Cuba is the largest of the Caribbean islands—roughly the size of the state of Tennessee—but it is not the most commonly visited because of lingering historical restrictions. Visitors from the Western world to Cuba may feel a sense of time displacement while traversing Cuban soil.

Many of the cars populating the streets are American classics from the 1950s. Trade embargos prevent any newer American cars from entering the country. There are some newer model cars from China, but the restored classic cars dominate the roads. Automobiles and trucks share the roads with horse-drawn carts.

The cost of fuel is prohibitive for many, so hitchhiking is common. Our Cuban guide, Julio Cesar Torres Cuesta, called hitching rides Cuba’s “second national sport” behind baseball.

In the capital city of Havana, stately restored centuries-old buildings abut those in shambles. The narrow streets give way to historic plazas that form lively community gathering spots. The people we encountered were warm and resilient, yet isolated from most of the rest of the world. It is not easy for a Cuban citizen to leave the country.

Cuba remains the lone outpost of socialism in the Western hemisphere. After an extraordinary 1959 coup by a small band of rebels, it was controlled by Fidel Castro for four decades. After Soviet support ended in 1989, so, too, did its prosperity.

Government-run store shelves are fairly bare of goods. It is difficult to obtain over-the-counter medications and state-of-the-art medical care in Cuba. Fidel’s brother, Raul Castro, eased restrictions on capitalist ventures after he succeeded Fidel as head of the Cuban government. Tourism was encouraged for economic benefit.

Travel to Cuba for Americans is unlike travel to most foreign countries. After a half-century pause on travel to Cuba from the U.S., there remain restrictions on the expressed reasons for your visit (ours was to help the Cuban people) and the places you can stay (Americans are not allowed to stay in the nationally-run hotels), as well as things you can bring back to the United States. For example, Cuban rum and cigars are prohibited from export to the U.S. Wi-Fi is not universally available, and we experienced a lack of electricity for several hours a day while outside Havana. Most of the local people we encountered spoke no English, and, although I speak semi-fluent Spanish, having a translator was helpful. At one point, our bus was pulled over for a check by local authorities, which we were assured was not an uncommon occurrence.

The prohibition on Americans staying in government-run hotels has led to the rise of private homes opened for overnight foreign visitors. Called casas particulares, stays there offer closer looks at Cuban culture.

Although much of the island remains scarred by revolution and poverty, the people are proud and happy. Live music emanates from most restaurants, and salsa dancing seems ubiquitous. Beautiful Caribbean scenery offsets slum-like conditions in many areas.

Cuban culture is a true multiethnic melting pot, reflecting its complex colonial origins and former slave trade presence there. Its influences include those from Spain, West Africa, and that of the indigenous Guanahatabey and Taínos people. Cuban cuisine is largely a Spanish and Caribbean fusion. Because of rationing, certain ingredients are unavailable. Staples include black beans and rice, ropa vieja (shredded beef), pork, plantains, and yucca. Garlic, cumin, oregano, and bay leaves are dominant spices.

Perhaps the most commonly known expression of Cuban culture is Cuban music. The world got to know Cuban music via the famed Buena Vista Social Club. The multi-generational big band won a Grammy and was featured in an award-winning film documenting the Buena Vista Social Club’s rise in popularity. Its album is the largest-selling Cuban record in history. The timeless music lives on, worldwide.

Cuban cigars are reputed to be the best on the planet. Jose Antonio Sanchez Ortega, a tobacco farmer near Trinidad, explained that the art of rolling a cigar is treating it like a woman: “the more you touch it [by rolling it], the better it gets.” He also quipped that many Cuban cigar makers’ recipes included “vitamin R,” meaning a dash of Cuban rum.

Fidel Castro’s right-hand man, Argentinian Che Guevara, continues to be celebrated in Cuba. He is buried in Cuba, his image appears all over Cuba, including on many buildings’ exterior walls, and a museum is dedicated to his memory. Fidel asked that his own image not be widely posted, and the country largely respected this wish.

Prices are way out of proportion to wages. Long queue waits and free-speech restrictions still govern the lives of most Cubans. So, too, do the cherished Cuban Revolution’s achievements of free education, healthcare, and subsidized public services. Growing free-market principles are leading the way to modernization and access by both visitors and locals. The Fábrica de Arte Cubano (FAC) in Havana is a prime example of Cuban creatives pushing the limits of expression via art and music.

Lively music, colonial architecture in restoration, brightly colored classic automobile city tours, remnants of revolutionary rhetoric, and multihued welcoming people make the island an attractive choice for travelers. A visit to this island nation is unlike one to anywhere else on earth.