Cayo Levisa

For total peace and quiet consider a few nights in a bungalow on Cayo Levisa, one of the tiny islands just off the north east coast of Cuba. One or two boats a day leave for them and so few people stay the night that you feel you have them to yourself. There’s a tiny shop, a single restaurant and miles of empty beaches.

Nature lovers love Cuba. Nearly two dozen species of birds are unique to the island, for example, while waves of migrating birds stop over in season. The area around La Moka, in the Sierra del Rosario is a UNESCO biosphere reserve where you can end an amazing hike with a swim in a clear rock pool just beneath a waterfall.