Ten Days in Natural and Historical Cuba Tour
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Ten Days in Natural and Historical Cuba Tour
Grand Cathedral of Havana
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PROGRAM OVERVIEW
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Havana's Hotel El Bosque on the Almendares River greenbelt surrounded by nature in the heart of the city. Breakfast included
Trinidad's all-inclusive Club Amigo Costa Sur Resort on the white sand shores of the Península Ancón
Bay of Pigs' Hotel Playa Girón located on the Zapata Península – the largest bio-reserve in the Caribbean. Breakfast and dinner included
Picturesque Hotel Los Jazmines positioned atop a mogote (hill) in breathtaking Viñales Valley with breakfast and dinner included
PLACE AND SITE VISITS
Havana City and Havana Province
Bay of Pigs in Matanzas province
Cities of Cienfuegos and Trinidad de Cuba
Topes de Collantes National Park in Sancti Spíritus province
Las Terrazas eco-community and Viñales Valley in Pinar del Río province
MORE TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
Private guided walking tours of Cienfuegos, Trinidad and Havana, and a luxury coach tour of Modern Havana
Domestic and international cuisine at your hotels and fine restaurants
Special birding tour at Península de Zapata, the most important eco-reserve in the Caribbean
Explore La Gran Caverna de Santo Tomás – the largest cave system in the Caribbean
Visit an urban organic market, an organic farm and dine with its members
Enjoy entertainment venues where the best Cuban music is performed
Tour a crocodile breeding farm at Boca de Guama
Numerous optional activities from horseback riding to snorkeling and scuba diving
Visit a centuries-old family-run ceramics workshop
Son, salsa, cha cha chá dance lessons taught by Cuban pros
Sunday 5 April to Tuesday 14 April 2009, limited enrollment
Ten days in the safest and most friendly country in Latin America
Witness the indigenous flora and fauna of Cuba first hand
Climb the summit of the Escambray Mountains in Soviet army trucks
Visit organic farms and markets, and restored jungle forests
Enjoy music, dance, architecture, and experience Cuba's social, cultural and natural history
Bernie Solymár, Canadian naturalist
Meet your tour leader. Prominent Canadian naturalist Bernie Solymár inspired and leads this program. Read Bernie's invitation to join this exceptional program exploring natural and historical Cuba, and learn more about the goals and work of Bernie Solymár here.
Cuba Education Tours multilingual guide
This program is fully escorted from the minute you touch down in Havana until you return home. While on the island you're in the conscientious care of a Cuba Education Tours expert multilingual guide together with Bernie Solymár and a professional bus chauffeur. Our Canadian and Cuban staff ensures worry free Cuba travel before, during and after your tour.
Cuba Education Tours guide to endemic birds of CubaNative birds of Cuba. We've assembled a definitive roster of endemic and near endemic birds of Cuba. Click here for a preview birds you'll see while in the Pearl of the Caribbean!
Cuban girl on Cuba Education Tour
Who should attend? This tour is geared to people who love nature, want to experience exotic tropical Cuba first hand, and seek to understand dynamic changes on the island leading to breakthroughs in environmental and energy conservation, and organic agriculture. It is open to people of all ages and is an especial treat for families and close friends.
Time to schedule your Cuba Tour
Time to commit. This tour is limited in size and fills up fast (see costs). Consider registering now. Shy, budget-minded or independent? There are benefits to group Cuba travel.
TOUR ACTIVITIES LEGEND

Cuban green woodpecker indicates Nature activies
Woodpecker icon for exclusive events unique to this tour
Cuban pygmy owl icon is for bird and wildlife watching activities
Pygmy Owl icon for bird, fauna and flora watching activities

Cuban culture icon
Red lips icon for art, museum, and education visits
Cuban history and architecture icon
Turret icon for history and architecture

Cuban dance icon
Shoe icon for music and dance activities
Cuban food icon
Fork icon for meals included in cost

