For a small country, Cuba has a very large soul. It’s all owing to a culture, which is rich, vibrant and immensely varied. At the island’s heart are the Cubans, brought there by the trade winds from all corners of the earth to forge a new people. Amerindian Taino, Spanish, African, French, Asian and English ways of life took root in Cuba, but in the mixing of the cultures became something new and utterly distinct. The search for the essence of Cuba is perhaps what drives the vital cultural tradition there.

The island’s location at the crossroads of the Caribbean attracted waves of immigrants, whose influence lives on in the country’s visual arts, architecture, literature, dance and music, not to mention the passion for sports and the ritual of Cuban coffee. Cuban art graces the finest galleries both locally and abroad; Cuban writers have shaped the development of Latin-Caribbean literature; historic architecture is celebrated with UNESCO support; Cuban music and dance is renowned the world over. Here is a country where a baseball game, classical concert or the ballet are considered a right of the people, and the price of admission is accessible to all.