Explore Cuba - Havana, Bay Of Pigs & Cayo Blanco Catamaran

Depart Dublin for your flight to Havana, Cuba. On arrival, you will be met by your local guide and transferred to your “Casa Particular” (homestay) accommodation. A stay in a Casa Particular, in a typical Havana neighbourhood, is the ideal way to immerse yourself in the local way of life.

Experience a panoramic horse carriage tour passing by the imposing Capitol, past the Gran Teatro and Bacardí house over the Prado to Cathedral Square. Afterwards, embark on a walking tour of the historic city centre, which was declared a world cultural heritage site in 1982, exploring the alleys and the squares of Old-Havana. You will also observe the process of cigar rolling during a cigar factory tour. (This factory tour is subject to change).

Experience a panoramic bus tour passing by the Malecón, Hotel Nacional, Avenida de los Presidentes, Plaza de la Revolución, Quinta Avenida to name a few. You will have the evening at leisure to spend as you wish. Your local guide will be happy to suggest activities to suit your taste. There will be a return transfer from your casa particular to Havana Old Town. Why not soak up the authentic Cuban atmosphere in the historic centre as you sip on a rum cocktail? Or maybe try out salsa dancing to really get a feel for Cuban life? The choice is yours.

Explore Havana further in unique style during an American convertible classic car sightseeing tour. This is an absolute must for any visitor to Cuba! Havana is like stepping out of a time-machine and finding yourself back in the 50’s, so this is an unsurpassed way of seeing all the architecture and historic sites of this nostalgic city.

You will have the remainder of the day at leisure for further independent exploration. Your local guide will be happy to suggest activities to suit your taste.

Take the “tobacco route” to Las Terrazas, a UNESCO biosphere reserve located in the Sierra del Rosario Mountains, before continuing to Pinar del Rio, a province in western Cuba which is the centre of the country’s cigar industry. You will enjoy a guided tour of the local community at Las Terrazas, with insights to socio-cultural structures. Further along the route you will make a stop at Los Jazmines look out point, before continuing to lunch at a locally owned restaurant, where you will sample some authentic Cuban cuisine.

To the north lies the fertile Viñales Valley, with its striking rounded limestone hills, where you will enjoy a panoramic tour. Afterwards, visit “Cas del Veguero”, the house of a tobacco farmer for a tour of the tobacco fields and drying houses. En route back to Havana you will make a stop at the Mural de la Prehistoria, a mural that depicts the history of evolution.

Enjoy an excursion to the legendary Bay of Pigs, the scene of the failed US Invasion in 1961, with a stop en route at "Fiesta Campesina", near Guamá. Lunch is included at a restaurant situated near the Carribbean Sea, with the possibility to swim and go snorkelling (weather dependent).

Afterwards you will continue to Cienfuegos, a port city characterized by its French colonial architecture. Stroll over the Plaza Mayor to visit the nostalgic Terry Theater, which was built in 1887 and features a four-tiered stage hall. You will end your day with a visit to Palacio del Valle, an early 20th century building that features Gothic, Venetian and Moorish elements. Dinner is included this evening in a local restaurant.

Let’s depart Cienfuegos in the early morning and drive along the panoramic coastal road to Trinidad.

En – route let’s experience a different side to Cuba with a visit to a local community project – the Teatro De Los Elementos. This art collective is a company that unifies dance, theater, music and painters from the surrounding areas. Located on an agro-ecological farm, the artists of this project work to develop sustainable farming techniques. In this way, art merges in harmony with agro-ecology and so sets an example of how a better world can be created for future generations. Lunch is included during our visit.

Next let’s travel to Trinidad, a town in central Cuba that is a UNESCO world cultural heritage site, with one of a kind architecture. It was built on the back of the 19th-century sugar and slave trade.

You will have the remainder of the day at leisure in Trinidad where you can undertake some independent exploration. Walk over the main square, surrounded by the magnificent manors of the sugar barons, to get a feel for local life.

Let's experience more of authentic Cuba with a class on the art of making Cuban cocktails. Learn about these worldwide famous drinks with a local sommelier and we can try our hands at mixing them ourselves. Afterwards sit down and relax at dinner in a local restaurant whose rooftop terrace boasts beautiful views over the red tiled roofs of Trinidad. 

Casa particular in Trinidad (4 nights)

Enjoy a full day at leisure to experience Trinidad at your own pace. Trinidad is a town in central Cuba, known for its colonial old town and cobblestone streets. Its neo-baroque main square, Plaza Mayor, is surrounded by grand colonial buildings. Explore the downtown area, take a trip to the beach or chat to your local guide the day before about optional activities to suit your taste.

There is no better way to experience Cuban culture than joining a salsa dance lesson in Trinidad! Mingle with locals and tourists alike as you learn the moves and rhythms of the Cuban salsa. This is sure to be a fun and entertaining evening. Transfers to and from the dance class are not included. Classes can either be 1hrs or 2hrs long and there are no minimum numbers required for this excursion.

Experience a catamaran (or similar) cruise to islet Cayo Blanco. An open bar for soft drinks, beer and rum will be included on board. The rich seabed of Cuba´s waters reveals itself at the coral reef, Las Mulatas, where you can snorkel and explore the underwater treasures. Upon arrival in Cayo Blanco you will have some free time to explore what this small cay has to offer. Enjoy a seafood lunch before sailing back to the marina. You will arrive back at your hotel in the late afternoon, where the rest of the evening will be at leisure. Please note you should bring a photocopy of your passport to board the cruise.

Let’s enjoy another day at leisure in Trinidad. Why not relax on the beach or climb Radio Tower Hill to experience some great views overlooking Trinidad. Or else go for a wander and taste some of the local cuisine. The choice is yours!

Depart Trinidad as you drive through the offshoots of the Escambray Mountains to Sancti Spíritus, a colonial town not yet discovered by the touristic mainstream. En route you will enjoy a visit to Torre Manaca Iznaga, a slave tower that gives wonderful panoramic view over the Valley of the Sugar Cane Mills. Once in Sancti Spíritus, embark on a stroll through the city to visit the Yayabo Bridge before enjoying a typical Cuban lunch at a local restaurant.

Continue from Sancti Spíritus to the historic Santa Clara, where Ché Guevara celebrated his biggest victory and found his last rest. The impressive monument of Che Guevara, one of the most famous guerrillas worldwide, was erected en 1988 and finished in 1997 with the transfer of Che Guevaras remains from Bolivia to Santa Clara. You can visit the main monument with the statue of Che, the mausoleum and a small museum which collects details of Che´s life and death before continuing on towards Havana, arriving in the evening.

Say goodbye to Cuba as you depart for your return flight to Dublin (via Paris or Madrid).