Holidays to Cuba
| country: | Cuba |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | Departs selected Saturdays and Mondays throughout the year |
| price: | From £1494 - £1794 (16 days) including flights from the UK, from £889 - £1049 excluding flights. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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introduction to Holidays to Cuba
Old Havana & the Caribbean
Havana, the Cuban capital and a World Heritage site, boasts some of the most impressive architecture in the Caribbean. We'll explore the colonial quarter, wander its narrow streets and have time to visit the Museum of the Revolution. Then we drive to the Zapata Peninsula, before visiting the infamous Bay of Pigs. There's time to enjoy the sleepy town of Trinidad where faded, painted houses and quiet streets reflect the laid-back atmosphere, and take a boat out to Cayo Blanco, to explore the reef (optional).
Topes de Collantes National Park
Next we head into the mountains to Topes de Collantes National Park, where we camp within the walls of two haciendas. Time is spent walking and exploring this wild area, enjoying the remoteness and highland views of this hidden corner of Cuba. We'll swim in waterfalls and walk forest trails, hoping to catch a glimpse of tiny hummingbirds and perhaps the Tocororo - the national bird of Cuba.
Che Guevara's Mountain Retreat
After exploring colonial Camaguey, we make an exciting journey by bus and jeeps into the wild terrain of the high Sierra Maestra, where Fidel Castro and Che Guevara took refuge at La Comandancia de la Plata before mounting the Revolution. Heading towards Santiago de Cuba, there is time perhaps to take in the lively local music scene and try the famous rum in one of the roof-top bars! Finally we head back east to Viñales via Santa Clara; the site of Che's Mausoleum. In Viñales we admire the dramatic scenery of steep limestone peaks rising from the valley floor - a fitting finale to our Cuban adventure.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly London/Havana. |
| Day 2: | In Havana; city tour; free afternoon. |
| Day 3: | Drive to Cueva de los Peces; visit Bay of Pigs Museum en route to Trinidad. |
| Day 4: | In Trinidad; tour of old town. |
| Day 5: | Drive to Topes de Collantes NP; walk to hacienda; PM nature trails. |
| Day 6: | In Topes de Collantes NP; further walks. |
| Day 7: | Drive Camaguey; walking tour of colonial city. |
| Day 8: | Bus to Santo Domingo. |
| Day 9: | Truck and walk to La Comandancia de la Plata in Sierra Maestra; drive to Santiago de Cuba. |
| Day 10: | In Santiago; city tour; free afternoon. |
| Day 11: | Drive to Santa Clara; visit Ché's Mausoleum. |
| Day 12: | Drive Soroa; optional visit to Orchid Gardens; continue to Viñales. |
| Day 13: | In Viñales; visit 'Mogotes', optional visit to Santo Tomas Caves. |
| Day 14: | Drive to Atlantic coast; ferry to Cayo Levisa, relax on island; drive to Havana. |
| Day 15: | Fly London. |
| Day 16: | Arrive London. |
traveller reviews for Holidays to Cuba
The highlight was sitting on the steps in Trinidad in the evening drinking cocktails whilst live bands played and the locals all salsa'd deep into the night. (more)
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places. award winner
This tourism business won an Award in our 2008 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Daily Telegraph, World Travel Market, Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society and BBC World News.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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In Cuba we take the chance to visit the lesser known destination of Topes de Collantes where we sleep under the stars and stay at a couple of haciendas hosted by the local community. They cook wholesome local food for us and also provide the guides that we use on our walks in the area. By staying at the haciendas we support local people directly and use minimal resources when compared to staying at a hotel. The night in the haciendas is always listed as a highlight of the tour by our customers as they have a chance for interaction with the locals, which is often much harder in larger cities.
Our ground handling agent in Cuba is locally owned and run and the majority of the hotels we stay in are locally run and not part of a chain of hotels or other large conglomerates that dominate tourism in Cuba. We also encourage our groups to eat in small Paladars run by the locals. Due to food rationing, food is more limited in the Paladars compared to the hotel restaurants, however by eating in them it not only supports the local economy but also gives our customers a real insight into the realities of Cuban life. We also drive the whole time on this tour, rather than using internal flights as planes have much higher on carbon emissions than a bus. As well as the above, we support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Worldwide and Send A Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost. |
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. |
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