The New York Times has included Cuba in a list of 52 places around the world that the U.S. newspaper recommends travel this year.
The publication notes that travelers can find “sea-sprayed, pastel facades, white-sand beaches and tobacco-rich valleys” and highlights its “tantalizing” proximity to the United States, “though it often feels out of reach.”
We published 52 Places to Go in 2023 today. Here's a thread of the locales that made this year’s list, for your scrolling enjoyment. (If you're at work, maybe keep another tab open in case your boss walks by.) https://t.co/8QNma1zs3N
— New York Times Travel (@nytimestravel) January 12, 2023
In turn, it recalls that last spring “a confluence of factors” prompted the Joe Biden administration to relax the “restrictions” imposed by his predecessor Donald Trump, which make it difficult for U.S. citizens to travel to the Island.
The resumption of flights by American Airlines to other destinations outside of Havana, and the projected increase in the frequency of other airlines is valued by the media as opportunities to get to know the country.
The island ranks 27th on the list of recommendations that includes large cities such as London, Madrid, but also scenic places, chosen considering aspects such as culture, gastronomy, and opportunities to experience the sensation of adventure or natural beauty.
Among the attractions noted by The New York Times is the generosity of the Cuban people and their music, “an omnipresent, joyful soundtrack thrumming through the island’s cities and towns.”
The review written by Lauren Prestileo adds that two years after historic protests that were suppressed, the country is overcoming difficulties, including the damage left by Hurricane Ian. She points out that traveling to Cuba and supporting its people “may never be more valuable.”
It is not the first time that Cuba appears on these lists of recommendations for travelers made by the New York newspaper. In 2016, Viñales Valley also ranked 10th in a 52 destinations list.
