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Best of Cuba

Our Best of Cuba program explores Havana, Western Cuba, Central Cuba, and Trinidad. It includes the Cordillera de Guaniguanico (Karst Region), Vuelta Abajo (Tobacco country), the Sierra del Rosario Biosphere Reserve (Coffee country), Parque Nacional Ciéniga de Zapata (Wildlife Preserve), the Sierra del Escambray (El Nicho Waterfall, Parrot & Tocororo spotting), Valle de Los Ingenios (Sugarcane), and an afternoon relaxing at Playa Ancón (Beautiful beach a little to the east of Trinidad).

This trip includes two nights in Havana, a night in Pinar del Rio, a night at Playa Larga, and a night on Playa Jibacoa.

Highlights

La Habana Vieja The largest intact colonial city in the Americas, it’s an outdoor museum with almost 1,000 historic buildings.
Museum of the Revolution Tells the story of Cuba from Spanish colonization to the Bay of Pigs.
The Malecón Havana’s sunset meeting spot, this broad esplanade follows the seawall.
Fabrica This sprawling art space is possibly the hippest place in the world.
Paladar Dining A private residence is the best place to taste homemade Cuban food.
Cueva de Los Portales Che Guevara’s headquarters during the Cuban missile crisis.
Viñales Valley The most scenic valley in Cuba.
Cueva del Indio Cave hike and underground river tour.
Vuelta Abajo Tobacco tour with a local farmer.
Las Terrazas Model rural community built on a lake where we’ll meet with some local artists.
Buena Vista Coffee Plantation Coffee tour.
Muséo Giron Bay of Pigs Museum on Playa Giron.
Zapata Cuba’s most complete wildlife preserve.
Hacienda Manaca Iznaga Sugarcane Plantation.
Trinidad Perfectly preserved colonial settlement founded by Diego Velázquez.
Playa Ancón Beautiful beach near Trinidad.

Itinerary

DayCityHighlights
1Havana
Orientation
Meet your Program Director at the airport for your flight to Havana! Private shuttle to your centrally located hotel. Check in, then navigate to Plaza de Armas. Enjoy lunch before visiting the Castillo de la Real Fuerza, Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, and the Cathedral de La Habana. Explore the Columbus Museum at Castillo de los Tres Reyes del Morro. Pick a restaurant for dinner overlooking Habana Viaja, then head to Castillo de San Carlos de la Cabaña to experience the Cañonazo.
2HavanaVisit to the Museum of the Revolution and the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. We’ll spend a few hours around lunch enjoying Havana’s two most interesting streets — Calle Obispo and Calle Mercaderes — on the way to Plaza Vieja where we’ll check out the views from Cámera Obscura. We’ll end the day enjoying an evening of Tapas and Flamenco at Mesón de La Habana.
3Cordillera de
Guaniguanico
Stay goodbye to Havana, we’re off to explore the Cordillera de Guaniguanico! Our first stop is Cueva de Los Portales, a 100ft high cavern that served as headquarters for Che Guevara during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Next we’ll weave through the valley of Viñales, admiring it’s massive mogotes and stopping for lunch in the unspoiled colonial village. After lunch we’ll head inside one of the mogotes to explore the enormous Cueva del Indio on foot and by motorboat. We then continue to the quiet town of Pinar del Rio at the heart of Cuba’s tobacco country where we’ll check into our hotel and head out for dinner.
4Sierra del RosarioWe’re off to the fertile plains of Vuelta Abajo where we’ll visit with a local tobacco farmer. Next we’ll make our way to the lakeside community of Las Terrazas where we’ll enjoy lunch, visit with the local artists, and hike to the Buena Vista Coffee Plantation. We then continue to Playa Larga, check into the hotel and find a dinner spot on the beach.
5Zapata
Peninsula
We’ll spend the morning exploring the Zapata wildlife preserve before heading to Playa Giron where we’ll enjoy lunch and visit the Bay of Pigs museum. Then we continue to Trinidad, passing through the Sierra del Escambray where we’ll stop to see the El Nicho Waterfall. On arrival in Trinidad we’ll check into the hotel and find the most significant features of the town before dinner.
6Playa JibacoaWe’re off the sugarcane fields and 19th century mansions of the Valle de Los Ingenios where we’ll have lunch at Hacienda Manaca Iznaca before heading to Playa Ancón for a late afternoon at the beach. Farewell dinner at the beach!
7Playa JibacoaMorning on the beach and then transfer back to Havana for our flight home.

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