CHARISMATIC CUBA

On arrival transfer to your VIP boutique hotel in the centre of captivating , very safe and pedestrian friendly Old Havana – walking distance from major historic sites, with lively music all around.

This morning walk with an expert around the old city to understand how Havana became such a wealthy and beautiful city.
Enjoy a panoramic tour of the city riding in an open topped classic vehicle to visit the mosaic wonderland of Fuster.
Pause at the famed Hotel Nacional for a Cuba Libre on the terrace overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.

This morning become enthralled by the stupendous talent of the dancers at one of the world’s leading contemporary dance companies during a practice class.
After a survey of modern Cuban art with your curator at the Museum, visit the studios of some of Cuba’s leading contemporary artists.

Take a private curated visit to The Fabrica de Arte Cubano, a labyrinth of artistic creation, the kind of place that can only really happen in Cuba; a repurposed former oil mill, this ‘art factory’ is a “hybrid project that defies categorisation; part business, part community project, part art gallery, part nightclub, part theatre and part cinema”.
Later, the option to learn salsa, a bespoke shopping spree or scout for terrific modern art at affordable prices.

After an early lunch travel west through the rolling green hills of Pinar de Rio. The valley of Viñales is spiked with dramatic karst limestone peaks interspersed with tobacco fields and colourful drying sheds. A gentle walk to see how the famous Cuban cigars are made from growing the leaves to rolling the finished product.

An early start this morning for a glorious uphill trek, the last bastion of Los Aquaticos (the Water People), a mountain community founded in 1943 by followers of visionary Antoñica Izquierdo. Later drive to Cienfuegos.
With you local expert take a walking tour of this gracious city, a nautical city founded in 1819 by French émigrés, whose homogeneous grid of elegant classical architecture earned it a UNESCO World Heritage Site listing in 2005.

Visit the studios of local artisans then arrive in Trinidad in time for a seafood lunch.
Trinidad is a perfectly preserved Spanish colonial settlement where huge sugar fortunes were made in the 19thC and where the clocks stopped in 1850 and – and apart from tourists – have yet to restart.

Early this morning, to beat the possible crowds and the heat, set off to explore Topes de Collantes, a beautiful nature reserve. Wander along its hiking trails taking in caves, rivers, canyons and natural pools and learn about the scientific value it holds for Cuban botany, zoology and ecology. The walk ends in refreshing waterfalls for those who wish to take a swim.

Return to Havana via Santa Clara to pay homage to the revolutionary Che Guevara at a memorial marking the site of the Battle of Santa Clara victory. Wander through the mausoleum which houses the remains of the revolutionary hero and twenty-nine of his fellow combatants killed in 1967 in Bolivia.

Havana | International Departures
Last minute browsing, shopping, wandering, or relaxing before your transfer to the international airport.

SUGGESTED EXTENSIONS
Spend some extra days in the alluring city of Havana with treasures in every nook and cranny and some great museums.

Allow 5 | 6 days to explore Eastern Cuba and the ambient towns of Camagüey, Bayamo, Baracoa and Santiago de Cuba.

Take a seaside break by the crystalline waters.