Day 1: Arrival in Havana
Meet & greet at the airport by your English speaking guide and transfer to your hotel in Havana. Overnight with breakfast: Hotel Saratoga (5*), leading boutique hotel in the heart of the old town and a place full of tradition from the 1930s with a colonial flair directly in front of the Capitol. Its rooftop terrace with pool invites for a refreshing swim or cocktail at sunset with lovely views over the city.
Day 2: Colonial Havana
In the morning stroll around the old town of Havana. Visit the four squares within the former city walls: “Plaza de la Catedral”, “Plaza de Armas”, “Plaza San Fransisco” and the “Plaza Vieja”. The squares are connected with the pedestrian shopping street “Obispo” and “Mercaderes” and the new city center with the “Parque Central”.
In the afternoon your classic car will pick you up for a panoramic tour through the “modern Havana” of the 1950s (here the program with the classic car begins). First drive through the former millionaires’ district Miramar with many embassies and villas of foreign or Cuban companies. The road leads along the “5ta Avenida” to the rich district of “Kohly”. From here continue to the famous revolution square for a photo possibility. Last stop at the historic and legendary hotel Nacional. It resides on top of a small hill directly at the Malecón. From the garden terrace you enjoy a lovely view over the ocean and the fortress of Havana. Refresh with a Mojito cocktail in the hotel´s bar “Vista al Golfo” (the strait between Cuba and Florida). Meanwhile visit the photo gallery in the “Bar de la Fama” (bar of fame) where the faces of many celebrities (movies, sports and politics) and former Mafia bosses, who all at one point in time visited the hotel Nacional, are displayed. From here continue along the Malecón back to your hotel.
Day 3: Havana – San Luis – Vinales
Your classic car leads you through the highway „Ocho Vía“ to the capital of the province Pinar del Rio. The province is well known for the production of the world’s best tobacco. Short break at the hotel Vueltabajo in the center of Pinar del Rio. Afterwards continue for around 30 km west through San Luis to the maybe best known tobacco farmer Cuba´s ROBAINA with its own brand of cigars. A few years ago the owner, who was the face of the cigar manufactory for many years, unfortunately passed away. His descendants now run the finca in his honor. During the interesting tour through the wide area of their farm you will learn all about the process of making Cuban cigars, from sowing of the seeds to the final steps of rolling the cigars – each step is made by hand. Afterwards lunch at the finca.
From here continue through picturesque villages like Cabeza and Pons, to only name a few, to the valley of Viñales, known for its unique landscape with the fertile red fields to the green tobacco fields and the peculiar rock formations, the so called “Mogotes”. At the view point “Los Jazmines”, the perfect picture spot, you enjoy a panoramic view over the valley and the mountains. In the evening dinner at a very special guesthouse (casa particular) right in the middle of the valley.
Overnight with breakfast: Hotel E Central (3.5*) or Hotel La Ermita (3*)
Day 4: Vinales
Day at leisure or time for optional activities. Here are just a few options: You can spend your day at the pristine beaches of Cayo Jutías, take part in a hiking or cave excursion. Activities like bicycle tours or horseback riding are also an option.
In the evening dinner at the restaurant “Balcón del Valle” with lovely panoramic views over the valley.
Overnight with breakfast: see day before
Day 5: Vinales – Las Terrazas – Havana – Matanzas
Today the road leads you back through Havana to the former important harbour city on the north coast of Cuba – Matanzas. On the way stop at the eco community Las Terrazas. On a light hike through the community your local guide will tell you the story of this first “sustainable settlement” of the island.
After lunch at one of the fincas or at the “Cafetal Buenavista”, the ruins of a former French coffee plantation, continue back to Havana through the Miramar district and through the tunnel, which connects the old city with the other side of the bay, and stop at the Christ statue “El Cristo de la Habana”. From here you enjoy a lovely panoramic view over the city and the ocean.
Day 6: Matanzas – Guama – Bay of Pigs – Cienfuegos
The city of Matanzas lies at the bay with the same name and is surrounded by hills on three sides. First drive along the western side of the city to the park and viewpoint “Montserrat”, where the hill almost reaches until the ocean. From here enjoy a lovely 360 degree view over the Yumuri valley in the west, the city of Matanzas in the east and the bay and harbor in the north. For nearly 300 years the harbor of Matanzas has been the most important place for the import of African slaves. The city was therefore the place with the most slave uprisings, which were all brought down violently. The elevated park “Montserrat” received its name from a chapel, which was built by the Catalans for the Maria of Montserrat in the 19th century and has recently been renovated.
