Complete Cuba
Itinerary
Days 1-3 – Classic cars in Havana
Havana has a distinct, exotic personality that you won’t find anywhere else on the planet. During this trip, you’ll stay near the heart of timeless Old Havana and take a city tour by classic car and foot. It’s the perfect way to explore the mix of crumbling colonial beauty, peeling bygone glamour and colossal Caribbean soul.
Days 3-5 – Las Terrazas eco experience
After breakfast you’ll pick up your hire car or catch your transfer to Las Terrazas which, due to its mild climate, high humidity and frequent rainfall, is known as ‘Cuba’s rainbow’. Your travel time today is about 1.5 hours taking you through some of Cuba’s most beautiful scenery. Las Terrazas, Cuba’s pioneering eco-village is a beautiful natural playground just begging to be explored. Walk to hidden waterfalls, get to know the forest on foot and discover a unique biosphere saved from the brink of destruction. You’ll spend 2 nights tucked away in the nature reserve of Las Terrazas, staying in a truly unique resort built around a giant tree. The area is an example of eco-tourism at its very best.
Days 5-7 – Cosy Cayo Levisa Island
After breakfast you’ll continue your Cuba trip with a visit to the cosy island of Cayo Levisa. You’ll travel there by hire car or transfer and by boat. Today’s total travel time is roughly 2 hours. Cayo Levisa Island is a little nook of beach bliss off Cuba’s northern coast. Heading for the island, you’ll be following in the footsteps of Hemingway, who discovered this archipelago on a fishing trip from Cayo Paraiso – the next islet along. You’ll spend two nights in a basic resort on Cayo Levisa, without a care in the world. It’s sun-drenched, secluded and downright dreamy.
Days 7-9 – Rolling through tobacco hills
Today it’s time to leave your island paradise and head onwards by hire car or transfer to the town of Viñales located in Piñar del Rio, Cuba’s spectacular tobacco growing region. Travelling by ferry and by road you can expect to be on the go for roughly 1.5hrs. Horse ride through the rolling hills of Viñales, Cuba’s rustic cigar region. You can explore the valley on horseback or by foot, learning about the art of cigar-rolling and meet the local guajiros. If you’re looking for an authentic Cuban countryside experience, you’ve found it. Life isn’t staged in Viñales, it simply unfolds.
Days 10-13 – Cuba, the Cuban way
There’s a pretty long journey ahead of you today, as you travel to Cienfuegos around 6-7 hours away. If you’re travelling by hire car, it’s possible to stop at the Bay of Pigs, the scene of America’s ill-fated invasion of Cuba. If you’re travelling by transfer then we’ll usually book you a shared vehicle to keep your costs down, although you can travel privately if you’d prefer! Get lost in a colonial daydream and dust off your dancing shoes on the cobbled streets of Trinidad. During this trip, you’ll spend one night in Santa Clara on your way to Trinidad, for a visit to Che Guevara’s mausoleum. In Trinidad, you’ll stay with a family in a traditional Casa Particular. You’ll take a bici-taxi tour with a local guide, getting you into the groove of this creative, colourful and quirky city.
Days 13-14 – Ranchos of Camaguey
Next up it’s roughly a 4 hour journey by hire car or transfer to the city of Camaguey. Get lost in a labyrinth of cobbled streets in Cuba’s cowboy capital. The UNESCO World Heritage of Camaguey is the heart of the Cuban farming country, where you’ll come across the local ranchers and soak up the lush scenery. Steeped in fascinating pirate history, this is the third largest city on the island and a glance into the working heart of the real Cuba. With a muddle of streets that will foil even the greatest inner compass, it’s a wonderful place for an aimless wander, with helpful local people and a generous batch of rum-pedalling bodegas to explore.
Days 14-16 – Buena vista Santiago
The next day you’ll travel on to Santiago, about a 5 hour journey, by hire car or private transfer. Sandwiched between the Sierra Maestra Mountains and the Caribbean Sea, Santiago is bursting with melodies and packed with character. It’s the beating heart of Cuban literature, architecture and culture, with an Afro-Caribbean influence that sets it apart from other cities. We’ll arrange a local guide to show you the highlights of their home city on your first morning, and otherwise you’re free to explore the backstreet bodegas and music bars at your own pace.
Days 16-18 – Cuba’s wild coast
When travelling from Santiago it’s a winding 4-hour drive to Baracoa, on the eastern tip of Cuba. You’ll either drive in your hire car, or we’ll arrange a transfer for you. Explore the untamed coast of Baracoa, remote and wrapped in mystery. With an isolated culture all of its own, it’s an atmospheric region of waves, waterfalls and wide smiles. During this trip, you’ll trek through the rainforest and swim in sparkling jungle pools. It’s a glimpse into the real, rustic Cuba that most travellers don’t see. You’ll stay in a converted Spanish fortress perched on the hills over the Caribbean with a great swimming pool.
Days 18-21 – Caribbean beaches of the east
When travelling from Baracoa it’s a 5-hour drive to the part of the Cuban coastline known as the Costa Verde. If you have a hire car. you’ll drop it off in the tourist town of Guardalavaca and from there it’s a 20-minute taxi ride to Playa Pesquero Cuba. Alternatively, you’ll take one of our private transfers directly to your hotel. Spend 3 sun-kissed days on Cuba’s Costa Verde, where ivory sands slope into clear, turquoise waters. Here, your only priority is putting your feet up. Playa Pesquero is a place to forget your problems and pull up a sun lounger. The quiet and unassuming neighbour of Guardalavaca, Cuba’s most crowded beach, it’s a peaceful pocket of paradise. Stretch out in the sunshine, sink your toes in the sand and take refreshing dips in the warm, blue sea.
After a relaxing time in Playa Pesquero we’ll arrange a private driver to collect you from your hotel in Playa Pesquero and transfer you to Holguin airport about an hour away, where you’ll catch a flight back to Havana. It’s about an hour and a half flight.
Accommodation
For this itinerary we offer the following options
Travel by hire car
For a little extra freedom, you can choose to travel by hire car. The signposts can be a little confusing at times, and you’ll have to avoid the occasional pothole on the rural roads, but there’s very little traffic around and we think it’s a really lovely and adventurous way to explore the country. You’ll have a modern car complete with a map and insurance cover, so you’re all good to go!
