Cuba Adventure Holiday

Arrive Havana, the capital of Cuba, and check-in at our hotel. Built around a deep natural harbour, Havana is one of the most impressive surviving colonial cities in the Americas.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+)

Modern day Havana is a mixture of restored and crumbling architectural marvels. Our morning tour explores the city, driving past art-deco style buildings along the coastal Malecon and through the Vedado and Miramar suburbs where the kids play baseball below rusting, street lights with 50s American cadillacs cruise past. On foot we investigate the Vieja (Old) district with its beautiful neoclassical buildings at the Plaza de Armas and the baroque Cathedral. During your free afternoon you can visit the City Museum or the fascinating Museum of the Revolution. Cool breezes blowing in from the Caribbean freshen lively sunset strolls along the Malecon.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

Today we head east across Cuba, we drive through giant citrus and sugar plantations and out onto the Zapata Peninsula. Further on ‘cenotes’ or pools created by the ceiling collapse of the underground rivers dot the landscape and provide wonderful swimming opportunities. Later we visit Playa Giron and the nearby museum dedicated to the infamous ‘Bay of Pigs’ invasion, where a US supported attack by Cuban exiles failed to overthrow the Communist regime. Our journey then skirts the edge of the wooded Escambray mountains, hugging the coastline with views over the sparkling turquoise waters and arrive to our base, just outside of the beautiful Spanish colonial town of Trinidad.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

This morning we wander through the old centre of Trinidad, visiting one of the many interesting museums which reflect Trinidad’s varied history. In the early 19th century French settlers, fleeing a slave revolt in Haiti, landed and started to grow sugar cane in the Valle de Los Ingenios. This crop generated considerable wealth and consequently the town had to be regularly defended from pirates. The street layout is said to be deliberately complicated so as to confuse them! The afternoon is free to simply relax on nearby Playa Ancon (optional), or continue to wander through Trinidad’s lovely colonial streets: a paradise for photographers.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

A short bus trip up a steep, switch-back road leads us into the lushly vegetated Escambray Mountains for a 8km trek takes us into a valley cut deep by the Guayanara River. We start off driving a short distance then begin to walk. Along this section of the route good views unfold over Embalse Habanabanilla – Cuba’s highest lake. We may stop along the way to see coffee growing and talk to some of the locals. After about 4 hours walk we arrive at our hacienda, set in a rocky valley. The afternoon is free – however we recommend the 5 km round trip (approx 3hrs) to the Salto de Rocio waterfall, in an area flush with trogons, hummingbirds and woodpeckers. We follow a river-side track beside which 7 species of tree fern, bromeliads, and orchids grow. On arrival, adventurous swimmers can enjoy waterfalls and pools, while others may choose to relax on the banks. Please note that walks may be harder depending on weather conditions and those preferring not to walk can travel with our support vehicle. The accommodation at the haciendas is simple, with foam mattresses provided for sleeping out on the verandahs under overhanging eves. The peace and quiet of the night with its canopy of stars should ensure a good night’s sleep! Tents may be available.

Overnight Hacienda (H) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning we start with a short drive before starting a four hour trek (approx 8km) up through an unspoilt land of forest, watereroded valleys, rushing waterfalls and underground rivers. There is pine forest and paths bordered by mahogany and hibiscus. You may see Humming birds flash past, darting from flower to flower searching for nectar. Further on we reach La Batata, a cave through which an underground river gurgles, gently carving out rock pools. The water rarely exceeds 20°C so the swimming is exhilarating here! We trek on until we reach an isolated, century old hacienda set in a lush valley where we have lunch. In the afternoon our local guide takes us on a circular interpretative trail, discussing the orchids and medicinal plants we find en route. At La Cueva del Altar we walk through a cavern, emerging on the other side of the hill to beautiful views of the Caribbean (approx 1.5km). Later we have supper – enjoying wonderful Cuban hospitality, and settle down for the night. The accommodation is similar to last night’s hacienda.