Afterwards exit the city to the south to the village of Cidra with the ruins of the former sugar mill “Triumvirato” and the monument to the memory of one of the biggest slave uprising called “escaleras” led by a woman in the middle of the 19th century. The sugar mill has been completely destroyed and all colonialists have been killed. The outline of the plant is however still visible. All of the insurgents were captured and tied to ladders (Spanish “escaleras”) and beaten to death. This is the most important and impressive monument of Cuba´s slavery history.
Day 7: Cienfuegos – Trinidad
Today explore the city of Cienfuegos during a little walking through the center and its “Boulevard“, the shopping street of Cienfuegos. In the different shops in the currency “peso Cubano” and the “peso convertible” you will learn about the “double economy” in Cuba. The pretty and interesting architecture is inspired by the French colonial style and originates in the beginning of the 19th century. On your stroll you will also visit the famous Terry Theatre where once Caruso sang. Later on driver along the Malecón to the peninsula Punta Gorda, where the city reaches far into the bay. If you are lucky, you might be able to see dolphins in the bay, a sign that the efforts of improving the water quality are actually working!
On your way to Trinidad make a last stop at the renowned botanical garden of Cienfuegos with the world’s biggest collection of palm trees. The garden was founded by a German botanist at the end of the 19th century. Explore the wide areal guided by a biologist with explanations of the different kinds of palm trees and other tropical plants. Afterwards continue towards Trinidad, one of the few colonial cities in Latin-American still completely intact from the 18th century when the city had its boom as a center of sugar exports.
Lunch at private restaurant “Sol Ananda” at the main square. In the afternoon explore the cobblestone streets during a walking tour. The city almost looks like the backdrop of a movie set in the early 19th century where most of the slaves arrived to work in the sugar production.
Day 8: Trinidad – Sierra Escambray – Trinidad
A jeep or Russian truck will take you to the mountains of the Topes de Collantes national park. You will meet your local hiking guide at the information centre who will accompany you to the starting point of the “Guanayara Trail”. You will pass through the subtropical rain forest along the shores of the Melodioso River. Your local guide will provide you with valuable information on the endemic flora and fauna you will spot along the way.
Highlight of this hiking tour is the 27-metre high waterfall El Rocio and the natural lagoon El Venao where you will have time for a refreshing swim before continuing to the finca La Gallega. Time for a rustic Cuban lunch. Afterwards back to Trinidad. In the evening dinner at private restaurant ”Vista Gourmet“.
Day 9: Trinidad – Sancti Spiritus – Santa Clara
In the morning leave Trinidad behind and make your way towards Sancti Spiritus. First stop on the way is the viewpoint “Mirador del Valle” with a panoramic view over the valley. From there continue to the village Manaca Iznaga, named after the former sugar barons, who owned many of the sugar mills, operated by the slaves in the 19th century.
Then continue to Sancti Spiritus. With the traffic mainly consisting of coloful classic cars and horse carriages it is easy to imagine how traffic must have looked like in Havana just a few years ago. Stroll along the “boulevard” through the center of the city and catch a glimpse of the life of the Cubans far away from mass tourism. Lunch on the terrace of
the hotel “El Rijo”.
In the afternoon continue towards Santa Clara. Even though Santa Clara belongs to the younger cities of Cuba, being founded in 1689, it still is one of the most known cities of the country and inseparably connected with the Comandante Che Guevara, who found his last resting-place here. Today, the city of Santa Clara is a relatively small university city with around 202.000 inhabitants, located north of the Sierra Escambray.
You visit the main attraction of Santa Clara lays slightly outside of the city center at the revolution square: The museum and monument of Ernesto Che Guevara (el museo y monument memorial comandante Ernesto Che Guevara).
Day 10: Sagua La Grande – Isabella De La Sagua
Enjoy the morning at leisure in Sagua la Grande for further exploring of the city or to use the hotel pool. Then continue towards Cayo Santa María. On the way stop in the small village Isabella de Sagua directly at the coast for today´s lunch at a restaurant overlooking the ocean. In the afternoon continue to Cayo Santa María across the 47 kilometer long dam. After the arrival at your beach resort and check in it is time to say goodbye to your guide and time to relax at the pristine beaches (end of the classic car tour).
Day 11 – 13: Cayo Santa Maria
Time for sun and beach!
Day 14: Cayo Santa Maria – Havana Airport