Cuban fun and free time icon
Smiling icon for free time and leisure
Logo for beautiful Cuban beach activities
Ball icon for beach, sun and swimming
Hint BLUE text links across this site offer extensive details and pictures.
Legal Cuba Travel License for Americans
USA travelers This program is legal and licensable for professionals whose work is related to this tour's theme. LegalCubaTravel.com provides an easy step-by-step application kit. If you don't qualify for licensed travel there are alternatives! Contact us.
Travel for change Cuba Education Tours is a Vancouver Canada based organization dedicated to green, ethical travel that benefits Cubans and our guests. It's the oldest continuous Cuba tour operator in North America.
Five star treatment with Cuba Education ToursFive star treatment round-the-clock from our Cuban and Canadian staff ensures worry free travel abroad.
Included in costs are all activities listed below unless noted otherwise.
Cuban tour bus
Island transportation You travel in a private luxury tour coach chauffeured by a professional driver.
Meals B=breakfast L=lunch D=dinner indicates meals included. Breakfasts are complementary on this tour. Your guide is glad to suggest eateries for every taste and budget for lunches and dinners not included.
Cuban airlines
Getting to Cuba Call 1-877-687-3817 toll free or email us. We can help.
Memories of Cuba last forever. Discover the island on routes less traveled. Cuban water lilly
MY COMPLIMENTS for including naturalist Bernie Solymar as tour leader on our March 2008 Nature Tour. The trip was everything I imagined and more – fabulous and memorable! The group was a wonderful mix of ages, backgrounds and outlooks. All were extremely friendly and fascinating to travel with. Cuba was the same: outgoing beautiful people in body and spirit, varied topography, animals and plant life. It was intriguing because the political and economic situation is so different from ours. I highly recommend this program! — Jan Bruno, Retired Teacher, Vancouver, British Columbia
SEE EACH TRIP DAY ::  01  ::  02  ::  03  ::  04  ::  05  ::  06  ::  07  ::  08  ::  09  ::  10  ::
DAY 1 – SUNDAY D
HELLO HAVANA TOP
Cuban jazz at night on the Malecon
Río Almendares en route to La Habana. It passes by your Hotel El Bosque.
Cuban jazz at night on the Malecon
Music is pervasive across the city.
Cuba's zunzun hummingbird
The world's smallest bird is known as the Cuban Bee Hummingbird or zunzún. Watch a film clip.

Arrive at Havana's José Martí International Airport.

Collect your bags and go through customs. See What to take to Cuba.

You're welcomed at the airport by your Cuba Education Tours guide and professional bus chauffeur.

Your Cuba Education Tours guide will direct you to a bank or exchange bureau (CADECA) to purchase Cuban Convertible Pesos.

Group transfer to the recently restored Hotel El Bosque located near the banks of majestic Almendares River that divides the Havana neighborhoods of Vedado and Miramar.

Mojito
Private check-in with assistance from your guide.

Cuban fun and free time icon
Evening is free for you to settle in, rest up, explore Havana's vibrant music milieu or stroll the Malecón seawall too far from your hotel.

Breakfasts are complementary daily from 7AM to 10AM.
Old car in Havana

TIME AND CLIME IN HAVANA NOW


Island-wide annual averages
Summer temp average: 81F | 27C
Winter temp average: 72F | 22C
Ocean temp average: 78F | 25.5C

Havana's malecon at night
Havana's famed Malecón seawall is not far from your hotel.
Most common questions 1 Is Cuban food good? It's healthy and simple but not spicy. 2 Am I free to ask any question? You'll insult your island hosts by being less than candid. 3 Is the water safe? Yes, but we suggest bottled water for peace of mind. 4 Are vaccinations needed? No. 5 Can Americans join? They are especially welcome to do so! 6 Can I stay in Cuba after the tour? Absolutely and we are glad to help. 7 Do Cubans like tips? Yes, please see our Gratuities Guidelines.
Cuban jazz at night on the Malecon
One in ten autos in Cuba are pre-1959.
CUBA IS THE LARGEST and least commercialized island in the Caribbean. It hosts 6000 plant species, half of which are endemic. There are 20 million palms in Cuba comprised of 30 species. Other flora includes the rare cork palm, a holdout from the cretaceous period; the jagüey, a fig with aerial roots; the palma barrigona (pot belly palm); the ceiba (sacred silk-cotton tree); and the mariposa (butterfly jasmine, Cuba's national flower). The most abundant land fauna is reptilian: crocodiles, iguanas, lizards, salamanders, turtles and 15 species of nonpoisonous snakes. The biggest land mammal is the jutía, a tree dwelling rodent the size of a cocker spaniel. The native bee hummingbird or zunzún is the world's smallest warm-blooded vertebrate weighing between 1.6 and 1.8 grams. The Cuban trogon or tocororo is the national bird – its red, blue and white plumage reflecting the colors of the Cuban flag.
DAY 2 – MONDAY BLD
CIENFUEGOS, THE PEARL OF THE SOUTH TOP
Cienfuegos Malecón seawall
Cienfuegos also has a Malecón (waterfront drive).
Architectural detail of old building in Cienfuegos
Gorgeous architectural detailing on a heritage building.
Cienfuegos' main Plaza José Martí
Cienfuegos, founded by French colonists, has a replica of the Arc de Triomphe in its central plaza.
Cienfuegos' Teatro Tomás Terry was built in 1889
Teatro Tomás Terry was built in 1889 by the sons of Tomás Terry (a Venezuelan immigrant who became wealthy via the slave trade and later mayor of the city). It is clad in Carrara marble; sports carved wooden seats, ornate ironwork, and an impressive romantic fresco on its arched ceiling. It once hosted the likes of Enrico Caruso and Sarah Bernhardt. Below Fresco detail.

