This introduction to Cuba
tour is recommended
and endorsed by
Meet tour leader Michael Sanders, President of Environmental Adventure Company. Click here to read his biography and personal invitation to join this special research trek.
1 888 422 5660 toll free
Cubans warmly invite you to come down and discover their island, which the World Wildlife Federation has declared as the only country with a sustainable economy.
OMG! This tour includes free round trip air to Havana from Cancún making it nearly all-inclusive!
Witness Cuba on routes less traveled. Meet the people. Experience their culture. Learn their history. ®
Exclusive natural and social history tour INTRODUCTION TO CUBAN CULTURE AND NATURE
Saturday 7 to Saturday 14 December 2013
AN ISLAND EXPEDITION focused on people-to-people education, nature and cultural exchanges. The program is geared to environmentalists, and lovers of the arts, history and architecture. The tour has a very diverse itinerary and features comfortable accommodations and tasty Cuban cuisine.
PROGRAM INSPIRATION, concept and design is modeled on similar international trips organized by Environmental Adventure Company – voted "one of North America's best wildlife tour companies" by the National Wildlife Federation. Tour services and content matches the high standards of Environmental Adventure Company, and enjoys its endorsement.
ONLY 90 MILES from Florida, the island of Cuba is the largest in the Caribbean. It hosts a smorgasbord of natural and cultural riches. For the naturalist, there are over 370 bird species (28 endemic), and a plethora of flora, mammals, reptiles, and marine life. The program includes visits to several UNESCO world heritage sites, tobacco farms, museums, and Ernest Hemingway's home! You're surrounded by music and art, and have ample occasions to discuss the realities of island life with everyday Cubans. We hope you'll join us on this spectacular Cuba visit.
Services, operations and licensing for this research program are provided by Cuba Education Tours.
Can Americans visit Cuba legally? Yes. They should do so now while the island is pristine and before it is overrun. There is no charge for travel licenses.
Can I stay in Cuba after the tour? Absolutely! We encourage this and gladly assist for free.
How much money should I take? We suggest $75 to 125 per day.
Five nights in a quality four-star hotel in Havana. Click here to learn more about Cuban hotels.
Two nights in a Trinidad de Cuba all-inclusive resort hotel.
An up close examination of Cuba's renowned architecture, arts, music and culture.
Be part of the authentic daily life of Cubans mornings, afternoons and evenings.
Learn all about island history and social achievements first hand.
Glean insights into a neighbor nation forbidden to Americans since 1959.
Learn all about the endemic fauna and flora of Cuba, transplanted species, and migratory birds for which the lush island serves as a rest stop.
Depending upon game and performance schedules we'll attend a Cuban baseball event, and perhaps an evening with the famed Buena Vista Social Club!
Establish enduring friendships with Cubans and your tourmates.
You're in good hands while on the island
SAFE, FUN, people-to-people cultural travel. Your tour is fully escorted by Cuban experts. From the minute you land in Havana until you go home, you will be in the conscientious care of our fulltime multilingual guide together with a professional bus chauffeur. They're there for you and eager to assist in everyway.
MANDATORY Cuban medical insurance is included in tour cost. This excellent coverage applies to all health issues that may arise while in Cuba if you get hurt or take ill. You face no out-of-pocket expenses.
WE ENSURE Americans travel to Cuba legally. Find out how you can go to Cuba now. We've sent thousand of Americans to Cuba since 1997; not one has experienced complications. We assist free of charge with all licensing issues so you can go to Cuba legally without fear or concern.
BEST RESTAURANTS Every traveler gets an exclusive Havana's Best Restaurants guide highlighting cuisines for every taste and budget. It's updated monthly based on reviews from our travelers and includes the places they found to be most delicious and service friendly. It features everything from street eats to elegant culinary encounters.
CUBA TRAVELER ACTIVITIES GUIDE Every tour participant receives a Most Amazing and Fun Things to Do and See in Havana brochure. It begins with free activities and works it way up to overnight excursions outside Havana – all peer suggested and updated weekly based on returning traveler reports.
Apple indicates Cuba tour meals included at your hotel and at fine restaurants
Tour day
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Breakfast
In Air
Lunch
In Air
In Air
Dinner
In Air
Get to know Cuba in comfort and safety
YOU DO CUBA in a modern air-conditioned tour coach with a fulltime professional chauffeur from arrival to departure. Havana is one of the oldest and most architecturally stunning cities in the New World. During your many excursions around the capital, and beyond, your guide provides ongoing historical commentary for all points of interest. We want you to learn everything about our beautiful island.
Several site highlights are Modern Havana, the Capitol building, the Grand Theatre, Central Park, Prado promenade, Plaza de la Revolución, Coppelia Ice Cream Park, Plaza José Martí (in front of U.S. Interests Section), Malecón seawall, Monument to the Battleship Maine, Hotel Nacional, University of Havana, Cementerio de Cristóbal Colón, and the Miramar, Central Havana and Vedado neighborhoods.
Your Cuba tour map
Day 1 in Cuba
Saturday :: Hello Cuba
Cuban girls perform folk dance.
Sunset on the Malecón seawall near your hotel – a place for relaxation and new friendships.
One-in-ten cars in Cuba are pre-1959. Click photo to enlarge.
Exterior and interior of the Cathedral of Havana initiated by Jesuits in 1748 and completed in 1777. Click photos for larger view.
Havana youth sells organic onions from urban gardens on Havana street.
Left Contemporary Cuban soldier in 18th century British military attire guards the Carlos de la Cabaña fortress (click his photo to enlarge). Right Cabaña turret.
British map from 1763 shows the extent of the original walled city of La Habana (founded in 1519). The city was occupied by British and Canadian colonial troops from 1762 to 1763. Spain ended the dispute by trading Florida for Havana. Click here for another British occupation map. Try to identify it on this interactive Google Map of Cuba.
Cuban students watch the 9PM Cannon blast.
Youth are key to the future: Success of agriculture, science, healthcare and the arts are all dependent young people. Cuba works hard to support and nourish its next generation.
Striking 15 meter (49 foot) mosaic tile mural at the entrance of Museo Bellas Artes.
Breakfast at your hotel is included in tour cost
Island artist Víctor Manuel's Gitana Tropical, known as the Cuban Mona Lisa, was painted in Paris in 1929.
Private guided tour of the Palacio de Bellas Artes [Palace of Fine Arts] dedicated exclusively to housing Cuban art spanning three centuries. Sections are devoted to landscape, religious subjects and narrative scenes of Cuban life. A gallery devoted to the 1970s displays the latest generation of Cuban artists whose works reflect the strong symbolic imagery prevalent in recent decades. Together the exhibits account for the richness of the island's Spanish, French, Chinese, African and Aboriginal cultural roots. Notable works include those of René Portocarrero and Wilfredo Lam.
Lunch this afternoon is included in tour cost
Ernest Hemingway described Havana as the "Paris of the Americas."
Set within a beautiful colonial mansion, El Santo Ángel Restaurant enjoys the magical atmosphere of Plaza Vieja. Its stately inner courtyard is lined with plants to which many birds flock. Its menu features nueva Cubana cuisine and superb international dishes. There is always fabulous live music to accompany your meal.
Next we'll take a walking tour of Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We'll visit four of the five historic plazas that make Havana unique in the western hemisphere. These plazas contain the largest collection of Spanish colonial-era architecture in the Americas. This is a private tour led by your Cuba Education Tours guide. You'll witness:
Cathedral Square, the most beautiful and private 18th century colonial plaza on the island. Named after the masterpiece of Cuban baroque architecture: the Catedral de San Cristóbal de la Habana built by the Jesuit order.
Square of Arms, an ancient military parade ground for Spanish soldiers, surrounded by such impressive buildings as:
Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, former seat of colonial government. Today the building houses the Museum of the City.
Palacio del Segundo Cabo [Palace of the Second Lieutenant] dates from 1770. Today it houses the Instituto Cubano del Libro [Cuban Book Institute] and the Galería Raúl Martínez (famed poster artist).
Museo de Artesanía at Castillo de la Real Fuerza, the oldest remaining fortress built by the Spaniards in the West Indies.
We will continue onto San Francisco Square, one of the oldest plazas in the historical quarter. The square is named after the magnificent Iglesia y Monasterio de San Francisco de Asís dating from the 16th century. The basilica is a striking example of Cuba baroque architecture.
And, finally we'll visit Plaza Vieja, the only civic square of colonial times. In contrast to the churches and government buildings of the previous squares, Plaza Vieja is surrounded by opulent aristocratic 17th century residences. Here we'll tour an important center for the visual arts.
Return to your hotel and freshen up.
Noted sociologist Dr. Marta Núñez Sarmiento will provide an overview of what's happening in Cuba today.
Program highlight This afternoon we'll participate in a roundtable discussion led by University of Havana professor emeritus, sociologist and feminist author of note Dr. Marta Núñez Sarmiento. Ms Núñez holds a Master's in Sociology from the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences in Santiago de Chile, a PhD in Economics from the Academy of Sciences in Moscow, Russia, and has served as a visiting professor at universities in the Dominican Republic, Switzerland, Sweden, the United States, Canada, Spain and Argentina. Núñez is an engaging presenter who will explore with you many fascinating and unique aspects of Cuban society including family rights, property laws and gender issues.
Theme: An Overview of Cuban Society Today. Venue: Your hotel.
Dinner tonight is included in tour cost
Now for a special group dinner at Restaurante La Divina Pastora. This seafood palace sets just behind the big cannons below Fortress of San Carlos de la Cabaña where Che Guevara established his headquarters after the Revolution came to power in 1959 – four hundred years after it was built on the backs of African slaves and endentured European laborers. La Divina is noted for its cocktails, good service and live music. You'll eat near the water on the north side of Havana Harbor overlooking Old Havana to the south.
ESPECIAL: Evening activity included in cost
Tour highlight We will behold a most dramatic ceremony – El Cañonazo – the Firing of the 9PM Cannon at the Fortress of San Carlos de la Cabaña. This enchanting colonial reenactment dates back to 1519 when the city of Havana was enclosed by a tall thick rock wall to ward off attacks from pirates and the English. The cannon firing signaled the closing of the city gates for the night. If you were outside at the time, you were in "vedado" or the forbidden zone. Today Vedado is an important cultural hub and beautiful section of modern Havana.
Day 3 in Cuba
Monday :: Organic agriculture, Hemingway house, Cuban society
Merchant at a farmers market offers organic pineapple and papaya.
Monument to Hemingway in Cojímar. Village fishers cast this metal bust center above from old anchors, props and tools. They had no money for new materials. Inscription reads, "In loving memory of the people of Cojímar to the immortal author of Old Man and the Sea." A plaque below the bust reads: Sculpted with the contributions of the Fishermen Cooperative of Cojímar.
Fresh from the farm. We have lunch at the Vivero Organopónico Alamar.
Cuban cane cutter. Sugar was king in Cuba for centuries. Spaniards introduced the sweetener in 1512. It enriched conquistadors and nobles and helped make the island wealthiest nation in Latin America – more so than all the gold and silver extracted from Peru and Chile. The crop was the engine for the African slave trade, redefining ownership of human beings along color lines for the first time in history. Today sugar plays a greatly diminished role in the economy. Click here to enlarge.
Breakfast at your hotel is included in tour cost
In preparation for this morning's activity, watch this riveting British Broadcasting Corporation feature from Around the World in 80 Gardens on urban organic farms in Havana including a walk-through of Vivero Organopónico Alamar by fab host Monty Don.
We'll visit the UBPC Vivero Organopónico Alamar, 15 km (9.3 miles) east of Havana. It's one of the most successful urban organic farms in Cuba raising ornamental plants, medicinal herbs, and millions of seedlings for neighboring residential and collective farms. Established in the early 1990s by a dozen people, the Alamar cooperative now has over 400 members and provides a range of healthy, organic vegetables to nearby communities.
Eggshells are affixed to tips of medicinal aloe vera plants to thwart bird attack.
Produce is raised employing the practice of permaculture. No chemical fertilizers or pesticides are used. Instead, natural biological methods are used to nourish the soil, frustrate pests and conserve water. The result is an increased rate of yield and reduced costs.
Lunch this afternoon is included in tour cost
Organopónico staff at work. "Vivero" means nursery in Spanish.
Dining highlight Special lunch prepared by members of the Vivero Organopónico Alamar collective – a chance to dine with your new Cuban friends and tourmates.
What is permaculture? A method of agriculture that mimics natural systems, thereby renewing resources, enriching the environment, and creating greater ecological diversity, stability, resilience, and increased productivity.
War reporter, activist, man of letters, journalist and literary titan Ernest Hemingway.
Now we're off to visit Finca Vigía [Lookout Farm] where North America's literary giant Ernest Hemingway spent twenty-one of his most important and productive years penning the building blocks of English literature. Claimed by both the United States and Cuba as their son, it was Hemingway himself who declared the island his true home. The house has been preserved just as it was when Hemingway lived there. You'll see his personal objects, thousands of books and photographs, as well as some "trophies" bagged on his frequent safaris.
Return to your hotel and freshen up. The balance of the afternoon is free for you to explore the city on your own.
Dinner tonight is not included in tour cost
This evening you are free to explore stellar eateries. Tour participants receive a guide featuring Havana's best restaurants for every taste and budget. It includes both paladares [small private diners] and fabulous state owned locales run by acclaimed Cuban chefs.
Evening activities are optional and not included in tour cost
You are free to explore the sights and sounds of the city. Your guide will keep you posted on happening venues and entertainment options. Here's our suggestion: Shake your booty to the best Afrojazz, Cubajazz and Sonjazz at Club La Zorra y El Cuervo [The Fox and the Raven] featuring astonishing performances by island bands. It's a popular haunt for Cubans and foreign guests.
Note Depending upon game and performance schedules we'll attend a Cuban baseball event and spend an evening with the Buena Vista Social Club.
Day 4 in Cuba
Tuesday :: Majestic Viñales Valley, Cabaret Parisién!
Cuban Trogon [Tocororo locally], Priotelus temnurus, is Cuba's national bird – its red, blue and white colors match the island's flag.
CUBA IS recognized as the global leader in environmental sustainability. It has 300 ecologically protected areas encompassing 30 percent of its territory. Six of these areas are UNESCO World Biosphere Reserves. Over half the island's diverse flora and fauna is indigenous – existing nowhere else – and is guarded from exploitation. In 2006, the World Wildlife Federation named Cuba the only nation to achieve a sustainable planet friendly economy.
Many rural youth are engaged in agriculture and rigorous academics.
Morning fog rests low beneath palms in Viñales Valley.
We'll learn about the cultivation and processing of tobacco from seed to leaf culminating in the world's most famous cigars. You'll meet a family that runs a tobacco farm.
Cuban bee hummingbird, known locally as a zunzún, is the world's smallest bird and lives in this region. Click here to learn more.
Breakfast at your hotel is included in tour cost
Panorama of the majestic Viñales Valley in Pinar del Río province.
Day trip!
Excursion to Viñales village, a picturesque town in the heart of Cuba's prime tobacco-growing region. The town itself sits in the center of a flat valley surrounded by stunning karst hill formations known locally as mogotes. Mogotes are irregularly shaped steep-sided hills that can rise as high as 300m (985 ft) and have bases ranging from just a few hundred yards in diameter to as much as a couple of kilometers in length. The mogotes comprise part of the Sierra de los Organos mountain chain, and were formed by eons of erosion. Many consider this the most beautiful nature spot in Cuba.
A river runs through the Cueva del Indio.
We will take a magical walking and boat tour through the Cueva del Indio used by Guanahatabey Amerindians as a burial site, and later as a refuge from Spanish slavers. Within you'll witness earth's natural and social history from the Jurassic to the Paleolithic era and beyond.
Lunch this afternoon is included in tour cost
Restaurante El Palenque de los Cimarrones slave dance.
Lunch at Restaurante El Palenque de los Cimarrones. It is located in the mouth of a cave at the base of a mogote. A palenque was a place of refuge for escaped slaves. We access the eatery on a path that takes us through another narrow cave. At the end of the path we will be met by a re-creation of a nomadic home used by runaway slaves who hid and lived here. We'll enjoy a brief Afrocuban music and dance performance typical of the slave era. Now at the restaurant, we'll dine on slow-roasted entrées and side dishes reflecting the food of the cimarron [runaway slave]. In the evenings, the restaurant doubles as a popular disco.
Four kilometers from Viñales village, on one side of the Dos Hermanas [Two Sisters] mogote, stands the Mural de la Prehistoria [Mural of Prehistory]. This impressive 120-meter high fresco was painted in 1961 by Cuban artist Leovigildo González, a student of the Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. Depicted are the animals and other creatures that lived in the valley in prehistoric times. The mural pays tribute to the Darwinian perspective of evolution.
Meet with local farmers on their small tobacco plantations. Learn first hand the complexities of growing and harvesting the best quality tobacco leaves in the world.
Free time in Viñales village to explore the open-air craft market, the Parque Martí, the Church, and other interesting sites of this charming colonial town.
Return to Havana and your hotel. Time to freshen up before dinner.
ESPECIAL: Dinner and evening activities included in cost
Hotel Nacional de Cuba.
Special dinner and evening event You'll enjoy a five-course meal at the famed Hotel Nacional de Cuba set atop a bluff overlooking Havana city and the Caribbean Sea. Afterwards we'll attend a musical review at the Cabaret Parisién and relish this colorful dance extravaganza.
Many staples are grown organically in Cuba: Bananas, coffee, cucumbers, pineapple, sweet potatoes, eggplant, and avocados.
Day 5 in Cuba
Wednesday :: Crocodile reserve, birdwatching, Bay of Pigs
Approaching Laguna del Tesoro by boat.
CUBAN CROCODILE HATCHLING emerges from egg growling. The highly endangered Crocodylus rhombifer is found only in Cuba's Zapata Swamp and the Isle of Youth, though it formerly ranged throughout the Caribbean. It is unique from other species, distinguished by its brighter adult colors, rougher, more pebbled scales, and long strong legs. It jumps to feed by thrusting its powerful tail. It can leap up to four-and-a-half meters (15 feet) from the water to snatch arboreal animals such as jutías from overhanging branches. It is the most terrestrial, aggressive and intelligent of crocodilians. It exhibits pack-hunting behavior. It has blunt rear teeth used to smash turtle shells. It favors freshwater habitats: swamps, marshes, and rivers and rarely swims in saltwater. Today, barely 4,500 Cuban crocodiles remain in the wild.
La jutía, the island's largest endemic land mammal, is a rodent the size of a cocker spaniel. These gentle tree-dwelling vegetarians are the preferred breakfast of the fierce Cuban crocodile. Cubans sometimes eat jutías, sautéed in honey and nuts.
The Cuban green turtle is high on the Cuban crocodile menu. The Crocodylus rhombifer evolved blunt rear teeth and strong jaws to crunch Testudines shells.
Flamingos are found in Guamá's lagoons and swamps. They also serve as a crocodile entrée.
Kids gone loco. Youth at a Cuban baseball game, the island's national sport and pastime. Click photo to enlarge.
Playa Girón [Pig Beach] is located on the Bahia de Cochinos [Bay of Pigs] in Matanzas province, on the well-known Península de Zapata, a world biosphere reserve, on Cuba's southern coast.
Breakfast at your hotel is included in tour cost
Early morning departure to the city of Trinidad de Cuba.
Few dare to get close enough to smell the breath of the Cuban crocodile [cocodrilo cubano].
En route we stop at Boca de Guamá on the Península de Zapata. We'll visit a Crocodile breeding farm [Criadero de cocodrilos]. About ten thousand specimens of 16 species of crocodiles are raised here. We'll view the Cuban and American species as they sleep, feed and wrestle in the oozing mud – a shag carpet for Cuban crocs.
Lunch this afternoon is included in tour cost
Click here to review our guide to endemic, near endemic and endangered birds of Cuba.
We'll enjoy lunch at the Guamá restaurant, which features crocodile on its carte du jour, among other dishes.
We'll take a boat ride to Laguna del Tesoro [Treasure lagoon]. It measures 92 square kilometers (35.5 square miles) and is the largest natural body of fresh water in Cuba. We'll journey down a narrow canal some two kilometers (1.2 miles) before entering open waters. The canal, lake and islands are brimming with endemic and migratory birds. Mornings in Guamá explode in a cacophony of avian song.
Zapata Wren, Ferminia cerverai. Status: Endangered. Photo Arthur Grosset.
Now we'll drive across the Península de Zapata. Its virgin landscape abounds with more than 900 species of native plants. The Zapata swamp is a shelter for the rare Cuban crocodile. Its fresh waters host the Trichechus mamatus, a manatee and the island's only herbivorous water mammal (Spanish conquistadores thought they were mermaids). Also unique is the Gar (Manjuarí), Atractosteus tristoechus, a fish surviving from the time of the dinosaurs. The swamp is also home to three birds that exist nowhere else: Zapata Rail, Zapata Sparrow, and Zapata Wren. Today the entire area is an UNESCO biological eco-reserve of enormous environmental importance to the Caribbean and the planet. It is a war memorial given over to the well being of rare and endangered creatures.
