Discover the Real Cuba – 10 Day Tour
"Capture a moment in history and the soul of this unique Caribbean island"
For those travelers who want to see the real Cuba, this new and exclusive programme
brings you closer to the people and culture of this unique Caribbean island, from
Havana to the other most important cities, to the beauty of its countryside and
the places of historic special interest.
This specially designed tour offers a different
perspective, an adventure into the heart and soul of the most intriguing country
where you will have the opportunity to meet and engage with Cubans in diverse settings
and learn about this fast-changing nation through Cubans’ eyes.
Our extensive knowledge
of the country will provide you with a truly thought-provoking travel experience
to capture a moment in history as Cuba further develops its horizons.
Programme Highlights
• Discover Cuba’s fascinating people and culture.
• Explore the UNESCO World Heritage sites.
• Cuban locals and experts will tell you about their splendid colonial cities, religion,
vibrant music and art scene and lush rural landscapes.
• Envelop yourself in the timeless natural beauty of its architecture and fascinating
way of life of this enigmatic island nation.
• Local preservationists will inform you about the restoration of Old Havana.
• Visit the Bay of Pigs and hear from Cuban experts of the 1961 invasion.
• Follow the life of Hemingway including visiting his rural home; and the fishing
village where he got his inspiration for writing his famous novel, and visit his
favorite drinking haunts.
• Exchange ideas and experiences relating to art, education, religion, history,
and conservation with Cuban artists, teachers, Santeria priests, park rangers, and
more.
• Visits to local farms, a famous cigar factory and the Havana Club rum museum.
• Meet photographer Julio Muñoz, whose family appeared in a 1999 National Geographic
article, and learn about his innovative project in promoting equine care.
• Relax at one of Cuba’s prime beach resorts.
Itinerary
Day 1 Welcome to Havana Upon arrival at Havana International Airport
you will be met and assisted and transferred to your hotel where you will be greeted
with a welcome cocktail at check-in.
Hotel Saratoga, Hotel Parque Central, Hotel Santa Isabel or Hotel San Felipe y Santiago
de Bejucal
Day 2 Havana Highlights Breakfast at hotel. You start the day by
exploring Old Havana and discovering its beautiful Spanish colonial architecture.
Learn about the challenges facing Havana as it struggles to preserve its architectural
and cultural heritage in a period of great economic change. On the main commercial
street, meet some of Cuba’s cuentapropistas (self-employed), who are part of an
expanding private sector. After lunch, enjoy a talk with an expert from the Old
Havana restoration project. While still in the Historic Center, enjoy a guided visit
to the Havana Club’ Rum Museum to know all the history of sugar cane and the processes
to obtain the famous Cuban rum brands. Later, following a presentation on the role
of tobacco in Cuban history, watch the intricate work of torcedores, or cigar rollers,
at a famous cigar factory, followed by a discussion with a few of the rollers about
their work. Soak up the atmosphere in Parque Central, where baseball fans engage
in debates. Your guide will brief you on Cuban religion in its many forms—from Catholicism
to Judaism to Santeria—and then visit the cathedral of San Cristóbal with a remarkable
baroque facade that Cuban novelist Alejo Carpentier described as “music turned to
stone.” Hotel Saratoga, Hotel Parque Central, Hotel Santa Isabel or Hotel San Felipe
y Santiago de Bejucal (B, L)
Day 3 Havana – The Hemingway Trail Breakfast at hotel. While discussing
Cuba’s current political and economic landscape with your guide, set out for Ernest
Hemingway’s hilltop home, Finca Vigía, now a museum. Meet with a curator to discuss
the author’s enduring legacy in Cuba, followed by a guided tour of the property.
Enjoy a talk on Hemingway’s reaction to the 1959 Cuban Revolution and his final
departure from Cuba and subsequent death in 1961. Then travel to the seaside village
of Cojímar, the setting for the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Old Man and the Sea.