Teatro Tomás Terry interior fresco detail
Cienfuegos' Club Náutico specializes in seafood delights
Cienfuegos' Club Náutico specializes in seafood delights.
Morning departure to Cienfuegos – founded by French immigrants at the beginning of the 19th century is renowned for its wealth of stunning historical buildings.

Cienfuegos' Club Náutico specializes in seafood delights
Upon arrival we enjoy a scrumptious seafood lunch at the bayside Club Náutico Restaurant. Time to sample Cuba's famed harvest from the sea. (Drinks not included.)

Afterwards, your guide will recount the story of the origins of this beautiful cosmopolitan city, known as the "Pearl of the South." You'll walk its main Plaza Martí where the ceremony of its foundation took place, as do many important events still today.

We'll visit such neoclassical buildings the Cathedral built with donations from wealthy slave owning families – enduring names like Lebranc, Albi, and Terry. Inside the Cathedral a marvelously rendered stained glass mural of the Twelve Apostles imported from Paris will awe you. The original machinery of the Cathedral's tower clock was also crafted in France and keeps on ticking to this day.

We'll visit the elegant art gallery Galería de Arte Maroya and review its impressively displayed collection of paintings, sculptures and antiques.

Now we journey on to the historic city of Trinidad de Cuba and check to your all-inclusive Club Amigo Costa Sur Resort on the white sand shores of the Península Ancón. You'll have time for dinner and a swim in the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea.
Cienfuegos' main Plaza José Martí
Mansion in Cienfuegos.
Cuban fruit stand
Fresh fruit stands stocked with organic produce ensure good health.
Cienfuegos' main Plaza José Martí
Statue in front of Cienfuegos Cathedral.
DAY 3 – TUESDAY BLD
THE HISTORIC CITY OF TRINIDAD DE CUBA TOP
Trinidad's Manaca Iznaga tower was built in 1816 to keep watch over cane-field slaves. It's 45 meters high and was for a century the tallest structure on the island. We'll climb up to its bell tower. Trinidad's Iznaga tower
Ceramicist at Santander workshop Sixth generation member of the Santander family spins decorative pots at centuries-old workshop.
Cuban cane cutters dance from the 1930s.
1930s photo of a Cuban sugar cane cutters dance. Island music and movement has its origins in labor combined with the admixture of African and Spanish cultures known as syncretism. Youth (below) practice modern machete dance.

Modern Cuban machete dance.
Trinidad de Cuba, declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO
Today we explore on foot one of the oldest cities founded by the Spaniards in the West Indies, Trinidad de Cuba, declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It was established in 1514 on orders of the conquistador Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar who traveled to Cuba with Columbus in 1493.

We visit its Plaza Mayor, Museum of Architecture, Museum of the Romantic Era, the main town parish and other amazing sites, some dating back centuries.

We stop at a mirador (lookout) over the Sugar Mill Valley, also an UNESCO World Heritage Site, where sugar barons constructed their opulent countryside mansions and huge refineries.

Trinidad is well known for its pottery makers. We'll meet a family that has been passing on the tradition for generations: the Santanders.

Cuban nature icon
Free time to wander the streets of Trinidad's historical center and examine the oldest architecture in the Americas, and inspect local art and shop for souvenirs.

