Cuba tour, The Revolutionary Trail
| country: | Cuba |
| trip type: | Moderate walking holidays |
| departures: | 2009: 18 Oct |
| price: | From £1445 (11 days) excluding flights. Subject to minimum 6 people. We can also organise trips on a tailormade basis for 2 or more people all year round. Flights and Cuban tourist cards can be booked on request |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Over 50 years ago, Fidel Castro and his followers triumphantly drove into Havana and declared that the revolution had been successful and a new era in the history of Cuba was about to begin. This ten day trip follows in the footsteps of the revolutionaries, from the first attack on Batista troops at the Moncada Barracks in Santiago de Cuba, to the landing of the Granma boat from Mexico with Fidel and Che Guevara on board, and on to Bayamo, Trinidad, Santa Clara, the Bay of Pigs and finally back to Havana. The itinerary includes some low level hiking in the Sierra Maestra mountains, visits to key historical and culturally important sites around the island, contact with local communities and accompanied nights out to hear fabulous live Cuban music.
Specialist bilingual guides will accompany the trip from start to finish. This is your chance to find out about the Cuban Revolution in detail and to experience the magic of Cuba and its people at grass roots level.
Specialist bilingual guides will accompany the trip from start to finish. This is your chance to find out about the Cuban Revolution in detail and to experience the magic of Cuba and its people at grass roots level.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Meet at the 4* hotel in Old Havana. Dinner with rest of party. |
| Day 2: | Briefing meeting with your local guide after breakfast. Depart for guided walking tour of Old Havana. Lunch stop in local restaurant. Vintage car drive to Plaza de la Revolucion and the Miramar/Playa areas of the city with a stop at the famous Colon cemetery. Pre-dinner cocktail at the famous Hotel Nacional overlooking the Malecon. Return to hotel. Dinner and free evening. |
| Day 3: | After breakfast, transfer to Havana airport for flight to Santiago de Cuba. Arrive early afternoon and check into 3* hotel. Santiago is the second city of Cuba and lies on the south coast close to the Sierra Maestra mountains. It is called the ‘cradle of the revolution’ as it was here that Fidel and his followers gained most popular support in the fifties and plotted to overthrow the Batista regime. Lunch stop and late afternoon guided city tour by coach with visits to the Santa Ifigenia cemetery (Jose Marti mausoleum), Vista Alegre barrio and the rum factory. Continue to El Morro castle at the mouth of Santiago Bay for the sunset cannon ceremony. Return to hotel. Dinner and free evening. |
| Day 4: | After breakfast, guided visit of Moncada Barracks where the first attack by Fidel Castro against Batista troops took place. Visit a local community centre and / or primary school. Lunch stop in local restaurant. Afternoon concert at the famous Casa de la Trova where some of the most famous Cuban musicians started their careers. Taster salsa class with local dancers. Dinner in local restaurant and accompanied evening out to local live music venue. |
| Day 5: | After breakfast, set off for Santo Domingo in the Sierra Maestra mountains. Lunch at Villa Santo Domingo and short walking tour along the river to visit sites associated with the Revolution. Return to the Villa for dinner. Rest of evening free. |
| Day 6: | Jeep/truck transfer to trail head and hike to La Comandancia de la Plata, Fidel's secret base in the mountains with local specialist guide (3km). Picnic lunch included. Walk to La Platica eco-community. Return to Santo Domingo, transfer to Bayamo. Check into 3* hotel, dinner |
| Day 7: | Breakfast and transfer to Bayamo, a historic town famous for being where the Cuban national anthem was written. Lunch stop and afternoon guided walking tour of the city centre. Dinner and night out at the Casa de la Trova for a concert of Cuban traditional music. |
| Day 8: | Travel to Trinidad with lunch stop on the way. Check into hotel, dinner and free evening. |
| Day 9: | Depart after early breakfast for full day guided visit of Sugar Mill Valley and the Torre Iznaga (slave tower) near Trinidad. Lunch in local restaurant. Both of these lie within another of Cuba’s UNESCO World Heritage sites. Return to Trinidad for dinner and overnight |
| Day 10: | After breakfast, depart for Havana via Santa Clara. Lunch stop on arrival in Santa Clara and afternoon guided visit to the Tren Blindado and Che memorial. Travel on to Havana, check into hotel. Final night dinner in restaurant in Old Havana. |
| Day 11: | After breakfast, guided visit to the Museum of the Revolution. Check out of hotel at midday. End of trip |
how this holiday makes a difference
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When out on tour we encourage learning about the country we are travelling in, the local culture of the people we work with and the areas we pass through. Our guides hold informal talks with groups to inform about and discuss with them all aspects of local life. This helps understanding of the area and appreciation of the people who live there. We encourage everyone to learn some Spanish before they come on tour so as to be able to communicate with local people, even at a basic level.
By staying in local homes and mountain community refuges, we are able to make a direct economic input into local communities. We enable interaction with local people thorough community activities and other events thus enabling our clients to meet and get to know people from the area. All our dance tutors and specialist guides are local people and they are treated and paid fairly. Where possible, food is purchased locally and we encourage cooking with local products. We ask everyone to bring donations of clothing and other items to present to one of the community projects we visit thus directly benefitting local people. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |