Enjoy a few dream days in Cuba, combining Havana, Viñales, Trinidad and Varadero.
A LO CUBANO Group Tour.
(HAVANA - SOROA - VIÑALES - PLAYA LARGA - CIENFUEGOS - TOPES DE COLLANTES - TRINIDAD - SANTA CLARA - VARADERO - HAVANA).
For over 500 years Cuba developed into a melting pot of races and cultures. The subsequent 60 years of socialist revolution have completed the picture of a singular life philosophy. A lo cubano (the Cuban way) implies ingenious and authentic solutions to everyday life challenges. In this tour you will see firsthand the talent of Cubans overcoming the lack of resources. Stroll down the patchy streets of Old Havana, delve into the daily life of locals and admire the gorgeous classic cars as well as the remarkable personal effort needed to keep them running. Enjoy a cultural exchange in the community project of the artist Mario Pelegrín, support the bird preservation initiative at Bernabé’s patio or simply relish the pristine nature. Get to know historical sites like Bay of Pigs and charming cities such as Trinidad and Cienfuegos. At the end of the tour, you will have thousands of stories to tell…a lo cubano.
Departure time / beginning of round trip: approx. 5:00 p.m. (arrival time in Havana)
Arrival time / end of tour: approx. 5:00 p.m. (with transfer to the beach hotel in Varadero or accommodation in Havana)
English speaking local guide
Driving conditions:
Please note, that the driving conditions in Cuba are not comparable to the streets in Europe or other countries. The roadways are partly in poor conditions (bumpy, with potholes and in parts not asphalted). Therefore, it is necessary to drive slowly. Also, animals and carriages on the road are no rarity. Because of this, longer travel time might be possible.
Reception at the airport by an English-speaking guide and transfer to your hotel in Havana. Dinner at own expense.
Important: Surcharges applies for transfers (Varadero - Havana) upon arrival in Varadero see Holiplus transfer tariffs.
Included services: Transfer
Havana on wheels (20 km):
Commuting in Havana is a challenge for Cubans due to the poor public transportation. Have fun exploring Havana on all kind of wheeled vehicles. Kick off your day hoping on a bicitaxi to contemplate the city waking up. This tricycle is used by many Cubans to make groceries and move around the neighborhoods. Once in Old Havana, discover the colonial past of the city in a walking tour of its four main squares. Give the midday heat a miss with a lunch and a refreshing Mojito at a local restaurant. Take a horse-drawn carriage for a tour around the bay up to the heart of mid-century Havana: The Central Park. Admire the Cuban architecture in all her splendor with renowned buildings like the Havana Capitol, the Great Theater Alicia Alonso and the Inglaterra Hotel. To make the picture perfect, tens of classic cars of the 50s taxiing around set up the scene. Get comfortable on the back seat of one of those, called by locales almendrones, for a panoramic tour of the entire city. Visit the Revolution Square, the Metropolitan Park, the neighborhood of Miramar with its 5th Avenue and the Malecón, ending at your homestay.
Included meals today: breakfast, lunch Included services: Bicitaxi ride, carriage ride, Tour in a vintage car
Trade the noise and agitation of Havana for a stunning natural scenery. In the morning, head for Pinar del Río province. Stop in Soroa to admire the orchid garden with a collection of more than 350 species. Leave for a visit to Patio de Pelegrín, a community project created by the artist Mario Pelegrín. This initiative channels the energy of the youth into arts and introduces them to a variety of art forms. Alongside Pelegrín and his team, prepare a traditional dessert. Your trip continues. Arrive in Viñales and appreciate from the lookout point of Los Jazmines the breathtaking valley dotted with its iconic Mogotes. Visit the house of a veguero, where you will be briefed on the world of tobacco. Check in at a Cuban family home in the town of Viñales.
Included meals today: breakfast, lunch Included services: visit to the orchid garden, visit to a social program, visit to Casa de Veguero Kilometros a recorrer: 250.00
Trade the noise and agitation of Havana for a stunning natural scenery. In the morning, head for Pinar del Río province. Stop in Soroa to admire the orchid garden with a collection of more than 350 species. Leave for a visit to Patio de Pelegrín, a community project created by the artist Mario Pelegrín. This initiative channels the energy of the youth into arts and introduces them to a variety of art forms. Alongside Pelegrín and his team, prepare a traditional dessert. Your trip continues. Arrive in Viñales and appreciate from the lookout point of Los Jazmines the breathtaking valley dotted with its iconic Mogotes. Visit the house of a veguero, where you will be briefed on the world of tobacco. Check in at a Cuban family home in the town of Viñales.