Cuban nature icon
Evening is free to enjoy the beach, hotel amenities, and the lively streets of Trinidad. How about live Cuban popular music on steps of Casa de la Música – a great opportunity to dance with Cubans and your tour companions?
Cuban tropical fish Cuban tropical fish
Cuban reef fish. Consider snorkeling in the clean warm waters at your beach resort.
Fisher returns home with catch from Península de Ancón near your beach resort. Sea life thrives in the clean ocean waters near Trinidad. Most popular dinner treats are shrimp, red snapper, tuna and lobster. Fisherman on Trinidad's Playa Ancón
Playa Ancon beach in Trinidad
Sunset on Trinidad's Playa Ancón.
The Valle de los Ingenios [Sugar Mill Valley] brought untold riches to select families. You'll see their mansions and monuments.
Trinidad's Sugar Mill Valley
DAY 4 – WEDNESDAY BLD
NATURE AT IS BEST IN THE ESCAMBRAY MOUNTAINS TOP
Birdwatching in Cuba
Today is for nature trekking and bird watching.
Hacienda Codina
Enjoy a traditional lunch at Hacienda Codina, once a Spanish coffee plantation.
Cuban orchid
Exotic and unique plants and animals thrive in Cuba. The island has more protected areas than any other country.
Cuban pygmy owl
Cuban pygmy owl, about the size of a robin.
Cuba is recognized as the global leader in environmental sustainability. It has 300 ecologically protected areas comprising 30 percent of its territory. Six of these areas are UNESCO World Biosphere Reserves. Over half the island's diverse flora and fauna is indigenous – existing nowhere else – and is guarded from exploitation. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) declared Cuba the only country with a planet friendly economy.
World's smallest frog
The Cuban frog (top above grasshoppers) is world's smallest, shown here at two times life size.
Cuban iguana
Cuban iguana sun tans on beach. They are not poisonous nor do they bite.
Cuban parakeet Fernandina's flicker in Cuba Cuban parrot
Topes de Collantes National Park in central Cuba's Escambray Mountains is the perfect environment to spot the Cuban parakeet left, Fernandina's flicker center, and the Cuban parrot right.
This morning we board Soviet Army trucks to climb the peaks of Topes de Collantes in the Escambray Mountains. The Escambrays comprise the island's second highest range, reaching to 3,700 feet atop Pico San Juan. The Escambrays are home to small villages and a true delight for birders and naturalists alike. Dramatic slopes are swathed in Caribbean pines, ancient tree ferns, bamboo and eucalyptus.

Upon arrival at Hacienda Codina, an old Spanish coffee plantation, we'll enjoy a traditional Cuban lunch, followed by a walking tour of the area to admire the beauty of the surrounding landscape and the animals and plants it hosts. (Drinks not included.)

Late afternoon return to your Trinidad resort hotel. Dinner and drinks are included.

Your evening is free to enjoy the beach, hotel amenities, and the lively streets of Trinidad. Your guide will keep you posted on local entertainment options. (All drinks included at Brisas Trinidad del Mar!)

Cuban law icon
Entertainment suggestion Live Cuban popular music at the nightclub Casa de la Trova – a great opportunity to dance with Cubans and your tour companions.
Ancón beach at your all-inclusive resort hotel in Trinidad.
Playa Ancon Beach
Cuban peasant  hut
Peasant hut in the high altitude jungles of Topes de Collantes.
Soviet Army truck in Cuba
A Soviet Army truck is deployed to educate about nature. You'll ride in one to the top of the Escambray Mountains today.
Cuban tropical pond
Fresh water pool on the way to Topes de Collantes. The Escambray Mountains are located in central Cuba and form the second largest range on the island after the Sierra Maestra in the eastern province of Guantánamo.
Two cows on a Cuban farm
Animal partners help out on the farm. Eco-friendly practices result in tasty organic produce and high productivity.
DAY 5 – THURSDAY BLD
PENINSULA DE ZAPATA, CROCODILES AND BAY OF PIGS MUSEUM TOP
Cuban orchid

Cuban crocodile hatching emerges from egg. The highly endangered Crocodylus rhombifer is found only in Cuba's Zapata Swamp and the Isle of Youth, though it formerly ranged across the Caribbean. It is unique from other species distinguished by its brighter adult colors, rougher, more pebbled scales, and long, strong legs. It jumps to feed by thrusting its powerful tail and can leap up to four-and-a-half meters (15 feet) from the water to snatch arboreal animals such as jutías from overhanging branches. It is the most terrestrial, aggressive and intelligent of crocodilians. It exhibits pack-hunting behavior. It has blunt rear teeth used to crush turtle shells. It favors freshwater habitat such as swamps, marshes, and rivers and rarely swims in saltwater. Today, barely 4,500 Cuban crocodiles remain in the wild.


