Cuba tailor made adventure holiday
| country: | Cuba |
| departures: | This trip can be tailormade at a time to suit you and can be adapted to suit your interests, budget and requirements as necessary |
| price: | From £1825 - £2375 (16 days) including flights from the UK, based on min 4 people sharing twin/double rooms. Includes accommodation, transfers, tourist card, guide & meals where indicated. This trip can also be booked without flights. |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Cycle, hike and explore Cuba.
This itinerary for the more adventurous takes you from touring Habana Vieja in a 1950’s car, to cycling through the picturesque countryside of Western Cuba, to exploring the cobbled streets of Trinidad sipping a mojito and watching salsa, to hiking in the Sierra del Escambray Mountains, visiting lakes and waterfalls.
You will also see key locations in Che Guevara’s revolutionary history before a few days of relaxation on one of Cuba’s best unspoilt beaches. What better way to explore this unique island?
This is a truly unique Caribbean destination, for its flora, fauna, birdlife and scenery but more famously for its people, politics and recent revolutionary history. Cuba is the largest and possibly most diverse island in the Caribbean. Castro won his revolutionary war over forty-five years ago but while most countries are discarding communism, Cuba continues to stick to its socialist principles. Whatever your ideals, you will find Cubans to be a friendly, well-educated and cultured people.
Brimming with diverse scenery, wildlife, colonial cities, great music, white sandy beaches and fascinating people, Cuba offers a unique opportunity to explore a very alternative Caribbean.
388 bird species have been recorded in Cuba ranging from the Bee Hummingbird, the smallest in the world, to the Pink Flamingo. Marsh Waders include the Spoonbill or Blue Heron and seabirds such as the Rare Black Tern inhabit remote cayes and the coast. The far east of the island, particularly around the Baracoa region, hosts a variety of wildlife including crocodiles, alligators, 5 varieties of turtle, 14 snakes (none poisonous although the Boa can grow over 4m in length) and the world's smallest mammal, the Almiqui. Cuba's largest indigenous mammal is the jutia, a large rodent that's particularly fond of the Zapata marshland.
(Please note we are a UK based company and are only able to help with flight arrangements from the UK. Passengers will need to bring their own bike, or arrange own bike hire.)
Best time to go: The dry season is from November to the end of April and the most popular time to visit Cuba is from December to February. March to May are good months to visit as they are at the end of the season and much quieter (except for Easter of course). The weather becomes hotter and more humid in May and the rainy season usually starts at the beginning of June through to October. Despite this, July and August are popular times to visit as during the rainy season it does not usually rain all day, often clouding-over at lunchtime with a couple of hours of rain in the afternoon. The hurricane season in the Caribbean is during September and October.
Please note: *Bicycle trips will be accompanied by a specially adapted 14-seater vehicle and expert guide. You will be driven for parts of the longer journeys, from where you can continue by bicycle.
This itinerary for the more adventurous takes you from touring Habana Vieja in a 1950’s car, to cycling through the picturesque countryside of Western Cuba, to exploring the cobbled streets of Trinidad sipping a mojito and watching salsa, to hiking in the Sierra del Escambray Mountains, visiting lakes and waterfalls.
You will also see key locations in Che Guevara’s revolutionary history before a few days of relaxation on one of Cuba’s best unspoilt beaches. What better way to explore this unique island?
This is a truly unique Caribbean destination, for its flora, fauna, birdlife and scenery but more famously for its people, politics and recent revolutionary history. Cuba is the largest and possibly most diverse island in the Caribbean. Castro won his revolutionary war over forty-five years ago but while most countries are discarding communism, Cuba continues to stick to its socialist principles. Whatever your ideals, you will find Cubans to be a friendly, well-educated and cultured people.
Brimming with diverse scenery, wildlife, colonial cities, great music, white sandy beaches and fascinating people, Cuba offers a unique opportunity to explore a very alternative Caribbean.
388 bird species have been recorded in Cuba ranging from the Bee Hummingbird, the smallest in the world, to the Pink Flamingo. Marsh Waders include the Spoonbill or Blue Heron and seabirds such as the Rare Black Tern inhabit remote cayes and the coast. The far east of the island, particularly around the Baracoa region, hosts a variety of wildlife including crocodiles, alligators, 5 varieties of turtle, 14 snakes (none poisonous although the Boa can grow over 4m in length) and the world's smallest mammal, the Almiqui. Cuba's largest indigenous mammal is the jutia, a large rodent that's particularly fond of the Zapata marshland.
(Please note we are a UK based company and are only able to help with flight arrangements from the UK. Passengers will need to bring their own bike, or arrange own bike hire.)
Best time to go: The dry season is from November to the end of April and the most popular time to visit Cuba is from December to February. March to May are good months to visit as they are at the end of the season and much quieter (except for Easter of course). The weather becomes hotter and more humid in May and the rainy season usually starts at the beginning of June through to October. Despite this, July and August are popular times to visit as during the rainy season it does not usually rain all day, often clouding-over at lunchtime with a couple of hours of rain in the afternoon. The hurricane season in the Caribbean is during September and October.
