacher in Afro-Haitian-Cuban dance. Idalberto was nicknamed ‘The Hurricane’ for his intense energy and vitality when performing live and this characterist ..read more

Reading Time: 6 minutes My family comes from Havana, so I know it very well. I spent a lot of my childhood there and a large part of it feels like home. It is charming and a classic capital city, stereotypically busy and bustling with motorbikes, the most common form of available transport for locals. It is not unusual to see someone carrying a large shopping bag balanced on top of their knees and a highly coloured iced cake in one hand, whilst the motorbike driver orienteers his way round potholes, people and vintage Pontiacs. Classic cars are everywhere in Cuba, and I can recall one of my t ..read more

Reading Time: 3 minutes What are the 5 top things to do in Baracoa? It is hard to choose as this small coastal town has something to suit everyone, particularly those who love nature, good food and beautiful pristine beaches. Here are our top 5 things to do in Baracoa: 1.Hike up El Yunque ‘El Yunque’ is Spanish for anvil, and when you look at the shape of this mountain it becomes clear why it has this name. The 545m high mountain just inland from the city is easily seen from all around Baracoa and it is well worth climbing for the wonderful panoramic views from the top over the lush countrysi ..read more

Reading Time: 7 minutes My name is Mara and I joined the Caledonia team at the beginning of March, 2023. I found the recruitment ad for the role of travel coordinator earlier in the year, and every question was one that resonated with me. Have you been to Cuba? Yes. Do you speak Spanish? Yes. Are you based in Leith? Yes. I read down the list and my eyes kept growing wider. Having worked in hospitality for what I would call too long, I had set myself the New Year’s resolution of finding a new job, and not only am I proud to say I accomplished that in the first few months of the year, but I als ..read more

Reading Time: 3 minutes The Pepe Sánchez Festival de la Trova is celebrated every year in Santiago de Cuba from 15-20 March 15th till March 20th.  José ¨Pepe¨ Sánchez, recognised as the father of troubadour song in Cuba, was born on 19th March 1856 and this is the reason that the festival has his name. It is also the reason why the Day of the Cuban Troubador is celebrated on March 19th each year. Pepe Sánchez was a tailor and then started in business as co-owner of a copper mine and with no formal training in music he became famous as a talented musician, composer and singer. Trova is on ..read more

Reading Time: 2 minutes After over two years of being on hold, our popular small group Cuba dance holidays are back!  For 2023, we are delighted to confirm the following dates: 12-26 Feb; 12-26 March; 16-30 April*; 7-21 May; 25 June–9 July ; 5-19 Nov; 26 Nov-10 Dec; 24 Dec 2022 – 07 Jan 2023 *special FIDANZ trip (see below) Each holiday will include the following: 27 hours of dance lessons with your own Cuban dance partner 3 hours of group masterclasses in percussion or dance styling 14 nights selected homestay accommodation, single room, breakfast and dinner (NO single supplement) 1 full ..read more

Reading Time: 3 minutes After over 20 months of waiting patiently for travel to be resumed again, we are delighted to confirm that Cuba is officially welcoming international travellers back to the island from today, 15 November 2021. Thanks to the advancement of the vaccination process, 70% of the Cuban population is now fully vaccinated, and over 90% has had at least one dose of one of the Cuban vaccines. Cuban children are also being vaccinated and they are gradually returning to schools and universities after so long studying from home. All services in the country, including cultural activi ..read more

Reading Time: 2 minutes Good news!  With Cuba opening up for tourism from November and off the UK travel red list since last week, it is all very encouraging for international travel after such a long period.  Although Cuba has stated 15 November as the date for tourism to resume on the island, it is expected that this will be a gradual  process, with the initial focus on the main beach resorts such as Varadero, the Cayos and Havana.  Live music venues, domestic travel providers, shops, bars and restaurants all around Cuba will also all be opening up from mid November, so i ..read more