Zapata swamp as seen from your Hotel Playa Girón.
Morning departure to Península de Zapata, one of the most important ecosystems in Cuba and the largest lowland marine bioreserve in the Caribbean. It is situated in southern Matanzas province. It hosts rare species of flora and fauna, many of which are endemic and exist nowhere else.

En route we'll stop at Boca de Guama's crocodile breeding farm and enjoy a traditional Cuban lunch (crocodile may be on the menu).

Following lunch we'll continue on to Playa Girón and visit its famed Museo Playa Girón detailing and exhibiting the victory of Cubans over US-backed invasion forces – the battle of the Bay of Pigs invasion that took place in 1961.

Next we'll check-in to our Hotel Playa Girón, located on the Zapata Península – the largest bio-reserve in the Caribbean. Breakfast and dinner included

Important tour participant action! Arrange today with your hotel tour desk optional excursions beginning early tomorrow morning such as birdwatching, exploring cenotes (submerged cave systems), boat rides, horseback riding, hiking, scuba diving, and more. Bernie Solymár and your Cuban guide will advise and assist on best personal selections.

Your evening is free to explore the beautiful natural surroundings of your hotel and its evening entertainment options. Don't stay up too late – nature activities begin first thing in the morning.
Two cows on a Cuban farm
Cuban green turtle in Zapata swamp is a favorite meal of the Cuban crocodile. Cuban crocodiles have evolved blunt rear teeth and strong jaws to crush its shell. This turtle is not endangered.
Two cows on a Cuban farm
The jutía, native to Cuba, is a large rodent the size of a cocker spaniel. They dwell in trees and are vegetarians. Jutías are the preferred breakfast of crocodiles and the biggest endemic island mammal.
DAY 6 – FRIDAY BD
PENINSULA DE ZAPATA: BIRDWATCHING AND NATURE ROMPS TOP

Cuba Education Tours guide to endemic birds of Cuba
Visit our exclusive guide to endemic and near endemic birds of Cuba.
Click here.
Birdwatching in Cuba
Nature discovery day in the Pearl of the Caribbean.
Baby barracuda
Baby barracuda.
Cuban Trogon (Tocororo), Priotelus temnurus, is Cuba's national bird.
Cuban Trogon (Tocororo), Priotelus temnurus, is Cuba's national bird – its coloring representing the red, blue and white of the national flag. It is endemic to the island.

The Península Zapata is a birdwatchers' mecca. Today you have access to the best and most knowledgeable bird guides on the island. You'll spot many varieties of endemic birds and other species on migration route layovers.

You can also participate in horseback riding, hiking, snorkeling, scuba diving, and underwater spelunking.

Or, you can spend your day relaxing on the beach! Why not? You'll be returning home to a long cold winter in the north.
Cuban Pewee
Cuban Pewee, Contopus caribaeus, is found in Cuba and the northern Bahamas. Photo Ted Ardley.
Cuban Tody, Todus multicolor, is the most colorful of the genus.
Cuban Tody, Todus multicolor, is the most colorful of the genus. It can only fly short distances and is endemic to Cuba.
Cuban Emerald Hummingbird
Cuban Emerald Hummingbird, Chlorostilbon ricordii, is distributed in the Bahamas as well as in Cuba.
THERE ARE NO poisonous plants, bugs or animals in Cuba. Tropical diseases are nearly vanquished. No vaccinations are required to visit the island. Visitors don't return home with mysterious maladies. Cuba is the safest and most friendly Latin America travel destination.
DAY 7 – SATURDAY BD
PINAR DEL RIO, VINALES VALLEY AND SOROA TOP
Mogote in Pinar del Rio
Consider climbing to the top of a mogote!
Cuban Gundlach's hawk
Gundlach's hawk is endemic to Cuba.
Cuban farm boy
Cubans enjoy lifelong free health care and education combined with inexpensive housing, utilities and childcare.
Cuban red-legged honeycreeper
Cuban red-legged honeycreeper.
Cuban farm girl
Young person staffs farmers market.