Cuban fighter plane at the Bay of Pigs.
We'll drive by the notorious Bay of Pigs [Bahía de Cochinos]. Also located in the Península de Zapata, it's a place filled with history – the location of the first military defeat of the modern United States on April 17, 1961. The CIA-sponsored invasion was smashed within 72 hours. The Cuban toll was 156 who died defending their homeland (the youngest was a high school student volunteer, Nelson Fernández Estevez at 16 years, and the oldest, Juan Ruíz Serna, retired, aged 60). Cuban defenders included the regular army and locals from neighboring communities. Eighty-eight foreign mercenaries were lost in battle. The surviving 1,209 captured by the Cubans, after 20 months of negotiations with Washington DC, were released in exchange for 53 million dollars in food and medicine for the Cuban people. No American sponsored prisoner was tortured or humiliated during detention.
Dinner tonight is included in tour cost
Check-in to your hotel and enjoy a buffet dinner.
Evening activities are optional and not included in the tour cost
Evening entertainment options Explore the sea and beach. Enjoy your hotel amenities. Or, take a taxi into town and ramble through the lively streets of Trinidad. You can enjoy live Cuban popular music on steps of Casa de la Música or Casa de la Trova – both great sound venues and opportunities to dance with Cubans and your tour companions.
Many pre-1959 cars in Cuba are in top-notch condition, and some are for hire.
Day 6 in Cuba
Thursday :: Historic Trinidad de Cuba
FIRST HERO OF THE CUBAN PEOPLE
Taíno Indian Chief Hatuey from the island of Hispanolia traveled to and warned his Cuban counterparts about the horrific dangers of the impending Spanish invasion in the year 1511. Read about his legendary struggle – that of the premier independence and resistance fighter in our Americas who staked his life for freedom from foreign occupation and thralldom.
Trinidad's Manaca Iznaga tower was built in 1816 to watch over cane-field slaves. Its 45 meters high and was for a century the tallest structure on the island.
Musicians (and kids) play on the Playa Ancón.
Eighth generation member of the Santander family spins decorative pots at centuries-old workshop.
Fisher returns home with catch from Península de Ancón near your beach resort. Sea life thrives in the clean ocean waters surrounding Trinidad.
Sunset on Trinidad's Playa Ancón as viewed from your resort hotel.
Breakfast at your hotel is included in tour cost
We'll explore on foot the historic central plaza of Trinidad de Cuba. Its 16th century edifices are the most pristine and unblemished on the island. Road access to Trinidad happened after 1959. Prior to that it was only accessible by ship and sea.
This morning we explore one of the oldest cities founded by the Spaniards in the West Indies, Trinidad de Cuba, declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988. It was established in 1514 on orders of the conquistador Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar who traveled to Cuba with Columbus in 1493.
It was from Trinidad de Cuba that conquistador Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro (1485–1547) launched his attack on the Aztec Empire, toppling its capital Tenochtitlan, the world's largest, most opulent and hygienic metropolis of the day.
We will visit its Plaza Mayor, Museum of Architecture, Museum of the Romantic Era, the main town parish and other amazing sites, some dating back centuries.
We will have free time to wander the streets of Trinidad's historical center and examine the oldest architecture in the Americas, and inspect local art and shop for souvenirs.
Trinidad is well known for its pottery makers. We'll meet a family that has been passing on the tradition for generations: the Santanders.
Lunch this afternoon is included in tour cost
Awesome snorkeling.
Baby sea turtle.
We hop back on to our bus and stop at a mirador (lookout) overlooking the Valle de los Ingenios [Sugar Mill Valley], also an UNESCO World Heritage Site, where sugar slave barons constructed their lavish countryside mansions and huge refineries [ingenios]. They amassed great riches off the backs of thousands of African slaves.
The balance of the day is free for you to enjoy the amenities of your all-inclusive beach resort – and the beach!
Dinner tonight is included in tour cost
Enjoy a buffet dinner at your hotel (included in tour cost).
Evening activities are optional and not included in the tour cost
Evening entertainment options Explore the sea and beach. Enjoy your hotel amenities. Or, take a taxi into town and ramble through the lively streets of Trinidad. You can enjoy live Cuban popular music on steps of Casa de la Música or Casa de la Trova – both great sound venues and opportunities to dance with Cubans and your tour companions.
