Colombia, Argentina and Cuba tourism destinations using the best VPN for travel today by inlovelyblue.com Digital Nomad: Why do I need a VPN? You need a VPN to ensure that nobody has access to your private information. When you use a VPN your activity online just looks like encrypted jumbled garbage. People snooping on your activity just see a jumbled string of letters, numbers and symbols that cannot be read. Normally, sitting between your device and the internet there are two things. The local network (wifi) and the ISP (Internet Service Provider). When you use a wifi network anyone who has access to that network and possess basic-moderate computer skills can see what you’re doing and what you’re searching for online. They can look over your digital shoulder and watch everything you do online. And in particular, public and unsecured wifi networks are a magnet for bad actors looking to steal information. You might as well be handing your passwords to a thief when you use unsecured wifi without a VPN. Find extra info at Traveling to Cuba.
Some of the best beaches in South America are in the relatively modern city of Mar del Plata, on the Atlantic coast 400 kilometers from Buenos Aires. Here, the beautiful beaches sprawl for more than eight kilometers of coast that’s also marked by windswept dunes and dramatic cliffs. Nearest Mar del Plata’s modern cruise ship ports are the Chica and Grande beaches (they’re also popular among sea lions, many of which hang out in the waters around the city’s fishing wharves). Once a playground for the rich, the city is a mix of fine old mansions, which mingle with newer resorts along the city’s splendid waterfront with its numerous parks, squares, and gardens. Mar del Plata is home to the excellent Juan Manuel Fangio Museum, dedicated to one of the world’s greatest Formula One drivers and containing more than 100 cars and 500 trophies. A highlight is an exhibit dedicated to the first automobile, an 1886 Daimler. One of the most popular things to do for families is a visit to the Mar del Plata Aquarium with its many marine attractions, including dolphin and seal shows, penguins, tortoises, and flamingos.
It’s the most northerly point in South America, so perhaps it’s only fitting that La Guajira is unlike anywhere else on the continent. This remote and little-visited peninsula is a quiet oasis of sweeping sand dunes, bird-covered mangrove swamps, and vast stretches of empty land where the orange-brown La Guajira Desert meets the turquoise Caribbean Sea. Indigenous beliefs are the law of the land here, as the peninsula is home to the proud Wayuu people, who were never subjugated under Spanish rule and maintain a vibrant culture to this day. Keep in mind that tourism is still new in La Guajira, and the ride in from the regional capital of Riohacha requires both patience and a sense of adventure. The windsurfing Mecca of Cabo de la Vela has the most tourism infrastructure and will likely be your best entry point into the region.
If you’re looking for a ravishing slice of nature in central Cuba, head to El Nicho waterfalls. About a 90-minute drive from Trinidad or Cienfuego, in Parque El Nicho, these multi-tiered falls flow into several jade-green jungle pools – the perfect place to take a cool dip on a hot day. Driving here along the twisty rutted roads is an adventure in itself, and the scenery is beautiful. Once you arrive and pay the entrance fee, take the 1.5-mile palm-lined trail to the park’s most scenic spots. It meanders along a cool river and ascends through thick, tropical forest to the falls, where you can swim and sunbathe. Along the way, keep an eye out for the tocororo, Cuba’s national bird, and the beautiful royal palm. Walk beyond the falls, and you’ll end up at a scenic lookout with breathtaking views across lush valleys. Wondering about things to do with the family in Cuba? This is the perfect back-to-nature excursion. Best of all, the waterfalls gush year-round – even in the dry season.
The world’s third-largest producer of coffee beans, Colombia is a fantastic country for tastings and tours. The vast majority of production takes place in the subtropical Andean hills west of Bogota between the small cities of Armenia, Pereira, and Manizales. This region, known as the Eje Cafetero (or Coffee Axis), is home to a growing number of coffee plantations that have opened up their operations to the public in recent years for tours, tastings, and lavish farm stays. These small (and often organic) plantations are the kind of places where the farmer-owner might take an hour out of his day to explain the process of how a humble “cherry” turns into a coffee bean that will one day be roasted and ground into a latte back home. The small resort town of Salento is easily the most attractive place to base yourself, with numerous farm tours nearby and plenty of things to do. You’ll also have easy access to attractions like Cocora Valley, home to the tallest palm trees in the world. You can rent bicycles from Salento to explore the region under your own steam or ride on one of the old-fashioned Willy jeeps that serve as the town’s de facto taxis.
My first day seeing sunshine in a couple of weeks, without hesitation I booked the first Airbnb I could find. And of course, I went out drinking. That night I wandered out onto my stoop to get wifi and noticed all the police had retreated from my area at about 10pm. Then the knives came out. Still unable to freely travel into and out of Cuba the tourists had all left. And the average Cuban relies on tourists to make ends meet. As you’d imagine by mid 2021, having been without tourists for 18 months things were starting to boil over among the less affluent populations in Cuba. So when I stepped out of my front door to get wifi and noticed all the police had taken off, I learnt that a running gang battle involving large knives, broken bottles and bricks had erupted. Right on my door step. Fantastic. Read even more details at https://inlovelyblue.com/.
Usually simply referred to as Bariloche, San Carlos de Bariloche is a lively city set in the midst of Nahuel Huapi National Park, and Patagonia’s northern Lake District. Skiers, especially those from the Northern Hemisphere seeking snow in the height of the northern summer, flock to Bariloche for nearby Cerro Catedral, the tallest of its peaks and a popular ski resort. One of the largest ski resorts in South America, Cerro Catedral includes more than 100 kilometers of ski terrain and is particularly popular for its stunning views over Nahuel Huapi Lake, in the middle of the national park. Bariloche is a center for active adventure and for exploring the park’s mountains, lakes, waterfalls, forests, glaciers, and extinct volcanos. Although the region is rich in opportunities for hiking, rafting, cycling, and climbing, a driving circuit known as the Route of the Seven Lakes takes tourists to the alpine lakes of Nahuel Huapi, Espejo, Escondido, Falkner, Villarino, Correntoso, and Machónico.
Cuba, the Caribbean’s largest island, drips with history, culture, and a captivating mystique. Live music wafts through the cobbled squares in Havana’s World Heritage-listed Old Town, vintage cars still cruise the streets, and the beautiful old buildings in Cuba’s colonial cities evoke the feel of a country frozen in time. Cuba also abounds in natural beauty. This vast island has more than 5,000 kilometers of coastline, much of it rimmed by dazzling beaches. Coral reefs glimmer in the turquoise waters, and Cuba’s lush countryside and sublime islands have played host to presidents; provided refuge to revolutionaries; and inspired writers from around the world, Hemingway among them.
