The lithe bodies of limber locals and rigid tourists gyrate in Cuba’s capital, from the crooked colonial streets to the pulsating dance floors of salsa clubs.

Bongo drums pound pavements lined with paint-peeled architecture and vintage Chevrolets. Rum-induced revellers free themselves to the rhythms of rumba, rock, jazz, and hip hop.

Havana is a city where music oozes from every pore. It ambles along coastal esplanades and streets brimming with bars and tango houses. The heady scent of minted Mojitos and hand-rolled cigars fills the air as spontaneous street-side groovers jive along to the seductive soundtrack of a swinging city.

Music is the lifeblood of Cuba. Dance floors echo the rhythms of world-famous moves such as rumba, mambo, cha-cha, and salsa. And nowhere more so than in Havana, the home of two famous clubs: Havana and Buena Vista. The former being the world-favoured, sweet flavoured dark rum; the latter a remarkable group which resurrected the music of a classic era through a documentary and album called the Buena Vista Social Club.

The Grammy-award winning self-titled album, which became a world-wide phenomenon, featured musical legends Ibrahim Ferrer and Eliades Ochoa, and wielded an extraordinary resurgence of traditional Cuban music in the West. Havana’s enigmatic allure lies not only in its unparalleled musical heritage, but in the streets from which its home-grown talent is born. The city is a mosaic of glorious Spanish colonial architecture and streamlined American cars from the ‘50s.

There’s the rough, faded glory of the Malecón seafront promenade, and the time-warped weatherworn terraces of Habana Vieja, with architectural splendours dating back to the 16th century. Time seems to have stood still here, and Cuba appears mostly unaffected by the rat-race pace of modernisation, a reminder of the isolation the country endured from the Western world for over 30 years.

The impassioned fire which burns in this vibrant city is undoubtedly fuelled by years of political hardship, of forced migration, food rationing, enslavement, war, and colonisation.

It’s difficult to visit this country - which is so inextricably bound up with its politics - and not feel empowered and inspired by the history which helped shape it. Cuba has emerged from one of the twentieth century’s longest surviving revolutions, from a chronic economic crisis and a crippling US trade embargo to become one of the world’s most compelling and colourful destinations.

More than just another island paradise, Cuba burst back on to the international tourist scene in the ‘90s with a vengeance, and currently trades with almost every nation in the world, including the US.

In 2000, the US Congress approved a law allowing for the sale of American food and agricultural products to Cuba, and after Hurricane Michelle in 2001 destroyed much of Cuba's crops, Havana began importing American products. US trade with the island has since averaged $300 million a year, and the country today is characterised as one of the Caribbean’s major tourist destinations.

Fidel Castro and Ché Guevara’s revolution curbed the debauched excesses of the 1950s and encouraged the arts to develop. Now, five decades later, the country is finally succumbing to global tourism. Newly erected high-rise hotels, department stores, and resorts find their place amongst the awe-inspiring churches, museums, galleries, and memorials of yesteryear.

Restoration projects have returned some of the oldest colonial buildings to their original splendour. Streets graced with grand facades, barred windows and cobbled sidewalks now embrace modern hallmarks of the new Havana.

Relaxing in open doorways, Cubans chat, play dominos on the kerb, dance in the streets or sell popular ham and cheese sandwiches, or ice-creams from the makeshift store-fronts of their homes.

The atmosphere is pleasantly upbeat, and the people are outgoing and hospitable.

Naturally foreign currency is welcomed, and likewise are the foreigners. But the favourable treatment of tourists by the local police is sometimes difficult to digest. Yet the Cubans bear little grudge, openly inviting travellers into their homes, known as "casas particulares" or "paladeres".

"Casas particulares" are privately-run licensed guest houses whereby proprietors rent rooms from their home. It’s an ideal way to gain an insight into the way locals live and give something back to the people, and not into the pockets of the hotel honchos.

"Paladares" are licensed, family-run restaurants which dish up local grub, beer, soft drinks, and coffee, along with a more enticing repertoire of industrial-strength cocktails. Havana is no gastronomic utopia, but dining in someone’s home can be one of the most culturally enriching experiences of any trip.

Havana works its magic slowly and subtly, and doesn’t jump out at you with lights blaring, tour guides beckoning, and distasteful 18-30 groups tainting its beauty. This is a destination for the sophisticated, cultured globe-trotter, and it should be sampled before the communist stronghold changes.

Havana has inspired more prose throughout the centuries than any other Caribbean city. Ernest Hemingway resided here for his final 22 years. He said in terms of beauty, only Venice and Paris surpassed Havana's charm. And walking the streets, or the nearby satin-sanded beaches, you can see why. This enchanting city will sweep even the most unsentimental traveller off their feet.

By Abbey Stirling/MOLI