Hemingway's Cuba
A comprehensive tour of Western Cuba, flying direct with Virgin Atlantic
In Brief
| Havana - 3 nights.
Viñales Valley - 1 night.
Soroa - 1 night. Trinidad - 3 nights. Santa Clara - 2 nights. Varadero - 2 nights. Havana - 2 nights. Flight - 1 night. |
Itinerary 1 (Feb-Apr 2012)
Day 1 Fly from London Gatwick to Havana. Transfer to the 5-star Hotel Melia Cohiba for three nights.
Day 2 A city tour exploring both old and modern Havana.
Day 3 Visit the local botanical gardens before continuing to the small fishing town of Cojimar on the outskirts of Havana and the Hemingway Museum at San Francisco de Paula where Hemingway wrote ‘The Old Man and the Sea’.
Day 4 Travel to Viñales in Pinar del Rio, Cuba’s most westerly province, 178 km from Havana and crossed by two spectacular mountain ranges. En route, visit a tobacco and rum factory and Indian’s Cave, part of the spectacular Santo Tomas cave system. Overnight at the 3-star Los Jazmines or similar.
Day 5 Depart for scenic Soroa, famous for its botanical gardens, home to over 700 different types of orchids and waterfalls. Overnight at 2-star Villa Soroa Hotel or similar.
Day 6 Depart for Cienfuegos (5 hrs), a beautiful town with buildings showing the French influence of those who migrated here from Louisiana. Drive by the Bay of Pigs (with an optional visit to the Bay of Pigs Museum) and continue to Trinidad for three nights at the 3-star Hotel Las Cuevas or Hotel Brisas Trinidad. In 2012, the visit to the Bay of Pigs will be replaced with a visit to Palacio de Valle and a boat trip around the bay of Cienfuegos (weather permitting).
Day 7 An orientation tour of Trinidad. Recently nominated a UNESCO World Heritage site, admire its beautiful colonial architecture, many squares and cobbled streets. Visit the city’s museum and La Canchanchara bar, named after a local rum drink made with water and honey. Later visit the local sugar plantation at Manaca Iznaga.
Day 8 Day at leisure.
Day 9 Travel to Sancti Spiritus for a panoramic tour. Continue to Santa Clara and view Ernesto Guevara Square and the Armoured Train. Stay two nights at the 2-star Hotel La Granjita or Los Caneyes.
Day 10 Visit the colonial city of San Juan de los Remedios. Visit the Plaza Marti, a beautiful square surrounded by colonial mansions and the town’s main church, Iglesia de San Juan Bautista, built in 1570 and one of Cuba’s oldest churches. In 2012, an additional visit to the Sugar Factory Museum includes a steam-train ride and sugar cane juice and rum tastings.
Day 11 Travel to Varadero (3 hrs), a 12-mile strip of sand backed with dense tropical foliage and overlooking the sea, for a two-night stay at the 4-star all-inclusive Melia Varadero.
Day 12 At leisure with a variety of optional excursions, bookable locally.
Day 13 Return to Havana for two nights at Hotel Melia Cohiba.
Day 14 At leisure.
Day 15 At leisure before transferring to the airport for the overnight flight to London.
Day 16 Arrive Gatwick in the early morning.
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