Havana

After breakfast your guide will take you on a city tour of old Havana, Cuba’s capital and the largest city in the Caribbean, exploring Old Havana by foot. Havana is a bustling capital full of historic monuments, cathedrals and palaces. Preserved by a combination of very little war damage, post Revolution restoration work and the millions of dollars invested since it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982, it is the finest surviving Spanish colonial city in the Americas.  

As well as Havana’s four colonial plazas, we will stop into a few local businesses such as nail salons and barbers. We also have the choice of visiting various entrepreneurs in Old Havana such as Zulu, who make handmade leather bags, Dador, who produce beautiful linen clothing or Ciclo Eco Papel, a pioneering paper  recycling initiative. We’ll then visit the Cuban collection at the Museo de Bellas Artes, where we’ll explore the best in contemporary Cuban art with the help of a local expert. We’ll have lunch in Old Havana in a local paladar. This evening loosen your hips in a salsa class with a local teacher.

Meals included: Breakfast & Lunch

Accommodation: Sueño Habana, Azul Habana or similar

Viñales

This morning we head west to Viñales via Las Terrazas, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve tucked away in the Sierra del Rosario mountains. Las Terrazas community was created in 1971 so that farmers in the area who had been living in desperate poverty and isolation could participate in reforestation of precious hardwoods. Nowadays Las Terrazas is a self-sufficient community surrounded by spectacular landscapes. 

On arrival we visit this small community with the option of trying out the zip lining course which soars over the village and through the forest. It’s an exhilarating way to see the beauty of this lush landscape. We then head to the San Juan River for a refreshing dip in its natural pools. There is a simple restaurant on the banks of the river where we will enjoy a Cuban creole lunch. After lunch we will continue to Viñales in  Cuba’s western-most province, Pinar del Rio.

The Valley of Viñales forms part of the Los Organos mountain  range, the oldest area in Cuba. The valley is famous for its mogotes, or karsts-rounded mountains that seem to bubble out of the ground. This striking phenomenon dates back to the Jurassic Period when the area was a cave system that collapsed, leaving steep walls that turned into these unique mountains. This epic landscape also happens to be where the best tobacco in the world is lovingly grown. This evening we will visit an organic farm, after a quick tour from one of the workers we will sit down to a sunset dinner with beautiful views across the valley. 

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Accommodation: Sueño Habana, Azul Habana or similar

Explore Viñales and return to Havana

After breakfast we will head out on a walk through the beautiful valley of Viñales. Despite becoming a popular tourist destination over the last decade, Viñales retains its laid-back, small-town feel. You will see labourers working the land to the stunning backdrop of the valley’s unique mogotes, children riding horses  to school, farmers enjoying a cigar under the shade of an avocado tree and oxen slowly towing carts. We will stop at a tobacco farm where we will learn all about the tobacco-growing process, from seedling to cigar. We will have lunch in a paladar in Viñales, enjoying fresh organic produce from the valley’s fertile soil. After lunch we will transfer back to Havana. This evening we will have dinner in a lovely Havana restaurant. We will then head to FAC (Fabrica de Arte Cubano) for a night out at Cuba’s iconic interactive art space. FAC is a multi-faceted arts venue that, on first impression, wouldn’t look out of place in East London or Berlin if it weren’t for the very Cuban influences and clientele-entrance is included for this evening.  

With an ever-rotating curation, no two weekends are the same at La Fabrica; expect to see photography exhibitions, improvised theatre, jazz ensembles, or electronic DJs. There are numerous indoor and outdoor areas to visit within the large venue, so depending on your tastes you are likely to find something to dance to!

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Sueño Habana, Azul Habana or similar

Final Day

This morning get ready for the ultimate Cuban experience: a tour around town in one of Cuba’s iconic vintage cars. You will discover new Havana neighborhoods from the backseat of a pristinely-preserved classic American car. Highlights include Plaza de la Revolución, the face of Fidel’s revolution, Parque  Almendares, an unexpectedly lush forest in the middle of Havana and the Malecon, Havana’s romantic seawall. Afterwards enjoy some free time in Havana. 

And so it’s adios from us, or as we prefer to think of it, ‘hasta luego’ – see you later! Have a safe journey and we hope that you had a wonderful experience in Cuba. 

Meals included: Breakfast