Cuba Cultural Adventure

The itinerary below is our planned schedule and will vary depending on weather and trail conditions. Hiking times are general estimates. Meals included: B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner

Day 1: Arrive in Havana, Cuba. You should plan to arrive into Cuba no later than 11am to ensure that you have time to go through customs/immigration and meet the group at 1pm.

Your first glimpse of Cuba will be your visit Revolution Square, the epicenter of political and governmental buildings of the Cuban government, and it is the site where millions listened to speeches given by Fidel Castro.

After lunch at a charming restaurant, you will visit El Morrow Castle, the largest fortress in Latin America that also has a spectacular view of Old Havana. You will then take a ferry ride across the harbor with Cubans to experience everyday travel from a locals’ perspective. In the evening, you will check into your hotel and have dinner in a paladar. (L+D)

Day 2: After breakfast, we will enjoy a walking tour of Old Havana with a local expert guide, complete with stops specified to artists’ workshops, galleries and thriving private enterprises. We will visit a local farmer’s market and ration store, by bicycle taxi, to see how Cubans shop for their everyday fruits and vegetables. During this visit, we will learn about La Libreta, the ration book system in Cuba.

You will have free time in the afternoon to explore Old Havana or Vedado neighborhood on foot, or visit one of the many museums on your own. This evening, you will visit Jose Fuster’s house in the Jaimanitas neighborhood to learn about his artwork and vision for his community. (B+L+D)

Day 3: Breakfast will be followed by an early morning drive through the Cuban countryside to reach Vinales Valley where you will visit a local farmer’s house to learn about tobacco cultivation and tour the farm.

Lunch will be at an organic farm overlooking the Vinales Valley, with time to tour the property and talk with the owners. In the afternoon you will have the opportunity to hike through the beautiful Vinales Valley with a local guide. Dinner will be on your own, your guide will have many restaurants to suggest, if you haven’t found any on your own in your travels around. (B+L)

Return to your hotel mid-afternoon for Wilderness Medicine CME (Those not involved in the Wilderness Medicine program may visit San José Craft Market). After lectures, Take a classic car ride to the Morro Castle and La Cabaña Fortress. Witness the traditional sunset firing of the cannon, followed by dinner at El Canon restaurant, located next to the fortress.

Day 4: In the morning, you will have a meeting with the Antonio Jiminez Conservation Society to learn about this adventurous explorer and his amazing journey via canoe in the 1980s, studying the indigenous Cubans’ route to Cuba from the headwaters of the Amazon.

Next you will explore more of Havana on a 2-3 hour tour of the city by electric bike, visiting various popular stops and some lessor known hidden gems. After lunch, you will drive to Playa Larga and check-in to your bed and breakfast, where you will also be dining for this evening. (B+L+D)

Day 5: After breakfast, you will snorkel at Cueva de los Peces. On the way to Trinidad, you will stop at Cienfuegos and enjoy a short walking tour.

You will check into your bed and breakfast for the next couple nights in Trinidad. Following dinner, you have the opportunity for an evening activity at Casa de la Musica with live music and dancing.(B+L+D)

Day 6: We visit the Topes de Collantes National Park for a morning hike! Sitting at about 2,600, this is a nice, cool rainforest reprieve from the warm valley below. On the way back to Trinidad, we stop for a traditional lunch in the countryside.

In the afternoon, you have free time to explore Trinidad. You will also be on your own for dinner after a sunset walking tour. (B+L)

Day 7: After breakfast, we return back to Havana. In the morning we will visit and tour with a local expert Finca Vigia, Ernest Hemingway’s home when he lived in Cuba. Lunch will be in Cojimar, a picturesque fishing village that was Hemingway’s inspiration for The Old Man and the Sea!

The afternoon will be a choose your own adventure! A couple of the activities you can choose from are visiting art galleries or the San Jose Handicraft Market.

You will then check into your hotel in Havanna and have dinner in a private paladar. After dinner, you have the option to head to the Vedado neighborhood to visit Havana’s Fabrica de Arte, and old peanut oil factory turned art and music collaborative space that is now one of Havana’s most popular spots for Cuban youth and tourists alike. (B+L+D)

Day 8: After breakfast, we depart for the airport, saying farewell to new friends and carrying fond memories of Cuba back home. (B)

(Legend: B = Breakfast included , L = Lunch included, D = Dinner included)