Cuba Highlights and Hammocks
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 in a charming colonial hotel 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 beauty, peeling bygone glamour and colossal Caribbean soul.
Days 3-5 – Las Terrazas eco experience
After breakfast, you’ll leave Havana and travel either by hire car or private transfer for roughly 90 minutes to Las Terrazas. 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 – Rolling through tobacco hills
This morning you’ll travel to the tobacco town of Viñales. Whether you’re travelling by hire car or transfer, the journey will take about an hour and a half through one of Cuba’s most beautiful provinces. 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 7-8 – Cienfuegos
Whether you’re travelling by transfer or hire car, there is a long journey ahead of you today – roughly 6 hours. If you’re travelling by transfer then it’s an early start as you head to Cienfuegos. If you are travelling by hire car, it’s possible to stop at the Bay of Pigs, the scene of America’s ill-fated invasion of Cuba. Cienfuegos is known for its French architecture located around the central square. It’s a lovely city and small enough to explore on foot. Stop off for a drink at one of the bars on Parque Marti as the sounds of Cuban music fill the air. Whilst you’re there you can visit the former casino Palacio de Valle. You’ll spend the night in a cosy casa particular near the city centre. In the early evening take a stroll over to the beach where the local residents come together to watch the sun go down.
Days 8-11 – Cuba, the Cuban way
Travel time today is about 90 minutes by hire car or private transfer, so it’s up to you whether you’d like to spend a leisurely morning in Cienfuegos or head straight to bustling Trinidad. 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 11-14 – Causeway to the Cayos
You’ll hop in your hire car or be collected from your accommodation in Santa Clara by a private driver and transferred approx. 3 hours, across the causeway, to your Cayo Santa Maria hotel. Take a break from sightseeing on the soft white sands of Cayo Santa Maria. There’s plenty to do in this archipelago of dreamy, drowsy islands reachable by bridge from the mainland. Grab a snorkel, take a barefoot walk along the beach or indulge in a tropical cocktail (or six). Of course, you could just do nothing at all; lie back, stretch out and let the sunshine do the rest.
Unfortunately today it’s time to leave your island paradise. You’ll head back to Havana by hire car or transfer, which will take roughly 5 – 6 hours.
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!