Overnight Hacienda (H) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Leaving the Escambray Mountains behind we stop at the Valle de los Ingenios. Later we visit Sancti Spiritus, one of the original seven settlements founded by Diego Velasquez when he claimed Cuba for Spain, for lunch, before continuing on a long drive across the flattest province in Cuba – Ciego de Avila. The Llanura de Jucaro Moron (plain) is mostly used for agriculture, predominantly cattle ranching, sugar growing, citrus fruit production. Our journey continues up into the hills of the Sierra de Cubitas where beef and dairy cattle roam. We reach the provincial capital of Camaguey in the late afternoon.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

The morning is free to wander in Camaguey, or you may want to do this by bicitaxi. We recommend a visit to the bustling farmer’s market. Later, our journey continues east to La Plata in the Sierra Maestra mountains. These are the highest mountains in Cuba built from volcanic and other metamorphic rocks. Finishing with a short jeep drive we arrive at our cabins for the night in Bartolome Maso.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

A convoy of jeeps carry us up a steep ashphalted road to El Alto de Naranjo at 950mts. From this trailhead we walk 3km (6km return) through virgin rainforest to La Comandancia de La Plata where Fidel Castro and Che Guevara took refuge after an unsuccessful uprising against the Cuban dictator Batista on 2nd December, 1956. This mountain hideaway became the revolutionaries’ headquarters until Batista fled Cuba in 1959. This afternoon we drive directly inland towards the lively former Cuban capital of Santiago.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Surrounded by hills and looking out over the Caribbean, Santiago has been the epicentre for revolutionary ideals since the time of Cespedes. Many of the colonial buildings and museums of Cuba’s second city are painted in attractive, traditional pastel shades. This morning we have a guided tour of Santiago city. We take the bus to the Plaza de la Revolucion with it’s fine monument to the heroes of the Independence wars, visit the remarkable cemetery where independence hero José Martí is buried and then the Moncada Barracks (entrance optional) which Castro and 118 students unsuccessfully attacked in 1953. The afternoon is left free for personal exploration – we recommend a visit to El Morro fort (optional), one of the best preserved in Cuba, affording us remarkable views over the harbour right across to the Sierra Maestra, possibly for the cannon firing ceremony at sunset. We have this evening to enjoy Santiago’s famous nightlife.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

Today we leave Santiago behind for a full days drive towards Santa Clara, the home of Ché’s Mausoleum, where we break our journey and spend the night. This stop allows us to visit one of Cuba’s most famous revoluntionary landmarks. The museum will be closed when we arrive however we will visit it in the monrning before heading to Vinales

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

Today after our visit to the Mausoleum, we head on to the Viñales region. We travel to the lush rainforest of Soroa with its orchids and waterfalls, before continuing on to Viñales, one of the most famously picturesque areas of Cuba. Millions of years ago underground rivers cut tunnels through the limestone hills and when the roofs collapsed strange hills or ‘mogotes’, with interesting and sometimes unique vegetation, were left sticking up from today’s flat valley floor. The iron-rich, red soil creates a patchwork of fields growing some of the best tobacco in the world - the raw material for the ubiquitous cigars.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

This morning we make our way to the north coast. Arriving at the ferry for Cayo Levisa, part of the Archipelago los Colorados, we take a short hop across to the island. On the island, you may snorkel (optional) or just relax on the beach before returning to the mainland and then returning to Viñales later in the afternoon.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

This morning we take a walk through the valleys of this remarkable landscape to El Palmarito (approx 3hrs) with the Mogotes towering above us. We pass through tobacco fields and may see the odd drying barn. This afternoon you will have free time for personal exploration or you may wish to visit Cueva del indio (optional), one of the largest cave systems in the Americas. You may, of course, choose simply to relax in the grounds of the hotel, or we can take a beautiful walk to the Laguna del Piedra (approximately 2 hours) optional. Later this afternoon we return to atmospheric Havana. We enjoy a final dinner, and probably a dance, together in old Havana.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

Included meals: Breakfast