Half-hourly English-language tours at Cuba's oldest cigar factory offer a fascinating insight into the creation of some of the worlds most prized cigars. Spread across several open-plan workshops – in which workers are read to from a newspaper – and strewn with bales of tobacco leaves, wooden implements and stacks of attractive cigar boxes, the factory is visually striking. And even if you don’t indulge, by the time you leave you’ll know your Cohiba’s from your Montecristo’s, which, if nothing else, makes for a good party trick.

Calle Industria No. 520, Havana Vieja

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Near to the Parque Maceo is Callejón de Hamel, an alleyway covered with brightly coloured murals, sculptures and shrines that pay testament to the city’s AfroCuban culture. Enjoy a strong black coffee from the tiny café, check out the gallery selling works by revered Cuban artist, Salvador Gonzalez, or watch local residents play a game of chess. Come on a Sunday morning and you might be lucky enough to catch the participants of a Santeria ceremony dancing, singing and invoking their orishas or spirits.

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If you find yourselves in Baracoa in eastern Cuba it’s worth making a day trip to the fishing village of Boca de Miel. Catch a boat across the river to the village where, for a few pesos, a local guide will take you up to El Balcón, a series of narrow caves that run the length of the cliff face. The journey can be a little hairy, especially when you find yourself 30 metres above the palm trees with only a stalactite for support, but the views across the ocean are breathtaking. Finish your journey by cooling off in a subterranean pool – just remember to take a torch.

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