Cool Cuba | Not In The GuideBooks

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Cool Cuba

Highlights

Cook typical Cuban cuisine in an interactive cookery class
Roll cigars with tobacco farmers in Viñales
Sample Havana’s nightlife with live music on the iconic ‘Malecon’ coastal road
Relax on a paradise island beach at Cayo Levisa

From £1307 pp

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What you'll do

Overview

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Overview

An 8 day once in a lifetime adventure discovering the magic of Cuba off the beaten track, taking in Havana, Viñales and Cayo Levisa.

Discover Cuba with a fun twist on this exciting 8 day tour combining Havana, Viñales and Cayo Levisa.

We’ve sourced the most exclusive experiences because we believe there’s one way to truly enjoy Cuba, and that’s by spending quality time with the locals. From cycling through the streets of Havana with veteran Cuban cyclists to learning salsa and dancing the night away with Cuban dancers, this tour is full of cool activities. You’ll leave Cuba having not only learnt about Cuban culture, but actually having experienced it through the eyes of its locals. How often can you return home and say that you’ve smoked cigars with tobacco farmers in the Viñales countryside or spent time in a recording studio with local musicians in hip Havana. This really is Cuba at its best.

This is a completely private experience where you/your group will have the guide to yourself. The lead in price is based on a group of 8 sharing twin rooms. Single room supplements are available on request.

City tour of Havana & travel to Viñales

This morning we’ll explore Havana, a mesmerising city full of quirks and surprises around every corner. Be sure to bring your camera, Havana is brimming with beautiful colours, textures and faces. First however, we’ll dust off the cobwebs and cover some ground on bikes this morning (approx. 2 hours, 16km route), enabling us to see some of the main sights from a different perspective. Being on two wheels will also enable us to cycle through some of the lesser-visited suburban areas of Havana. We’ll cycle from our casa to Plaza de la Revolucion, through the woodland valley of ‘Bosque de Almendares’ and past the iconic Hotel Nacional and ‘malecon’ coastal road to the Centro Habana district. Our ride will end on the edge of the Old Town. For this morning’s ride we’ll be accompanied by 1 or 2 (depending on group size) of the ‘Cuban Masters’ cycling team. These are veteran riders who compete in National competitions in Cuba for their respective age categories. In the busy maze of narrow streets that make up the Old Town, we’ll explore on foot with our Cuban tour guide explaining some of the peculiarities and customs relating to life in the city. Visit a food ration store, known as a ‘bodega’, as well as a market and some local small enterprises. Our guide will begin to explain the basics of Cuba’s economy and socialist society – this will be an ongoing discussion point and you’ll be sure to learn a lot before leaving the country.

We’ll have lunch at a small café restaurant in the Old Town before setting off on a fairly long road journey (3 hours) to our destination for the evening. In our comfortable air-conditioned private vehicle, the road journey takes us westwards along the ‘autopista’ passing through Artemisa province and in to Pinar del Rio. The last 30-minute stretch of the journey involves a winding approach on a mountain road with occasional spectacular views out into the valley.

Our destination is the picturesque town of Viñales, nestled in the valley of the same name. Upon arrival we’ll check in to a hotel which will be our accommodation for the next 2 nights. Tonight’s evening meal isn’t included, but there are plenty of restaurant options to choose from in the town. Afterwards you may wish to visit the music/dance venue ‘Polo Montañez’ next to the main plaza in the town.

Meals included: Breakfast & Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel La Ermita or similar (2 Nights)

Viñales

Today we’ll explore Viñales and surrounding area, getting a feel for life in rural Cuba as well as seeing some of the island’s most spectacular natural scenery. In the morning we’ll visit the cave network at ‘Cueva del Indio’ and also go on the canopy zip lining course on the outskirts of town.

Afterwards we’ll take a stroll through the countryside to a tobacco farm located at the foot of the valleys central ‘mogote’, a dramatic limestone karst formation that juts up out of the ground, an image that characterises this particular region of Cuba. At the farm we’ll take a tour of the property, seeing the different fruit trees and learning about the process of growing and producing tobacco leaves. We’ll visit a typical ‘vega’ drying house where tobacco leaves are dried before getting selected and taken off to state-run cigar factories. We’ll try our hand at rolling some cigars for ourselves with the guidance of some experts. Cigars are synonymous with Cuba, and the province of Pinar del Rio is where internationally acclaimed cigars such as Monte Cristos and Cojibas come from. We’ll have lunch here at the farm, and afterwards there’ll be a chance to go for a short walk in the nearby vicinity of the farm. If you are wanting to buy cigars from any farms in Vinales then ‘puros’ typically cost between 2 – 3 CUC per cigar depending on where you buy and how many etc. You can bring up to 50 out of the country without requiring any special customs documentation.

In the early evening we’ll regroup and drive to the other side of the ‘Valle del Silencio’ and watch the sunset from ‘Finca de Wilfredo’ organic farm, overlooking the valley and dishing up hearty Cuban countryside cuisine.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

What's included

Included

4 nights Casa Particular, 3 nights Hotel
All breakfasts, 5 lunches and 5 dinners
Local English-speaking Cuban guide throughout

Arrival transfer from the airport
In-destination transfers in private air-conditioned vehicle

Your local host

Lucy & Team

For 20 years, we have been providing exceptional and meaningful holidays to Cuba, sharing the real Cuba in an honest and positive way. Responsible travel is at the heart of what we do; from the local ground staff we employ, to the family-run restaurants and B&B’s we use, we actively support family, local businesses and communities. This is how we reveal the rich culture of Cuba and showcase its uniqueness beyond ‘cigars and old cars’. We aim for excellence in everything we do – starting with our incredible team of trained guides and covering every aspect of your trip and the service we offer.

If you were to describe our personality, you’d use words like passionate, human, resilient, dedicated and pragmatic. Th... Read All

For 20 years, we have been providing exceptional and meaningful holidays to Cuba, sharing the real Cuba in an honest and positive way. Responsible travel is at the heart of what we do; from the local ground staff we employ, to the family-run restaurants and B&B’s we use, we actively support family, local businesses and communities. This is how we reveal the rich culture of Cuba and showcase its uniqueness beyond ‘cigars and old cars’. We aim for excellence in everything we do – starting with our incredible team of trained guides and covering every aspect of your trip and the service we offer.

If you were to describe our personality, you’d use words like passionate, human, resilient, dedicated and pragmatic. These are the qualities that get to the heart of what it means to be a successful travel business focused on and committed to Cuba.

Lucy & Team image

Location

This tour starts and ends in Havana.

Getting there:

Please note that prices for the holidays do not include flights. We recommend using www.skyscanner.net to check flights.

Nearest airports:

José Martí International Airport

Airport transfers:

Transfers from the airport to your accommodation are included.

FAQs

You'll spend 4 nights in a privately-owned boutique 'casa particular' ("private house") during you nights in Havana. This restored colonial property located in the heart of hip Vedado district offers both style and comfort.

For your night in Cayo Levisa, the accommodation is in wooden beach cabins. Although they are not luxurious, they are spacious and in keeping with the beach destination.

The 2 nights in Viñales are spent in a hotel.

Please note that prices are based on two people sharing a twin room. A single supplement is available upon request.

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