CHE GUEVARA TRAIL & HAVANA TOUR
plus Guardalavaca beach
An historical authentic journey following in the footsteps of Che Guevara
through the Sierra Maestra Mountain and a special tour of Havana to include
visiting the new Ernesto Guevara Research Center and the chance to meet the
famous Cuban photographer Raul Corrales
“… Che Guevara, the legendary man influenced and changed the spirit of a whole
generation. Experience and relive his historic path through the Sierra Maestra,
beginning with the landing of the Granma and culminating in his appointment as
‘Che Comandante’. An intellectual challenge for body and mind. Authentic,
biographic, with the revolutionary touch!...“
Highlights of the Tour
These special interest guided tours are unique and designed for those who want
to learn more about Che Guevara , by reliving an epic stage of Che's time in
Cuba. The tours are organized in collaboration with the Ernesto Guevara
Research Center in Havana, under the direction of Che's widow, Aleida March,
and his son, Camilo Guevara, we will visit the Center and maybe meet with
Camilo and Aleida. There may also be a chance to meet with the famous Cuban
photographer, Raul Corrales and see some of his early photo’s of the Cuban
Revolution. There is also the opportunity for those who just wish to experience
some of the most beautiful natural landscapes and the old Spanish colonial
architecture of Havana as well as being close to the people of Cuba their
culture, society and way of life.
Follow in the footsteps of history and discover places, events and
personalities who are living witnesses of an epoch. We travel on the same path
which led the young Argentine doctor, Ernesto Guevara de la Serna, to become
one of the most universal figures of the 20th century. We will see the places
where he evolved as a revolutionary until he achieved the title which made him
unforgettable in the minds and hearts of millions – ‘Che Commander'. It is
impossible to pretend that we can cover all the aspects and places of this
historical event in the south west of Granma province where 2 years of fighting
occurred which led Cuba for the first time to real independence. Nevertheless,
we can at least highlight some important and decisive moments of the life of
Che and his rebel army, a group of poorly armed young men longing for freedom
and convinced of their ideals. They fought against tyranny and defeated
dictator Batista's army who were superior in numbers and weapons.
The historic journey started with the landing of the Granma in Cuba and the
formation of the rebel army (2nd Dec. 1956 to Dec. 1957).
“….Fidel ordered me ‘off the boat into the water'. With a rucksack on my back,
I jumped into the water and I sank into the mud… I grabbed the anchor and I
told Fidel that we are in the swamp…and he shouted ‘keep moving dam it!' “
(According to Rene Rodriguez, the first man to land).
Che Guevara Trail & Havana Tour Itinerary
Day 1 Friday - Arrival of participants at Havana
Arrival at Havana International Airport where you will be met and assisted and
transferred to your hotel in Havana to relax and prepare for the trail ahead.
Free evening.
Day 2 Saturday – Revolutionary Square, Revolutionary Museum,
The Granma & Ernesto Guevara Research Center
Breakfast. Information meeting at hotel. Late morning excursion to the
Revolutionary Square and Revolutionary Museum as well as seeing the original
Granma yacht and other artifacts used by the rebel army. Lunch. Later we visit
the new Ernesto Guevara Research Center with a chance to meet with Che’s son
and widow (subject to availability). Free evening.
Day 3 Sunday - La Cabana Fortress, Revolutionary Photographs
& La Terraza
Breakfast. Excursion in a classic American car to the fortress where Che had
his command post and then onto Cojimar where we visit the famous Cuban
photographer, Raul Corrales (subject to availability) and see some of his early
revolutionary photo’s and hear about some of his experiences as the official
photographer of Fidel Castro. We have an aperitif at the La Terraza
bar/restaurant which was patronized by Ernest Hemingway and his boat Captain.
Free evening.
Havana (La Habana) is the second largest city in the Caribbean and the center of
all things Cuban. Despite its turbulent history, Havana suffered little damage
in the country's wars and revolutions, and stands today much as it was built
100 years ago or more. There's an air of faded glory about the city, as big
'50s and '60s American automobiles still dominate the streets and paint and
plaster peel off everywhere. The city is peppered with glorious Spanish
colonial architecture, much of which is under restoration. Havana has a
swinging nightlife, with cinemas, historic theatres, cabarets, nightclubs and
music venues that will exhaust even the most hardened campaigner. There's less
traffic and less commercialisation that choke your average Latin American city.