Here, watch local fishermen set sail or come back from fishing as you stand at the
pier next to Hemingway’s bronze bust, homage paid by the locals after the news of
his passing. Have lunch at La Terraza Restaurant overlooking the harbor where Hemingway’s
fishing boat was moored and talk to a fisherman. Then return to the city to visit
Hotel Ambos Mundos in Old Havana where the author’s room is maintained as a museum.
Finish off the day at El Floridita Restaurant and Bar, another Hemingway haunt that
provides a unique window into his life in Cuba where he enjoyed the best Daiquiris
and met with friends of his social network. His bronze statue can be seen sitting
at the end of the bar. The restaurant is also famous for its seafood cuisine, fine
wines and high standard of service. Hotel Saratoga, Hotel Parque Central, Hotel
Santa Isabel or Hotel San Felipe y Santiago de Bejucal (B, L)
Day 4 Pinar del Río & Viñales Valley Breakfast at hotel. Today
travel west of Havana to the province of Pinar del Río and the Viñales Valley, known
for its emerald tobacco fields. Visit a legendary tobacco farm and witness firsthand
the cultivation of Cuba’s legendary crop. Meet and talk with those who work the
farm and learn about Cuba’s rural culture and economy. Arrive at Vinales town with
lunch at local restaurant. Later, explore Viñales National Park with experienced
local guides who will discuss conservation in this forested region. Meet with rural
farmers who still use oxen to till their fields. Continue to the lovely town of
Viñales, surrounded by striking limestone hills, or the famous Mogotes only found
in two other countries in the world. A fond memory to take back home will be one
of Cuba’s beautiful natural landscapes of the Viñales Valley. Overnight accommodation
at either Hotel Los Jazmines or Hotel La Ermita, (B, L)
Day 5 Bay of Pigs & Cienfuegos Breakfast at hotel. An early start
this morning for a long journey to central Cuba and the south coast where another
significant day lays ahead to a visit the historic Bay of Pigs, and on our way,
see the cave where Ernesto “Che” Guevara was headquartered during the Cuban Missile
Crisis of 1962. Lunch on route. Explore Playa Girón, the landing site for the 1961
U.S.-backed invasion; and the Playa Girón museum with an expert, who will share
his/her knowledge on the subject backed up by a black and white documentary with
original footage of the events. Engage them directly on the legacy of the Bay of
Pigs in Cuba. Continue to Cienfuegos, a port city with architecture that reflects
its French colonial roots. This evening, discover the history and Parisian-style
boulevards of Cuba’s “pearl of the South.” Meet local residents in Parque Martí
and see the statue commemorating José Martí, a renowned author and a leader in Cuba’s
quest for independence from Spain. Travel by the bay to the elegant neighborhood
of Punta Gorda where most ex-pats residences still show the glamour of the 50’s.
Dinner at Cienfuegos Yacht Club. Hotel Jagua (B, L, D)
Day 6 Cienfuegos & Trinidad Breakfast at hotel. Set out for Trinidad
stopping on route to visit Cienfuegos’s Botanical Garden with a member of a local
specialist in Cuba’s flora and fauna who will talk about Cuba’s efforts to maintain
the rich biodiversity of its extraordinary plant life. Continue to Trinidad and
explore Cuba’s best-preserved colonial city with your guide. Meander along cobblestone
streets past pastel-colored homes and serene plazas. Meet with students at a local
art institute, housed in what was once the dragoons’ barracks and discover what
fresh contributions young artists are making to Cuba’s shifting cultural landscape.
