Exploring Central Cuba - Standard

Itinerary

Day 1 Havana

Upon arrival you will be met at Havana airport and transferred to your hotel for overnight.One of the oldest cities in the western hemisphere, Havana was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982. It contains a wealth of colonial architecture, and the old city and streets around the malecon (ocean-side walkway) are best discovered on a walking tour.The Spaniard Diego Velázquez moved San Cristóbal de la Habana in 1519 from its original site to its present location and the city remained a port of relative obscurity, within the empire, until gold and silver began to flow from New World mines back to Spain. Havana became the gathering hub for shipments of treasure from the ports of Cartagena (Colombia) and Veracruz (Mexico).Soon pirates turned their attention to the port and the city of Havana and its annual treasure trove became the number one target for the Dutch, English and French. Eventually the Spanish began construction of various forts and a protecting wall to repel the invaders. Nevertheless, the city was sacked in 1762 and held by the British under the command of Lord Albermale for nearly a year. Eventually, the Spanish exchanged the Florida territory in trade for the island. The end of the British occupation also signalled the beginning of more economic freedom for the islanders, as they were given the right to trade with cities other than Cadiz in Spain. The ensuing economic boom translated into steady growth in population and material progress.The main area of interest to visitors is La Habana Vieja (The Old City), where walking or a taxi tour are the best modes of transportation. Points of interest in this part of town include La Catedral de San Cristóbal de La Habana, the Palacio de los Marqueses de Aguas Claras (which now houses a restaurant), the Museo de Arte Colonial and the Plaza de Armas, with its statue of Manuel de Céspedes (one of the leaders of the Cuban independence movement). The Palacio de los Capitanes Generales is also located on the Plaza de Armas, which now houses the Museo de La Ciudad. You will find the oldest colonial fortress on the plaza’s northeast sector, the Castillo Real de la Fuerza, whose construction began in 1558.

Day 2 Cienfuegos (B,L)

Morning transfer to Cienfuegos. En route, visit Guamá for a boat trip through mangrove forests and palms. Visit a Taino-Indian village. After lunch you will have time to explore the charming city of Cienfuegos before being transferred to the hotel for the night.Cienfuegos is a delightful and interesting city with a history largely different to that of the rest of the country.It is a pleasant city which, because of its role as an important port, both domestically and internationally, has a slightly more cosmopolitan feel about it than most other areas in the south. The streets are straight and wide with the Paseo del Prado, which dissects the city and extends out to the peninsula's end, being the most important street. The street extends south through the Punta Gorda area and north along the bay, there are some excellent views to be had from here, especially at sunset when the bay takes on a quiet and brooding appearance.This important port has many sights clustered around Parque Jose Marti, including the Casa de la Cultura Benjamin Duarte, where it's possible to climb a tower for stunning coastal views. Visit the Palacio del Valle, the architectural pride of Cienfuegos. The botanical gardens is perhaps the most famed botanical garden in the country, housing over 2000 tropical and sub-tropical plants. Among the impressive collection of plant species are more than 200 types of palm trees of araceae, there is also a collection of different types of palm trees indigenous to Cuba.

Day 3 Cienfuegos (B)

Today is free to explore Cienfuegos at your leisure.

Day 4 Trinidad (B,L)

This morning head to Sierra de Escambray for the chance to explore the rainforest and see many different rare varieties of plants and animals. Take an optional tour on foot or horseback. Enjoy a typical lunch in a local restaurant before heading off to Trinidad and overnight at hotel.Trinidad, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988, is home to lovely Spanish-style churches and great museums. La Villa de la Santísima Trinidad was founded by Velásquez in 1514 and the defender of indigenous rights in the Americas, Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas, attended over the settlement’s first mass. The future conqueror of Mexico, Hernán Cortés recruited sailors here for his future expedition into that land. It is a charming, small town with the green mountains of the Sierra del Escambray in the background, and the turquoise waters and pure white, sand beaches of the Caribbean Sea just a short distance away. The town and area also saw a lot of action during and following the triumph of the Revolution, as gangs of counter revolutionaries hid out and struck from the safety of the mountains. The Museo Nacional de la Lucha Contra los Bandidos and the Casa de los Mártires de Trinidad chronicles the struggles of this period in the town’s history.Trinidad is the hub of the cultural activity, and you are never out of earshot from a group of musicians playing local salsa. The town also has the requisite Casa de la Trova, a mainstay of Cuban musical culture in every town, the Palenque, Las Ruinas, Teatro de Brunet, the Artex, the nightlife, the conga lessons and salsa lessons. Enjoy two included salsa lessons during your time in Trinidad.Those visitors who wish to pursue outdoor activities will find Trinidad a haven for horseback or bicycle riding (don’t expect any modern mountain bikes though!). If an unspoiled, white sand beach sounds like what you're looking for, try snorkelling or diving in nearby Playa Ancón, just 12km (7.5 miles) from town.The nearby Valle de los Ingenios (Valley of Sugarmills) is where you will see some remains of the island's vast sugar cane plantations. The beautiful green landscape has attracted visitors from around the world who visit it for enjoying its historical and cultural attributes. Valle de los Ingenios was fairly inactive until the 1800s, when French refugees fleeing a slave revolt in Haiti landed here en masse and brought with them sugar cane cultivation. The new residents settled and farmed in the valley. Wealth flowed into the local economy from sugar cane cultivation and the area produced one third of the country’s sugar at one point. The sugar boom was terminated by the two wars of independence, but the wealth generated by the industry remains visible in the town’s once grand mansions, colourful public buildings, wrought iron grill work and cobblestone streets.

Day 5 Trinidad (B)

Today is free to explore Trinidad at your leisure.

Day 6 Trinidad/Havana (B)

Transfer to Havana for overnight. One of the city’s (and the island’s) most prominent attractions is its music and clubs. Everywhere you go you hear and feel music, and people dance in the streets. The island literally pulses with the beat and blend of Afro-Hispanic rhythms and movement. Enjoy one last musical night on the town.

Day 7 Havana (B)

Today you will transfer to the Havana airport for your onward flight.