Changes are afoot in Cuba, and while is can be maddeningly frustrating, it's also a country of indefinable magic, says Tim Wellock

Now is the time to visit Cuba. That's the verdict of those who fear the island will emerge rapidly from its timewarp with the improvement of US relations. An influx of American tourists will increase prices, they say, and with wealth will come modernisation and a dilution of Cuba's unique character.

So what is the essence of Cuba? The music-loving, salsa-dancing, cigar-smoking, joy-riding tradition has somehow survived Castro's communism. Images of Fidel and Che Guevara are everywhere.

The transition could have been epitomised by shiny Chevrolets and Cadillacs making way for lacklustre Ladas, and the Spanish colonial grandeur of the city centres being surrounded by blocks of ugly flats.

It could have been “Bye bye Miss American Pie”, except that the music didn't die in Cuba and you don't need to sample the nightlife to appreciate that. Lunch in Old Havana will be accompanied by the strains of a live band just along the street.

A holiday in Cuba can vary from a week in an all-inclusive beach resort to a voyage of discovery along the 800 miles from Vinales to Baracao. The bustle of Havana would combine well with the rustic beauty of Vinales to provide a microcosm of the island. But it would be a shame to miss Trinidad, which has everything.

There are beaches just to the south, mountains to the north, majestic buildings around colonial squares in a compact, lively town with several museums, craft markets and good restaurants.

We wandered into the Grand Hotel for a drink. It was all marble floors and chandeliers, but the drinks were reasonably priced, which only added to the shock of discovering that the walk-up rate for a double room was £400 a night. The tour groups will not be paying that, but it might be indicative of American influence, which thankfully has not permeated to the casa particulares in which we were staying.

We met Canadians and Europeans paying an average of £25 a night for an en suite double room in these private homes, where breakfast is an extra £4 and provides heaps of fresh fruit, a jugful of juice, eggs, fresh bread, cheese, jam or honey, coffee and pastries. Often it was served al fresco under a cloudless sky. The rooms were spotless, the showers had hot water and the hosts couldn't do enough for us, including ringing ahead to make or confirm bookings. They also provide a substantial evening meal, usually excellent, at around £8, although the fact that Cuban cuisine now embraces more than rice and black beans meant it was always a pleasure to dine out. Fish lovers are well catered for, with lobster readily available at around £12. The drinkable wine is imported, but local beers like Bucanero are very quaffable and rum-based cocktails like mojitos are a speciality.

The temperature in Havana was bearable, which was just as well as you could spend all day wandering the quaint streets of the old town then promenading the three miles along the malecon to the high-rise newer sector known as Vedado. Although it sits alongside a six-lane highway, with its stream of Chevys and horse-drawn taxis, the malecon offers a pleasant stroll – as long as you avoid the breakers coming over the sea-wall.

In Vinales rows of casas have sprung up to cater for tourists who come for the scenery and trekking, on foot or horseback. Sitting out the back of a restaurant for a sundowner offered a perfect scene of tranquil rusticity. Egrets kept a couple of tethered bullocks company and a young pig snuffled around, scratching itself on an old oil drum and prompting a swift exit from the startled hen inside. Hens, and cockerels, are everywhere and it was on a refreshment stop during our delightful guided walk at Vinales that we discovered hens are very partial to coconut.

We took a shared taxi for the six-hour trip from Vinales to Trinidad. These “collectivos” go door-to-door, so are not much more expensive than a bus journey with a taxi fare at either end. We reverted to the bus, breaking the journey with an overnight stop in the lovely city of Camaguey, for the lengthy jaunt to Santiago de Cuba, the second largest city highlighted by its beautiful cathedral.

This was Castro's base and busloads were still arriving to view his grave, with the simple inscription “Fidel” on a plain boulder, which was reassuring given that the rest of the cemetery reeked incongruously of opulence. It was said of Castro that he got it right with education, health and sport but forgot about breakfast, dinner and tea. Whatever his legacy, the people seem content and friendly. Safety is not an issue.

If things are changing, perhaps they need to. It was not so much that our battered Lada taxis twice needed to be bump-started that was worrying as the amount of filthy fumes spewed out, particularly by old lorries. The buses were comfortable enough, although they didn't live up to their reputation for punctuality and the toilet was always out of order. Trains are unreliable, car hire is expensive and fraught with risk, but flying between Havana and Santiago or Baracao is an option.

There will be frustrations, but whichever way you travel, it's an unforgettable experience.

  • Tim Wellock took a £450 Thomas Cook flight from Manchester to Holguin in south-east Cuba. This is mainly for the all-inclusive beach resorts, from £805 for two weeks. The first night was spent at La Roca Holguinera, where the host, Daniel, offered to arrange all other accommodation. He proved very efficient and reliable and can be emailed on: cl8dbv@frcuba.co.cu. Further information is also available from the Cuba Tourist Board on tourism@travel2cuba.co.uk.