Apart from the rough brilliance of Old Havana and residential areas ranging
from shabby to demanding demolition, the exuberant friendliness of Havana's
inhabitants is what shines through.
Day 4 Monday - Start of trail at Niquero
Breakfast. Depart Havana by internal flight to Holguin and travel overland for
our first contact with the former province of Oriente - this very authentic
area where you can still sense the spirit of the revolution - starts in the
coastal town of Niquero staying at the hotel with the same name. Dinner at the
hotel and information meeting.
Day 5 Tuesday – The Landing of the Granma
After an early morning coffee at the hotel we depart by bus to Cabo Cruz in the
south east of Cuba and board our boat for Las Coloradas replicating the landing
of the Granma. Upon arrival we walk on a cement road over mangroves and onto
the house of Angel Perez and have breakfast. We can freshen up at the well
where the expeditionaries had water for the first time. We continue on the
route of the Granma expeditionaries and reach the Cueva del Humo. Lunch in
Alegria de Pio. Explanation of the fight where they came under fire by
Batista's troops and were dispersed in all directions. Dinner at el Ranchon.
Overnight at the camp in Alegria del Pio.
The Granma sailed with 82 young expeditionaries from Mexico and reached Cuba
after a tough journey on the morning of 2nd December 1956 near Las Coloradas.
Their arrival was anticipated. They walked into an ambush when they landed at
Playa Coloradas. Most of the men were captured, but a band of about thirty,
including Fidel Castro, his brother Raul and Che, escaped into the Sierra
Maestra mountains. From this hiding spot, they were able to elude Batista's
forces. Meanwhile, they received gracious aid from people in the mountain
villages while they began recruiting additional members to their ranks.
Day 6 Wednesday – Dispersed and fleeing……and reunited again.
Breakfast at Alegria de Pio. We travel by truck and come closer to the south
coast at Mirador de Blanquizal where we will see the Boca de Toro estuary.
Explanation of the route taken by Che’s group during the dispersion after the
fight of Alegria de Pio. We make a stopover at El Platano and continue to Los
Corrales. Explanation of the mountain communities. We go on by horse from Los
Corrales to Cinco Palmas. Visit to the historical places of the reunion with
the groups of Che, Fidel and Raul Castro. Return to house at Alegria de Pio for
lunch. We follow another route to the Hotel Punta Piedra. Free time at the
local beach. Dinner at the hotel.
Day 7 Thursday - Fidel in the Sierra: The legendary Interview.
After breakfast we travel to Las Mercedes by truck through the mountain road
and stopover at the natural terrace of La Habanita. Visit to the museum of Las
Mercedes. Explanation of the events that took place there in 1958. Continue by
truck to reach Estacion de Flora y Fauna. On horseback we ride to El Jibaro.
Visit to the house where Che left for the invasion. Continue by horse to la
Finca de Miguel Diaz. Walk to the place of the legendary interview that took
place between New York Times reporter, Herbert Matthews and Fidel Castro. The
proof that Fidel was alive made world wide media history. Light lunch in the
house of Miguel Diaz. Return to Las Mercedes by horse. Transfer by truck to
Alto del Naranjo. Walk to La Comunidad de la Platica. Visit the local
community. Check-in to your overnight camp accommodation. Dinner at the camp.
We see a video of Che at the video hall of the community. Special evening of
musical entertainment with the legendary Quinteto Rebelde. Overnight at the
camp.
The Quinteto Rebelde was founded May 14 1958 on the request of Fidel Castro in
the Sierra Maestra to entertain the rebel army in the evening. It took part in
broadcasts of Radio Rebelde and was used in the battles of Santo Domingo and El
Jigue as a psychological weapon to demoralize the troops of Batista.
Day 8 Friday – Headquarters of the Rebel Army
Early morning coffee in La Platica followed by breakfast in the house of Los
Medina. We later visit the headquarters of the rebel army accompanied by
members of the Quintet. Picnic lunch in Altos del Naranjo. Travel on by truck
to Villa Santo Domingo. Check-in to our accommodation. Afternoon tour to the
Yara River and enjoy a swim in the river. Dinner and overnight at Villa Santo
Domingo.