Morning departure to Las Terrazas eco-community in the Sierra del Rosario mountain range west of Havana in the province of Pinar del Río.

We'll tour its rural village called Rancho Curujey and enjoy a welcome cocktail while learning about this self-sustaining community's successes in reforestation, historical preservation, environmental balance, and a good life.

Next we'll meet with local artists and craft workers in their homes and studios.

Later we'll walk the incredible ruins of a French Coffee Plantation built in 1801 worked by African slaves.

We have lunch at a traditional Cuban restaurant (not included in cost).

You'll have free time to swim in the fresh waters of the San Juan River and explore the surroundings of this lush tropical paradise. Don't forget your swimming suit.

Now we move onto Soroa in Sierra del Rosario Mountains. Soroa was the first area on the island declared an UNESCO Reserve of the Biosphere. Here we might see a Cuban trogon (tocororo), a Gundlach's hawk, a red-legged honeycreeper and other indigenous island birds.

Late afternoon continue on bus drive to Viñales Valley and check in at your Hotel Los Jazmines.

Evening is free to rest up, enjoy your hotel, or local entertainment opportunities. Your guide will keep you posted on local activities.
Cuban farm boy
In the countryside many youth are engaged in organic agriculture combined with rigorous academics.
Cuban tobacco worker in drying shed
Learn about the cultivation and processing of tobacco from seed to leaf culminating in the world's most famous cigars.
Las Terrazas pool
We'll swim in this heavenly pool at Las Terrazas.
DAY 8 – SUNDAY BD
EXPLORATION DAY PINAR DEL RIO AND VINALES VALLEY TOP
Cuban cork palm Cuban cork palm
Left Cork palm flower, right cork palm tree. It is not a real palm, instead a member of cycads family. Viñales Valley's flora is closely linked to its ancient past, and holds 17 endemic varieties found nowhere else on earth, including the cork palm (Microcycas calocoma), a living fossil from the cretaceous period.
Vinales valley
Morning fog over Viñales Valley as viewed from your hotel.
Downtown Vinales
Downtown Viñales. The village is an historic 19th century agricultural settlement. Its main street is flanked by colonnaded red-tiled houses in the neo-colonial style.
Vinales church Viñales church in the town's Plaza Martí. Viñales Valley was declared a World Heritage Site by the (UNESCO).
Vinales Valley in Pinar del Rio
Exploration of Viñales Valley, containing the most spectacular scenery in Cuba and some of the most interesting and varied geological formations in the Caribbean. The valley is particularly famous for its great freestanding rock formations called mogotes.

Visit Las Cuevas de Santo Tomás, with over 45km (28 miles) of connected tunnels, chambers, and galleries – the largest explored cave system in Latin America. Some its chambers and galleries are quite massive, with impressive stalagmite and stalactite formations.

Free time in Viñales down town to explore at leisure the open-air craft market, the Parque Marti, the Church, and other interesting sites of this charming colonial town.

Cuban law icon
Evening free. Your guide will keep you posted on entertainment options in the neighborhood.
Sacred ceiba tree
Sacred ceiba tree.
Cuban polymita snail
Cuban polymita snail lives in and on vegetation.
Las Cuevas de Santo Tomás
Las Cuevas de Santo Tomás system has been left in its natural state and visitors wear headlamps and use flashlights to navigate the caves.
Cuban Gunlash butterfly Cuban Gundlach butterfly. Cuba hosts 177 species of butterflies, although only 18 are exclusive to the island.
VINALES VALLEY is a picturesque town in the heart of Cuba's prime tobacco-growing region. The town itself sits in the center of a flat valley surrounded by stunning karst hill formations known locally as mogotes. The mogotes are irregularly shaped steep-sided hills that can rise as high as 300m (985 ft) and have bases ranging from just a few hundred yards in diameter to as much as a couple of kilometers in length. The mogotes comprise part of the Sierra de los Organos mountain chain, and were formed by eons of erosion. Many consider this the most naturally beautiful spot in Cuba.
Bananas Coffee beans Cucumbers Cuban pineapple Cuban sweet potatoes
Some among many Cuban staples grown organically in Viñales: Left to right Bananas, coffee beans, cucumbers, pineapple, and sweet potatoes.
DAY 9 – MONDAY BD
GETTING TO KNOW THE CARIBBEAN'S LARGEST CAPITOL TOP
Old building in Havana
Example of restoration in Old Havana.
Cuban mime
Street pantomime in Old Havana.
El Capitolio El Capitolio dome
Cuba's former Capitol building (El Capitolio) and inside view of its dome.
Havana vegetable market
Fresh from urban organic gardens: farmers market in Havana.
Exterior of the Cathedral of Havana Interior of the Cathedral of Havana
Exterior and interior of the Cathedral of Havana initiated by Jesuits in 1748 and completed in 1777.
Vivero Organoponico Alamar
Members of the Vivero Organoponico Alamar cooperative at work.
Havana's Gran Teatro
Ornate filigree and statuary adorn Havana's Gran Teatro where the National Ballet performs.
Early morning departure to the City of Havana.