After lunch, meet Julio Muñoz, a local photographer and “horse whisperer” whose
wife and niece were featured in an October 1999 National Geographic article. Then
continue to visit a babalawo, a high priest of the Afro-Caribbean religion, Santeria,
in his own house/temple. Enjoy free time at the souvenirs market admiring the work
of the local artists. Travel to Peninsula Ancon, bathed by the Caribbean Sea, and
check in at your hotel. After unpacking, enjoy a refreshing swim in the beach and
dinner at hotel. Hotel Brisas Trinidad del Mar, Club Amigo Ancón or Costa Sur (AI)
Day 7 Trinidad - Sugar Cane Valley Breakfast at hotel. Set out
for Trinidad’s local train station with your guide to take an old steam train once
used to carry sugar cane, to travel across sugarcane fields to a restored former
Hacienda in the heart of the Sugar Mills Valley for a visit and a traditional Cuban
lunch. Climb up or just admire the 42-meter high tower once used to check on the
slaves’ work. Get to know locals in the area, former sugar workers, who have shifted
to new agricultural employment, as well as learning about the once important Cuban
sugar industry. Transfer back to the hotel with an in-transit visit to a local master
of handicraft: Chichi Santander. Later, continue to the Ancon Peninsula for a free
afternoon to swim in the Caribbean. Dinner at hotel. Hotel Brisas Trinidad del Mar,
Club Amigo Ancón or Costa Sur (AI)
Day 8 Trinidad— Havana & Jaimanitas Breakfast at hotel. Return
to Havana, stopping for lunch along the way. Attend a musical performance at a local
music and dance school and meet the students. Then head to the charming fishing
village of Jaimanitas situated in the west suburbs of Havana to visit the workshop
and home of ceramic artist José Fuster, called the “Picasso of Cuba.” Talk with
residents involved in revitalizing the neighborhood with colorful mosaics. Ask your
guide about ideas for going to one of Havana’s nightspots. Hotel Saratoga, Hotel
Santa Isabel or Hotel Parque Central (B, L)
Day 9 Havana - Revolutionary Icons Breakfast at hotel. Collected
from your hotel to take a morning guided tour through the Vedado neighborhood. Then
visit La Plaza de la Revolución where Fidel Castro made many of his famous speeches.
You will see building sized images of Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos. Travel
onto to the Colon (Columbus) Cemetery, known for its elaborate mausoleums, chapels,
and tombstones. Meet pilgrims from across the country at the grave of La Milagrosa
(The Miraculous One), a woman who died in childbirth in 1901 and who many Cubans
believe has the power to grant good luck. Later, meet local artists at “Salvador’s
Alley,” an outdoor multimedia space with vibrant murals, Santeria shrines, and rumba
performances. Learn how these artists refract the realities of contemporary Cuban
life through a variety of media. Dinner at hotel. Hotel Saratoga, Hotel Santa Isabel
or Hotel Parque Central (B, D)
Day 10 Farewell Havana Breakfast at hotel. Check-out and transfer
to the airport for your outbound flight with lasting memories of Cuba its people
and culture and lots of stories to tell your friends and families. (B)
Low Season 01 May – 31 October 2012 & 01 December – 22 December 2012
Price per Person sharing Double/Twin Room US$2350
Price per Person in Single Room US$2757
High Season 23 December 2011 – 30 April 2012
Prices per Person sharing Double/Twin Room US$2636
Price per Person in Single Room US$3129
Included:
Met and assisted at Havana International Airport upon arrival. Accommodation at
selected hotels. All transfers. Tour Guide Service. Entrance Fees. Food and beverages
included where indicated (See legend: B-Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner, AI-All inclusive).
Activities, excursions and meetings as indicated. 24 hr out of office hours duty
phone service from Havana office.
Not Included:
International flights. Tourist Visa Card (obtainable from the Cuba Consulate in
your country, your travel agent of airline). Travel and Medical Insurance (medical
insurance compulsory to enter Cuba). Cuba Airport Departure Tax (25CUC per person
payable in cash on after check-in at airport on departure). Any food and beverages
not mentioned as included. Personal Expenses. Staff Gratuities.
Note:
Certain aspects of the itinerary may be subject to change. Any changes will be advised
to you as soon as we are aware of any changes. Bookings are subject to our standard
Booking Conditions.
Contact us to make a booking or for further information at:
sales@cubaselecttravel.com