Day 9 Saturday – La Plata : Refuge and headquarters in the
mountains
We take a breathtaking adventure up a steep incline by truck to Alta de
Narranja. Trek to the Comandancia de la Plata, the refuge and well preserved
headquarters of Fidel in the Sierra Maestra where the first broadcasting of
Radio Rebelde took place. We move on through the beautiful natural environment
to the small community of La Platica. Here we have the opportunity of meeting
with the locals and to learn about their culture.
Day 10 Sunday – Che Commander
In the morning we go down into the plane and drive along the Sierra to Buey
Arriba. From there we visit Che's headquarters La Otilia one of the last
outposts before his legendary march to Santa Clara . This was a liberated area
where Che also showed his talents of organizing the economic life of the local
community. In the afternoon we drive via Bayamo and Holguin to our
all-inclusive beach resort hotel to relax after the epic journey before going
to Havana.
Day 10 Monday – Free day at beach resort
Free day at the all-inclusive beach resort hotel.
Day 11 Tuesday – Free day & travel to Havana
Free morning at the all-inclusive beach resort hotel. This afternoon we travel
by internal flight to Havana and transfer to a Havana hotel.
To the northern part of the eastern region, within Holguin province,
Guardalavaca keeps all the charm and purity of such unique places; a strip of
virgin land, fine sand and beautiful sea. Guardalavaca is fairly close to
Gibara, the first place Colón stepped in Cuba. Holguin is the fourth
largest province of the country. The Atlantic Ocean bathes its northern coasts.
On the 28 of October of 1492 Admiral Cristóbal Columbus disembarked in
Cuba at the port of Bariay, near the city of Gibara, a beginning of his
discovery of America. This fact has given historical relevance to the small
port.
Day 12 Wednesday – Havana
Breakfast. Free day to explore Havana at your own pace, souvenir shopping,
shoot photo’s and enjoy the sights and sounds of Havana. Check-out of hotel and
transfer to Havana International airport for outbound flight.
After this historic trail we can say with pride that we had followed in the
footsteps of Ernesto Che Guevara and experienced one of the most important
parts of his life and a truly memorable experience in your life.
What’s Included:
Che Guevara Trail - Accommodation: Hotels (double/twin/triple/single rooms).
Camp accommodation (bunks in dormitory bedrooms). Meals: All meals included and
snacks on route. Guides: Spanish-Speaking, English-Speaking or other language
speaking guides according to the composition of group. Local guide in the
historic places. Trekking: 5 treks during the circuit for about 2 – 5 hours.
Muddy terrain. Transport: Military truck (very original), horses or by foot. By
boat for about 40 – 50 min. from Cabo Cruz to Las Colaradas. Activities:
Musical entertainment at La Platica. Visit to museums and historical places
according to itinerary description.
Havana Tour - Accommodation: 4 star hotel (double/twin/single). Meals: Breakfast
at hotel. Lunch (Day 2). Excursions: Revolutionary Square, Revolutionary
Museum, Granma & Ernesto Guevara Research Center (Day 2). La Cabana
Fortress, Cojimar – Photographer, La Terraza with aperitif (Day 3).
Guardalavaca – 4 star all-inclusive beach resort hotel (double/twin/single).
General - All transfers to and from airports, hotels, Che Guevara Trail and
excursions (including entrance fess). Guide service. Assistance by our Havana
office staff.
Not included:
International flights. Cuba Airport Departure Tax (USD25 payable at the
airport). Tourist Visa Card (obtainable from the Cuban Consulate in your
country of origin or your travel agent). Personal expenses. Staff gratuities.
Any optional excursions, meals or drinks not mentioned as included in
itinerary. Travel insurance.
Note for Che Guevara Trail:
Baggage: Participants should only carry the necessary things for the trail. If
necessary the load will be distributed amongst the participants. Participants
will need wet weather gear, swimming costumes, hat or cap, strong shoes for
walking, etc,. The baggage must be strong and flexible because it will be
transported in trucks in non-comfortable conditions. Our representative will be
in charge of the transportation between points.
Level: Easy, accessible to every person who likes walking.
Group Size:
Minimum 4 persons. Maximum: 12 persons.
Itinerary and prices maybe subject to change.
For further information & Reservations please contact us
info@cubaselecttravel.co.uk
