This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Telephone Icon

Cuba Highlights

Our Cuba Highlights program explores Havana, Western Cuba, and Central Cuba. It includes the Cordillera de Guaniguanico (Karst Region), Vuelta Abajo (Tobacco country), the Sierra del Rosario Biosphere Reserve (Coffee country), and Parque Nacional Ciéniga de Zapata (Wildlife Reserve). The program ends with an afternoon at Playa Jibacoa (Beach town a little to the east of Havana).

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.
Playa Jibacoa Popular beach near Havana.

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 Playa Jibacoa, check into the hotel and find the beach.
6Playa JibacoaMorning on the beach and then transfer back to Havana for our flight home.

Easy Print PDF