The Valle de los Ingenios [Sugar Mill Valley] brought untold riches to select families. You'll see their mansions and monuments. The region was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988, separate from the city of Trinidad de Cuba. The latter was granted UNESCO status based upon its large inventory of intact Spanish colonial-era structures.
Day 7 in Cuba
Friday :: Exploring a jungle mountain top in Soviet Army trucks
Fresh water pool on the way to Topes de Collantes. The Escambray Mountains are located in central Cuba and form the second largest range on the island after the Sierra Maestra in the eastern province of Guantánamo.
A Soviet Army truck is deployed to educate about nature. You'll ride in one to the top of the Escambray Mountains.
Peasant hut in the high altitude jungles of Topes de Collantes.
Animal partners help out on the farm. Eco-friendly practices result in tasty organic produce and high productivity.
Island billboard reads: 200 million kids in the world sleep in the streets, none of them are Cuban.
Farewell dinner at El Patio Restaurant.
Your resort hotel in Trinidad de Cuba is located on the tip of Península de Ancón. Sea life thrives in the surrounding Caribbean waters. Sugar white sand beaches are a joy for relaxation and reflection.
Breakfast at your hotel is included in tour cost
Topes de Collantes National Park in central Cuba's Escambray Mountains is the perfect environment to spot the Cuban parakeet, Fernandina's flicker,the Cuban parrot, the Cuban pygmy owl (about the size of a robin), and the Gundlach's hawk.
This morning we board Soviet Army trucks to climb the peaks of Topes de Collantes in the Escambray Mountains. The Escambrays comprise the island's second highest range, reaching to 3,700 feet atop Pico San Juan. The Escambrays are home to small villages and a true delight for birders and naturalists alike. Dramatic slopes are swathed in Caribbean pines, ancient tree ferns, bamboo and eucalyptus.
Lunch this afternoon is included in tour cost
Upon arrival at Hacienda Codina, an old Spanish coffee plantation, we'll enjoy a traditional Cuban lunch, Next we'll take a walking tour of the area to admire the beauty of the surrounding landscape and the animals and plants it hosts.
After some exploration by foot, we descend the mountain and return to Havana.
Check-in to your Havana hotel and time to freshen up and relax.
Dinner tonight is included in tour cost
Farewell group dinner with you tour guide and chauffer at the ever-popular best food joint in Old Havana Restaurante El Patio. Located in Cathedral Square, in the heart of Havana's colonial district, the eatery is housed in a beautiful 18th century residence, the former Palace of "Marqués de Aguas Claras." Construction began in 1751 and ended in 1755, with distinguishing design features that makes the domicile one of the most interesting Havana architectural examples of its period. El Patio's menu will please even the most diverse tastes. It offers stellar service and tasty international cuisine. Relish the occasion to reflect upon your best and most memorable moments on the island.
Evening activities are optional and not included in tour cost
Note Depending upon performance schedules we'll attend a performance of the Buena Vista Social Club.
Cuba is home to scores of lizard species. You'll see them everywhere – perhaps lounging on the sink, tub, or toilet of your countryside hotel. They don't bite unless grabbed. They are not poisonous or aggressive.
Day 8 in Cuba
Saturday :: Goodbye Cuba
We'll miss you and hope you return soon! In Cuba we say: A true friend remembers the song in your heart when you have forgotten the lyrics.
Breakfast at your hotel is included in tour cost
Check-out of your hotel.
Transfer to Havana's José Martí International Airport for your return home.
Don't forget to save 25.00 CUC for your Cuban airport departure fee and some money for meals on the airplane and while in transit
Want to stay longer in Cuba following your tour? Contact us and we will help make it happen at a price you can afford.
Our services
MAR 09-16
Set within a beautiful colonial mansion, El Santo Ángel Restaurant enjoys the magical atmosphere of Plaza Vieja. Its stately inner courtyard is lined with plants to which many birds flock. Its menu features nueva Cubana cuisine and superb international dishes. There is always fabulous live music to accompany your meal.
In preparation for this morning's activity, watch this riveting British Broadcasting Corporation feature from Around the World in 80 Gardens on urban organic farms in Havana including a walk-through of Vivero Organopónico Alamar by fab host Monty Don.
Musicians (and kids) play on the Playa Ancón.
