In a leafy cul-de-sac off the main street of the Cuban town of Viñales, you will find Casa Cecilia, a small-but-perfectly-formed family house offering, like so many Cuban homes, self-contained rooms, breakfast and dinner to foreign travellers. This is my second visit to Viñales, and this time around I have ditched the town's top hotel in favour of this tiny casa particulare, as they are known; as soon as I walk through the door I know my decision is the right one. Greeted by beaming grins from all family members from grandfather to baby cousin, I am soon treated to the best dinner I have had in a month in Cuba, including at four star resorts.

Dinner is served on a charming covered patio over-hung by flowing plants; from the offerings of chicken, pork, beef and lobster I opt for the former, and sit down to a three-course feast including black bean soup, potatoes, fried cassava and a salad the likes of which I have not seen anywhere else on the island (fresh vegetables are generally conspicuous by their absence from Cuban restaurants.) The family offers an array of soft drinks, beer and of course, Havana rum, and coffee is unlimited. Sated, I relax in my cosy room and shower in my clean and modern ensuite, before venturing out for the evening through my own private entrance.

While hotels in Cuba tend to offer relatively good value for money, they are nothing compared to the thousands of casas - private rooms and apartments usually contained within family homes - that have sprung up countrywide in recent years. With renting rooms to foreigners the only officially-sanctioned free enterprise granted to Cubans, it is no surprise that even in the smallest of towns visitors will find a wealth of family-run accommodation to choose from, with the result that the standard is surprisingly high.

Though for reasons of convenience I choose to book a hotel in Old Havana for the first three nights of my stay – Hotel Park View – once I have experienced the comforts of a casa there is no going back. My first foray into a family home is in Trinidad, a stunning colonial town where pink, aqua and yellow houses line cobbled streets and picturesque plazas ring with the soulful sounds of son and salsa. Our “mama” meets us at the bus station and ushers us on to two rickshaw type contraptions – mine is souped-up to the nines with full stereo, speaker and bassbin get-up strapped to the back.

The house is a virtual museum of kitsch, but boasts a delightful rooftop terrace - perfect for sipping a beer while the sun goes down - and a courtyard bedecked with guava trees that supply the morning juices and cages of the colourful canaries so beloved of Cubans. The two rooms are equipped with both fans and air-conditioning – essential on sultry Caribbean nights – and have en-suite bathrooms – the only idiosyncrasy (of which you must expect many while staying anywhere in Cuba, be it hotels or casas) is that you must knock for entry when coming back late at night, but the hosts bear this with their normal cheer.

Many casas, such as Casa Cecilia in Vinales, have separate entrances so that guests can come and go independently. Others provide keys to the main residence so that guests can let themselves in and out, such as Casa Theresa in Havana’s old city. Superbly located on Calle Luz, in between San Ignacio and Inquisidor, the casa is just minutes from the elegant plazas that form the heart of the capital’s café and music culture.

Like most casas it is excellent value - here £12 a night gets you a basic but comfortable bedroom complete with hot pink silk bedspread and heart-shaped cushions, an ensuite shower room and a cooked breakfast. A private balcony with rocking chairs is the perfect vantage point from which to observe Havana’s bustling street life, while a short walk away is the Malecon, where Cubans throng at night to dance, drink rum and enjoy the cool sea air. Theresa and family are paragons of geniality and instruct my companion and I to treat their home as our own; upon leaving the next morning we receive warm hugs, a pronouncement that we are “fantastic girls” and an entreaty to come back soon.

The advantages of staying in a casa are numerous – the value for money means you will often be able to stay in far more central a location than you might otherwise afford, and the food – hosts will usually offer both breakfast and dinner - almost always far outstrips that offered in hotels and restaurants. Many casas are beautiful colonial buildings with lush interior courtyards, far more evocative of the Cuban style than the modern tower blocks of most budget and mid-range hotels.

Perhaps most importantly, casas offer a unique insight into “the real Cuba.” While Cubans working in hotels (all but a few of which are state-owned) are generally wary of discussing Cuban life and politics with foreigners, inside the family home such cautions are tossed aside, and most hosts are more than happy to tell their guests all they want to know about the country. As any visitor to Cuba will know, the people are extraordinarily convivial and delight in exchanging tales with travellers; they welcome guests into the bosom of the family (tales of tears shed on departure are frequent) yet also have the professionalism to allow space and independence if preferred.

Most casas will organise trips and transport, often at a cheaper rate than hotels and agencies, and will also recommend and book casas in your next destination (seemingly every host has a cousin with a casa in the next city.) Casa Geo in Viñales (where late night entry is gained courtesy of the grandmother permanently stationed in the terrace rocking-chair) will organise horse rides through the verdant table-topped mountains (mogotes) including a plunge into a cave pool. “This was one of my best experiences in Cuba,” reports guest Susie Forman.

Casas are easy to find on your arrival: at almost every bus station or airport visitors will be greeted by a crowd of hosts offering to show a room, while establishments are also marked with the blue logo of the “Arrendador Divisa” on the door. Those wishing to book in advance can find listings in any travel guide, along with advice on which hosts speak English, while a number of handy reservation websites are also available, such as www.casaparticularcuba.org and www.cubaccomodation.com. Bartering is commonplace, and certainly for stays longer than a couple of nights guests can expect to negotiate a reasonable discount.

In a taxi to Havana airport at the end of my trip, I suddenly find myself sobbing uncontrollably. This is an unprecedented situation; I have travelled to many countries which I have loved dearly, and never before been so overcome with emotion on departure. But here, it is not just the country which I have fallen in love with, but the people too, particularly those who have welcomed me into their homes. They have given me an unforgettable insight into the soul of Cuba, open, rhythmic and sensual, and one that is best appreciated not in an impersonal hotel but amid the charms and warmth of the casa.

NEED TO KNOW

Casas usually cost between £10-20 per room per night, sometimes including breakfast, dinner extra. Casas I stayed in and others recommended by fellow travellers (prices per room, per night):

Casa Cecilia, Calle Camilo Cienfuegos, Viñales, Pinar del Rio province. £9-11, depending on season/length of stay.

Casa Geo, Calle Salvador Cisnero No. 182., Viñales, £9-11

Villa Azul, Km. 25 carretera Pinar del Río #18, Vinales. £9.

Colonial Navarra, Piro Guinart #210 between Maceo and Gustavo Izquierdo, Trinidad. £12.

Casa Theresa, Calle Luz, between Ignacio and Inquisidor, Habana Vieja, £12 including breakfast.

Colonial House Yanet, San Francisco No. 426, between Calvario and Carnicería, Santiago de Cuba. £7

Casa de Hospedaje, Avenida 60 # 3503, Cienfuegos. £6.

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