Ottawa to Havana Flight Deals

As the largest and arguably most important city in the Caribbean, La Habana is nothing short of electric. Its cobblestone streets are filled with proud Cuban spirit, plumes of Cohiba smoke and the faint sweet smell of rum. Habaneros dance it out to salsa and mambo beats and down a quiet alley, future major leaguers play with sticks for baseball bats, no gloves, barefoot abandon and all the fun in the world.

Once a vacation powerhouse, Havana was the place everyone seemed to go until the U.S. embargo emptied the country of its rich neighbours. Left behind were classic American cars and not much else. The rest of the world still came but the economic damage had already been done, leaving much of the infrastructure in shambles and little else for the warm Cuban people. Still, the will of its citizens persevered, creating new generations in a humble yet proud, self sufficient and innovative society.

While tours of cigar factories and the Havana Rum distillery are highly popular, hanging out for a glimpse of daily life in one of the city's beautiful piazzas can be just as entertaining. Wander through outdoor second-hand book markets or peruse the works of local artists in make-shift galleries to admire the talent on the island. Stroll the Malecon (sea wall) strip for picture-perfect views of the bay, the Prado after supper or snap away all day long in the ultra-photogenic La Habana Vieja (Old Town).

As you relish in the stuck-in-time vibe that Havana lives, one thing will become abundantly clear there is no place like this on Earth. But that soon may all change. With America's renewed interest at forming a relationship with the big island just 90 miles off its coast, Havana and the rest of Cuba is about to get re-discovered, all over again.