It’s been nearly 50 years since Americans could enjoy Cuban beaches like the one pictured above near the city of Matanzas, but in recent months momentum has been building to change all that. Orbitz, in particular, has been very active in pushing for change through its Open Cuba campaign, launched in May 2009. More recently (actually this week), top travel industry officials from both countries convened a U.S.-Cuba Travel Summit in Cancun.
Whenever travel to Cuba becomes a reality, you can bet that Matanzas will be a choice destination, and not just for its beautiful beaches and sweet sunsets. Located on Cuba’s north coast, some 60 miles east of Havana, Matanzas boasts a rich Afro-Cuban heritage born of the prominent role the area played in the island’s sugar production during colonial times.