Please note: *Bicycle trips will be accompanied by a specially adapted 14-seater vehicle and expert guide. You will be driven for parts of the longer journeys, from where you can continue by bicycle.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Direct flight to Havana, 2 nights in Old Havana (B&B) |
| Day 2: | Day tour of Havana in a 1950’s car (lunch included) |
| Day 3: | Pleasant day’s cycling to Las Terrazas*, 2 nights at Moka Ecolodge (B&B) |
| Day 4: | Free day to explore the Sierra del Rosario Reserve. Activities available include horse riding, walking, fishing and mountain biking. There is also a pool. |
| Day 5: | Cycle through La Guira National Park, visit Che Guevara’s cave, his HQ during the Cuban missile crisis. 2 nights at La Ermita Hotel (B&B) with views over the valley. |
| Day 6: | Free day to explore the Viñales valley, with its steep cliffs of the limestone 'mogotes' and flat valley floors used to cultivate tobacco plants for the cigars. |
| Day 7: | Early morning transfer to Cienfuegos. After lunch you can cycle along the coastal road to the beautiful Old Colonial of town Trinidad, 2 nights at Las Cuevas (HB). |
| Day 8: | Free day to explore the cobbled streets of the beautiful Colonial town of Trinidad |
| Day 9: | Two-day guided trek in the Sierra del Escambray Mountains, including one night camping in a jungle lodge (FB). Your luggage will be transported for you! |
| Day 10: | Boat trip along Hanabanilla Lake, stopping for a swim at Rio Negro waterfall and a bite to eat at Rio Negro restaurant. Afternoon transfer to Santa Clara. 2 nights at Los Caneyes (B&B) |
| Day 11: | Free day to visit the museums and monuments in Santa Clara that commemorate Che Guevara and the Revolution’s victory here in December 1959. |
| Day 12: | Spend the last two days of your trip relaxing at Cayo Las Brujas (HB). A series of wooden cabins stretching along this peaceful and picturesque coastline. |
| Day 13: | Return to Havana for a last night of Mojitos and Merengue before the overnight flight back to the UK. 1 night of luxury at Saratoga Hotel (B&B) |
| Day 14: | Drive back along north coast to Havana, 1 night of luxury at Saratoga Hotel (B&B) |
| Day 15: | Afternoon flight back home. |
| Day 16: | Arrive UK. |
tailor made holiday
This trip can be tailormade to create a unique holiday for your individual requirements by travel experts with intimate knowledge of the destination. It is a more luxurious trip that will suit those who enjoy immersing themselves in new cultures and environments before relaxing in comfort in some of the best and most characterful local accommodation! Quality and value are the hallmark of these trips.how this holiday makes a difference
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This itinerary includes accommodation, which we consider to be the best examples of eco-minded resorts in Cuba.
The Moka Ecolodge is situated in the foothills of the Sierra del Rosario Reserve. To enter Moka you must pass through a guarded checkpoint. The security is tight in and around the park, which is the largest UNESCO biosphere reserve in the Caribbean and the main centre for ecotourism within Cuba. The whole complex is wonderfully designed, a tree grows up through the lobby and its branches disappear through holes in the roof. A wonderful location for those interested in Cuban wildlife. It is a leading example of ecotourism in Cuba as it encourages responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the welfare of local people. Part of its electricity comes from solar panels, and some of the food served is grown in hydroponic, organic gardens. Through projects such as a recycling programme, Moka has also raised environmental awareness in the community. The Lodge funds conservation and scientific research, protects fragile and pristine ecosystems. It also promotes rural development and enhances ecological and cultural sensitivity in the travel industry. The Topes de Collantes national park lies in the peaceful Escambray Mountains near Trinidad and is a great location for hiking, birding, orchid spotting, or just taking in the natural surroundings and fantastic views. The restricted areas within the park contain exclusive endemic plant species. The Topes de Collantes Tourist Complex manages the 110km squared protected area and is responsible for regulating the exploitation and maintenance of the parks’ national resources. As well as controlling activities such as the use of non-organic pesticides, fishing and deforestation the centre also regulates the impact of tourism, with strict rules on the maximum number of people using the trails. The Tourist Complex also acts as an environmental education centre both for tourists and for school children and is crucial to the protection of this natural resource.  The resort at Cayo Las Brujas is a low-key resort with simple accommodation in beachside cabanas having a very low impact on the environment. All of the hot water used in the hotel is heated using solar energy. The hotels that we use in Old Havana reinvest part of their profits in the restoration of Habana Vieja, both for tourists and for Cubans. This restoration project is about a third of the way through. Tourism through the correct channels is bringing a much-needed boost to the Cuban economy, which has been partly weakened by the U.S. embargo on Cuba since 1960. |
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. |