Wednesday, 23 February 2011 16:17
Famous ballet dancer recommends the ferias and book markets
If people are planning taking a singles holiday to Cuba, they should not leave until they have visited one of the local markets, called ferias.
That is according to the famous ballet dancer Carlos Acosta, who was born in and lives in the Central American country.
Mr Acosta has danced around the world with some of the world's most famous ballet companies, including the English National Ballet, the National Ballet of Cuba, the American Ballet Theatre and the Royal Ballet, but he says he loves his home country.
The dancer recommends visiting the "wonderful white sandy beaches" and going to see ballet performances, but reserves his highest praise for the street markets.
"Go to one of the ferias - outside markets where you can buy paintings, handcrafted items and ingenious things that make good souvenirs," he said.
"It's also nice to bring back coffee. And there's a good second-hand book market in La Plaza de Armas, a lovely place to browse where you can find some real gems among all the junk."