Cuba

Life in Havana has only two gears: high and low. Low (languorous, romantic, wistful) is usually reserved for lazing in the sunshine, playing chess in the street or sipping coconut water in the Plaza de la Catedral, the city's main square. Whereas high (flirtatious, excitable, humorous) is carnival, beach life and the genuinely hospitable face that greets tourists as they step off the plane.

The fact that Havana's bars, clubs and theatres often pop up overnight, many in fantastically elegant (if dilapidated) surroundings, only adds to its charm.

Away from the capital, the gear is always low, especially in rustic Trinidad, whose colonial Plaza Mayor rarely sees more action than a lone farmer on horseback crossing the broad expanse of cobblestones.

The many landscapes of Cuba lend themselves well to the adventurous. The fabulous coral reefs, among the largest in the world, are a magnet for snorkellers and divers. At the south end of the island, hikers flock to the spectacular Sierra Maestra, Cuba's highest mountain range. Climbing into the sky, its peaks are a wilderness of mahogany and cedar woods, river gorges and rugged bays.

Will Cuba change after Castro? The answer is an unequivocal yes. So visit it now and see the last of its past.