Included meals today: breakfast, lunch Included services: visit to the orchid garden, visit to a social program, visit to Casa de Veguero Kilometros a recorrer: 250.00
Nature does not cease to amaze. You will not need an alarm clock today, as one of the neighbor’s roosters will happily help with that. Head for the Zapata Swamps, the largest marshlands in the insular Caribbean. Lunch en route and stop at the Zunzún’s House, the private patio of Mr. Bernabé. In this birds’ paradise you will be able to appreciate freely flying hummingbirds, the tinniest bird in the world, as well as other species that use the area as a migration corridor. Not far from there, you will discover the Cueva de los Peces, known as the deepest and most beautiful cenote in Cuba. There is a lagoon that connects with an extensive system of underwater caverns going more than 30 kilometers, from Playa Larga to El Toro Cove. You will have the option to spend the rest of your day at the beach near your homestay. At night, enjoy a homemade dinner at your casa particular.
Included meals today: breakfast, lunch, dinner Included services: Visit to Cueva de los Peces, Visit to Casa del Zunzún Kilometers to travel: (400 km)
Early in the morning, hit the road bordering Bay of Pigs in direction to Playa Girón, battleground of the 1961 invasion of Cuban mercenaries supported by the US Navy and Air Force, which resulted in the first great defeat of the US military in America. At the Museum of Playa Girón you will learn details of the clash, including the weaponry utilized. Arrive in Cienfuegos, a city of distinctive wide avenues and neoclassic architecture, which was founded and designed to the smallest detail by French settlers. Visit the Terry Theater, built in 1890; the Martí Park and the boulevard. After lunch at a paladar (privately owned restaurant), continue alongside the south coast down to Trinidad, a UNESCO World Heritage for its well-preserved colonial architecture dating back to the golden years of the sugar industry in the 19th Century. Tour its cobblestone streets and plazas.
Included meals today: breakfast, lunch Included services: Stand tour in Cienfuegos, visit to the Terry Theater, stand tour in Trinidad (220 Km)
The Cuban nature:
Cubans love nature and therefore many places on the island are protected by environmental laws. One of these places is todays destination: the "Sierra del Escambray" National Park. This beautiful environment gives a home to almost half of the endemic bird species in Cuba and furthermore nearby areas are famous for the high quality of the Arabica coffee that is grown here and known in the whole country for its excellent quality. The trip starts from Trinidad in the morning through a winding road to a Cuban farm. Today guests will come into contact with the countryside and its beauties. Beehives can be visited and some sweet honey enjoyed. A path leads to a waterfall of crystal clear waters which literally invites to take a dip and cool off in the middle of a beautiful landscape. Then a traditional lunch in the gardens of the hacienda will be served. While lying on one of the most comfortable hammocks and feeling the soft country breeze relaxation is granted an exquisite coffee can be enjoyed. In the afternoon return to Trinidad.
Included meals today: breakfast, lunch Included services: Natural Landscape of Topes de Collantes (30 Km)
Leave behind Trinidad on a 16 km drive leading to the villa’s most iconic site: the Manaca Iznaga Tower. Outlasting the slavery times, this tower overlooks the Valle de los Ingenios, a sugar cane industry powerhouse in the colonial period. Continue to Santa Clara, the city that witnessed the most important victory of the iconic guerrilla fighter Ernesto “Che” Guevara, one that effectively determined the triumph of the Cuban Revolution. Visit the “Che” Guevera Memorial, the final resting place of the epoch-making revolutionary. Stop and enjoy a refreshing drink in a restaurant with beautiful decorative plants. En route to Havana, stop in Varadero to drop off clients opting for a beach extension.
Important: Climb the Torre Iznaga at your own risk
Important: The mausoleum (Che Guevara monument) is closed on Mondays and may be closed on other days without prior notice.
Included meals today: breakfast Included services: visit to the Sugar Mill Valley and the Iznaga estate, Visit to the Che monument, transfer (330 / 450 Km)