Morning walking tour of Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We'll visit four of the five historic plazas that make Havana unique in the western hemisphere. It contains the largest collection of remaining colonial-era architecture.

Cathedral Square, the most beautiful and private 18th century colonial plaza on the island. Named after the masterpiece of Cuban baroque architecture: the Cathedral of Havana built by the Jesuit order.
Square of Arms, an ancient military parade ground for Spanish soldiers, surrounded by impressive buildings such as:
Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, former seat of colonial government. Today the building houses the Museum of the City.
Palacio del Segundo Cabo, seat of the second authority of the island. Today it houses important publishing concerns.
Museo de Artesania at Castillo de la Real Fuerza, the second oldest fortress built by the Spaniards in the West Indies. Today it displays treasures of artistic ceramics by the most prestigious Cuban artists from the middle of the last century to present. The institution is host to the Ceramic Biennial.
We continue onto San Francisco Square, one of the oldest plazas in the historical quarter.

And later onto Plaza Vieja, the only civic square of colonial times. Absent are churches and government buildings. We'll visit an important center for the visual arts.

Lunch at a vegetarian restaurant (not included in cost).

This afternoon we'll visit the Vivero Organoponico Alamar, 15 miles east of Havana. It's one of the most successful urban organic farms in Cuba raising ornamental plants, medicinal herbs, and millions of seedlings for neighboring residents and farmers. Established in the 1990s, the Alamar cooperative has about 25 members and provides a range of healthy, organic low-cost food to the local community.

Get ready for an air-conditioned luxury coach tour of the most important sites of Modern Havana such as the Capitol building, the Grand Theatre, Central Park, Prado promenade, Revolution Square, Coppelia Ice Cream Park, Plaza José Martí (in front of U.S. Interests Section), Monument to the Battleship Maine, Hotel Nacional, University of Havana, Cemetery Colon, Malecón seawall, and the Miramar, Central Havana and Vedado neighborhoods. We will visit a farmers market and urban organic garden en route.

Check-in to the Hotel El Bosque on Almendares River greenbelt surrounded by nature in the heart of the city.

Group farewell dinner at La Mina Restaurant where you'll enjoy traditional Cuban dishes and live music!

Cuban law icon
Tonight we have a Cuban band playing for us. You'll learn how to perform and dance to Salsa, Son, Rumba, Mambo and other popular Cuban rhythms from the band members of Grupo Dulce María.
DAY 10 – MONDAY B
GOODBYE CUBA – HELLO NORTH AMERICA TOP
KEEP IN TOUCH with your new Cuban friends – exchange email addresses! Bring some business cards to pass out on the island. Take pictures and keep a journal. Upon your return, we'll post them on this website for all to see and enjoy.
Cuban lizard
Green Anolis. Lizards are ubiquitous in Cuba. The island has 73 known native species and this number is growing. They do not bite, nor are they poisonous.
Breakfast and the entire morning free to explore more of the city before heading to Havana's José Martí International Airport for your return flight. Don't forget to save 25.00 CUC for your Cuban airport departure tax.

Want to stay longer on your own? Contact us and we will help make it happen.
We'll miss you and hope you return soon! Cuban girl says goodbye
Cubans say, "a true friend remembers the song in your heart when you have forgotten the lyrics." Old Cuban saying, "a true friend remembers the song in your heart when you have forgotten the lyrics."
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